Coaches' Bios

Coach Ron Havelka

Head Varsity Coach

Coach Havelka completed his 17th season as Head Coach or Mustang Varsity Softball. He has compiled a record of 495-124-2 over those 17 years. His teams have won 14 conference championships, 11 regional championships, 3 sectional championship, in 2007 took 4th in state, 2006 his team placed 2nd in State, and in 1993 his team won the class AA State Championship. This was the first state Championship in the School’s history. Coach Havelka was named Coach of the Year by the Illinois Girls Coaches Athletic Association in 2006 and in 1993. He has also been named Coach of the year six times by the Suburban Life/ Reporter Progress newspapers. Nine of his 14 teams that he has coached at DGS have gone on to win at least 30 games against one of the states toughest schedule.

In 2007, Coach Havelka was inducted to the Illinois Coaches Softball Hall of Fame. His 1993 State Championship Team was inducted into the Downers Grove South Hall of Fame in 2008.

Coach Havelka has also coached at Eisenhower Junior High prior to coming to DGS. In his 13 years there (1987-1993) his teams had a record of 134-5, and won 12 Southeast DuPage Athletic Conference Championships. He has also coached JV and sophomore basketball at Downers Grove North from 1985-1988.

Coach Havelka has instructed many softball clinics for girls in our area and has spoken at numerous clinics in Illinois. Coach Havelka Graduated from Downers North in 1966, and Northern Illinois University in 1970. He retired from Eisenhower Junior High in 2007 and currently lives in Westmont.

Coach Jim Cushing

Assistant Varsity

Coach Cushing, has been on the staff here at DGS for all of Coach Havelka’s 17 years. He coaches the Outfielders. Jim is an avid softball player himself playing in nearly 100 games of Slow-Pitch softball each year. He has played on a nationally ranked team and has won Several National Championships during his days. He was also inducted into the Illinois Softball Hall of Fame in March of 1998. He was selected the MVP of the ASA, Usssa, and NSA National and World Tournaments.

Lindsay Mulay

JV Head Coach

Coach Mulay played for Lake Park High School and graduated in 2001. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This is her 6th year coaching. She previously was an Assistant Varsity Coach at Champaign Centennial (2004), Assistant Varsity Coach at Champaign Central (2005), an Assistant Varsity Coach at Lake Park High School (2006), and was Head Varsity Coach at Streamwood High School (2007-2008). Coach Mulay believes that with hard work, dedication, teamwork, and knowledge of the game, athletes can develop into great competitive softball players.

Bill Drenth

JV Assistant Coach

Bill is entering his 11^th year as coach of the Junior Varsity team. He has posted winning records each year and has brought home a conference championships 10 times. He has coached traveling softball for 17 years and is currently the coach of the Downers Grove Outlaws (18U). In addition he coached in the Westmont Phillies and Downer Grove D.O.L.L.S. organizations. He is looking forward to “making the players become the best players they can be” this year and expects to have another successful season.

Chuck Scott

JV Assistant Coach

Chuck just completed his 13^th year of coaching softball of which the last 11 have been as the JV Assistant Coach. He has coached traveling softball at the 16U, 18U, and 23U age groups during his tenure and believes that you “always win even when losing.” Since he is retired, Chuck likes to play a lot of golf and attend spectator sports. It is not uncommon to find Chuck and his wife at a softball game be it at any level from Juniors to collegiate during the course of the season. He hopes to help his players improve their skills and have fun while learning the importance of teamwork this season and expects that they will bring home another conference championship. He and his wife Jackie support all DGS Athletic teams and can be seen at almost every event.

Bill Gronko

Head Freshman Coach

Bill has been the Freshman coach for 12 years. He has been coaching traveling softball for the Woodridge Wildcats over the past 4 years and prior to that for 3 years in the Westchester program. Bill is a teacher at DGS working with special needs students and has earned recognition and honors for his work in this field. In addition to coaching softball, Bill coaches Freshman basketball at DGS and is an avid sports fan. Bill likes to encourage his players to "practice and play with abandon. Worrying about making a mistake slows you up. Extend yourself. Try new things to improve your game." He looks forward to seeing his players improve individually and as a team this season and expects everyone to work hard enough so that they deserve to win and enjoy the season.

Dick Cermak

Assistant Freshman Coach

This is Coach Cermak's 23nd consecutive year of coaching girl's fast pitch softball. He has managed girl's fast pitch traveling softball teams in the Downers Grove DOLLS program for the 17 consecutive years, and the last 3 years he managed the Oak Lawn Diamonds 18 and under. He coached 7 consecutive years of high school softball, 3 years at Oak Lawn, and the last 3 years here at DGS. His entire coaching philosophy is built around a winning formula of positive reinforcement through non-verbally abusive problem identification and correction, which builds respect between player and coach, increases a player's acceptance of direction during games, and improves a player's confidence to achieve her personal best.