As spring approaches, AHS students think about graduation, spring break, and spring sports.

The spring softball season officially starts on March 12th, with tryouts on March 12th,13th, and 14th. The season normally lasts until early June.

Open gyms are going on now, according to Coach Emily Martin. These are open to all students at Arrowhead, “especially to kids who are trying to decide whether do participate in softball or another sport,” she says.

During open gyms students work on hitting, skills, throwing, and scrimaging.

“If you asked me, what our team record was last year, I wouldn’t even know. If you asked me what my coaching record was, I wouldn’t even know. Success isn’t measured by conference champions, titles or wins and losses, its measured by the process in which we get there. Some of the best seasons we have had as a team, and some that I have enjoyed as a coach, was when we were challenged and we were predicted to not be very good,” Martin said.

Martin has been coaching softball for 18 years, and has been with AHS for 17 of them. Sophomore Lexi Pfalzgraf has been playing since she was four, her 11 years has made her skilled enough to make the JV1 team last year.

Choosing girls for different teams is always really hard for Martin, but it’s based off of the tryouts, evaluating their skills as a player. “The top skilled people make varsity, second tear, JV1, next tear JV2,” she says.

Pfalzgraf’s favorite part about the sport getting to know her team.  “Every year my team changes slightly and it’s really fun to spend time getting to know them throughout the year’s practices and games.”

Pfalzgraf also plays for a select, in which she practices all year round five days a week, but during high school season they practice Monday through Saturday for two hours.

“It’s a huge time commitment, but when you love a sport that much, you want to spend that much time practicing to get better,” she says.

Martin says she loves “the game of softball, the strategy of the game, the people that I coach with, and of course the girls.” She says it’s fun to have a common interest with someone, whether is be a sport or hobby, and be able to “chit chat” with them about it.

She believes having a good relationship with your student athletes is key because you see them on a day-to-day basis, and you are trying to accomplish a goal together, and it’s “really really cool to see the bond, the relationships, that you create because we all love the same sport.”

Something Pfalzgraf would change, not necessary about the sport, but about how AHS goes about accomplishing their to be successful, would be the practice times. She says it’s “really hectic” trying to complete school work and still trying to fit in practice all at the same time.

“As a freshman I was really worried about making a team,” Pfalzgraf said, “and I didn’t focus on having fun. My advice to the freshman would be, not to worry too much. Just work hard and have fun and you will do just fine.”