Softball 2021 Season

Although the school year is coming to an end, for many students in sports it can feel like it is just beginning. With Dana softball, the lessening of COVID-19 restrictions led to games beginning again in March after over a year.

Practicing with the restrictions had been difficult, as softball has more contact with shared equipment when compared to other sports that had been allowed to practice during the pandemic. Early practices had split the players into groups, with freshman and sophomores being in one, and juniors and seniors in the other. This setup made it difficult for the JV and varsity teams to effectively practice since these players come from all grades. In addition to the separation of players, there has also been a decrease in softball players from previous years which has made it difficult for the teams to be evenly distributed and has resulted in many players having to switch back and forth between varsity and JV.

As for the games this season, the first game was played against Woodbridge on March 19, in which Dana won. Despite all of the challenges of practicing during COVID-19 and not having games in the first half the year, there have been improvements that allowed Dana to win against several other teams. Dana proceeded to win against Capo Valley, Trabuco, and Valencia after that first game. Although some games have been different this year because some teams have not had a varsity team, adjustments have been made to have mixed teams play where possible. With the season wrapping up soon, an uncertain beginning may very well lead to the team finishing their season off strong.