Double Signing Sets New Highlight for Softball Coach

Hillsborough High School's softball program has compiled an incredible record under Head Coach Cheryl Iaione, collecting county, conference and state titles.

But last week, Coach Iaione marked a new highlight in her long career, watching as Alyssa Vanderveer and Donna Conrad signed to play softball at NCAA Div. 1 schools—the first time two players have signed on the same day.

"It's a great honor," she said.

The honor may cap Iaione's most successful year ever, after Conrad and Vanderveer helped the team win the Skyland Conference division title and Central Jersey Group IV sectional title—as well as Iaione's 300th win during the 2012-2013 season.

"The program has been unbelieveable over the years," HHS Athletic Director Mike Fanizzi said. He noted Iaione's softball teams perform well year after year, adding "It's just about different kids every year."

Which really is the essence of great coaching—finding a way to bring a new group of players and their parents together every season—which Fanizzi added is a hallmark of Iaione's coaching.

"We had some tremendous athletes—tremendous people—come out of the program," he said.

Fanizzi said Iaione is one of the school's mentor coaches, showing younger coaches how to handle the finer points of coaching.

"That has helped out our other sports," he said.

Iaione's success stems from her patient efforts to bring her players up—Donna noted that when she attended summer camps when she was younger, she learned about more than softball skills.

"By attending her summer camps when I was younger, I, as well as many of my other teammates learned proper technique and expectations of how hard we would need to work to be successful at the high school varsity level and beyond," she said. 

She added Iaione keeps the players focused during practices, which helps the team during games.  

Last week, as Vanderveer and Conrad posed for photos while signing their letters, family members clustered around them. But both asked for photos with their coaches as well, with Iaione, enjoying the moment like the proud parents, in the middle.

"It's a proud moment," she said, after watching Donna sign to play at the University of Albany. "I've known these two for a long time."