Ending the 2011-2012 season with 19 wins and 14 losses, and an unexpected defeat to Basha in the playoffs, softball coach Kevin Chapin has decided to make some small, but important changes to the program. “This year there will be a lot more workouts, not just with Coach Buddy but with Coach Boon and myself. We want strength and agility to be one of our main focuses this year. Strong hitters and accuracy is key, but so is strength and agility,” Chapin explained. Chapin’s changes in the workouts are hoped to push the girls a little harder.
With the team being made of 13 returning players and some new faces being added, it is expected that the girls will be stronger and more determined to win this year than they have been in the past; especially with state being so close last season. “Last year was our learning year. We originally had nine sophomores on the team so they all had to learn how to come together; and they are all really good athletes. This year I think they will come back with some new leadership skills,” senior Jillian Leslie stated.
Along with a new season comes new goals. As a team, the overall goal has not changed. State is always what a team is trying to get to, but as individual players, each is striving for something different. “I really want to make the All-Arizona team and I want to try to be the Arizona Gatorade player of the year,” Leslie said about her goals for the upcoming season.
As for the incoming freshmen and JV teams, it looks like a strong season. “There are four or five freshmen that caught my eye, but overall the incoming class looks great,” Chapin said. A strong freshmen team will make for a skilled varsity in the years ahead, which is exactly what every coach hopes for.
There is no telling how the season will turn out, especially with such a tough schedule of opponents lying ahead in the season. The girls and coaches are all determined to make this season better than the last, and hope to make this one even more victorious.
