VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8bMnUirwdQ

Southmoreland High School’s gym was filled with softball players: young and younger. The Southmoreland varsity softball team took on the role of teacher to young softball players of the Scottdale fastpitch semi-travel league. Seeing these young girls learning the fundamentals of softball such as, hitting off of a tee, throwing, and fielding, from the girls themselves brought back memories for many of the high school players.

The high school team helped the younger girls with the techniques of learning how to field a ball, throw, and how to have a perfect swing at a practice session April 7. For many of the young players from ages 3 to 6, the involvement of the high school team made this particular practice more enjoyable than any other.

“I like that they (the high school players) are helping us because it’s so cool,” said Lexi Welling, 6.

These young athletes looked to the high school players as role models and played some softball. For many of the girls, they enjoyed hitting the most at the practice, aside from interacting with the older players.

“I like hitting,” Mackenzie Matthews, 5, said proudly. “I like it because it’s my favorite and I said so.”

The high school softball team seemed to enjoy the practice as they looked at the smiles on the faces of the youth players.

“I would like our team to be able to do this more often,” said freshman Charity Henderson. “It was like a flashback, and that was great to see what we were like at one point.”

Another freshman, Faith Miller, also saw it as a flashback when she saw the excitement in the girl’s eyes.

“When I looked into their eyes I saw the love and enjoyment for the game,” said Miller. “No worries, just having fun.”

It meant a lot for Miller to be able to help the girls because she wants the game of softball to expand in the next generation and said these girls are “our hope,” adding that she wants the sport to be played and loved by many.

“It made me feel so good to help them, and it was such a great opportunity,” said Miller. “I hope these girls take their talents and run with them. They never know where they will end up.”

Senior,Katie Troisi-Clark wishes that the team would have been able to work with the young girls all four years of her high school career. She believes the high school involvement with the youth program is going to be a help for the softball program in the future.

“I believe the girls see the older girls who play their position and that makes them want to work to be like that player,” said Troisi-Clark.

Maegan Shetterly, a sophomore, feels that the night was an amazing opportunity to share her love of the game and help someone learn something about it.

“Helping those little girls with something I’m passionate about completely filled my heart with joy,” said Shetterly.

Junior, Alayna Perbonish, had “a lot of fun”  as she got to reunite with girls she knew when they were even younger while they were having a blast learning something they love.

“I have known a lot of them since they were younger, so seeing them have so much fun while learning was just so nice and it made me feel good,” said Perbonish.

Freshman Sophia Gatti knows what it was like being young and looking up to the older girls.

“Since I know what it is like to be in their position looking up to someone, being able to have an impact on them means a lot to me and I for sure want to continue to help them,” said Gatti.

As junior  Bethany Bunner walked around taking pictures for the memory to be shared with parents and coaches, she could see the happiness of everyone in the gym from the “appreciation of the parents” to the “younger girls having eagerness to learn the game” and the “high school girls having a smile from ear to ear the whole time.”

“They were all happy to be there and you could see it on their faces. It makes your heart happy,” said Bunner.

As many of the girls did, sophomore Lexi Klatt helped the girls field the ball by rolling it to the girls and then having them throw it back to her and then set the tee for girls to help adjust their swing.

“I loved helping little girls to become good softball players,” said Klatt.

Varsity softball coach Todd Bunner was very appreciative of how willing to help the high school team was and hopes to hold a similar event for the younger girls in the future.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my girls and the way the event turned out,” said Coach Bunner. “They got a chance to see what they were like at that age, and I know they would all be more than willing to do it again.”

Coach Jason Lucia of the younger players was also very impressed by the high school team and how they interacted with his players.

“I wish they could come back for every practice” said Lucia. “My little ones really responded well to them because that’s where most of them want to be some day.”

Mother of 5-year-old Mackenzie, Dione Matthews also saw the event as a benefit to all the girls and would definitely bring her daughter back. Many of the parents were very happy with the outcome of the event and happy that their children go the chance to participate.

“I think it’s really nice that the older girls are getting involved, and I know my daughter loves it,” said Matthews. “This is her first year playing and first time doing anything like this, so I’m sure Mackenzie is going to talk about it for days.”