The girls circled up before the next inning and put their hands together.
“One, two, three, believe,” they screamed at the top of their lungs.
Kent-Meridian High’s last fastpitch game against Kentridge was a rough one. The Royals hadn’t scored any runs that day. Now, playing against top-contending Kentwood, the girls felt the pressure to perform.
But what happened that day on the field wouldn’t be a repeat of last week’s game. On the contrary, it would be a shining moment for the Royals this season. In Monday’s 27-12 loss against the Conquerors, the 12 runs by the Royals were more than their entire season combined so far.
After the game, K-M coach Jennifer England put smiles on their faces as she gathered the girls together to highlight the accomplishment.
England, having coached diamond sports for six years, had her work cut out for herself when she was hired this year at Kent-Meridian and handed a team of young girls, most of whom had never picked up a bat before this season.
“It’s really hard,” England said in reference to having to teach the fundamentals to the majority of the team. “I don’t like to move on until we’re good at stuff.”
But given time constraints, England gives crash courses in catching pop flies and other basic skills in order to cover all the major bases in preparation for games.
Out of 14 girls, only six have played fastpitch before, those six are in the starting lineup. Due to lack of players, the rest of the starters were brought up from junior varsity to complete the varsity team.
Although the girls have yet to win a game this season, from the cheers, smiles and atmosphere in the Royals’ dugout, no one would have guessed that they were down about their record.
The girls out on the field and in the dugout are simply having fun, knowing that with each practice and game, their skills are improving.
“Everybody is always progressing,” England said.
England, proud of how far her girls have come in such a short amount of time, wants to instill in them that although they are having fun just playing, the competitive atmosphere of 4A fastpitch can be fun as well.
“I want to encourage competition and bring the fire out in them,” England said. “I see the potential they have.”
Potential plus heart, according the England, will take the girls far, not just in the game but life as well. She hopes that the lessons of triumph, progression and hard work will stay with the girls as they face trials in life.
“My goal is to teach them how to be strong women … (that) they take all this stuff and (apply it) toward life,” England said.
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