Undoubtedly, softball is a sport that requires not only confidence but also hard work and teamwork. Apopka High School’s softball team has come to the end of another season, making a ton of advancements in not only equipment but spirit, as well. Team Member Sophomore Riley Ford mentioned what softball is to her: “It’s a sport that teaches you not only discipline and hard work, even when you don’t want to, but it also teaches you adversity. If you’re just losing a game really bad, you know, you still have to keep pushing and trying even though you’re losing.” She also talked about the importance of softball for her: “I’ve been playing with them since like the third grade. So it’s just a game that I can have a lot of fun with them even if there’s all this pressure to go to college or, you know, do good in a game. I’m still having fun with my friends.” It’s not only a competitive sport, but can be incredibly fun. Coach MacWithey mentioned the quicker pace and “more action in it [than baseball]” since the bases are shorter, which is “quicker and exciting.” He encourages people to come out and see it to truly understand the excitement of the game.
The biggest challenge the team faces is struggling with confidence and injuries. Coach MacWithey explains, “[We’ve] been dealing with a pretty significant amount of injuries and people missing games and that kind of stuff. We’ve had three people with concussions who’ve had to be out sick for a pretty significant amount of time. Let’s see, we had a shoulder injury last night we had a ball to the shin last night. We have one girl out with some kind of viral infection. So it’s been a struggle bus.” However, he added, “I would hate to say injuries because I don’t accept injuries as being an excuse. If you’re if you’re doing your job as a coach, there should always be a next person up. There should always be a backup plan. It should always be somebody else ready to step in.” He knows the team needs to always be prepared for any challenge they face. Riley states, “I’m getting more confident myself because last season in the fall, I just wasn’t doing that great. So I lost a little bit of competence, but I feel like I’m doing better this season.” Confidence is a big part of success in any sport, especially softball.
Besides all of the challenges, the team is pushing towards having a tough mentality, especially when our school has a good image. Coach MacWithey vocalized, “You’ve got to be mentally 100% into the game, and every time small lapses like missing a ball or taking a strike, or throwing a pitch not where it’s supposed to be thrown…those things can be much more damaging and important when playing a good team.” Coach MacWithey has been coaching softball for 39 years and has seen an abundance of change. Most recently “that includes a new home dugout, coach’s office, locker rooms, concession, and for the first time in 39 years bathrooms on-site at the complex. So it’s wonderful that OCPS is taking care of female sports for once here in Apopka, so it’s been a battle.” He goes on to explain, “We have more seating at the softball complex than they do at the baseball complex. So we could put a ton of people in the stands. Again, you’ve got to be putting a good product on the field in terms of playing well in order to do that.” Softball is finally being prioritized and updated, a well-needed adjustment.
Unfortunately, they did not win the Metro tournament game against Windermere on April 9th, but Coach MacWithey brought up how close the team was to winning. At the time of the interview there were four games left and then districts. He mentioned, “All you’ve got to do is win three games” (the team went 2-2 in the final games). Unfortunately, On April 29th Apopka lost to Ocoee 8-6 in districts.
Just like almost every sport, they always hope to see more people going out and enjoying the games, being entertained, and sharing the school spirit. Our softball team is happy to see all the people out already knowing they draw a bigger crowd than other school teams. Showing support for our amazing softball team will always be what we strive for, especially with how hard the team works. We look forward to next year to go out and show our support.
