Every spring, Miami Palmetto Senior High’s girls’ softball team prepares for a competitive season, including weekly workouts and practices. This means an extra layer of motivation and positivity is required from the seniors on the team, who enter both their final season and new leadership roles. This year, seniors Madeleine Baldwin, Angelina Gonzalez and Lauren Falls have assumed the role of team captains, prompting them to reflect on their time on the team and their goals for this season.
Baldwin first started playing softball at six years old and joined MPSH’s team in her sophomore year to rekindle her passion for the sport and represent her school. She plays both catcher and center fielder for the team, and believes captain leadership is essential to maintaining team morale.
“One way I keep the team motivated is by just kind of bringing everyone together through positivity, no matter if we’re having a hard practice or a tough game or we’re doing well, I just try to keep positive vibes,” Baldwin said. “I pick up my teammates whenever they need it. Also, I encourage them to pick up their teammates so that we can kind of have fun playing the sport we all love.”
In many sports, a critical component of an athlete’s performance is mindset, and softball is no exception. It is the captain’s task to ensure their team leaves negativity off the field. Captain and left fielder Gonzalez believes spectators might not realize the level of focus required for softball.
“When you step up to the box, you can’t focus on what everybody’s thinking; just focus on yourself,” Gonzalez said.
One mutual sentiment among the captains is their desire for the team to put forth maximum effort without losing themselves in the mental stress and pressure of the game. Captain and pitcher Falls has been on the team since her freshman year and believes that team meetings successfully unite the team, forming a collective positive mindset.
“We like to have team meetings a lot, just in case the environment gets a little, like, aggressive with too much competition. I always tell them, ‘This is for fun. We do this for fun. So, learn to love it and don’t be so hard on yourself all the time,’” Falls said.
As seniors, their experience has taught them that although not every practice or game will be easy, there is always a goal to look forward to. For Falls, she aims to hit two home runs this year, after hitting one last season. The other captains aim to instill friendship and camaraderie within the team.
“ … As Captain … you need to bring the team together and kind of focus on bringing yourself up as well and making sure that you’re always like, a good role model for the rest of the team,” Baldwin said.
Whether at practice or at a game, these three captains set an example for future softball captains, while capturing their final season in a new, more responsible light. At the end of the season, they will fully wrap up their love for softball at their team’s speaker night, where each captain delivers a speech. However, right now, they are ready to step up to the batter and give it their all one last time.
“I love softball. I love being captain. We have a great team, and I love working with the other two captains, because I feel like the three of us can really help influence the team and make everyone have a great season,” Baldwin said.
