Coach Broekman: Softball Team ‘Looking to Have a Great Year’

Sam Schmid, Staff Writer, Advanced Journalism

With the snow finally melting and the temperature slowly rising, the softball team plans to start their season off red hot.

Despite having a rough season the previous year, Coach Steve Broekman and a mixture of experienced players, as well as some new faces, are bound to improve on last year’s record.

“All of our athletes have great potential, with leaders like Katie Peters, Betsy Conrad and Olivia Vanden Elzen,” said Broekman.

Vanden Elzen, a senior on the softball team with six years of softball under her belt, leads not only on the field, but off the field as well.

“I’m a really competitive person, and softball can be a very competitive sport. I love the anxious feeling I get before games and also the excitement with my teammates after a good play,” said Vanden Elzen.

Other players, including Emily Cribben, a junior on the team, are relatively new to high school softball.

“This is my first year playing in high school, but I am really enjoying it so far,” said Cribben.

With any sport, there are defining qualities that a player should possess in order to succeed.

Cribben and Vanden Elzen both used such adjectives as hard working, disciplined and optimistic to be qualities that a good player or team as a whole should have.

Jordan Bellmund, another junior on the team, has arguably the most experience on the team this year.

“I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old, and I think the most important component a softball player should have is being mentally clear, which can help them stay calm during games and keep their composure,” said Bellmund.

The softball team, being a part of the Fox River Classic Conference, plays teams that include  Bay Port, Depere, Ashwaubenon, Sheboygan and Pulaski.

They also play non-conference games like Plymouth, Freedom, Peshtigo and Green Bay East.

Overall, Coach Broekman believes that this year things will be different.

“We have a lot of great offensive hitters, a strong core defense and solid pitching; we’re looking to have a great year,” said Broekman.