The girls varsity softball team is on track to win more games this season than they have in the past few as their current record includes five wins and only two losses. The team of 11 girls includes nine juniors who bring a lot of enthusiasm and encouragement to the rest of the team.
The girls team works hard during practice to prepare themselves to win many important games, even when they need to steal a comeback. Their progress will change Homestead girls softball history.
Jersey Schmidt, junior, is a key player on the softball field and has great motivation to get better every year. Starting in eighth grade, for the past four years, she has improved drastically and continues to work hard and improve her skills every season, coming into each season with a determined attitude. Schmidt is playing a big role in this year’s comeback.
“I enjoy getting to show off my skills and proving to myself that I can do what I’m trying to do,” Schmidt said.
In addition to becoming more athletic and well-rounded, friendships and connections are a big aspect of the team winning more games this year. The other benefit of being on a high school team is the connections players foster with their coaches. When those deep connections form, players become more and more comfortable with their coaches and can progress to talking about things other than the sport.
“I’m very, very close with our head coach, Emily. We don’t necessarily always talk about softball; we talk about how our days are and the Brewers,” Schmidt said.
A large part of the softball season is the impact coaches have on players as they often try to instill life lessons in players. JV Coach Mike Leman, who has been coaching for four years, believes that failure is a path to improvement. His coaching style is to reinforce good plays on the field and during practice to make his players better every year. He believes that the way players approach softball is indicative of how they approach other aspects of their lives.
“Softball is a metaphor for life; if you fail, you overcome and grow. No fear of failure, just get up and do it again and keep going,” Leman said.
Another unique aspect of the team this year includes the fact that there are siblings on the team. Lauren Faucett, a junior on the team who has been playing softball for 12 years, feels that playing a sport with her twin sister Anna Faucett, also a junior, brings her joy. Having that sibling bond makes the environment more competitive for her, though she feels all of her teammates have played a role in her positive experience.
“I like the friendships it has brought me, and it is fun and competitive with its fast pace, and I’m glad that I’m able to grow with it,” L. Faucett said.
