Softball Focuses on Mental Game
by Tationa Trice
The Concordia softball team qualified for the national tournament its past two seasons and hopes to do so again this season with the leadership of coach Todd LaVelle.
“Every year we not only go in to win but to represent [Concordia] University the best we can,” coach Todd LaVelle said. “We should be competitive in every game. [And] we’re out to win every game.”
One of the greatest challenges the Bulldogs face is the competition level in both the NAIA and the GPAC. Through the tournament in Dallas and upcoming games over spring break, the Bulldogs plan on equipping themselves for this competition by playing nationally ranked teams that will better prepare them for conference play.
“We were fortunate enough to make it to the national tournament the last two years, and obviously the girls want to do that again,” LaVelle said. “We all have to work together. We all have to become a team.”
This year, the softball team has two or three players for every position, including three pitchers.
“I’m a big team-oriented guy.At the end of the day we just want to be a complete team,” LaVelle said. “The whole team concept is that we’re in it together and if someone is having an off-day, someone else picks them up.”
LaVelle joined the team as head coach in 2013. That was the first year the Bulldog softball team made it to the NAIA national championship, and the Bulldogs made it again last year.
“Each coach has their own philosophy,” LaVelle said. “I don’t know if I did anything different per-say as far as practice plans and things like that. What I do is try to… get (the players) believing that they are a great player and can do this. The expectations are there, and the girls know it. Now we’re just gonna go and take care of business.”
