On a recent windy Saturday afternoon, an energetic group of girls ages 5-8 met on a field at San Martin/Gwynne Elementary School in Morgan Hill.
The team, named the Roses and sporting bright red shirts, are one of eight teams in the minors division of the Spirit of Morgan Hill softball program. That day the girls were geared up to play against the Lilies.
Before the game, the Roses’ coach, Tisha Altamirano, trotted from player to player, giving last minute instructions and encouragement. The Roses appeared miniscule on the field. Each player’s eyes were riveted firmly on her coach as they waited for direction.
Altamirano isn’t a novice at this coaching gig. This is her second year with Spirit. Before that she coached co-ed teams for the YMCA. And before graduating from Morgan Hill’s Live Oak High School, Altamirano herself played for Spirit.
Currently, Altamirano holds a seat on Spirit’s board where she is in charge of publicity. She focuses on recruiting South Valley girls ages 4-18 to fill the rosters of the organization’s four divisions. And although grades aren’t eligibility factors in the league, she believes the training the girls get through softball has a positive effect on their academic skills, as well.
Softball is a game Altamirano believes in mightily.
Softball is a family sport,” she said. So even if they’re just throwing a ball back and forth into a mitt, there are plenty of opportunities for the family to be involved.
Besides the family aspect of softball, Altamirano knows the sport provides other benefits: girls socialize with other girls, learn a sport and form friendships that last a lifetime.
Recognizing that much of the game is mental, if her younger players suffer nerves about going to bat or pitching to the opposite team, she reminds them to “take a deep breath, think positive.”
As the afternoon game progressed, the girls in the field rotated places often. Using a method of giving girls an opportunity to try out various defensive positions, it was obvious early on that making the games fun and educational is a primary goal of this program.
“You don’t know what you can do if you don’t get a chance to try,” said Altamirano, explaining the reasoning behind the constant rotation of players.
She admits she loves seeing how the girls improve from the beginning of the season until the end.
“It’s the best part of the job,” Altamarino said.
