Softball season is here and even though their current record is 0-1, the team is still confident in upcoming games.

I interviewed an athlete, Hannah Emmons, about softball. Hannah has been doing tryouts for softball and she is very excited for the season. She states that the team is very supportive and they all work together. Hannah is currently playing right field but is still hoping for 2nd base because there isn’t a lot of running involved. Softball teaches you how to be patient, how to stay with a positive attitude, and leadership. At first Hannah was 5th in the starting lineup her first game against Deer Park and now she is third. 

Hannah says, “me and my team would definitely suggest softball for other girls because not only is it fun, but it gives you a boost to come to school and do good just so you could play softball.” 

I also interviewed the coach, Mr. Saylor, who literally loves his job. Mr. Saylor started coaching softball here at Oyler in 2015. It all happened because Mr. Scholl approached him and Mr. Thomas about coaching softball because the previous coaches resigned after one season. 

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Saylor was very hesitant about it; his plan was to only couch for the year so there was a soft ball team. His favorite thing about being a coach is the competitive aspect of it.

“There’s so much about coaching, that is bizarre in the sense that you are trying to control things that you physically have no control over,” Saylor says. “So you prepare people for situations and you hope that they react in the way that you’ve prepared them.” 

But there was something that Mr. Saylor repeated throughout our interview which is that baseball gives him the opportunity to build a relationship with the players personally, and he also enjoys that baseball brings girls together; girls who might never speak to each other in their lifetime. 

Something that keeps Saylor going with being a couch is that baseball is a root in life, he says the players always came back even ones who are married and have kids they all still come back to visit and majority of the players are still in contact with each other.  Mr. Saylor loves to set goals for the year and every year he sets a goal of winning the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference. Not only does he set the goal for himself as coach but he also likes to set the goal for his team. Couch has some seniors and juniors who have a mindset of winning and they hope to pass that on to the sophomores and freshmen.

“I want to give a big shout out the all the players,” Saylor says. 

Nikaila Preston, Ashlee Foist, Sadie Smith, Angel Jones, Trinity Smith, Hannah Emmons, Kirsta Westheider, Kaitlin Westheider, Alejandra Martinez, Loriniya Davis, Neveah Rice, Angelina Flores, Keeziah Britten, Kayla Norfleet, and the assistant coaches Ms. Swisher and Mr. Thomas.

Full calendar of upcoming games TBA.