Head Coach/Impact Program FOUNDER/Director

Phone 847-306-1547         Email Coach Kent

Coach Kent founded Illinois Impact Fastpitch Softball in 2010 and is currently a Softball Instructor at MVP Sports  Academy in Lake Zurich, IL, where he provides instruction in pitching, fielding, and hitting.  He is also In his 5th year as the Head Softball Coach at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.  He previously was the Head Softball Coach at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois from 2016-2018.  At Trinity, he turned around a program that had won 3 games in the previous 4 years, winning 52 games over the next 3 years , and leading the team to a 29-19 record and an appearance in the NCCAA World Series in 2018.  Coach Kent has over 40 years of softball coaching experience.

Coach Kent brings an extraordinary level of teaching experience to the Impact Program.  He teaches private lessons and softball clinics and is well known throughout the softball community. Coach Kent has helped thousands of players during his coaching tenure and is equally comfortable working with the youngest of players to the most experienced high-level athletes. Simply put, he loves the game of softball and teaching it to those that want to learn and improve.

Coach Kent was a minor league baseball player with the San Diego Padres, transitioned to softball years ago, and coached in various travel programs before forming and coaching the Illinois Impact. He holds teaching certifications from NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association), A.C.E. (Achieve, Certify, Educate) and ASEP (Professional Coaches Education Program).

Coach Gary has coached softball for 18 years, including the last 10 with Illinois Impact as an assistant or head coach for the 16u, 18u, and 14u teams.  He also developed and maintains the program’s website and coordinates many administrative aspects of Illinois Impact.  His youngest daughter, Molly, played softball for 13 years, including 6 years with Impact (3 years playing, 3 years coaching) and played College softball career at Ripon College 2017-20.  

The Illinois Impact 18u-KS team includes Seniors, Juniors and Sophmores from 9 High Schools in Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Winnebago Counties.  Illinois Impact teams are reconstituted each year based on competitive tryouts held each August.  This year's team has 6 new players and 6 returning players.