Twenty-one players practice every day after school and compete in games almost every other week. The varsity softball team won their first game Feb. 18, with senior Marissa Gendy hitting a home run, and finished their last league game Tuesday, April 26, with a winning score of 9-8.

Senior Cristina Fuentes-Alva said the team’s first home game set off the season on a positive note with support from friends, family and teachers.

“Starting off the season with a win really helped the team get excited for the season, especially because it wasn’t an easy win,” Fuentes-Alva said.

For freshman Phoebe Ramirez, this season marks her first time playing softball since sixth grade. She said she tried to join the sport in middle school, but due to a low number of students signing up, there was no team to play on. Ramirez said she was excited to be a part of a whole team and to create new friendships along the way as well.

“I enjoyed this season because the team is so supportive. My teammates never make me feel less than even though I can’t do most of the things that they can do,” Ramirez said. “It never discourages me not to try again, and I feel empowered whenever I do something.”

Sophomore Malia Apor has been playing softball since she was 6 years old and began playing Archer softball in ninth grade. Apor said one thing that is distinct about Archer softball is how supportive the coach is toward all team members.

“I like that Archer’s softball team is positive, and I think that comes from the coach because we have a really good coach,” Apor said. “Coach Tony’s nice, positive and supportive of all the players, no matter what their level is.”

Since Ramirez could participate in more than one sport throughout high school, she said she was excited to play this softball season to engage in something new. Ramirez wanted to try as many sports as she could in order to stay active, motivating her to play on the varsity basketball team this past winter.

“I had the opportunity to choose my sports for high school which, was amazing,” Ramirez said. “I was going to do softball because why not. Even though I didn’t know anyone, I still wanted to try it and push myself.”

Fuentes-Alva said she felt happy to see this season flourish because of how close their team already was at the beginning of the season. She said they all connected quickly during practices in the first few weeks.

“We’re a big team this year. So it’s pretty great because I feel like in many sports, we don’t have enough players, but knowing that we have many players on the team is cool,” Fuentes-Alva said. “It contributes more to the team when there are many players — there’s a lot of different perspectives. I like the sense of togetherness within the team and getting along.”

Apor said that there are 10 new freshmen this season. She said it was an amazing experience to mentor them and hope they want to continue playing in the future so they can enjoy the sport as much as she does.

“I started playing softball at Archer because I saw how supportive and encouraging all the girls were on the team, and I wanted to be a part of something like that,” Apor said. “I wanted to join with my friends, and I felt like it would be a great environment to be a part of.”

Fuentes-Alva said she encourages students to play softball because they learn a lot from trying their best and also create great friendships with people in other grades. She said she enjoyed this season and can’t wait to hear about future games and practices from her teammates.

“I joined the Archer softball team because I am passionate about the sport,” Fuentes-Alva said. “I’ve been playing it since such a young age, and it’s grown on me. I like the sense of family within teams and how you have to work together.”

Ramirez said that she enjoys playing softball because of how comfortable and safe everyone on the team makes her feel. She said that her teammates always lift her up during games and practices, and that is something she will carry with her in the future.

“I felt happy getting to know new people, even though I’m kind of shy,” Ramirez said. “Getting to know new people is a bit scary for me, but I feel more excited to get to know them because they’re going to be there for me on the field and off.”