Junior varsity softball has been dropped this year for several different reasons and it is going to have a negative and positive effect on Whitman’s softball. The reasoning behind dropping JV softball is because over the last couple years the three teams have been getting smaller. There were just enough players for modified, JV, and varsity, but injuries and ineligibility could greatly jeopardize the team.

When deciding what team they would cut they really wanted to keep the middle school involved in the sport so cutting JV was their best choice. The modified team is now 7^th grade through 9^th grade, and varsity is now 10^th grade through 12^th grade. This is great because most 10^th graders are prepared for varsity.

A negative effect that could be put on the players is in the following years there may have to be cuts. This year there is not though. There are about 16 players on the modified and varsity teams. Mr. Morley did not want to cut anybody. It is harder to practice now that the teams are bigger they need a bigger space and keeping each team member working is difficult, with the extra coaches that dedicate their time it makes practices go a lot smoother. On the positive side, Mr. Morley says having more players on the varsity team means each player will have to earn their spot on the field. This makes each girl work productively and competitively during their practices and games.

This year, Mr. Morley feels the team has accomplished a lot already. There have not been many practices outside due to bad weather, but each team member has worked very hard on hitting and bunting making their game better. They are more than prepared for their softball season.