For nearly a decade, Tonya Schroeder and Mitzi McMurrin have had aspirations of coaching an Amateur Softball Association team for tournament games.
The duo, who were teammates while attending Yakima Valley Community College, finally had their chance this past spring as coaches of a little league program.
And the results were inspiring.
“We had so much fun with the girls,” Schroeder said. “It was such an amazing experience that we definitely wanted to take it to the next level and go into a competitive league and to be able to work with a lot of the girls that had already worked with and still have the opportunity to work with new kids from all around the gorge.”
Schroeder announced that she has formed a team made up of players from The Dalles, Hood River and Stevenson, Washington called the Gorge Shadows 12U softball team.
Right now, the group of 13 athletes plan a two-day-a-week practice regimen at Alice Peters Memorial Field and between three-to-four fall tournaments, as they prepare for the upcoming 2016 season.
With the likes of Zoe Mansfield, Miyana Robertson, Emily Adams and Kyra Davis, the talent is plentiful and the possibilities endless.
Rachel Smith, Izabella Gutierrez, Gabriella Mooney and Sienna Davis bring an all-around dynamic to the roster, and the quintet of Mariana Santillan-Derras, Sydney Cox, Lauraine Smith, Isabella Spencer and Gracie McCafferty have the skillset in place to highlight the abilities on offense, defense and pitching.
Schroeder brings years of experience and knowledge to the program, and Kyra Davis has seen positive gains early on.
Coaching up that group along with Schroeder are assistants McMurrin and Ryan Flory.
“Tonya is a really good coach. They all work with us on the basics and get us going,” Kyra Davis said. “You can see the difference in all of us pretty much. It makes it fun when you work hard in practice and you see everyone getting better.”
Davis added that it will take a while to find a groove early on, but she feels the roster will round into form.
Offense could be the spearhead when looking at the bigger picture.
“We have a good team,” said Davis. “We try to hit the ball as far as we can out there and make lots of plays, try to steal bases and score as many runs as we can. Most of the girls, we love pitching and catching and we love playing all of the positions. Most of all, we enjoy batting.”
The season is just starting out for the Shadows and this group is poised on winning games with a goal in mind of hopefully hoisting some top hardware along the way.
The long-term aim of the coaching staff is to have fun, work together and bring a positive attitude to the field every day.
With many of the girls sharing hopes for high school softball, Schroeder said her primary focus is on preparing the girls with the proper fundamentals of the game that will translate to success at the high school level and beyond.
“I think it is extremely important that the girls that really want to further their younger careers in softball, they continue to work through more than just their spring season,” Schroeder said. “It is dedication and it is commitment. Even though these girls are only in the 12U stage, some of them really love the game and they need to learn early on that if they want to be the best pitcher or the best shortstop or the best centerfielder, they have to commit to it and they have to work year-round to force themselves to become a better player.”
This team has a good blend of softball experience with a few years under their belts and other parts of the roster are comprised of athletes who have an ability to produce when called upon.
There are going to be ups and downs to every season, whether it being mercy-ruled wins, high-scoring games, valiant comebacks, adversity, early deficits and losing streaks, so it comes down to handling those issues as they come.
“I think playing now will help us with our skill level so we can be better next year or the year after,” said Adams. “We can build as a team and become one big army to make each other better. I think that we can do that. The more we do together, the better we can become.”
As part of the relationship process, Schroeder credited the families who are involved.
It is a collaborative effort through-and-through.
“We have a great group of competitive and hard-working kids and positive parents who are supportive and selfless,” Schroeder said. “The parents are part of our team. We need them to be as committed as we want our girls to be.”
Schroeder said it is a special moment to see a kids’ eyes light up when they hoist a winning trophy for their work.
“I am super excited. I love seeing these kids go and try their hardest,” said Schroeder, a 2013 Portland State University graduate. “It is going to be a fun ride. This is just the beginning. So, we will see where we end up.”
In order to make playing in the program affordable and to offset equipment, entry and travel fees, the Shadows will have sponsorship opportunities to individuals and businesses across the gorge.
The team is selling sponsorship posters and are offering sponsorship banners that will hang in the dugout through tournaments.
To sponsor the team, call 541-705-7217.
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