In just over a week, the Lady Bisons softball team will do something that has not been done in more than two decades at Harding: play an intercollegiate softball game. Coach Phil Berry and the team are preparing to rebuild the foundation of a winning program on campus.
“I really think (the players) have embraced the idea of starting this program and getting it off the ground,” Berry said. “They bring a lot of excitement and energy to that process knowing that they get the chance to achieve all of the ‘firsts.'”
Time has been a factor for the Lady Bisons, but some of the freshman have already come up with ways to help their bonding experiences.
“We had a lot of our incoming freshmen come to our camps this summer so they had a chance to get to know each other through working the camps,” Berry said. “All of our freshmen chose to live together this year, so they are all living together on one of the wings of Cathcart Hall.”
When you have a new team come together, it is not all about the freshmen being able to form bonds. It is especially important for the upperclassmen to be able to form leadership roles for their team as well.
“I think we have bonded really well and quickly,” junior infielder Kinsey Beck said. “We may not all know each other super well yet, but I think in no time we will be closer than anything.”
Beck is from Huntsville, Ala. and grew up with the game of softball, but chose Harding despite the fact they did not offer a softball team.
“I came to Harding knowing there was not a softball team,” Beck said. “It was sad to stop playing but I knew Harding was the school for me. So when I heard we were getting a softball team I was so pumped and did not even have to think about trying out or not.”
As for other softball players, like junior Jessica Greene, it was another sport that brought them to Harding. Greene came to Harding to play basketball, but when she heard Harding was starting a softball team she knew she wanted to join.
“It’s not gonna be perfect because we don’t already have a foundation, but we get to lay the foundation so that is pretty cool,” Greene said
Harding opens their softball season Sept. 7 in Durant, Okla.
