By: Meagan So, Staff Writer
Get ready for a wave of new competition, games, and rivalry as we enter the second semester of our 2024-2025 school year because the spring sports season is approaching quickly. This new season provides an opportunity for teams to work together towards new goals and accomplishments, improving as they go. Let’s gain some insight on our new season and see what some of our spring coaches, star players, and returning athletes have to say about their goals this season.
Last year, the Mills Softball team rose to the top, allowing them to advance into a higher league. Returning player, Sofia Kwan, explained, “We are in a more difficult league now so it would be nice to prove ourselves and show that we deserve [to be there].” When asked about goals she had for this season, Sofia responded, “I hope that this season I will continue hitting well… and being more confident when a ground ball comes.” As for possible goals for the team, she said, “This season I hope we make it further in CCS while having fun and playing [together].” Softball coach, Coach Michelle Beauchemin added on to that, talking about wanting the team to have a balance between having fun and success, She continued, “Whether [this] is established by winning a game, improving individual skills or team growth, it is important to me that all players are proud of their accomplishments and being part of a “family” like team.” Coach Michelle also expressed how she hoped the team would win another Division Championship and have a better CSS outcome, similar to Sofia’s goal. She shared, “Both me and Coach Nate, [her softball co-coach], want to improve our TEAM mentality [and] I am looking forward to being on the field with a bunch of fun and talented ladies and building comradery and memories!”
For boy’s volleyball, returning senior Noah Ung shared some of his goals this spring. When asked about any personal goals this season, he said, “This year, I’m looking to get a consistent starting spot and manage the team well.” For the goals he had related to the team’s relationships, Noah shared, “Hopefully we’ll [get to] have a winning record [and] just be able to work together coherently, not just as individuals.” He added, “[Something] we talked about changing is the lineup. With the seniors [that graduated], we want to know who now fits into their places to fill their roles.”
For this year’s track and field team, Coach Cappel shared his goals and hopes for the team this season. He said, “Our goal this year is to have everyone on the team establish a personal record in an event and enjoy their experience on the track and field team. A result of this would be winning the league championship.” He added, “One of my goals this year is to improve attendance at practices and league meets. This year is the largest in Mills’ history [and] a key to a team that large is to have clear coaching responsibilities and functional event group practices to allow all participants to achieve optimal success.”
To end it off, our athletics advisor, Mr. Keller, shared a couple of his goals for the spring sports teams. He commented, “I am hopeful that all the teams are competitive and it’s also my hope that we get a ton of kids participating [this season].” With that, The Thunderbolt wishes good luck to all the sports this spring, and we hope you all have a great season!
