A new season of softball is here! And our team is hopeful for success. The excitement is building, and the anticipation is radiant. With a mix of returning players and new talent,
The team is led by Christopher Tapia, coach of the girls’ softball team for the past seven years. This is currently his 16th year coaching at Selma High. He is a very goal-driven coach with a very strong motivation for improvement. He expects his players to be well-rounded, good-student athletes.
“That means they are expected to maintain good grades and be good citizens as well,” Tapia says.
On the field, he expects everyone to be responsible and follow all team rules, and give their very best effort
Tapia enrolls all his players in 6th period Softball P.E. to use the weight room for working out to maintain their physique and endurance. Tapia ensures players are staying healthy and injury-free by focusing on arm care.
“Arm care is important in softball,” says Tapia. The girls focus on conditioning their arms so that they can handle the frequent throwing they have to continuously do. Proper warm-up and stretching before activity also helps with injury prevention,” says Tapia.
Coach Tapia prepares his team mentally and physically by making the practices harder than the games. He helps players understand that the game is harder, and although the team strives for success, Tapia teaches his team to overlook losses and use them as a learning experience to always strive for only the best.
Teamwork is essential for success. Every player has an important position to do, whether hitting, fielding, pitching, or catching. Each player works toward a united goal. Coach Tapia’s goal for this season is to win league championships and to play well in the playoffs.
With many games and tournaments ahead, the softball girls have a busy schedule. The girls will compete in a series of league games against other local or regional schools. These games contribute to the team’s overall record and ranking in their league or district. With all hopes of making it to playoffs or state championships.
Seniors in athletics frequently go through a big mental and physical journey during their last year of competition. This period is frequently defined by reflecting on their accomplishments, development, and challenges. Many seniors strive to make their final season memorable, leaving a lasting impact on their team, school, or community.
Senior players Cloe Carrillo (#4) and Roxanne Jo Flores (#12) have come to an understanding that softball is more than a sport; It’s a desire that has motivated them to achieve new milestones. As they approach their final season, they are frequently reminded that Sports connect them to specific moments in their lives, and as time passes, those memories can seem both loved and a little sorrowful, especially if they remind them of a time when they were more active or things changed. Cloe’s and Roxanne’s senior softball memories serve as a bittersweet reflection of everything that has come and gone.
The laughter, late-night practices, inside jokes, and sense of unity that once seemed so natural now have a sense of conclusion. Each game, every cheer from the bleachers, and the smell of the field previously seemed insignificant, but they are now memories they will never want to forget. As the final season comes to a close, it becomes clear that those ties and events will soon be echoes of the past.
The end of the game is approaching soon, and with it comes the end of a chapter that defined so much of these two seniors. They emphasize that it’s difficult not to feel the weight of it all. With such large milestones and chapters in your life come new chapters.
After graduating, Cloe plans to go to Fresno State and become a registered nurse. She will end her softball career after high school as a player but will continue to teach girls one-on-one how
to play. Roxanne plans to further her education at a university after graduating. She plans to study kinesiology so that she can become a physical therapist in the future.
As they head into this new softball season, there’s a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air.
