On May 13, after a long battle against Sotomayor on the opponent’s home turf, Maywood secured the second-place title in the southern league with an 18-5 score. The road to this accomplishment, for Emma Flores, varsity captain, a junior playing shortstop, illustrates the chemistry that led them to their destination: “We get off the bus and get on the bus as a team.”
Prior to the season’s start, this year brought new beginnings, not just as the spring flowers began to bloom, but as a new coach. As Coach Danny approached the Ladypack Softball scene, an apprehensive nature settled in the air. Coach Danny was a coach in 2023 that led MACES softball to Southern League championships. Flores jokingly describes her feelings, saying, “At first we were like, who is this guy?” but then goes on to say, “having someone who has so much wisdom and wants to teach people is such a blessing to have because it helped us grow…making us want to try harder and show up for Saturday practices even when we wanted to sleep in.”
The girls’ dedication can be evidently seen during their games against Diego Rivera and Maywood Academy; “…we had lost the game before and had lost to them for the past couple of years, but in reality, we played really well and it all comes from the positive mindset where we talk in the team huddle and think, ‘we got this.’” Mariana Contreras, a junior catcher, explained. This mindset led to a 17-3 win against Diego Rivera and an 11-1 win against Maywood Academy – when loss seemed inevitable based on past game scores. In softball, every game counts towards their league ranking, so keeping spirits high and staying motivated for each other is integral to the game.
Throughout the season, the team has committed to excellence and enjoyment. “We hadn’t really noticed because we had just been playing all season,” said Contreras. This care-free yet committed approach fostered a growing team chemistry. “Even if we’re down, we’re still cheering each other on and keep ourselves accountable for a positive mindset,” Contreras said. This approach can be seen in rituals like Pump-Pump-Pump-It-Up, “[which] helps us get hype and start with positive energy,” Flores described.
This season’s effort led them to the Southern League playoffs against Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences from Granada Hills, California. “It was a tough loss,” Flores said. “ There was a lot of crying. I feel like we could’ve won, but things happen…” She then goes on to exemplify this promise towards positivity on the team by commemorating her teammates, “a lot of people showed commitment to the team and their fire to want to win.”
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