The Softball Team

I have played everything from tennis to lacrosse. However, the sport that truly changed my life was softball. As an 8th grader varsity player I had little experience, was scared to play, and was unfamiliar with our new coach. "This is a new experience for a majority of us but let's start by taking it one game at a time," said my coach, JD Wood. Although he had experience coaching sports, he was inexperienced coaching female athletes. His leadership and time in the Army taught him how to lead us and unite us as a team, which was his goal for the season and ultimately inspired me.

This year, I started as the catcher. I had no experience in the position, but it fueled me to work harder and grow as a player.  Even though I didn't particularly enjoy catching, I refused to give up and took my position behind the plate as I knew everyone had to play a role for the team to succeed.  I was determined to help turn our losing team into a winning one; however, it was not to be. Despite being 0-12 and receiving a mercy-ruling every game, our team's spirit, energy, and unity never wavered. Coach kept our spirits up and rallied the team to continue to work towards improvement game after game.

Although this season was not our desired outcome, it taught me about being a leader and a teammate. Being a leader means demanding the best out of others and yourself. Through our year in WPS Softball, I also learned many valuable things from my teammates: selflessness, trust, confidence, respect and communication.  Being a leader or a teammate on a WPS athletics team does not mean you necessarily are the best player but it means you consistently show determination and give your best effort through all of the ups and downs. If you are interested in being a member of the WPS Softball team, please be sure to come out to tryouts next season. We are accepting anyone who wants to learn and be a part of the family we are creating.