Inductees

The great thing about sports is that everybody has a neat story, some more remarkable than others.

Consider Sharon Buschjost. Back in 1996, happy being a stay-at-home mom for a third year away from teaching, the phone rang and on the other end of the line was her brother-in-law, the Blair Oaks High School athletic director.

“He thought I might be interested in getting back into coaching, and he asked me if I would be interested in coaching softball at Blair Oaks,” Buschjost recalled. “And I said yes!”

And so began a 23-year (and ongoing) career as Blair Oaks High School’s softball coach – a run that has filled the trophy case and now leads to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which proudly inducted Buschjost with the Class of 2019.

A 1983 graduate of Blair Oaks who played at the University of Central Missouri, Buschjost is 450-157 in 23 seasons. That figure includes a whopping 10 Final Four berths.

The Final Fours cover the years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The 2009 team won the Class 2 state championship.

Along the way, Buschjost’s teams also have captured 22 conference championships, 18 district titles and produced 45 All-State selections.

Buschjost credits dedicated players, parents and the administration for the program’s success. Having the support of the entire Blair Oaks community is a wonderful thing, with everyone proudly wearing their green during games.

“The hallmark of Blair Oaks softball teams is taking pride in the school they play for and wanting to play the game the right way,” Buschjost said. “As a coaching staff, we have always instilled the importance of every aspect of the game. We work very hard at being the best baserunners, fielders, hitters and teammates.”

Buschjost initially coached in the Jefferson City Parks & Recreation Department. She was a high school student and a longtime softball player by then and, once she got involved, she was hooked.

“I worked as a softball coach for two years while I was in high school and I loved everything about it,” Buschjost said. “I loved working with other coaches and I loved teaching young girls as much as I knew about softball at that time.”

She went on to UCM, earning All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association honors in 1985 (catcher) and in 1986 (shortstop). Buschjost then finished her degree at Lincoln University as she and husband Curt started their family.

After college, she spent six years at Fulton High School, four as a basketball assistant, and then stepped away for three years.

In Buschjost, Blair Oaks has had a coach who pays attention to detail. Not only has she borrowed ideas from managers of her favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, but she also recognizes the game is about players.

“You can’t get wrapped up in the number of years you have been coaching, but rather approach every year knowing it’s someone’s daughter’s first, second, third or last year of high school and everyone that cares about her wants it to be a great experience,” Buschjost said.

The 2009 team featured 10 seniors and finished 21-5, including a 1-0 quarterfinal victory against Palmyra, which had won the previous three state championships in Class 2.

“We had struggled to get past a very good Palmyra team the previous two seasons, and once we beat them 1-0 in the quarterfinal game in a very close, intense game,” Buschjost said, “we were fired up and entered the Final Four determined to finish the job.”

Five of her teams were state runners-up (2001, 2002, 2013, 2016, 2017). She was named the Missouri Softball Coach of the Year in 2017-2018 and has been inducted into the Missouri High School Fast Pitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

To Buschjost, her mom, the Blair Oaks administration and longtime assistant Jill Linnenbrink have helped make her career. She also has long had the support of her husband Curt and children Lindsey, Justin, Alex and Brock.

“Anything we have ever wanted or asked for within reason, (the administration) has provided for us,” Buschjost said. “And the only way I was able to coach and enjoy what I was doing was because I had a wonderful husband who took care of me and our kids. I would often talk to him about softball-related issues and ask for his opinion. I respected his opinion whether he agreed with me or not. He often made me look at issues in different ways and it was always very helpful.”