The Raiders softball team is coming off of a 16-4 regular season, winning the regional championship, beating Bowie High School 17-0 on May 19, and sending excitement throughout the hallways of the school.

When asked what made the team so successful this season, Mia Maniece, junior for the team said that “We work hard, practice hard, and play hard. On the Roosevelt Softball team, we hold ourselves to a very high standard.” 

The team functions like a unit, keeping each other in check for things on and off the field. Mia says that “As a team, we worked on keeping a positive attitude and communicating with each other” and “We also held each other accountable off the field with academics.”

On a regular day for the team, “practice runs pretty smoothly. Once we get down to the field we warm up with basic stretches and running to the fence and back. We throw with weighted balls, then regular softballs until our arms are warm. Then we move to our short-hop drills. From there our coach decides what we need to work on, whether it’s hitting, fielding, situational stuff, or just a general practice where we work on a bit of everything.” says Mia. “On game days we usually wear our jersey to school and get out of class early to prepare. On game days when we are the away team, we change and get the equipment loaded on the bus and lock in on our way to the game.”

Mia describes her beginnings in softball, saying that she “chose softball, originally as something new to try.” She “had played softball and gymnastics before” but she “wanted to try a different sport. I liked playing catch with my dad and knew the basics of baseball, so I figured I’d give it a try. I started playing when I was in seventh grade.” Individually she says she goes “to the batting cages to try and increase/improve my bat speed and worked at home with my dad on tracking fly balls, since I play outfield”

Spring sports are very important for the school, since it provides excitement for students in the last stretch of the school year, but also “I think having spring sports benefits the school by not only encouraging those who aren’t interested in our fall or winter sports to play/get involved but just being outside in the warmer weather that spring brings” says Mia. ”I feel like it brings people together.”