Fair Grove Softball Team is Stepping up to Bat

The time for spring sports is nearing, and that means that the upcoming softball season is about to begin. 

The team has been holding offseason workouts and open gyms for the last four weeks. Softball Coach Tara Whetzell stated, in regards to their offseason activities, “The girls workout two days a week together, typically outside if possible. On Sunday afternoons we get together and have open gyms. We try to keep everyone together and motivated… As a team we also try to have as many team dinners or some sort of team bonding before the season starts, because when the season starts we hit the ground running and don’t have as much time to fit those types of activities in.”

Coach Whetzell has stated that their workout has been very intense and upbeat, and that the team has been developing a strong sense of communication. She also pointed out that the support they give one another is unreal. With a team that has ten returning players and four who have come up this year, that can be really important.

The competition this year among the athletes is at a different level then from the years past. Whetzell said, “We have several options as far as our lineup goes, therefore they are finding a way to healthily compete amongst themselves.”

In sports your team bond can make or break you, and Coach Whetzell is pretty confident in their strength in each other. She stated, “I believe our team bond is what makes us. We are not a team full of just talented girls, we are a team full of hardworking girls who are willing to work hard for one another. They’ve been working towards this team bond for years now, and this year we are fully seeing the effects of that!”

Their roster is full of girls with potential, containing three pitchers, a junior catcher who has varsity experience, and a strong outfield. The new girls, although without lots of experience, are putting in lots of work and giving the coaches good ideas for how things will be this season.

In regards to the upcoming season, Whetzell said, “The wins and losses are always important to a team, but the most important thing to us is how we win and lose as a team. We have a lot of hard working and dedicated athletes that support one another on and off the field. That’s the culture we’ve created and will continue to create and make better.”