Norwalk’s Ginger Larsin has softball field named in her honor
La Serna High School names their softball field after long-time head softball coach, Ginger Larsin, on Wednesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
WHITTIER - Longtime Norwalk resident and former La Serna High School Softball coach, Ginger Larsin, has finally come full circle on a high school softball field.
After starting to play softball at the age of eight, coaching and teaching for years and now retired, Larsin received the greatest honor of all – having the softball field on campus named after her.
A big reason why her name will adorn the field is current Instructional Aide and former player (’88), Janet Mosikian, who brought Larsin’s name up to the Whittier Union High School District Board, along with the support from current and former La Serna faculty, staff and players. They all urged the Board to name the field in her honor.
In ceremonies held Wednesday (April 20), the beautiful new field will now and forever be known as, “Ginger Larsin Field.”
“This was amazing,” said Larsin, of the new sign. “The sign was awesome. I didn’t expect all of that. It’s wonderful. I’m so honored.”
Emotions ran high that afternoon, with many former players and coaches in attendance.
Larsin is a 60-year resident of Norwalk.
La Serna Assistant Principal Randy Castillo opened the ceremonies with remarks, followed by Principal Griselda Castro reading the accomplishments of Larsin through the years.
Former Principal and current Assistant Superintendent of the District, Ann Fitzgerald, spoke next talking of the early years with Larsin as teachers.
Later, she said of Larsin, “She is just high integrity, great energy and love of the game and love of the kids,” Fitzgerald said. “I was thinking back and it’s the 50th anniversary of Title IX. I can’t think of anybody who was a better trailblazer than Ginger. She came up right as it was happening. What a wonderful example she was for athletes. She set a great example.”
The softball field, along with the baseball complex, tennis courts and track and football fields in the upper area were completed in 2018.
Larsin, 65, retired from coaching in 2013 and from teaching in 2019.
Larsins dad, Chester, actually had a big influence on her starting the game of softball, no doubt.
He helped start “Little Miss Softball”, which later became Norwalk Girls Softball
She spent twenty seven years as a varsity coach and 36 years teaching at La Serna.
Along the way, Larsin’s teams won the Del Rio League 14 times, qualified for CIF-Southern Section playoffs 26 of her 27 years, 503 wins and played in four CIF title games, winning three in 1996, 2001 and 2008.
“The program that coach Larsin built over nearly three decades, is one of consistency, quality, and effectiveness,” La Serna Athletic Director Steve Hemenway said. “Year after year, under her leadership, La Serna graduated numerous college-level athletes that were helped along by her knowledge and ability to pass on both the physical and mental aspects of the game of softball.”
Hemenway has known Larsin for 50 years and Larsin actually had something to do with him coming to La Serna. Larsin told Hemenway about a coaching vacancy with boys basketball. He eventually took the girls position. Overall, he has been at La Serna for 32 years.
“She is, to this day, the best female athlete I have ever seen in our area,” added Hemenway, of Larsin. “Her legacy is rolling on and we have a program because of her. She rose to that level and the kids are able to keep that quality there.”
Larsin was more than just a softball player (pitcher, shortstop, outfielder) as she excelled in multiple sports when she got to high school. She attended Santa Fe from 1972-’75 and earned 14 varsity letters in softball, basketball, tennis and track and field.
After high school, she went on to college at Long Beach State and played club softball since they didn’t have a sanctioned team yet. That came a few years after she graduated in 1979, but was a part of the foundation to get it started.
Larsin started coaching around 1980 at Santa Fe with Mike Mendez, who is a former Mayor of Norwalk.
In 1983 Larsin was teaching as a substitute and was coaching volleyball at Bell Gardens.
Her first fulltime teaching job came that year also.
“I got a call (while at volleyball practice) from my mom and she said La Serna wanted to interview me for a job,” Larsin said. “I went right to La Serna and they hired me right then and there.”
Various positions were held by Larsin for three years as she was coaching JV Softball coach, Varsity Basketball coach, assistant athletic director and even the head cheerleading advisor.
“In 1987 I became the varsity softball coach at La Serna,” said Larsin, with a smile. “I had a lot of great talented players that went to DI.
“I was very blessed as a coach because I got a lot of talented athletes. Whittier Girls Softball had a lot of athletes that fed into La Serna. I pretty much just got them all to play together. They performed great.”
