Fifteen members of the Dana Hall Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School Softball teams traveled to Orlando, Florida, for spring training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports during the first week of spring break.
Varsity Softball coach Dr. John Doll, Middle School Softball Coach Ms. Leslie Doll, and Assistant Varsity Softball Coach Ms. Tori Bauer chaperoned the trip. The coaches and players played up to five hours of softball a day, sometimes even more, and in their free time went to the park of their choice, including Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot.
Third baseman Libby Frambes ’17 says, “The trip allowed the team to come together and work on team skills as well as individual skills, and it was good to see teams from the Boston area up there.” Dana Hall twice played the Rivers School, located in Natick, MA, winning once and losing once against them.
This is the second year that the softball team has traveled to Florida for spring training, but last year they trained in Vero Beach, Florida. The change was made because although last year’s trip was warm, they only got to play two different teams, both from the same club. Disney, on the other hand, is the hub for high school spring training teams, so this was seen as a good alternative. Students and coaches agreed that they preferred Disney to Vero Beach.
Planning for this trip began in late fall, and funds came from the families of students who attended the trip. The one-week trip cost a little over $1,000, including flights, hotel fee, field time, and a three-day park hopper pass that allows guests to travel among the four Disney parks. Students agreed that this trip was a lot of fun and a great chance to bond before the upcoming season while being in the warm Florida weather. Captain Stephanie Simon ’16 says, “The softball trip was a great way to get to know not only the people on your team better, but also players of all different levels. It was nice to build relationships with new people before the season even started.”
The players had many team activities in addition to practice, including two dinners all together and tickets to see the Atlanta Braves, who train at Disney. The team’s catcher, Caira Mathieu ’19, says, “The trip as whole was amazing. I got to know the team really well, and I hope they continue this trip next year.”
Photo credit: Adam Richins.
