SydneySchulze

“Ball two, ball three, ball four. C’mon, pitcher, walk some more!” Teammates in the dugout take charge by leading cheers to support their teammates on the field.

Lily Burns is a freshman on varsity softball who loves all of the unique parts of the game. “Softball is really different from other sports because the cheers are related to what’s happening, like the pitch or what they just hit,” Burns said, “when I’m at the plate, if I can hear it, it gets me excited.”

As a new addition to this year’s team, Burns has been learning more than just new cheers.

Marian softball has a long-standing set of pre-game traditions designed to set the team up for success. As a senior, Keely Robbins gets to lead a lot of the rituals. “Before every game, the seniors draw the Marian ‘M’ in the dirt,” Robbins said.

After drawing Marian’s symbol, the team continues their rituals by leaning into their faith.

“We grab a handful of dirt and say, ‘Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John bless this field we were playing on. If we do our very best, we know God will do the rest,” Burns said.

The team then gathers in a circle and prays the Memorare. “While we pray, girls put their left foot in the circle on the part that stands out to them the most on that day,” Robbins said. It’s these uniquely Marian moments that really bond the team.

After the prayer and personal reflection on the words, the team is ready for their last step. “We start out quietly saying ‘Can I get an amen?’ and then we say three amens and get louder each time,” Burns said.

These team-building moments before each game prepare the girls to perform well and cheer on their sisters. “The chants really build team spirit because no matter what, we all come together and play as one team,” Robbins said.

One of the less frequent traditions is senior night. “We line up next to our seniors, and the girls on JV hold their bats up while we walk through,” Burns said.

The underclassmen take it a step further than a typical senior night by performing a choreographed dance for the seniors. 

Burns plans to continue the legacy for Robbins and all of the other seniors. “I want to be as nice to the freshmen as all the girls were to me. Everyone is just really open and welcoming,” she said.

Softball has had an amazing season, ending as District Runner-Ups. All of these traditions, unique cheers, pre-game rituals and senior night, might seem like a lot, but they work to create a tight-knit and supportive team. “Just keep going. You’ll always hate it until you don’t get to do it anymore,” Robbins said.