For Zoey Griswold, a Western Illinois University junior from Plymouth, adversity took her away from a solid softball career. But it opened the doors for coaching opportunities that kept her close to the game she loved.
Back when Griswold was a junior at Southeastern High School, she joined the Hancock County CEO program, looking to start some kind of business. Because of her softball experience, that became the genesis for her business, Zoey’s Zone, which involves pitching lessons for young girls, aiming at the 10 year old and under set, developing both their skills and their enthusiasm for the game itself.
“Outside of school with softball, I was always a pitcher,” Griswold said. “So I decided to do some pitching lessons.”
After high school, she went to Saint Louis Community College and was pitching for the team when fate intervened.
“I had some elbow issues. I had to get surgery which took me out of my own softball career,” she explained.
Pitching lessons blossomed into full range coaching, including forming a 10 and under team, under the Legacy name.
“I grew up in Plymouth and wanted to play travel softball. Then there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for me around the area. Locally, there weren’t really any teams for me to join,” she noted.
With that in mind, along with some help from her father, Chad Griswold, she decided to change that.
“I think it’s kind of cool to bring something to Plymouth and then, like Hancock County in general, that we haven’t really ever had before,” Griswold shared. “Growing up, I always kind of wished I had that opportunity. So it’s really nice to be able to give the girls in our community, like from my old high school and just from Hancock County in general, to give them that opportunity that I wish I had back when I was their age growing up playing.”
Coaching a team of her own was just a part of the story. She also became the pitching coach for the West Prairie/Southeastern softball co-op. This fall, Griswold brought two tournament events to Chris Miller Memorial Ballpark in Plymouth. She credited parents with being huge in the effort.
“The parents are a huge part of the fundraising part of it,” Griswold said. “They do everything as far as the food and getting everything we need for that to go so well. They do a great job with that.”
Griswold’s adversity also has played a role in her career choice.
“I’ll get my exercise science degree (at WIU) and go to QU for their physical therapy program. So I’ll be in school a bit longer for that,” she added.
Even after she gets her physical therapy professional degree, Griswold has no intention of stopping coaching.
“Coaching is for sure something I want to keep doing on the side of everything,” she said.
Visit “Zoey’s Zone” on Facebook for more information.
