The Leadership Lineup

The girls softball team’s sentiments about their successes and strengths

by Trinity Stringer staff writer

“Definitely being a senior, you’re expected to have a leadership position to represent what you’re like as a role model for the underclassmen,” Isabella Covert analyzes. For all of the senior softball players this year, they are determined to help the underclassmen understand how important it is to have good sportsmanship and to prepare to lead upcoming teams. “I definitely try to lead in a positive way and try to lead by example, and definitely build up the younger kids and try to help everyone that I can,” Catelyn Heethuis states. Practice pays off, and even though practice is a big part of being a team, it isn’t the only way the team bonded this year. “We stayed overnight at Twin Lakes Camp. And that’s something that we’ve never done at all for Central softball since I’ve been here,” Heethuis shares. “So I think that brought a level of closeness that I haven’t had on a team at the school.”

As the season progresses, seniors start to feel more sentimental as they realize that their time playing softball is coming to an end. They hope to accomplish their own goals and make some unforgettable memories. “Rylea [hit] a homerun [at] the West game, which was the first one we had in the entire game. She was the fastest we’ve seen this season,” Heethuis reveals. Every senior moves through their final year of softball differently, and focusing on what keeps the energy up can create a big motivational drive. “I think with senior year, I focus on the fact that anytime we step out on the field, districts can be the last time I get to play for the school,” Rylea Beamish says. “That changes my mentality when I play and helps me focus on just doing the best I can and putting it all out there for my team to succeed.”

Many of these seniors have been playing with the same people all throughout high school, and the friendships that were made are so strong. “I like the friendships that I’ve made,” Beamish remarks. “There are some people on the team that I don’t think I would have ever known if I hadn’t played with them.” With friendships there are always long term experiences and trust that have been put into play. “I definitely like the camaraderie. When you get a ball hit to you, it’s very much individual. But when there’s a player with a crazy hit, our team goes absolutely insane,” Heethuis describes.

With every team, there’s always disappointment with a season ending, but especially for the seniors. “I’m definitely gonna miss all my teammates,” Covert laments. “And hopefully, I’m gonna play softball in the future, but I’m gonna miss it.”

Overall, the seniors who play softball have a unique experience that is both exciting and bittersweet. They have the opportunity to make lasting memories with their teammates and leave a legacy for future players to follow. All the hard work showed success, and many of this year’s seniors will keep softball in their hearts for years to come. //

Since day one, Central hockey practices start at around 6 in the morning at Howe Arena, where most players call home. From the thick air smelling of must and leather filling the players’ noses, to the last puck drop of their final season, hockey holds a special place in the hearts of many Central hockey players. These factors have especially been important to the seniors who have played on the team for all four years. “All of them are going to be difficult to replace,” mentions hockey coach Chris Givens.

Most of the senior players started playing hockey when they were very young. “One day my parents put me on the ice, and I have played the rest of my life so far,” says Koen Burkholder. Now some tend to follow in the footsteps of their family. “It just happened. My dad and my uncles played, and I really wanted to play. It looked so fun,” pronounces Brady Faille.

From a hockey standpoint, Burkholder made significant contributions in his high school career. He made the team in the year that Covid started, but the shortened season didn’t hold him back at all. “Even with that, he had a handful of points, and this year he had 28 goals. He also had 10 assists,” Givens beams. Burkholder kept working and eventually got the results that brought the team a ton of success. Similarly, Faille was our leading goalie, where he made many stops that made the team win several games throughout the year. “Brady played a handful of games last year behind Grant Neuhardt, but he played almost all of them this year and did an amazing job,” states