WAURIKA — How did Ivy Fitzgerald come full circle and return to the athletic program in which her high school career began? Chose the axiom you like best.

“Things just fell into place.”

“I was in the right place at the right time.”

“Maybe the planets just aligned in the right way.”

Fitzgerald smiles as she tried to explain what brought her back to the Waurika school district.

Then Waurika’s new softball head coach and girls basketball and track assistant added, “I’d always wanted to be close to home, if not at home.”

Whatever force guided her back to place in which her athletic career started, Fitzgerald has come home with a mission.

“In the past, people haven’t treated softball at Waurika like most of the other programs. It seemed like softball was just something to pass the time, and not enough importance was given to having a good program,” she said.

“The girls need to know that the sport is important, that it can be a successful program. What I want to do is build up the program and go out and compete.

“I think the girls have the tools, they just need some support and someone to push them.”

Fitzgerald knows the frustration felt by some past Lady Eagles, who tried to succeed in a program that didn’t seem to be taken seriously — she had experienced it. Even though she grew up in Waurika and was involved in WHS athletics, by the time Fitzgerald completed her junior year, she was ready for a change.

Wanting to play in a more competitive situation, and hoping softball could open some college doors, Fitzgerald spent her senior year at Velma-Alma, graduating in 2004.

The Lady Comets have a well-known, successful tradition as a small-school softball program. At V-A, Fitzgerald was able to accomplish her goals — being part of successful team and receiving a softball scholarship from East Central University in Ada.

Although she’ll be an interscholastic head coach for the first time, when the Lady Eagles begin practice in July, Fitzgerald can draw from the knowledge and examples she’s experienced in the past five years.

At Velma-Alma, Fitzgerald spent a season under Robert Cowan, one the state’s top softball coaches. Then she played for four seasons at East Central, first under Ron Miller and then Destini Anderson.

In the off-seasons, Fitzgerald worked as a volunteer at Latta, Ryan and South Lake Carroll, a Texas athletic powerhouse. She even worked summer camps for former WHS coaches Brad Logan and Steve Lee.

After graduating from ECU, her first job came at Class 5A Ada High School.

“I definitely have been around some good coaches and good programs,” Fitzgerald said. “I never thought I’d start (interscholastic) coaching at a 5A school like Ada, but that was a great experience. I was head junior high coach and assistant high school coach.

“I learned a lot from being around coach Cowan at V-A; definitely picked up some qualities from him. He’s coaching at Duncan now, and I’m really excited that we’re going up to scrimmage with them in August.

“I was under a lot of good coaches, and I feel fortunate that I can pick and chose from them for things I can add to my own style.”

Fitzgerald has remained close enough to Waurika’s program to realize what she’s getting into, and in some ways, she realizes the alignment of the stars has brought her back home at a good time.

Two years ago, with Lee at the helm, the Lady Eagles went 9-18, their best record in several years. Under Aaron Minor last season, they finishing 13-12-1, which was the program’s first winning season in the 21st century.

Several veterans from that club — including all-conference and all-area performers Brittany Elkins, Kayla Salazar and Kacee Daily — have graduated. But Fitzgerald inherits some young players who have experienced progress and victory.

“I wish I would have had a chance to work the group of girls who graduated this year — they were good,” she said. “It may not happen right away, but there’s a good, young group of players coming up, and I’ll get a chance to rebuild my way.

“We’re going to have fun, but the players need to understand that winning is hard work. But sometimes the reward for hard work is winning, and winning is a lot of fun.

“I came into the job a little late, but some of the junior high girls have been out playing summer ball, which is good.

“Most of all, I want softball to be taken seriously. As far as I know, Waurika’s never had a softball all-state player or been in the state tourney. I’d like to change that.

“In the past, Waurika has lost some players because there hasn’t been enough effort put into the softball and girls who take softball seriously have decided to go to other schools.

“What I want is for us to be the school that those girls want to come to.”