Softball CIFs are right around the corner, and the team has spent all season practicing so that they can show off their skills in the playoffs. Last year, the girls won Division 1 CIFs, and this year, they are looking to achieve this same goal.

Varsity coach Danielle Kinley has been coaching softball for five years, and has been training her team so that they can perform to the best of their abilities. With high hopes for the end of this season, Kinley is focusing on the small details to perfect her team’s skills.

“CIF prep happens a lot in the pre-season when we face some top Open and D1 teams,” Coach Kinley said. “These games reveal all the little things we need to work on in order to have success in the post-season. This can be stressful where it’s glaringly obvious that we have not reached our potential yet, but it’s part of the growth process and helps motivate the team to get better.”

Outside of practice, the girls have been working together to help improve their compatibility on the field. Sophomore Kennedy Jarrard believes that with all the combined efforts from her coach and her team, they are well prepared for CIFs.

“As a team we have had many team bonding experiences to help better gel us as a team,” Jarrard said. “We have also scheduled games against good teams that will prepare us for playoffs.”

Having won last year, Carlsbad is the team to beat. With the extra pressure, the team has been practicing for hours everyday to help themselves get ahead of the competition.

“As a team, we have a target on our backs as we continue to win and more teams want to get us,” Jarrard said. “It puts a little more pressure on us to perform at our best ability and keep up our reputation.”

Playoffs will be a new experience for many players this year because there are 4 new freshman on the team. Coach Kinley says that she has been working all season to make sure the entire team will feel they are ready to play their hardest.

“We have quite a few returners that experienced a CIF championship but we have a lot of new kids that have no idea what playoffs are like yet,” Coach Kinley said. “Everyone wants to win a championship, but getting to and winning the championship game is very difficult. The decisions we make as a coaching staff revolve around creating a highly competitive environment that will prepare the team for competitive situations and hopefully we will be ready once the time comes.”