Softball, 8-4, looks forward to its postseason match-up against a strong Chavez High team next Tuesday. 

According to junior Ann Watkins, the Gondos feel prepared. 

“We’ve heard things from people who have played them, but it’ll be our first time facing them in over a year,” Watkins said “Objectively they’re good, but our mindset going into games is that we are just as good of a team since we all have our own ways of helping the team, even if we aren’t on the field playing.

“We’re definitely a stronger team than we were then so we’re definitely feeling confident and ready.”

The Gondos performed strongly this season especially because of their strong communication. 

“We are a very talkative team and we encourage each other whether it be after an error or an amazing hit,” said junior Ann Watkins. “We’re always trying to stay positive.”

The Gondos are strong at going outside their comfort zone, Watkins said.

“A really big strength we have is the willingness to do things we aren’t used to doing in order to help the team,” she said. “We are constantly being put in positions we aren’t comfortable with, but I’ve seen the team grow and become more comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable—oftentimes challenging it.”

Throughout these last couple of seasons, softball has faced many setbacks, including a shortened season due to the pandemic and a strained schedule due to construction at Venice. This construction has resulted in limited fields for sports teams.

“Unfortunately, our schedule is heavily based off of baseball’s schedule so our practice times are ever-changing depending on what baseball is doing that week,” Watkins said. “For now, we’re stuck on our temporary baseball’s centerfield.” 

The Gondos swept through league games, losing only once to Fairfax in their first game back on April 29. 

“It was like a kick into gear,” Watkins said. “We realized while we may think we have the game in the bag, we can’t play like the game is over before it’s started.”

Despite setbacks, the Venice girls’ softball team shows a promising season. We can expect a good upcoming playoff game against Chavez High School on June 15. Although Chavez has served as a strong opponent in the past, the team seems prepared. 

“We’ve heard things from people who have played them but it’ll be our first time facing them in over a year,” Watkins said, “Objectively they’re good, but our mindset going in games is that we are just as good of a team since we all have our own ways of helping the team even if we aren’t on the field playing.”

“We’re definitely a stronger team than we were then so we’re definitely feeling confident and ready,” she said.