Larsin was thinking back of her fondest memories at La Serna in softball.
“One of my fondest memories at La Serna is when you go to your first CIF Championship,” she remembers. “We went in 1995 and lost and I was devastated.
“But, we returned in 1996 and played exactly the same team we played in 1995 and this time we ended up winning.
“That memory there was we went in extra innings and we finally won in the 12th inning, 1-0. That was a big memory for me winning our first CIF Championship (against Upland) for the school.”
Larsin would go on to win two more titles, of course, in 2001 and 2008.
He top pitchers for those teams were – Jackie DeBoard, ‘96 (CIF Player of the Year, Denise Linke, ’01 (POY) and Holly Constidine, ’08, along with Ashley Holmes.
Another memory was Larsin seeing five former players on two fields at the same time at La Serna – AJ Carrasco (LS Asst. Varsity coach), Amanda Perez and Katrina Castaneda (LS JV coaches), Nikki Gandara (Cal High JV coach) and the umpire.
In attendance was one of La Serna’s most recent coaches, who took over after Ginger retired and was on her staff for quite a few years, Mike Reed.
“It’s unbelievable. To see this field dedicated to her and all the work she put in is just unbelievable,” said Reed, who won a CIF title in 2015, along with Mike Arona. “When we first got this field done at my first game (2018) here, I tried to get (the District) to dedicate the field for that opening day. With everything you have to go through, they postponed it until now.”
Another coach that was a big part of her program was Bill Smith, who has since passed on.
Larsin was also so happy to have worked alongside her daughter, Kelley Strong, during her last five years before retirement. Strong is a counselor.
“I was so blessed that Kelley got to teach my last five years here at the school,” Larsin said. “It means so much to me.”
Larsin is still very active playing pickleball, basketball, golf, bowling, softball and traveling.
Larsin, by the way, is headed to Fort Lauderdale this summer to play in the Senior Nationals for softball.
What they said:
Jason Clay, La Serna Girls Softball coach: “I never got to work side-by-side with her. She came over to help out two years ago and these girls loved it. I’m actually getting chills just talking about it.
I’m glad she got to coach here on the new field to help finish the season. The atmosphere she brought and watching the girls in the dugout was seeing them excited.”
April Zamorano, La Serna Softball Asst. coach: “Ginger was a legend here. She was just an amazing person, an amazing coach. Just to have a female coach for female athletes is very minimal these days. It’s very special to have her here.”
Randy Castillo, La Serna Assistant Principal: “(Ginger) is just non-stop, giving energy all the time. For her, it was always about the kids. When she announced her retirement, we still thought she’d work another 10 years.
More impressive was her 27 years of coaching softball and her league titles, CIF Championships and all of those wins was definitely something she established here and built the program.”
Cindy LeBlanc (Castillo), former player, 1991-‘92: “His run of 26 CIF playoffs is an amazing feat and I don’t think any other coach in this district has the longevity and stamina to make this team what it is.”
Michell Soaper (Wallis), former player, 1991-’93: “This is why I’m here (Wednesday), because Ginger made such a lasting impression on my life as a coach. I always looked up to her. We had fun and she was a great mentor. Thirty years later and she deserves all of this.”
Trisha Wallis, former player, 1991-’92: “Me and sis (Michell Soaper) played for “Ginj” at the same time. There are so many memories. We still talk about her. It was always a great time and we always loved to come to softball. She was so competitive and was so fun too.
All of her assistants were great people. We’re just very honored that we got to play with her early on. I’m so happy for her. She deserves every bit of it.”
Michelle Ortiz, La Serna Counselor: “I played freshman softball and was in her program and then I just focused on Basketball. In 1999 I started here as coach for basketball and got to know here then.
She has always been positive with lots of energy and so influential as a woman. She was only one of the women coaches for the school for a long, long time. She still inspires me.”
Kelley Strong, Ginger Larsins’ daughter, La Serna counselor: “I’m so proud of her. I think it’s so well deserved. Just growing up and watching her coach as she just put her whole heart into the program. To see her honored is very exciting.
She always maintained her cool and I think the girls just responded to that and saw the leadership.
I remember being on the field for her first championship. I was the bat girl.”
Sarah Perez, current La Serna softball player, SS: “Having the field named after her shows how important she was and I’m proud that I’ll be playing with her name on the field.
Having her around the field makes us feel important.”