Sequoia junior Hennelly takes one for the team

Over at Menlo-Atherton, freshman Chloe Cresson this year became the first girl in school history to earn a spot on the pitching staff of the Bears’ JV baseball team.

But the story of Sequoia junior Keiran Hennelly is one of self sacrifice, nurturing and understanding the importance of high school athletics.

Hennelly, who played varsity flag football and varsity basketball this season, was starting to gear up for the 2026 varsity softball campaign when athletic director Melissa Schmidt found herself in a bind. The 2025 JV softball coach could not return for 2026 and Schmidt was struggling to find a replacement.

There were three dads of varsity athletes who were all more than willing to serve as assistant coaches, but none could commit full time to being a head coach.

“We started the season with the two teams (both varsity and JV) practicing together,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt was at her wit’s end. She was not willing to scrap the JV program and was even resigned to serving as head coach herself if need be.

But then she got an email from Hennelly during mid-winter break in February, saying she was interested in taking over the head coaching chores for the JV team.

“It was a very detailed email,” Schmidt said. “She said, ‘I thought about this a lot and I would like to be the JV coach.’ She talked a lot about how skill development is really important. Many of our JV players are new to the sport and she said she’d like to build a fun JV experience.

“I read it and thought, ‘That’s adorable,’ and I went about my day.”

On the Monday after the weeklong break, Hennelly came to Schmidt’s office to further discuss her qualifications. Hennelly had spent the 2025 summer coaching San Carlos Youth Softball and has been working with the Women’s Coaching Alliance.

This was not just some lark. Schmidt said Hennelly came into the meeting knowing exactly what she was doing.

“She said, ‘I have a proposal. I have practice plans,’” Schmidt said. “She created what might be the best presentation of any coaching applicant I’ve ever seen.”

Impressed, Schmidt brought the idea to her vice principal and got with the three dads — Keiran’s dad, John Hennelly, Ben Ocken and Terry Woodsome — to coordinate their support of Keiran Hennelly.

They didn’t hesitate and when the Ravens’ JV team took the field for their first game March 17, Keiran Hennelly was entrenched as the team’s head coach.

“She coaches third base, does the umpire meeting,” Schmidt said. “There is always an adult present and they certainly contribute. If there is ever a day when (one of the three dads) can’t be there, I would be there.”

There doesn’t appear a traditional Hollywood ending to this story, however. The Sequoia JV softball has certainly taken its lumps this season, with a number of lopsided losses as the Ravens search for that first win.

But winning is not what this is about. This was about a student-athlete wanting to help those coming up behind her. It takes a special person to give up on what they want to do, to do something they should do. She was willing to give up her varsity softball season so the younger kids in the program got a chance to play.

Schmidt said she wasn’t completely surprised that Hennelly stepped up.

“I also work with the Women’s Coaching Alliance and she was one of the kids I tapped to get involved. She’s a standout kid and a great athlete. She’s a really cool young woman,” Schmidt said. “The conversation we had about it was, she said, ‘I know I don’t have a future past high school in softball, but I think I have a future past high school in high school athletics.’

“That resonated with me. It was certainly a sacrifice (on her part).”

Nathan Mollat has been covering high school sports in San Mateo County for the San Mateo Daily Journal since 2001. He can be reached by email: nathan@smdailyjournal.com.