St. Charles North girls softball team wins state championship
SAINT CHARLES, Ill. — When the St. Charles North girls varsity softball team lost in the 2021 super-sectional last year, in a way, they also won, as it was that loss that fueled their inner fire with an attitude focused on taking the next step and making it downstate. With only one senior graduating, the girls were able to make that goal a reality this past spring when the 2022 team won the first state championship in program history.
The St. Charles North girls softball program has a long history of success, with nine conference championships, 12 regional titles, six sectional titles, and two super-sectional titles, but nothing is quite as sweet as the state title. According to Head Coach Tom Poulin, there was something unique about this group of girls. “We have never had a group honestly come together, unconditionally support each other, and act as unselfishly as this group. We have had some outstanding players and teams come close, but nobody has been as much of a team-first group as this one. This was truly a group effort. The collaboration/communication of all involved was the best we’ve ever had. This included the players, parents, and coaches. Everyone excelled in their roles within our program. It made the season the most memorable in school history.”
The team was led by team captains Ashlee Chantos, Meghan Nicastro, and Auburn Roberson, who Poulin says “did an outstanding job of leading on a daily basis, while allowing for growth from the other team members. Their strengths, as leaders, complemented each other well.” Additionally, during the state tournament, Poulin says Julia Larson was instrumental in stepping up as a leader. “Julia kept the team loose but was very focused on the task at hand at each game. She is a natural leader, and the team gravitated toward her.”
Poulin adds that he and assistant coach Thijs Dennison like to stress the importance of all 15 players acting as a captain would. “At different moments, each player, in her own way, took on the role of leader and helped us reach our goals. Many times, it was demonstrated in our unselfishness and honest support for each other. Each player acted in a team-first manner, no matter if she was in the lineup or not.”
To get themselves motivated before a game and build camaraderie, Poulin says the girls would play music on the bus. Additionally, they had a team motto: One Team. “When they came together to shout out a group break before and after games and practices, they yelled ‘Team on One, One Team!’” The team even put the words “One Team” on the side of their state championship rings. The girls also had the pregame ritual of team rocks. Poulin explains, “Each decorative rock had a word on it describing a character quality. Together, the team decided who received each rock, matching the word on the rock with the player. Right before the game, we all put our rocks in a pouch and hung the pouch in the dugout. This symbolized a group of individuals coming together and combining for one purpose.”
So, according to Poulin, it was a combination of things that led to the team’s success: an outstanding pitching duo, a great defense making plays behind them, and clutch hitting/base running, together with an ability to focus on their goals and a team-first attitude. Ultimately, says Poulin, “that’s the formula for a state championship.”
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