Now at Bat!

By Stacy Case  –  Photos by Al Guerra

That unforgettable smell of fresh cut grass and a perfectly manicured ball field means only one thing to the Coral Springs 10U Panthers Softball team…. Play ball! And these girls of summer are once again in full swing! While the Panthers take to Betti Stradling Park for their home games, when they’re not playing host, they venture out to various parts of Florida. Over the past few months, these 12 young ladies have accomplished quite a lot.

Under the Youth Softball Association of Coral Springs (YSACS) umbrella, this adorable dozen began their quest for success back in January with tryouts. The team then participated in some scrimmages in February and March, and then began a competitive, travel tournament schedule in April. Games are set to wrap up by the first weekend in July.

Now, as the squad made a commendable name for itself within the area travel softball circuit, they’ve played in several tournaments and were seeded very high going into each one of them. The Panthers earned first place notoriety in the ‘Lake Lytal Blast’ as well as in the ‘Thunder in Sunrise’ earlier this season, and were runners up in the ‘Keep Calm and Play Fast Pitch’ and in the ‘Lake Lytal Classic,’ just to name a few.

One thing is certain; their diamond excellences are no coincidence. The team has had a core group of girls for a few years. In fact, four of them have played together for four seasons while six of them have been teammates for three. There is just no substitute for team cohesiveness.

“Some of them have been together for a few years already, even since they were 8U,” explains Coral Springs 10U Panthers Softball Head Coach Al Guerra.

And now, he reveals the team’s secret ingredient…..

“It’s really been our pitching and defense, and not making a lot of errors,” says Coach Al. “We make a lot of the basic plays, don’t give up easy outs and have a solid defense that really doesn’t make too many mistakes.”

Now, aside from a stellar defense in their arsenal, the girls’ mentality has also played a vital role on their impressive resume. “They’re all very mentally tough players on my team; they’re resilient and, several times we’ve recorded come-from-behind wins due to them never getting down on themselves while behind in a game or tournament,” adds Coach Al.

And while some coaches prefer to highlight the talents of a select few players who tend to carry a team, Coach Al looks at his girls as one single unit of achievers. “We don’t necessarily have just one or two superstars who get it done every time,” he says. “Instead, we have 12 very talented girls who each contribute in their own unique way.”

 

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