By Megan Goetcheus
12 girls in one house and a boy puking on the drive down. A week spent in Pensacola, Florida with their teams led to some serious bonding and memory making. Northview’s varsity softball and baseball teams give up their spring break every year for a week of training and it has proven to be worth it, considering both teams won conference last year.Being around each other 24/7 for a week, it would be hard to not build tight relationships. But the teams take it even farther by bonding in unconventional ways. The softball team participated in a talent show, having to produce something hilarious to perform for the the judges, their coaches. They even had to go grocery shopping together to prepare for the week.
The toughest challenge was “learning how to manage our money based on what the team would need to eat throughout the week,” said senior Emily Helmer.
The baseball team also knows the benefits of the Pensacola trip. Senior Alex Crump is looking for a 3-peat as conference champs, and he attributes a large part of the team's success to their time spent in Pensacola.
“The team is together, so you’re going to play better, that’s what I’ve figured out the past couple years,” Crump said.
His first year on the varsity squad, Junior Alex Christian was a rookie to the Pensacola experience. Each year there are both newcomers and the boys who go annually. Everyone gets treated the same and they become great friends.
“It was a great experience. I got to know a lot of teammates that I've never played with before, not just as teammates but as friends too,” Christian said.
Not only do they spend every moment together, but they also have to endure 3 1/2 hour practices in the Florida heat. Junior Shelby Farr immediately felt the results of the long week.
“We communicate more and are able to trust each other more and that's crucial for building a great team,” she said.
For both Helmer and Farr, the memory of watching a storm pass through, with the team around them, was the most memorable moment from this year’s trip. Having no distractions of school and other things, the team took a moment to sit and really get to know each other. They took advantage of being under a tornado watch, unable to practice for the day.
“I believe that if we didn't go down to Pensacola, we wouldn't have the amazing team chemistry and trust that we have now,” said Farr.
Proving the chemistry of the baseball team on the field, last week they defeated the Forest Hills Northern team in both games of a double header. One game blowing FHN out of the water, winning 8-1.
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