The middle school softball team has won all five of their games so far, many by a 20-point margin. Head coach Bre Brown and assistant coach Hannah Saroka, alongside captains Andrea Fuentes (’28) and Rowan Schwarz (’28), lead this successful team.
Saroka said all the players’ unique personalities and strengths contribute to their success.
“Some girls are speedy. Some girls are really good at hitting. Others are really good at defense,” Saroka said. “Coach Bre and I like to say they all have their own superpower, and that’s really what brings us together as a team and helps us win games.”
Saroka said she encourages her players to cheer on their teammates and communicate throughout the games. The coaches had each player set personal goals at the beginning of the season to help motivate them to make progress. When a player is struggling with a certain skill, Saroka said both coaches go back to softball fundamentals to coach them through the skill.
“For some of the girls, this is their first time playing, so getting down to the nitty gritty and showing them: ‘Here’s what you’re doing right now, but here’s what we can do better to help you fix that,'” Saroka said. “Just helping them understand why we want them to do things a certain way.”
Luna Huber-Verjan (’28) has been on the softball team since she was in sixth grade and said she can always count on her coaches for advice.
“They’ll make you feel safe … It’s a safe place to ask them anything. Softball-related or not softball-related, they give me really good advice,” Huber-Vejan said. “One time, I was questioning what I should do when I was in a certain position, and coach gave me advice on how I should continue being good at the position and how I can get better at the position.”
If a player is having a mentally hard time with the game, Saroka said she and Brown make an effort to support them in as many ways possible.
“Especially in softball, it’s a game of failure,” Saroka said. “We just [remind] them that they always have a next step to take or another chance to play.”
Lily Bratman (’28) has also been on the middle school softball team since she was in sixth grade and became interested in softball through watching baseball games with her dad. She described Brown as funny, supportive and comforting. Bratman said the whole team aims to support each other, including by cheering when one of their teammates is up to bat.
“We all cheer each other on, and its effortless … We all just get along, and we just try to have fun,” Bratman said. “Games are nerve-wracking, but it makes it easier because we’re all nervous together.”
