North’s Girls’ Softball Predictions of the Upcoming Softball Season

North’s girls’ varsity softball is looking to make improvements for the 2024-2025 season.

Every year North has about 20 girls who make the team, each of them bring something different that benefits the program. Coach Jen Hall says, “My focus for this season is to help athletes do better than their last best.”

North softball had some unsuccessful seasons in years past. Although winning is the ideal goal of any sports team, Hall says, “My ultimate goal is to bring the team together this season.”

Even though the responsibilities of coaching can be difficult, Hall believes having a practice plan and a starting lineup planned out beforehand can make the job easier.

Numbers were previously the biggest struggle for North, along with that came inexperience with girls who had tried out. As the coaches do their best to prepare girls for game-like situations, it can be frustrating to others who are already at a competitive skill level.

Hope Blondin, North senior, says, “I want to stay optimistic in hopes that we improve this year. My one goal during my high school career has been to win one game, and I have yet to achieve it.”

Along with that many returning players remain hopeful that the team will improve each year, which it has, but just not quite enough to win a game. North has not won a softball game in the last 6-7 years. Blondin says that the most frustrating part of the lack of experience with players is “having to sit through practices where we learn the basics all over again.”

Each year, the coaches dedicate multiple practices teaching the game of softball to the new players; some others have learned these things when they were two years old.

Holding each other accountable when it comes to playing sports is important because everyone has a job to do. Each player on the field has a different perspective from where they play.

Shelby DuBois states, “Being an outfielder can be boring at times, and when we are struggling badly, I can see we are giving up on ourselves.”

Similarly Hall says, “With upperclassmen being so defeated from years prior, after the first thing went wrong, it seemed they would give up immediately.”

Both Blondin and DuBois agreed that they expect the most from each of their teammates and coaches, meaning full effort in games and practices.

“I expect people to take it seriously as well as having hustle because we have lacked that in the past,” Blondin said. DuBois states “The expectations I have of my teammates and coaches is they try their hardest so we can all succeed.”

Along with the unsuccessfulness and frustrations from past seasons, each year is filled with different people and new competition. DuBois and Blondin having more experience than most players, they truly believe that North softball is going to improve. Right behind them they have coach Hall to back them up.