Cheshire High is hiring a 2015 bachelor, Kya ODonnell, as the new field hockey coach

Kya ODonnell started her field hockey career in eighth grade. At the time, it was a new sport he took after moving to Cheshire from Waterbury.

Now, 10 years later, after countless high school and college careers, he returns to the sport to become the next head coach of his alma mater: Cheshire High.

I knew it was something I loved being a part of high school, and I knew it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of again, ODonnell said.

Cheshire announced it was renting ODonnell on Monday afternoon.

We are excited that Kya will join the coaches, said Steve Trifone, Cheshire Athletics Director. As a Cheshire High alumni, he was part of the rich history and success of our ground sand program. He is eager to give to the program that gave him so much.

Now 24, ODonnell graduated from Cheshire in 2015 and will replace Eileen Wildermann as head coach of the programs after Wildermann had previously resigned in March. Wildermann coached ODonnell during his four years with Rams.

I’ve seen what Elieen has done, I’ve seen everything she’s achieved, and I think those last couple of days of its really settling down, like these, are some great shoes to fill, ODonnell said. It’s surreal to know that I have the opportunity to do the same thing he did, and he’s just built such an incredible path for me.

In Cheshire, ODonnell was a three-athlete athlete in field hockey, basketball and lacrosse. He was named the All-State, All-Area and All-Conference selection field on the field hockey and helped Rams win the 2011 L-Class title as well as three consecutive SCC titles in 2011-2013. The Rams went 10-0 in the regular season in three ODonnells for four years in Cheshire.

In that team alone, high school culture and the family unit that was constantly around me all the time was just something I didn’t have on many teams that Id had been a part of, he said. It’s just something I can’t forget and something I increasingly want to be a part of again. When this ranked open, I was like a team that I know only gets so much heart and soul in everything.

ODonnell also helped lead Rams ’lacrosse program to three straight SCC regular season titles in 2012-2014. In 2012, Rams was a Greenwich Runner in Class L State.

It’s going to be a learning curve for him anyway just stepping into the role, but I think knowing the climate, knowing the traditions, the type of student-athletes will only be useful to him when he becomes a first-year coach, Trifone said.

ODonnell played collegiate field hockey in the state of Southern Connecticut from 2015-2017. As the second student, the striker / midfielder tied the team for second with four goals in the season after starting in 13 teams from 18 matches. Instead of playing in his senior year, he was assistant head coach in field hockey and lacrosse programs at Hamden Hall Country Day School.

He graduated from the South in 2019 with a degree in psychology and worked for nine months with the Pacific Peacekeeping Force before returning home to Connecticut early due to the pandemic. ODonnell currently serves as General Counsel at Capital.

When Cheshires ’pre-season begins in August, ODonnell said he’s eager to meet new athletes and teach them how to take risks and learn to become the best versions of themselves both on and off the field.

I really hope to show them how dedicated and passionate I am about this and that I help these girls grow not only as athletes but also as people. This is supposed to be in this position, he said. Of course you want to win games, you want these girls to learn new skills, but at the end of the day I want parents to know that I encourage these girls to find their voice and take advantage of it, because after high school all you can do in college is just talk for you and defend yourself.

maggie.vanoni

@ hearstmediact.com