By Amanda Joseph
LSU Sports Information
It takes talent, responsibility, and drive to participate in any collegiate sport, but the Tigers softball team values unity first. Team captains Stephanie Hill and Lauren Castle make sure the team never loses sight of this essential concept.
These two team captains live by the phrase “there is no ‘I’ in team”. And because of this, they rarely refer to themselves as captains.
“Everyone on the team is pretty much a captain,” said Hill. “It is a mutual responsibility that we all have as a team.”
Being seniors, however, naturally elevates their leadership roles. “As a senior, our job is to set the tone. They see us getting fired up and I think they just feed off of our energy,” said Hill.
She also complimented the team and said, “Everyone has been extremely focused, dedicated, and responsible. Everyone knew what was expected of them and knew that we had to work harder than last year if we want to succeed.”
For the Tigers, softball season doesn’t start when they take the field and the scoreboard lights up. It actually starts months ahead of time during the fall conditioning. In many instances the offseason training is harder than the actual season.
“We had a very intense fall,” said Hill. “It was a lot of hard work, not only at practice but conditioning in the weight room as well.”
The offseason training gave Hill and Castle many very high expectations for the team this year.
“We want the SEC!” said Hill with a gleam in her eye. “That’s something that was expected of us as freshmen. We want the people that come after us to expect the same.”
However, they both know that it takes more than expectations to win a championship. It takes teamwork.
“It is all of us together,” Castle said. “You have to hit one through nine and you have to catch one through nine. You are never going to win a game with just one great player.”
As with all collegiate athletes, practice and conditioning are very difficult. But even through grueling practices, the Tigers have a lot of fun. They know the chemistry and unity the team has enables them to enjoy the sport.
The family atmosphere is what attracted Castle to this university. After playing her freshman year at UL-Lafayette, she transferred to LSU.
“Everyone is willing to help you,” said Castle. “The facilities are so much better and it’s a real family here.”
Hill’s journey to LSU and the softball team took an entirely different path. She came to LSU to stay close to her family from New Orleans, and although softball was not her primary sport growing up, decided to try walking onto the team.
“I played basketball growing up and softball was just the other sport,” she said.
She was unsuccessful in her first attempt, “but another opportunity arose a year later and I got to come and play,” said Hill.
Hill is a true example of hard work – this Academic All- American went from not making the team to being drafted by Connecticut in the Professional Fast Pitch league.
“You only get to play so long,” commented Hill. “I figured I might as well stay and have fun as long as I have the opportunity.”
Hill is also hoping that Castle will get a chance to play professionally.
“We love playing together and it would be awesome if we could continue that”, Castle said.
All members of this softball team have the same mentality that their captains adamantly focus on. That is due to the leadership and example that these two girls have given to this team.
According to the team captains, the Tigers have a talented team with great leadership, but they know that their greatest advantage is the team’s unity both on and off the field.