Courtesy of Liz CampbellAt an institution where academics usually take precedent over sport, club softball offers competitive play without all of the time constraints of a varsity sport. Comprised of 15 active members and 15 perennial attendees, all of whom played fast pitch softball at some point in high school, the Cubbies practice two to three times a week in a competitive yet laid-back environment.
While club sports require less practice time than their varsity counterparts, co-president and senior Liz Campbell explained, “Four years ago, practices were much more of a social event, but every year we have gotten more serious. We are at a point where we come to practice to work hard and get better. That being said, we are all good friends and know how to have a good time as well.”
Coach Aaron Tang, who explains that part of his role is “to bring a positive and winning attitude while also keeping the entire season fun,” echoes this mentality of friendly competition. Gaining a competitive edge has been a goal of the team.
“Since my freshman year, the Cubbies have taken a 180 degree turn. We have improved tremendously in our batting, fielding and overall commitment to the team. The atmosphere at practice and games is always a competitive and supportive one,” said Co-president Betsy Rubinstein, a senior.
“There are some talented players on the team, many who could play at the varsity level if they wanted to make the commitment,” added Tang.
In an effort to get more competitive, club softball, which was entirely student-run until last season, welcomed the addition of Tang as a coach. This year, recent Wash. U. alum Carrie Jarka, a former club softball member who also played on the varsity squad during part of her senior year, became a coach of the team; she now plans practices.
Jarka sees her role as “to refine skills that the girls already bring to the field. Most of them haven’t had any sort of instruction in two years or more, so we are just an external set of eyes to correct mistakes.”
In addition, Jarka and Tang have assumed the duties of making lineups, base coaching and scoring the games, giving the team more time to focus on the game at hand.
Even with intensified practices, Campbell emphasizes that, “While we encourage everyone to come to as much practice as they can, we do not require you to make everything.” In addition, there are no cuts, so anyone committed to playing softball and improving their game can join WU club softball.
While varsity baseball and softball may by spring sports, club softball has a substantial fall schedule. The team battled the 2007 National Club Softball Association Champion University of Illinois, and while Wash. U. lost all three games, pitchers Betsy Rubenstein and Kristin Re had impressive outings.
This Sunday, the team plays a doubleheader against Bradley University, and the next week, WU travels to Milwaukee to battle Marquette.
To celebrate the new level of the team’s competitiveness, the Cubbies joined a league this year, allowing them to qualify for postseason play in the spring.
“We won’t make it to the end of season tournament this year,” said Campbell, “but it gives us something to work towards.”