Mattawan softball finishes season with a District Championship
MATTAWAN, Mich. — After a challenging 2021 season, the Mattawan varsity softball team came together to make sure 2022 was a success. They came together with intentions of winning the conference, district, regional and state championships. They knew that the first step was to go back to basics, by building a strong team.
The girls worked tirelessly to come together as one. The team’s seniors stepped up, using their voices, and leading by example. The team started training together in November, with after-school workouts. Juniors and Seniors lead the workouts and help the freshman learn the team culture, values, and what it takes to be a great teammate.
To prepare for their season the team focused on competitive drills during each practice. They were either competing against a clock or each other and were challenged to complete the drills without errors. Their rigorous training coupled with a tough schedule helped build their confidence in high-pressure situations. There were many moments of success, but also moments of failure. Through highs and lows the team continued to place emphasis on the lessons each experience offered, so they could grow stronger day after day. They remained focused on highlights by celebrating wins of all sizes. One of their mottos is, “How you do anything is how you do everything.”
The season started strong. As it progressed, the team had to deal with some injuries, and experienced a few rough weeks. Although this is expected for most seasons, the team shared that this time there were moments when it was “really tough”. They struggled because they weren’t winning as many games, their defense was inconsistent, and their offense was struggling. They quickly recognized that they had to develop a renewed focused on the things they could control; most importantly, their team culture. Their coaches shared that the team had great energy during games and practices and that they did a great job of celebrating every success. For example, the team will celebrate each strike out, every diving play and each big hit. Energy is one factor they could control, so it became a major focus on the season. With a strong finish to the last two weeks of the regular season, it felt like everything was finally coming together. As the injuries healed, their confidence grew, and they knew they had something special going into post season.
We asked Alicia Smith, the Varsity Coach, about this season’s standout moments. She shared, “Every year, our team focuses on creating a culture that they want to foster, be held accountable to, and set the standard that they wish to hold themselves to. The standout moments for me are when we do hit those rough patches in the season and the girls can lean on those standards, they set for themselves and refocus on those ideals that mean so much to them. It is difficult to do that when you are not having success on the field, however, when you can, that is when you are able to turn things around and become the team you want to be. I give them all the credit in the world for making the decision to go back to their culture and stick to what is important to them.”
As a former member of the Western Michigan University softball team, Alicia Smith has been coaching for 25 years, and has served as the varsity coach for Mattawan since 2001. She believes in coaching the whole person, not just the athlete. Her team of coaches are also former players. She knows there is great strength in having former players and former college athletes who are now mothers with careers serving as role models for these young women. She says, “We all have learned life lessons from our playing team sports and we all want to give them the tools to be able to succeed both on and off the field as student athletes.”
As Coach Smith reflects upon her proudest moment of the season, she said, “My proudest moment of the season was to watch them put it all together to win the District Championship, not because of the win but the fun they had during the games and seeing the pure joy on their faces after winning. I always say I have the best seat in the house to watch them play in post season, and witnessing their celebration, smiles and tears makes me the proudest as their coach. She went on to say, “These girls are very team oriented, and everyone contributed to the overall success of the team. At the end of the season, individuals will be recognized, however, all the girls deserve the credit for where we are today.”
This is the program’s first district championship since 2018, and this district championship is the first for every player on this team.
Their goals were to win the conference, protect the program and its’ legacy by making the past players proud, and win the state championship. They came in second at the conference, and when they won the district championship, they were surrounded by legacy players who were full of pride for their team’s win! The team was really passionate protecting the program because it means so much to many current and former players, and they wanted to honor that tradition. They also wanted to leave their own legacy to inspire future teams. Coach Smith shared, “As a coach, I can’t think of anything more special than the players understanding that they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and how to play for each other, a program, and their own legacy.”
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