Alissa Smith“We are not a morning team,” junior softball player Angie Templin said.
However, Cabrini’s women’s softball team gets up at 6:45 a.m., two days a week to practice anyway. Stretching lethargic limbs and wiping groggy eyes, the ladies assemble out in the field or the Dixon Center if it is raining on Mondays and Thursdays to practice their beloved game for the upcoming spring season. There is also a third practice day on Tuesday, although the ladies do not have to be up quite so early.
Brook Peterdozzi, a senior, feels that these morning drills are good for the team. “These practices really show our commitment and dedication to our team and to the game,” Peterdozzi said.
When asked what the team wants to accomplish this year, both Peterdozzi and Templin looked optimistic. Templin wants the team to do as well as they did last year.
“We want to win PACs,” Peterdozi said.
Though these ladies seem to have different ideals for the team, their views on the game cumulates at one point; both feel that the main objective in softball is to have fun, get along and play as a team.
So, what rigorous training does coach Karen Pelkey have the ladies endure three days a week? A special regimen specifically designed by Pelkey herself, which includes cardiovascular workouts such as running and light weight lifting.
“The goal is not to make the women bulky like men,” Pelkey said of her training, “But to prevent injuries and keep the players strong and supple.” This way, during a game, if a lady softball player needs to slide to beat that ball she will not break any limbs in the process. The routine usually lasts for about an hour and 15 minutes.
The Lady Cavs do not seem to object to this strict morning workout.
“That physical strength helps the team in the long run,’ Peterdozzi said.
Posted to the web by: Cecelia Francisco
