By Katrina Grant
The Indian Mills girls softball team, which just ended its season, has been on a winning streak. For the past three years, the team has been undefeated and has had a winning streak of about 30 games.
The team is made up of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade girls, and many of the eighth graders have been playing together for three years. Head Coach Dan Giordano gives many reasons why the team has been so successful.
“We are blessed with talent at the two most important positions, pitching and catching,” Giordano said. “The girls buy into what we are doing. They have been good about putting the team before their own personal achievements.”
Giordano has been coaching the team for seven years, and Allen Randolph has been coaching for three.
“He is kind of my big brother,” Giordano said.
With any team, there can be disagreements, but Giordano says that the team has great chemistry. The coaches stress that they want the girls to be good people, not just good players.
“With junior high girls, it can be tough, but our team chemistry is great,” Giordano said. “We preach to them that being good people supersedes being good softball players. To remain on the team they must be a solid, dependable teammate above all else.”
With such a record, one can wonder what the strategy is that keeps this team successful. Giordano says that the team is strong in all aspects of the game.
“We are a team built on defense,” Giordano said. “We make few errors. Offensively, we pressure teams into making mistakes by being aggressive on the bases and at the plate.”
Many of the girls on the team are very early into their softball careers. Giordano sees some of his players going on to have very successful high school and college careers.
“I believe my eighth-grade pitcher, Nicole Fullerton, will go on to a successful high school career. She is talented,” Giordano said. “Charlie Greco, our first baseman, is an impressive kid. She has all the intangibles, especially in the leadership area. My hope is that they all go on to play in high school, but the climate of sports is changing and they may have other passions.”
Whatever the girls choose to do with softball, Giordano is happy to be coaching the team.
“I am humbled to coach such a wonderful group,” Giordano said. “They make Allen and I look good as coaches. All I know is that these are a group of decent softball players, but great people and nothing can take that away. I love them like daughters, and I genuinely appreciate all that they do for our school.”
