Newcomers to the program (and last year there were a lot of them) may have been caught off guard at the beginning of spring training week a year ago, but that wasn't the case this season.
Fresh off a three-week break for the holidays, the Coyotes returned for five practices ahead of the start of the second semester. Four of those seemed like full-day affairs filled with plenty of softball, but there was also physical fitness training, self-defense training and plenty of team bonding.
What else would you expect when your coach is a former marine?
A physical fitness test awaited the Coyotes when they returned, and it was built off exercises a female marine may be asked to do: a mile and a half run, an arm hang, pushups and a sit-up test. It's something the team does once a week in January along with some swim workouts.
"As long as you did your stuff over break, you were prepared for it," said sophomore pitcher
Alexis Devers, who started 15 games last season. "We don't take steps back. Our goal is to push forward every single day. It is a big thing coach emphasizes is that we are getting better every single day, even if it's just point-five percent better."
Each player received guidance prior to heading home. Pitchers got a pitchers packet, hitters got a hitters packet, and everyone got strength training advice from conditioning coach
Caleb Heim. The rest was up to the player.
"Most of it comes down to having a good attitude," said
Sarah Lisko, a sophomore thrower from Rochester, Minnesota. "Your body is able to run a mile and a half. Whether you are good at it or not, you are going to be able to finish it. Mentally, you have to tell yourself that you can, which I think is what going through a long season is all about."
It's also about having fun with teammates, and there was plenty of time for that as well. There was self-defense training with the University Police Department, an escape room game setup by pitching coach
Nicole Steinbach, and of course, the season premiere of
The Bachelor starring former Illinois State linebacker Colton Underwood alongside 30 contestants.
"So we had to watch it on Hulu the next day, and oh my gosh, bottom line is we don't only bond about softball, but we totally bond over
The Bachelor," said Devers. "And we have very strong opinions about the contestant."
The escape room was a unique concept. It was held in one of the classrooms inside the DakotaDome. The team entered to three cardboard boxes on display. Each was tied shut with padlocks on them. Apparently, (insert rival school) had kidnapped our coaches and it was the Coyotes' job to save them.
"There were papers on the wall and clues everywhere," said Lisko. "The clues led to combinations to open the locks and in each box was a picture frame with a coach's face on them. It was so fun."
(Note to the reader: if you play escape room with Coyote softball, get on Lisko's team… not Devers'.)
Classes resumed on Monday, Jan. 7, an off day for the team before returning to the weight room Tuesday morning. The team will lift twice a week usually throughout the season with practices starting at 3:30 p.m. most days.
"That week where we have unlimited time is so nice because you bond so much over the long days, but being back on schedule is nice too," said Devers. "We are back in the swing of things.
"We preach being together as one, and I really feel like this year, with this team, we really are together as one on and off the field."
