Mr. Chris George — La Salle’s athletic director — is stepping up to fill the role of head coach of the softball team.

In late fall, the Falcons softball team had their former head coach Dave Blevens leave for a head coaching job at Oregon City High School, which led to Mr. George’s eventual decision to take over as the team’s leader.

“I realized I could do this, and I want to do it if nothing presents itself, and that didn’t happen,” Mr. George said.

Mr. George said it would be a challenge to balance his responsibilities as coach along with his job as athletic director, yet from a standpoint of passion his decision was a “no brainer.”

Sophomore pitcher and third baseman Ryan Ballou said, “[Mr. George] is doing a great job of patiently explaining to us drills and helping us get better … we’re all just helping each other, and if one of us makes a mistake, we just get right back up and help each other.”

The Falcons are still in a time of transition after the departure of former coach Blevens and are learning to communicate and understand their unique style of play.

“There’s just this process of getting to know each other and feeling like a team,” Mr. George said. “While that’s fun and exciting, it also means we’re early in the process of doing a lot of things that other teams have established routines for.”

Ballou mentioned how although the girls are still getting to know each other, they are close nonetheless, especially since several team members have focused on building bonds.

Both Ballou and senior shortstop Eleanor Simpson highlighted the value of their off-the-field bonding on their recent trip to Medford, Oregon.

Simpson emphasized the strength the team derives from being close with one another. “I’d say that strengths are those solid bonds and connections that the girls have with each other, especially spending so much time together,” she said.

“I would say it’s very similar to last year where the seniors lead us, but they lead us in a positive way,” Ballou stated.

Mr. George wants to highlight the importance of patience as the girls continue to form their identity as a team.

“I’m trying to help the kids understand we are where we are, and we’re okay with that, and we’re going to be just fine if we continue to work and get better and learn,” he said. “There is talent on the team, and it will kick in, so just be patient.”

To help develop this talent, Simpson said, “We’re trying to implement new practices, like going in the weight room and getting physically stronger, which is stuff we haven’t done in the past,”

The team is currently ranked as third in the OSAA 5A softball rankings with their overall record being 7-3.

Many of their most difficult intra-league matchups are against opponents such as Hood River, Wilsonville and Canby, according to Ballou and Simpson, which created a challenging late season in May.

But Ballou said that the roster’s self-awareness helps them take on, and grow from, tough matchups.

She explained that it leads to accountability, which allows them to successfully correct their mistakes as a team.

She said that, although they need to work on preparation, their self-awareness also allows them to adjust to different situations during games.

“Our one thing is we’re not prepared when we go into games; when we’re up to bat, we’re not ready for what we’re seeing,” Ballou said.

Simpson said, “It’s hard to know what’s gonna come up until it happens in a game,” when asked about situational weaknesses and how they attempt to improve upon them.

Although the season is viewed as a transition year, Ballou and Simpson both believe that playoffs are more than achievable with the group of girls they have.

“I’m excited to see us all grow,” Ballou said. “I love softball, so I’m just excited to get out on the field.”