So far this season, our Lady Indians softball team has played 18 games with a 10-8 record as of September 9th, but no matter what the record is, playing on the team comes with experience and valuable lessons taught to the players. As the season progresses, the team learns more from their coaches, Coach Henderson and Coach Cook. Kirsten Conti, a senior, said “The most important thing they have taught me was that it’s okay to make a mistake and to just learn from them”. But more importantly, the girls spend more time and grow long lasting bonds with each other.
Coach Henderson is the head coach of the Lady Indians Softball team, and speaking with the team provides some insight to how they coach. Emma Kate Davis said, “They push us very hard because they know what we can do”, along with Ashlyn Burrage, who said, “They are very hard on us because they want us to do well”. The coaches do love the girls and want to see them perform to their full potential as they see it. Because of this the coaches do give feedback and critiques, however it is just because they know how well the girls can play. Coach Henderson said that he is hard on the girls and, “For those who are given much, much is expected, Luke 12:48”. Given this, playing on the team might feel a little daunting to some new players. To this, the girls just advised that if you make mistakes and are corrected, it’s okay, and to not take it to heart.
Being on the team does not just mean playing on the field, but playing with your friends and teammates. The girls enjoy eachothers company as they play in games, on the field, and in the batting cages. Teamwork is very important to the Lady Indians as they play. Kirsten Conti said, “What I’ll miss most is the strong connections I made with the girls”. It’s obvious that the girls have a strong bond with each other as they pick each other up in their lows, and celebrate their highs.
Emily Garrison, a sophomore on the team, said, “We’ve definitely overcome a lot of mental mistakes and it’s one of the most overcome in fielding for us”. Speaking of improving, one thing that the girls said that they could improve on is communication. Though the girls have worked very hard throughout the seasons, they decide that they could work on things and there is room for improvement.
When speaking with the team, we were given more insight to the experiences and what being on the team is like, how the girls connect with each other, and what it’s like with Coach Henderson and Coach Cook. Looking at the team from an outside perspective, they seem like an ordinary softball team, but looking inside, it’s clear that they all have a kind of special kind of connection and talent that makes them such a great team.
