Emma Moriarty
Former collegiate All-American, right-handed hitting softball pitcher and first-baseman Jennie Finch once said, “My dad drilled this mentality into my head, you know, ‘If you want it bad enough, and you’re willing to make the sacrifices, you can do it. But first you have to believe in yourself.’”
The Tempe Prep softball team has been through many highs and lows this season. Near the end of March, the team won the home non-conference game against Phoenix Christian with a score of 10-9. Three days following that victory, the TPA softball team won the away non-conference game against Horizon Honors with a score of 10-9. Though the team has yet to win another game since these two triumphs, the girls still are putting in 110 percent at every practice and working hard to become better athletes.
The two wins for the spring softball season have helped increase the enthusiasm of the players. MaKenna Colton, a freshman new to Tempe Prep this year, joined the softball team and reflects on how softball has positively influenced her life: “Playing softball this year is so much fun! It has been a great learning experience both physically and mentally and all of the girls on our team have been getting closer. We have also been improving our techniques, especially in batting, working together, and fielding the ball. This season has helped me realize that winning every single game does not necessarily mean a team is ‘good.’ A good team supports each other and puts in effort every time they play, just like we do.”
MaKenna’s way of thinking exemplifies the exact moral ideas Tempe Prep advocated for. By seeing the importance of growing personally and as a team, she is able to see that a loss is not a step back, but rather a step forward to help the team improve and bond even more. Through these two wins, we are able to see how the softball team has worked together to try to make them more successful, but has not only gained success through winning, but also through becoming closer and seeing improvement within themselves.
