As spring sports come into practice, Worthington Kilbourne has an exciting new opportunity in regards to our softball program. This year our school introduces a new team for players and has created a JV team. This team has already begun to develop important impacts and opportunities for players and coaches.

From talking to assistant coach, Coach Chloe, she explained how and why this year our school is capable of having this opportunity. Before the preseason anyone who was interested in playing softball was required to sign up on final form and the program saw a surge in players who wanted to participate. “Our final forms had 33 girls registered on it, which is definitely enough for two teams,” she explained. By having enough players interested in playing this year it was clear that they had enough girls to support both a varsity and JV team. In the past when the program did not have enough players to have a varsity and JV team the coaching staff created a support system for players who may not have been on varsity level but they were still capable of being a part of the team, participating in practice and team bonding events without actually playing in games. Since adding the JV team, coaches saw a rise in commitment levels from players who now saw a better opportunity and chance of achieving the playing time every player desires to have. More athletes want to be involved and a part of this team and are more motivated as well with staying committed.

Players have been motivated by the increased opportunity of playing time and room for improvement. “It’s easier to see yourself getting playing time when there’s not a bench of 20 girls and there’s actually a team and an opportunity to make progress,” Coach Chloe says explaining how players’ confidence and desire to improve continues to grow and especially in the underclassmen. The JV team required the coaching staff to bring in a new head coach for their team and he has been an amazing addition to their coaching team. Mike Mays has helped previous players that graduated with batting lessons and also helps out with a travel ball team that some of the girls know him from. His added experience and trust from their girls already is showing signs of this team’s capabilities and growth and the season ahead will continue to show the growth, strength and success of this new team.

From talking to Coach Chloe I learned how the softball program faces some of their biggest challenges and how they work to overcome them together. “ We’re very limited with space as a spring sport,” she explains. “Especially with Ohio’s unprecedented weather, we now have to incorporate the fact we have 2 teams if we sign up for using space in the aux gym leading us to decide if practicing as a whole group is better or breaking down into a scrimmage”. Learning how to properly balance the two teams was definitely a challenge they had to face but nonetheless, both the coaches and players worked together to learn and improve as these challenges arose making sure to overcome them together.

Despite the many obstacles that they have gone through, the softball program has already taken initiative to make their players experience even better. In the preseason, softball and baseball worked together with a sub sale for the Super Bowl and started ways of fundraising. From the fundraising itself, JV is already capable of getting new uniforms and equipment. Furthermore the district is finally putting some much needed love into the softball program. Coach Chloe informs us of the exciting new upgrades saying: “Worthington, as a district, approved baseball and softball getting field upgrades. The softball team will get the majority. We haven’t had a new field since the field we have now. So we’ll get turf, but we’re also getting new dugouts and we’re getting a press box. So I think that will help a lot because then JV will also get a little facelift. That field definitely needs more love.” As new renovations come into play, Worthington Kilbourne’s softball program is guaranteed to improve and have an amazing season ahead of them. Not only will JV benefit from this but varsity will as well making the walk way for JV even more motivating and inspiring.

Adding a JV team to our softball program is going to make new opportunities for players and as well as students who want to get involved. The program is set to build a strong foundation for players making their future bright and the strength of the team will only continue to grow.