After a tough off-season, Ella VanAltstyne, junior softball captain, is now more motivated than ever to prove herself as a player and a captain.
VanAlstyne was sick on and off almost every week in the off-season. She was worried her skills were going to fade.
“I was kind of worried about moving backward; this is a year I have to prove myself especially with pitching,” said VanAlstyne.
Since the season has started, VanAlstyne has been on the grind. She knows that she has to prove herself, especially in this captain role. But, VanAlstyne is confident in herself and knows that it is her time to come back and lead her team.
“It is definitely the team’s year to prove that it is more than the past seniors and the upperclassmen. Our team is very young, it is our season to prove that the team has potential. Not saying they [the seniors from last season] weren’t great,” said VanAlstyne.
Last season, and the season before that, the upperclassmen dominated the team. They were an extremely powerful and athletic group of girls, this year’s team is looking to follow in their footsteps and start their own legacy.
The team is very young, the varsity roster includes at least one player from every grade.
“We are going to have a very new roster. The underclassmen are going to have to learn new positions and really step up and produce,” said VanAlstyne.
Everyone is clawing their way to secure a spot on the roster. Almost every position has no set player. There is a positive pressure to the situation; the girls push each other and have a newfound motivation since they know no one is secure in a position.
“I think that everyone has a good idea of where they will go but nothing is guaranteed,” said VanAlstyne. “You can get beat out by another player, so that makes the team want to try harder.”
The team is hungry to produce excellence. During their past season, the team lost to Oxford in the NVL championship, and they are ready for a comeback.
“I am most excited for the middle of the season, playing teams like Oxford, Seymour, and Naugatuck. I am especially excited to play Oxford; it’s comeback season,” said VanAlstyne.
VanAlstyne is excited to help her team get to work. Her primary goal is to be a supportive captain, she wants to be someone the girls can come to. VanAlstyne is one of the major pieces that is going to bring this team together.
The Hawks are eager for success, but success does not come without hard work. VanAlstyne knows that the team has been working at a high level during practices, she is confident that they will be successful.
“The NVL has some tough competition but nothing that we cannot beat.”
