While they have yet to win a game this season, the Green River High School softball team continues to work towards improving themselves daily.
“Being a member of Wolves softball isn’t easy and it isn’t for everyone. We have high expectations and these young women are rising to the challenge,” head coach Blair Aimone said.
Part of that improvement is being seen in the team’s pitcher and catcher, Terryn Avery and Lani Jo Blaylock.
“There is no bond like the bond of a pitcher and catcher once they start to work together,” she said. “Catchers have a lot to do with the success of our pitchers and I can’t wait to see these two continue to improve.”
Aimone said the team’s outfield has seen growth as well, becoming one of the team’s greatest strengths in recent games. It wasn’t always like this, as Aimone admits it was the Lady Wolves’ greatest weakness at the start of the season.
“Our catchers are getting stronger at the beginning of the season ... now our catchers are throwing girls out left and right. It’s awesome to see the improvement these young ladies have made,” she said.
She said the girls overall are beginning to have the agility to finish games and they’re working on reducing strikeouts when at bat.
“We have really work hard in practice to help the girls identify strikes and well as pitches that may be out of the zone but are close enough to swing at when having two strikes,” she said.
However, Aimone says one of the biggest hurdles she’s trying to overcome is the mental aspect of the game, saying the girls tend to get inside their heads once things don’t go their way.
“They miss a ball or a run scores or the strike out and they just hang their head. Softball is mental and even the best players in the world only get a hit three out of 10 times,” Aimone said. “We need to push past that mental block. If you make an error in the field, make it up with your bat or if you make a mistake with the bat, make it up in the field.”
Aimone believes the Lady Wolves will be the team to beat in the future. As the girls keep working, the wins will come. She sees the group as winning tough battles now that will win the war later on.
“The most exciting thing is that we are now being more competitive with teams that have beat us pretty bad in the past,” she said. “Even the coaches from opposing teams have seen the progress made by these young athletes and it’s pretty impressive.”
Overall, she feels blessed to have the opportunity to coach the Lady Wolves. Softball is a sport she says has given her a lot in her life and career and is thankful to work with the other coaches she has.
“I believe we have the best staff in the state. Three of us have played college ball and not just that, we were all very successful in our college careers,” she said. “The other two coaches have made themselves invaluable to the program and I am just so excited to watch the direction Green River Lady Wolves softball is taking.”
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