Softpitching through the pandemic
Around this time last year, all collegiate sports had their seasons postponed due to the outbreak and eventual shut down at the hands of COVID-19.
Fast forward to March 15, 2021 and now, Cerritos College athletics have been cleared to return for on campus social distance conditioning.
Athletes and staff alike will be excited to return to campus and get one step closer to getting collegiate sports back on track to return to normalcy. .
In all her 20 years of coaching, softball coach Kodee Murray had never experienced anything quite like the sport she loved being taken away for a long duration of time.
Murray said she and her lady Falcons have been keeping in shape getting ready for the eventual return of their respected season.
The staff and team met two or three times a week to go over drills and bond with each other throughout quarantine.
These meetings would not only be for bonding or just walkthroughs as Murray had a plan of her own with some help from some close friends of hers.
Coach Murray gives praise to her fellow Falcon coaches for helping develop training regimens for her girls to develop themselves physically while they train by themselves.
Murray specifically gave thanks to Cerritos soccer coach Benny Artiaga and football coach Dean Grosfeld as Artiaga helped develop the endurance regimen while Grosfeld helped develop the strength regimen.
“Sometimes, you feel alone and separated from the other sports,” Murray said, “it’s nice to know here at Cerritos college that all the coaches are willing to help shape our athletes regardless of sport.”
Murray’s praise of fellow coaches proves that here at Cerritos college, the staff members care about molding each other to bring out the best in each other and their kids.
It is nice to know the Falcons staff is truly dedicated to helping their students reach the next level of not just their sport but their education as well.
Murray is excited to get back and complete her 20th season with Cerritos once the season is resumed as she has spent a lot of time at home to do her part in helping contain the spread of COVID-19.
Danielle Rivera, who plays outfield and first base for the Falcons, is also really excited about the return of the sport she has spent her whole life playing.
Rivera has been playing softball for 14 years while also becoming a track athlete at La Serna high school.
She saids that softball has been in her family forever as her 3 older sisters have also played softball.
Rivera has also been doing extra training on top of the recommended regimen by regularly attending CrossFit every week from 5–6.
“CrossFit is where I get my best training in. On top of my training given out by the coach, I feel like I am in the best shape of my entire softball career,” saids Rivera.
She also talks about how her footwork has definitely improved with the soccer workout part of her training.
“Yeah coach Artiaga definitely helped me with my fielding,” Rivera saids, “and I feel like I am a lot faster on my feet especially since I was already in CrossFit.”
Rivera then talks about how dedicated coach Murray is in getting the best out of her and the rest of her fellow Falcons teammates.
“She definitely shows a willingness to get the best out of us and it is an honor to call her my coach,” Danielle states.
In talking with Danielle, she said that the Falcons will play in a series of games against the same local team a couple of times before the board discusses its next step for collegiate sports to return to normal.
Rivera is currently majoring in communications while interning on social media creating graphics for various colleges. One day, she hopes to work at ESPN as a career.
The college has not gotten into many details about how sports as a whole will return with spectators but things are looking upwards with the recent news about in person social distance conditioning.
Upon returning to campus, Murray and her team are ready to get back to campus and start preparing for the eventual return of the 2021 Cerritos Falcons softball season.