For the 2024 spring season, LM has brought a new mind and perspective to the softball program, coach Dan Milio, kickstarting an upward trend in the teams performance. The LM softball program has noticeably struggled in the past few years. With limited interest from students, the team has had a lack of members to field a team most seasons, much less a strong team. Due to a lack of student participation, coaches have had to accept all players, regardless of skill, forgoing talent for numbers. Milio is not a rookie when it comes to coaching softball, with eleven years of prior coaching experience at a high school varsity level. Before he was a coach at LM, Milio coached in the Philadelphia Catholic League and was fortunate to win the Catholic League championship and four District 12 championships.

Now, it is time to turn over a new leaf and focus on the 2025 season, where the potential is. With a new group of adept freshmen and skilled sophomores, LM softball is ready for a new year. The possibilities for a good team have never been higher, and it begins ,with the coach. Now starting his second year at LM, Milio sees “A lot of potential with this year’s team. It starts with our two senior captains Tess Olkers ’25 and Carly Breen ’25. They are just better with their leadership off the field than they are with their talent on the field. There is talent amongst our sophomore and freshman class as well. I believe this program is on the up and up and I am excited to have a front-row seat for it all.” With enough players for two teams, softball finally has a team with talented players capable of producing a winning record.

In contrast, Milio’s first year at LM was not the dream season. With just enough girls to field a team, LM softball struggled to find its footing, losing almost every game and even having to forfeit one. Milio describes his first season struggles as “The toughest thing was getting the most from the talent we had. I had to adapt my coaching style to what was best for the team in the long run.” Last year’s team struggled with commitment and meeting the high expectations set by Milio. But the team also created special bonds and relationships with the other girls and coaches, showing how a team is more than winning.  But still, throughout the season, the girls made each other feel welcome, even players new to LM and softball. Ellie Pell ’27 recounted, “The team dinners made me feel like a part of the team and more welcome because I was a freshman and did not know many people on the team.” However, there is more to a team than its bonds. From a player’s perspective, last year’s team was just as unproductive as it was from a coach’s viewpoint. Pell expressed, “The team last year was not that great, we did not have enough players for two teams so we only had one. We only won one game out of our entire season.”

But the team this year has something it was missing last year: commitment. The girls on the team are ready to add to the team and give LM the season that they want. Pell describes the team as “Much more unified and more talented than last years because everyone is committed to the sport and has been playing softball at a high level for the past years.” With the return of two seniors and a group of travel-level freshmen and sophomores who are ready to add to the potential talent and ready to lead this team to a successful season and perhaps take LM softball a step further. To the playoffs.

While LM does not expect to make the playoffs, it has a greater chance of making it this year than ever before. Milio says, “This year’s team is young but talented and, on paper, the girls have much more experience and are more talented than last year’s team.”

The team has the talent to be a playoff contender and, as noted by Pell, “LM softball just needs to work together and try our hardest and I feel like this team can do really good things on the field, and it would be amazing if we could make it to playoffs!” The varsity team has ample talent provided by underclassmen. Players are ready to communicate on and off the field, with each person fitting in and benefitting the team differently to help improve the team. Games aren’t won on paper. The team is looking a lot more promising compared to previous teams, with a lot of underclassmen help and experienced seniors. Although the team is talented, the girls still have a lot of work ahead—but they are ready for the challenge.