It’s the end of the 7th inning, they’ve won. The team gathers together as they discuss plans for how to celebrate. For a team at 23-10, this is a regular occurrence.
As the fall sports season comes to a close, the FHC varsity softball team continues to break school records. Currently, they are ranked 5th in the state, being the 2nd best in FHC history. Also, as coach Aaron Pearson pointed out, they have won games against several major teams.
“We’ve had several big victories this year. We beat Troy both times, which hasn’t ever happened in school history. We beat Liberty in extra innings with a walk-off hit,” Pearson said.
One major reason they were to achieve such feats is that they work to hold a strong, cooperative culture. They focus on being friends and pre-emptively shutting down conflict before it grows too large. Claire Vallie, a senior who plays outfield, noted that this is one of the greatest strengths of the team’s culture.
“I think that we just all work well together, like we don’t really have any problems, and if we do, we shut them down really quickly, and we get back to where we were,” Vallie said.
Many members also have traditions that help to build their unity as a team. One such tradition follows each victory, according to senior outfielder Kiana Kluesner.
“My favorite moment is after every game we win, me and my friend, Savannah Cohen, jump over Gretchen Callison, and I think that’s always really fun to do,” Kluesner said.
Meanwhile, this carries over on the field, as they find that their communication, especially in their defense, is strong. Kluesner and Vallie both noted that, overall, their outfielders have done very well this season.
“As a team… all of our defense has been really [good] this year,” Kluesner said. Meanwhile, Vallie said, “I think that our [communication] is really good, and so we always know where to put the ball.”
Their collaboration has paid off, as on October 18th, they are going to district championships against Fort Zumwalt West to continue their successful season. Afterwards, they may go on to state, continuing their historic season.
