SHS Journalism: "A team that feels like home"

By Adalee Hobson

Photo by Adalee Hobson

On a warm spring afternoon, the sound of softballs cracking against bats carries across the fence of the outfield, blending with laughter, shouted drills and the occasional sharp whistle from the dugout. At first glance the Lady Lions look like any average high school softball team.

If you look closer you’ll see a little resemblance on the field as the game begins. The same last names. The same features. The same instinctive glance between players that happens a split second before the play begins.

The Lady Lions don’t just have rapport. They have family. 

Four sets of sisters make up the heart of the roster. Eight people whose connections extend far beyond the field. Two of those pairs take it many steps farther: they play under the eyes of their own sisters, both serving as coaches. 

Lexi Garloch and Kenadie Garloch are sisters, one of the two pairs that include a coach and a player. As a coach, Lexi tends to have higher standards for her sister, but will never favor her on the field. 

“I am probably actually harder on her than I am other players,” Lexi said.  “She definitely knows that I am the last person to give her favoritism or a pat on the back.”

Being able to coach a sister has given Lexi the satisfaction of seeing her succeed first hand. She never got to play on a team with Kenadie, so coaching has allowed her to get as close as possible to that same scenario.

Coach Kenedie Depoy and her sister, Hallie Brough, share the same situation. Hallie believes being coached by her sister has made their bond stronger.

“It has made us closer and she is always there to answer questions I may have,” Hallie said.

Another set of sisters that is different from the others is Rachel and Jenna Little, who are a part of a set of triplets, along with their brother, Will. They have been playing softball together for many years and have created a close bond through sports.

“We are very competitive, but it will always give me someone to talk to,” Jenna said.

Jenna believes that having her sister on her team has its ups and downs, but it gives her the opportunity to always have someone close on the field with her.

The last set of sisters are Karissa Hardy and Ally Hardy. Although they may also have their ups and downs, their bond is stronger than any disagreement they could have. 

Other players believe that having four sets of sisters on the team has made the dynamics of the team stronger. Sophomore Claire Montsinger said it boosts the energy on the field. 

As the sun dies down and practice comes to an end, gloves are thrown in bags, but nobody is in a hurry to leave.

Near the dugout the sisters fall back into laughing, bickering and replaying moments from practice that no doubt will be discussed again back at home. 

On paper it is easier to see all the things this team has accomplished. Whether its wins, rankings or how far they got out of sectional, it will never show what holds them together. 

Long after the final out is recorded and the game comes to an end, the Lady Lions won’t just remember the games before. They’ll remember the car rides, the late night conversations about the game, the arguments that never stayed on the field, and the bond that never gave them any other option, but to work through their differences.

In a sport built with teamwork, the Lady Lions stood on something deeper, not perfect chemistry or even constant harmony. Just family. And for this team, that is both the challenge and the reason they might be stronger than other teams expect.