What do you think about when you hear the word “team”? For some it’s a baseball team, for others it’s a football team, but it really doesn’t matter. Joining any type of team is beneficial. What about a softball team?

Softball was just introduced back into the Olympics this past year in Tokyo after being out of the Games since 2008. In the 2021 Summer Games, the USA team came back with some awesome players, some being superstars Cat Osterman and Rachel Garcia.

However, these Olympic players aren’t the only ones who have played softball! A few students, teachers, and staff members at iUniversity Prep played softball previously, including me!

In fact, I took a survey on how many owls played (or play) softball. Out of the 33 responses I received, four owls played softball previously (12.1%). 

Student Players

Surprisingly, I didn’t find many students who currently play softball! However, two students have played softball previously.

Katelyn Solis, who is a 5th grader here at iUP, played softball in kindergarten. She played on her local team, the Purple Stars.

“I never really knew why, it sort of felt like I was home at the field,” Katelyn says.

Her favorite position to play was the batter. 

“It was my favorite because I’m a super good runner and I love to run all the way back to home base,” Katelyn says.

Sadie Sellman, another student at iUP, played softball from kindergarten to third grade. She played on her local team.

“Softball not only is fun, but it helps you learn important life skills, such as teamwork, responsibility, and leadership,” Sadie says.

Her favorite position is pitcher because it is a “complex” position that “always keeps you on your feet”!

Professors/Staff Players

Mrs. Palmer, a professor here at iUP, played softball from 4th grade to high school, and then she played on a co-ed rec team as an adult. She even played on a travel team in high school!

“I loved being a part of a team,” Mrs. Palmer says. “The mental strategy behind making plays in the field and hitting was always fun.  Competition is a blast!”

She played lots of different positions; she played pitcher and 2nd base in high school, and first base on her co-ed rec team. Her favorite position was 2nd base because it is an “active position”.

“When I started teaching, I also started coaching at the elementary school I worked at,” Mrs. Palmer says.  “It’s very rewarding being able to pass on knowledge and instill teamwork into a whole new generation of students.”

Mrs. Weiche, Dean of Instruction here at iUniversity Prep, played softball in 8th grade. She practiced 2 days a week and played games on the weekend on her local neighborhood team. Mrs. Weiche liked softball because her friends were on the team!

Try It Out

Now it’s your turn! Join a team!

“I would recommend to anyone to sign up and join some sort of team,” Mrs. Palmer says.  “Doesn’t have to be a sport.  Working with others is a huge life skill.” 

Mrs. Weiche lists some more of these important skills:

• working together as a team
• how to encourage each other
• practicing to get better at skills

Mrs. Palmer also lists some more of these important skills:

• sportsmanship 
• teamwork 
• commitment 
• dealing with wins and losses

You can participate in…

• a softball team
• a basketball team
• a football team
• a tennis team
• a soccer team
• a volleyball team
• a baseball team
• a table tennis team
• a hockey team
• an iUP Club

No matter what you try, you won’t regret it! Participating on a team teaches you teamwork, leadership, commitment, sportsmanship, responsibility, and so much more. 

Olympic softball players and owls like Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. Wieche, Katelyn, and Sadie joined a softball team, and you can too! Whether participating on a local team, a travel team, a co-ed team, or just an iUniversity Prep club, you will learn some important life skills.

Play ball!

Citations:

Wagner, J. (2021, July 24). What to watch as baseball and softball return to the Olympics. The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/24/sports/baseball/baseball-softball-olympics-what-to-watch.html#:~:text=For%20the%20first%20time%20in,2005%20as%20permanent%20Olympic%20offerings. 

Goldman, T. (2021, July 20).  Olympic Softball Is Back, And It Starts Today. Will It Stick Around? NPR. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/07/20/1018248652/olympic-softball-is-back-and-it-starts-today-will-it-stick-around 

“Women’s National Team, 2020 Olympics, Selection Trials.” Team USA, https://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/team-usa/2020-olympic-team.