Sophomore Francesca Diasio, a softball player on the JV team, is ready for the new season after plenty of pre-season preparation.

Diasio feels more ready when she prepares for her games. She said, “If it’s a harder team, then collectively as a group we will all feel better. And for me personally, it makes me feel more confident in my abilities.”

While Diasio does not always practice with her softball team, she enjoys practicing and preparing with her dad to obtain a different perspective. She said, “He played baseball in high school, so I think he brings in a new factor for me because what he tells me is slightly different than what the coaches tell me and I feel like when I apply what he tells me to do, the coaches notice the difference and they are able to build on that information that my dad sets up for me.”

While Diasio practices, she makes sure she becomes comfortable with multiple positions on the field. She said, “He wants me to get better at all the different positions so I can be more of a utility player and I think this is beneficial because it allows me to see all different types of situations on the field because you don’t always get put at your specific spot when you’re in a game. You might need to play some place that you are not used to, so it’s good to know all the different places.”

JV player Ellena Bagdadsaryan, Diasio’s teammate and friend, enjoys when she and Diasio hype each other up before games. Bagdadsaryan said, “We have to get into that mindset, focus, and hone into what we’re doing. We talk about how we could have improved in practices, what we could have done differently.”

Diasio practices before her games when they are on weekends but has to adjust when games are right after school. She said, “On the bus ride there I will just make sure I am getting into a good mindset, feeling prepared and confident for the game.”

This year being a new season, Diasio is doing some things differently than last year in order to prepare for her games and season overall. She said, “Compared to last year I would say that this year I am practicing more before my games and I feel more prepared and ready for the games when they will come up.”

While softball has created busy schedules for the teammates, Diasio has helped teach Bagdadsaryan the idea of dedication and motivation. Bagdadsaryan said, “she always talks about how she manages her school and practices so she teaches me when I get home from practice, I have to sit down, get it done and don’t procrastinate. Like she helps me in that aspect outside of school.”

Although Diasio practices with many different people, she likes preparing and practicing with the JV team the most. She said, “I think we have a really good dynamic going and we feel comfortable with each other so practicing as a whole team allows us to grow and learn as a group.”

Because Bagdadsaryan practices with Diasio, Bagdadsaryan notices how hard her teammate is preparing for the spring season. Bagdadsaryan said, “Honestly I think [Diasio] is really getting into the practices. She’s practicing so hard and giving her 100%, and I think doing your best in practice will make you better in the actual games.”

Diasio is mostly excited to get back into the games this season. She said, “I really like being in an actual live scenario against other teams because when we are practicing, although it’s a good simulation of what could happen, I really like the real-life games and just being able to think on the spot.”

The JV game schedule can be found on their website. Diasio and her teammates play at home tomorrow against Eastlake North.