Along with spring comes new sports and with that is competition. While we are used to the competition between two different schools in a sport, there can also be competition between other LZHS sports when it comes to recruiting players.

Softball is one of the seven spring sports that are out there to choose from. According to Kelly Hardbarger, softball coach, softball is being overlooked because of other, more popular sports. However, she believes that softball just has to advertise more and get their program out into the public.

According to Nina Kolb, sophomore softball player, softball is “extremely competitive and the competition is just as intense as any other sport like baseball or anything like that”.

At this time of year baseball is very popular but Hardgarger says that sports like soccer and lacrosse are also more prevalent in this area. This provides a challenge for softball as it is a sport that is usually seen as less “entertaining,”  Kolb said.

“[We’re] putting in just as much time and effort as they do into their games as we do ours and we’re just as committed and just a focused on our goals as they are in their sport,” said Kolb. “It is frustrating a lot of the time because they get much more attention for doing the same thing we do”.

Olivia Collins, junior softball player, and Kolb both feel that it is frustrating when other sports are receiving more recognition even though softball is just as interesting to watch and fun to play.

“I feel like there could be more fans at the games or something like that. I just feel like in general softball is really fun to watch ’cause they’re much quicker paced and it’s different from baseball, so you get to see kind of a different style of baseball,” Collins said.

Even though softball may not be seen by all as a popular sport, the girls continue to play. The bonds that they make in softball help them as they push each other and continue to meet their goals.

Collins says that what makes softball special to her is the challenge that it brings, but what also makes it special is “how much of a team sport it is because everyone has to do their part if you have to win the game.”

“It’s a good bonding sport as well. I mean, you can look at it as individual basis, you have your own successes, but you also have your team successes. So working together individually and then as a team, there’s more of a atmosphere that we are creating by playing softball,”  Hardbarger said.

While this year is only Hardbarger’s first year coaching here at LZHS she says that they will work hard to advertise for softball and continue to recuite more girls.  

“ I think that [its] a great thing when girls see girls see girls succeeding we support each other throughout the way.” Hardbarger said.