Spring is here which means one thing, it’s time to dust off the bats and rake the field because Softball season has just begun. 

 I was able to talk with Outfielder and Senior, Olivia Clark. Clark is gearing up for her final year of high school softball as she will be graduating in May. 

 Clark is not a new-comer to softball as she has been playing recreational softball since she was five years old, and when she was eleven, she decided to join a travel team. She played travel ball for two years and continued on with her softball career as she played for her middle school and high school teams. 

 As Clark reflected back on her favorite high school softball memory she stated, “My favorite memory was when our sprinkler system for our field broke and flooded the entire field”. There was a mad rush for her teammates and parents to get to the field and clean it up. They arrived with towels and wet-dry vacuums to clean up all of the puddles on the field. Clark stated “It’s still joked about to this day and it gives everyone a good laugh”. She felt that day was a bonding experience that really brought all the players closer as a team.

 When asked about the team’s practice schedule, Clark notes they practice every day for two hours. “The practices usually relate to whatever the coaches feel we need to work on but we always do a lot of infield and outfield drills,” according to Clark. She states that after fielding, they move on to batting. “We either hit in our batting cages, or our coach will end up pitching to us to help each individual get reps in.” Clark feels softball isn’t only about individual skill, it’s also about what you accomplish as a team. The team needs to work like a well oiled machine. “We feed off each other’s energy and have learned that when we have positive energy on and off the field, we play our best and are able to successfully reach our goals”, Clark expressed. 

 As a team, they have learned to always be there for each other on and off the field. When one player makes a mistake and is upset, it’s important that the others “pick their teammate up.” The Lady Vikings are ready for a winning season and will accomplish their goals through teamwork and unity.