Put me in Coach, I’m ready to play

Last season, the GHS softball team got news that nobody expected to hear. Before Spring Break, a virus infamously known as COVID-19 hit the United States and was rapidly spreading to parts of the country. It spread so quickly that the softball girls had to stop practicing softball and start practicing social distancing. 

Coaches Dusty Berning, Jerry Westemier, and the players hoped that the virus was short and temporary. Unfortunately, it spread so fast that it ended up cancelling the 2020 softball season. “I was really disappointed about not getting to have my first high school season last year,” said Ayden Wells ‘23. “So this year, I’m very excited to play with my team in the summer.” The girls were devastated because they knew that they had a lot of potential to be a good team and they could win a lot of games. This year, there is a lot of talent on the softball team and they hope to be back playing in the summer and winning some games.

The GHS softball team isn’t known for taking home the conference championship or winning every game. The girls know that they all have potential and can be a winning team if they work hard at practice. “Overall, our team needs to work on hitting, and always having a winning attitude,” said Madeline Ries ‘22. One of the main goals for the team is to make this one of the best seasons yet. It’s going to be a lot of work, but the girls know they can do it. “I feel very confident going into this season that we will be one of the top teams in our conference,” said Coach Dusty Berning. “We return a lot of varsity experience and have pitching depth this year.  We will contend for a conference championship this season” 

After losing four seniors last year who all had important roles to the game, there were some shoes to be filled. This year, there are four freshmen who all have a lot of experience in this game, who are ready to play their hearts out on the diamond. For a team of twenty girls, many of them have a lot of abilities to play different positions. One thing that the softball team has are a lot of capable and consistent pitchers. Some of these girls have gone to many camps to improve their pitching skills and their overall knowledge of the game. “I have really enjoyed GHS softball so far,” said Emma Furlong ‘24. “Everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging. Softball practices have been something I have looked forward to this fall. I always have a lot of fun, even if we have practices filled with defense drills. Some goals I have for myself are to improve my pitching speed and accuracy throughout high school and to become a reliable part of our team in not only pitching, but also hitting.” These four freshmen are looking forward to another chapter in their high school athletic career.

In addition to the team, the team also has four seniors who are going to be saying goodbye to softball after this year. Riley Wills, Kellyn Romer, Sydney Benson, and Corrina Noble are all assets to a winning season. They all play very important positions in the infield, and they also contribute to our offense when hitting. These girls always have positive attitudes and give 100% effort during practices and games. They’re also great role models and a good example of what a team leader should be. The four seniors have set goals to make not only themselves, but also the team to have a successful season. “My first priority is to just at least have a season. But other than that, I just want to make my teammates and coaches proud, and win some games. I have thought about playing in college, but it just depends where I end up going,” said Kellyn Romer ‘21. This year, the girls need to make it their best season yet and play for the seniors, the wins, and hopefully the possibility of a conference championship. But most importantly, the girls need to work hard and play hard for themselves if they want to see improvement in not only their talent, but the team’s talent in the future.