SHAWN CHENG/YH

On the Field

No Cancun, but plenty of home runs

Give up?

The final answer is...the Yale softball team after our spring training trip to Orlando.

Don't get me wrong—it wasn't all sunburn and sore arms for 10 days. It was also an opportunity to grow as a team and gain some valuable playing experience.

Although the majority of our time was spent on softball— either practicing or playing games—there was also plenty of time to enjoy the break from school. With several malls, beaches, and theme parks in the area, there was never a dull moment.

On the field, however, we had a rough time. We entered each game with tons of intensity and confidence, but were not able to pull things together for a whole game. The entire trip was plagued with costly fielding errors and equally troubling offensive droughts. As our dismal 1-9 record over spring break shows, we have a lot of work to do before the start of the Ivy League schedule.

The point of a spring training trip, however, is not necessarily to come away with a winning record. Each game was a chance for our team to learn more about each other. A softball team cannot win as a group of individual players, it must function as one cohesive unit. Spending all day at the fields watching some talented teams play was a good chance to evaluate our own actions as a team and as individuals.

One of the most important aspects of the trip to Florida was the opportunity to finally play outdoors. The first game in Florida was the first time since early fall that we were able to play outside without having to worry about frostbite, while several other teams had already played up to 20 games outdoors. Being cooped up in Coxe Cage for the entire month of February left everyone a little anxious to get outside. Ten games in eight days gave us a chance to get rid of that nervous energy, to relax, and to have a little fun before the league schedule started.

Off the field, we got the chance to stop focusing on softball for a while. On off-days, after a couple of hours of practice in the morning and a quick stop at the 7-11, we'd usually pack up the mini-vans and head out for an evening of fun. Several families were even brave enough to invite the entire team to their homes.

One highlight of the trip was a visit to an alligator- infested lake for an afternoon of jetskiing. On that day, I learned three important lessons. First, anything you need to know about water sports you can learn from watching Baywatch. Second, the alligators only live near the edges of the lake. Most importantly, don't lean over a lake with a watch in your pocket. Those are things you just can't learn in New Haven.

Our last day in Florida was completely free. With no games or practice scheduled, it gave everyone one final day of fun in the sun before returning to Connecticut's chilly weather.

Glancing at the losing record or the less-than-stellar statistics, it might seem as if the trip to Florida was somewhat discouraging. On the contrary, I think that everyone was able to take away several things from their experience that will be helpful in the future. It gave the team an opportunity to learn many things about each other. It also helped us to appreciate the fact that we don't have to live together all the time.

It may not have been a typical spring break experience, but as a team we were able to gauge our performance against some good competition, and also have a little fun on the side. The spring trip was only the beginning of a long season. You never know what the rest of the season will bring.

Christine Gagliardi, SM '00, is a first baseman on the Yale softball team.

Back to Sports...