Even with the series of recent snow days, the De Soto softball team has begun preparing for its upcoming season.

Delayed by the weather, softball tryouts began on Feb. 27 and ended on March 4. After tryouts, the team was made up of 26 girls and head softball coach Junelle Woolery was impressed with what she saw.

“We definitely have things we need to improve on, but I ask all of the girls in the beginning to just try hard and be good teammates and they’ve all done that,” Woolery said.

The team’s first game is against Baldwin High School on March 28, and the girls have already begun working hard to prepare for its upcoming games.

The players on the team have demonstrated their dedication to the sport through working in the offseason to improve before their first game.

“It’s a fun group of girls. They have a really good time but they’re not afraid to work hard,” Woolery said. “They want to win so they’re willing to do what’s best for the team. I really appreciate that, because we have some players that we’re asking to play different positions and they don’t complain about it because they know it’s what’s best for the team.”

Woolery’s expectations are very high for the upcoming season and hopes to be League Champions again.

The team returns seven of the nine starters from the State varsity team. The girls placed second in the 4A State tournament last year, and they are ranked first in the state for preseason.

Although it is hard work to prepare for the season, the players still enjoy and have fun doing it.

“Softball is fun because it’s intense but it’s also kind of laid back. The pace of the game is a little bit slower than something like soccer,” Woolery said. “It’s kind of a mental challenge to keep yourself focused because there is so much lull time in the game. You can sit in the dugout and you need to pay attention while you’re in there but you can also cheer on your teammates. It’s the American pass time, how can you not love that?”