Intro: As the manager of Elmwood Park High School’s softball team, I was excited to learn about the difference in the team from last year to this year. Here is what I discovered!
History of softball: Softball started in 1887 at a Harvard vs Yale football game. A Yale fan had thrown a pair of boxing gloves at a Harvard fan, while the Harvard fan swung back with an old broomstick he had. George Hancock was the reporter and suggested that they play “indoor baseball”, so they tied a pair of boxing gloves together, turning it into a ball, and drew home plates out of chalk and just like that softball was created. In the spring George would introduce the activity as an outdoor sport and call it “indoor-outdoor”; people played this game on smaller fields and made more rules for the game as time went on. It was finally adopted by the mid winter baseball league in 1889.
Last year’s 2023 JV softball team
The JV softball team last year was not the best; in fact, it was problematic. There was a lot of drama and a lot of the players on the team didn’t really get along with each other. The team was distant with one another, we didn’t have much team spirit, and there wasn’t much of a bond because it was so hard to get along with each other let alone play well together. The school drama would take over during our softball practices and games. There was usually something going on everyday. The energy was negative and this hurt our team and our plays. We didn’t do well in our games and barely got any wins overall. It was just a rough season.
This year’s 2024 JV softball team
This year was honestly so great! We had a lot of good plays and wins. Our team improved so much. We did better in our practices and in our games and had such a strong team bond. Everyone got along on the team. The girls on the team were so nice and playful, always in a good mood. It was always fun to be at practice and games with these girls. Bus rides were never silent. A lot of the girls gained good friendships throughout this season. We were a good team. Alana helped us with our cheers, always giving us energy and encouragement. Meredith was always so comforting and supportive. She made everyone laugh along with Bella who was always telling jokes and making us smile. The coaches had a good team and agreed we did way better than last year. We had good contact and solid communication. Overall, it was just awesome, and it’s sad that the season is now over. I really enjoyed my time with these girls and our coaches. It makes me want to be on the team again next year.
Conclusion
Last year, the softball team had a rough season, but this year the players and sportsmanship have greatly improved and this is evident by our record. We actually did really well this year. Even our coaches and players and coaches of other schools we have played have noted our growth. Although we took some rough losses, we accomplished way more and truly deserved the wins we got. The team spirit was always there, no matter what was going on. We all got along better than ever and made so many amazing memories on and off the field and I can’t wait to play and be on the team again next year. I hope to gain another amazing team bonding experience while never forgetting the current bond with this year’s girls.
Thank yous
One player I’d like to thank is definitely Meredith Brayton. Meredith always brought joy to practice and spirit to each of our games. Even if we had a tough loss or a long day, we could always count on Mere to lift us up spiritually. Others I’d like to thank are definitely our coaches: Ms. Cleys and Ms. Fox. We couldn’t have asked for better, and we appreciate everything they’ve done for us these past couple of seasons.
