Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair
Behind the Scenes of the Maclay Teacher Softball Team
It is 6:00 in the evening, the sun is slowly going down, the stadium lights are brightening up the sky, the coolness of the air mixes well with the light breeze and the umpire yells, “Strike three, you're out!”
Throughout sports history, softball has been, and will continue to be, one of the most popular games in the world. Whether it is playing or watching the sport, softball provokes excitement and stress. The feeling of your team down by one in the last inning, hitting a walk-off homerun and the exciting feeling of the fans standing on their feet cheering for their team, will always be some of the most exciting and action-packed memories.
In this case, softball is also for the teachers here at Maclay. With their team, The Foulballers, the teachers have shown the importance of teamwork and excitement throughout softball.
The Foulballers consists of Maclay faculty and staff: Liz Hunter, Matt Morales, Keith Mayo, Allison Ruff, Jeff Van Syckle, Lee Norment, Ariel Evans, Joseph McCann, Lauren Furman, Suzanna Malone, Allan Malone, Scott Eagen, Angela Croston and Mallory Morgan. These players have a mission to have fun out on the clay and tighten their relationships with fellow teachers.
“One thing I like about it a lot is that different positions sort of interact with each other in different ways,” upper school science teacher Ariel Evans said. “You have teamwork [which] is really just a big deal there. The way I interact with first base is different from the way I interact with shortstop, third base and the outfield. The team aspect of it is really nice. I forgot what it's like to really work on that kind of team.”
Playing a sport like softball lets the players have different relationships with each teammate and position. These softball relationships can also lead to better relationships in the workspace.
“In a sense, at school, we're already playing different positions of a team which is to graduate students and educate them,” upper school Spanish teacher Joseph McCann said. “Working with these people in a different capacity of teamwork is different because we're used to interacting with each other rather professionally, so to be able to just kind of calm down and just do something fun is a completely different thing.”
This team not only gives the teachers the opportunity to get closer to the other faculty members from other parts of the school, but also lets the teachers have fun. They do not worry about the score as much as they do just having a good time with each other.
“We are all a variety of ages, skills, abilities and a lot of us make mistakes,” third-grade teacher Allison Ruff said. “We are all very understanding and encouraging [to] one another. It’s all about just being out there and enjoying each other’s company and the game.”
On top of this, the teachers love having an excuse to hang out with each other while getting some good exercise in.
“I look forward to Tuesday nights because I know it's gonna be a lot of fun and just getting out and getting some extra exercise,” upper school Academic Dean Angela Croston said.
Softball typically has a very competitive side to it, but the Foulballers focus on the other side of it: friendship. Friendship is one of the most important parts of being a team. When each person knows the other, there is a special bond between the teammates. Luckily, all of the players work together and have a special relationship with each other. Bringing that relationship to the field helps increase the teams’s teamwork and values.
Whether it is Saturday morning practices or Tuesday evening games, the Foulballers always have a positive attitude toward the game of softball. The players are out there to have fun, not to worry about the final score. These players work together in the school environment, but on the field, they get to strengthen their relationships with each other. These relationships from the field carry on into the school day. The Foulballers is a spectacular example of friendships and what fun should be like in a sport.
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