By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

In many ways, Brenda Flarida’s life has been the same for as long as she can remember.

Teaching and softball.

Two passions that helped shape her life and create her professional identity.

All of it started when she was a young girl growing up in Randolph.

Her classroom was different then, though.

In the basement of her childhood home on Eberly Road, “Miss” Flarida was leading her first classrooms filled with her first students.

As imaginary learners, they were arguably the best-listening groups of her career.

Joking aside, it was in those moments that Flarida already knew what her life path was going to be.

Education was simply a natural part of her DNA — even then.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Flarida said. “I played school every single day when I was a kid. From the moment I can remember, that is what I did.”

It wasn’t long after that softball joined in and it took an equally strong hold on Flarida.

“I started playing as early as they would let me,” she said. “Being at the Friendship Acres fields, there was nothing like it. I have great memories from when I played as a kid.”

Riding the wave of her two passions, the memories have only continued to fill her heart and her life.

Twenty eight years worth.

Many of them captured int he classroom, but also inside the 329 career wins as a high school softball coach. The total ranks as the fourth-most in Portage County history, trailing only Southeast’s Dave Dubinsky (458 wins), Field’s Beth Dyer (387 and active) and Rootstown’s Dave Mullenix (382).

Flarida’s career actually started at Garfield, where she taught seventh grade English and Language Arts for their first three years and coached the G-Men softball team.

“They needed a softball coach, but I was green as green can be,” Flarida said. “But I loved the game, and we had a really good team my first year.”

At the time that Flarida began her coaching career, the Portage County League was the league home for all county schools and it was split into a North Division and South Division.

Flarida led her G-Men to the top of the PCL North, setting up a PCL championship game with the Southeast Pirates, who had won the PCL South.

“We lost that game, but there I was as a rookie coach facing off against coach (Dave) Dubinsky, who was already a very well known and respected coach,” said Flarida, who also coached middle school girls basketball for three years at Garfield. “I also remember playing against Waterloo that year and against my head coach Lynn Jones. That was an emotional night for me. I still remember how that felt.”

It was the beginning chapter of what has become a legendary career for Flarida.

But after three years with the G-Men — time Flarida still looks back on fondly — her dream job to return Waterloo became available.

Then-Superintendent Bob Wolfe quickly hired Flarida, who became an eighth grade Math teach and softball coach.

She was home.

“I cried the day I resigned at Garfield, but, oh, did I want to come back to Waterloo,” Flarida said. Not to take anything away from my time at Garfield, honestly, because some of my best friends are still there and it was an amazing experience for me, especially as a young teacher … but I couldn’t wait to come back home. I knew I would be here forever. I wanted the softball program. I wanted to follow my coach (Lynn Jones) and do everything I could to make her proud and happy.”

Flarida herself has remained proud and happy, too.

And content.

“I have never looked for another job. I have never applied for another job. The love for what I do is all right here. In these buildings and on the field, with these kids and with this community.

“Coaching in my hometown district adds an extra layer because I think it is that much easier to fully commit yourself to the student-athletes and their families,” Flarida added. “They truly are an extension of your own family. I never had a daughter so the teams become my girls forever. They are part of my family.”

It is an element that keeps Flarida as connected to the program and its future than ever before. That, and, of course, her competitiveness, which is always heightened, but also always with a healthy perspective.

“I want to win more than anyone in the world, but as a coach, you have to step back and understand that they are kids and they are going to make mistakes,” Flarida said. “That is part of this job, being understanding. Sometimes they are going to come to practice having a bad day, so is there a way we can make practice a place where they can refocus for 2 hours and leave knowing everything is going to be OK.

“I have really evolved with that over the years and becoming a mom naturally changed that outlook tremendously,” Flarida added. “Everyone has something going on in their life and sports should be a healthy outlet. We talk a lot about the idea that when we are at softball togehter, we are a family, and we must trust each other, and we must be willing to do anything for each other.”

It falls under the umbrella of program staples that Flarida emphasizes to her team.

“I say it while I am coaching, while I am teaching and when I am at home … control what you can control and that is yourself. You can control your attitude, effort and being a good person. If you do that every single day, you are going to be successful.”

It is a mindset that even young “Miss” Flarida would get behind.