Coaching cousins: Grandfather’s influence shines through in how Fesslers guide rival softball teams

LIBERTY, Ill. — Sara Reichert sees it as clearly as anyone.

Her brother and her cousin share a common trait passed down through generations of the Fessler family.

That’s their even-keel disposition.

“Our grandparents were sports-loving fans,” said Reichert, the junior varsity softball coach at Liberty, where her first cousin B.J. Fessler is the varsity coach, and the older sister to Payson Seymour coach Joe Fessler, who she coaches a traveling team alongside. “Our grandpa was very laid back and philosophical. Both B.J. and Joe are like our grandfather (Don Fessler).

“They both create level-headed environments, and Grandpa would be so proud of them.”

Seeing them apply their trade head-to-head would have been Grandpa’s delight.

The Liberty and Payson softball teams are scheduled to meet for the third time this season at 10 a.m. Saturday as part of a cluster being held at Liberty High School. Both teams are scheduled to play Mendon Unity as well.

“These are always the games you mark on the calendar,” Joe Fessler said. “Whenever you’ve got a grudge or family is involved, those are always the ones you mark first.”

Payson won the first meeting 4-3 on March 18, and Liberty returned the favor with a 4-3 victory on April 11.

“It’s a good rivalry,” B.J. Fessler said. “We really like to compete against each other.”

Both coaches grew up in Liberty and attended Liberty High School, and both played basketball and baseball and ran track growing up. In fact, Joe Fessler set the Illinois Elementary High School Association state record in the 400-meter dash for eighth grade boys in 1997.

“My family just can’t believe I was ever that fast,” Joe said.

While B.J. admits that Joe was a better athlete, he did take advantage of the four-year age gap between them whenever he could.

“He might have been in eighth grade and I was a senior, but we’d put the rim down on 9 feet and I’d dunk on him,” said B.J., a 1997 Liberty graduate.

Joe can testify to this happening.

“I do remember that,” he said.

But as Joe got older, things changed.

“They quickly realized when I grew a couple inches and was taller they stopped doing that,” said Joe, a 2001 Liberty graduate who set the Liberty career scoring record of 1,523 points at the time of his graduation. “They just stopped playing with me.”

Joe is in his first season as both the varsity and JV coach at Payson, so this is the first time he and his cousin have had the chance to coach against each other. And it’s only fitting their head-to-head matchups have been one-run affairs because it forces them to follow Grandpa’s lead and stay calm until the end.