Spring training goes beyond just training
By Lyndi Araujo
IV Leader Staff, April 12, 2007
Editor’s note: Lyndi Araujo, a member of the IV Leader staff, also plays for the IVCC softball team. She offers this account of the team’s recent Spring Break trip to Florida.
As we got off the plane in Orlando, our Illinois Valley
Community College softball hoodies were quickly removed in favor of our
T-shirts.
Sleepy eyes became saucers, taking in our new surroundings.
As soon as we got to our hotels, we had time for a lunch and brief nap before
heading to the Wide World of Sports Complex for a night practice before our
first official Spring Training game.
The complex was amazing. Each day, we walked right past a
nearly sold out Atlanta Braves field (to which we also got to see a game) to get
to our own playing fields. We played two games each day for three days,
finishing our stay in Florida with a 4-2 record.
Coach Cory Tomasson was pleased with our performance overall.
For not being on a field since late October, we played as well defensively as we
could probably ask for. It will only get better as it warms up here in good old
Illinois and we get more time on some dirt and grass rather than the IVCC gym
floor.
Our team batting average for the tournament was .385. A surge
of power came over us, as our very own Gemma Shallito, Aly Walter, Rachel Moats,
and Erin Doughy all blasted home runs, with Erin’s being a grand slam.
Also, I think Kayla Reno and Aly can agree with me when I
say, it felt good to finally pitch off the mound. As we dive into our official
season, I can’t help but feel like the games in Florida were only part of what
is going to make us a great team this season.
This trip was about bonding and forming a team identity. On
our down time, everyone was together, whether it was relaxing in our rooms
belting out Disney sing a long tunes (ASHLEY INMAN!), or taking advantage of our
FREE three-day hopper passes to all the major Disney World theme parks. The more
comfortable we become with each other outside of softball, the better we will
play the game, and this team has formed just that energy. Our five-day trip
helped provide that extra boost that will count in the end.