After beginning her career at Heartland Community College, Wonderly made the jump to the Big 10 as a pitcher at Illinois. She helped lead the Illini to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances and earned All-Region honors twice. As a senior, she led the team with a 2.63 ERA and earned first-team All-B1G honors for the first time in her career. After graduating from Illinois, Wonderly enjoyed a cup of coffee in the National Pro Fastpitch league before beginning her college coaching career.
She started her post-playing career on staff at Louisville, then coached pitchers at Morehead State in 2019 before spending the last two years on staff at Austin Peay.
Following her arrival in Kansas City, she talked about her playing career; the beginnings of her coaching career; and her style and philosophies between the white lines.
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Extra Inning Softball: When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in coaching?
Breanna Wonderly: I never considered a career in coaching until my playing career started to come to an end. Coach [Tyra] Perry and Coach [Kassie Stanfill] had a huge impact on me. They added fuel to my passion for the game and made me want to have that same impression on others.
EIS: Describe your coaching style for me. What do you feel are your biggest attributes and strengths as a coach?
Wonderly: I have had great coaches to look up to throughout my playing and coaching career. I have absorbed qualities and coaching styles from each of them. I would say my biggest attributes are detail-oriented and competitive. I strive every day to bring those qualities out in my pitchers.
EIS: What lessons and tools have you taken from your own collegiate & professional playing career that have benefited you the most in your coaching career to this point?
Wonderly: Throughout my playing career, I learned the importance of the mental side of the game. Pitching is a game within a game. It requires composure from athletes on the mound and from coaches in the dugout.
EIS: Tell me what intrigued you about the KC assistant position? What was the ultimate linchpin that made you say “yes” to the new role?
Wonderly: I am from the Kansas City area and couldn’t wait to be back around my family.
EIS: Even though you are already an experienced Division I pitching coach, are there any adaptations that you have to make when you take on a new role or is it pretty smooth sailing, just in a new locale with new faces?
Wonderly: Adaptation is always necessary when working with a new coaching staff and a new team. Communication is key to help make that transition smooth for everyone.
EIS: I’d love your thoughts on balancing academics and athletics, especially considering that you pursued a fairly difficult major in undergrad and also received your Master’s degree simultaneously while coaching!
Wonderly: I am thankful that Illinois stressed academics so much and provided me with so many resources. Playing softball in college taught me how to master time-management and that carried over to completing my Master’s while coaching. Softball was my outlet throughout undergrad and grad school when academics became stressful.
EIS: Let’s say we’re having this conversation one year from now, after you have a full season at KC under your belt. What needs to happen during the season for you to be able to reflect and say ‘this has been a successful year’?
Wonderly: If I am able to say that my athletes’ passion for the game has grown, I would consider that a successful year.
