After a rocky start to the season, the White Station High School (WSHS) softball team has found their rhythm, climbing to an 11-4 record and securing first place in the district as the postseason approaches.
Of the team’s four losses, three came early in the season, including one against Central High School on April 8. However, a week later, WSHS came back to beat Central 8-7. While there have been some inconsistencies, the team is now playing more effectively and building momentum at the right time.
“We’re up and down, but I think we’re getting hot right now, which is a good time to get hot, at the end of the season,” softball coach Bob Alberson said.
One of the biggest areas of improvement has been communication. Communication in softball is essential to prevent errors, coordinate plays and build team trust. At the beginning of this season, though, the WSHS team struggled in that area. They addressed the issue in practice by focusing on calling the ball, recognizing mistakes and identifying as a group what went wrong. After making these adjustments, the team’s skill level and consistency improved significantly.
“We didn’t gel at the beginning [of the season], and now we’re starting to gel a little bit better,” Alberson said. “We’re playing a little bit tougher. We made a lot of errors, [and now] we’re cleaning all of that up. We just generally got better as a softball team.”
As communication improved, so did the team’s overall chemistry. Many of the softball players are friends outside of the sport, and the time they spend together off the field has helped them develop a strong, cohesive dynamic.
“My favorite part [of the WSHS team is] how we work together as a team, and how … we’re always able to work [things] out,” Abby Mitchell (12) said. “We just have a good relationship with each other overall.”
Along with team-wide growth, individual players have also stepped up. Beginning a new sport in high school can be challenging, and several WSHS players are relatively new to softball. As they improve their skills and learn the game, new opportunities continue to open up for them. Even though Kinsley Ford (10) played softball in middle school, she was nervous about making the team as a freshman. However, as she later discovered, Alberson and assistant Coach Katelyn Cherry-Marie are good at finding ways to include the new players. Alberson claimed that his top coaching philosophy is making sure his athletes are set up for success before he puts them in a game. This season, Ford was able to both start and win her first game as pitcher.
“At first I thought it would be really hard to get [playing time], but [the coaches are] really inclusive,” Ford said. “If you show your effort, you’re gonna get playing time.”
Each season, the softball team is impacted by the loss of graduating seniors. Positions must be adjusted, younger players are called on to step into leadership roles, and the team must rebuild their chemistry and identity. Mitchell is now a senior approaching the end of her career after about ten years of playing softball.
“We’ve got a pretty good record so far, and personally I think I’ve done pretty well,” Mitchell said. “It’s bittersweet being so close to the end, but I’m trying to finish out strong.”
There are currently four seniors on the WSHS softball team, including Kayleigh Angona (12), who is committed to play college softball at Southwest Tennessee Community College. There is a strong support system for the softball players, and if they decide that they want to play at the collegiate level, the coaches will do everything in their power to help them reach that goal.
“I try my best to advocate for these girls as much as I can,” Alberson said. “I try to get them to play somewhere beyond this if they have the ability to do so.”
After 11 years of coaching the WSHS softball team, Alberson plans to step down at the end of the 2026-2027 season. During his tenure, he has helped elevate the program’s level of play. As this season comes to a close, both players and coaches are focused on finishing strong and continuing to build the program’s success.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here, every bit of it — the highs and the lows,” Alberson said. “I like that we’re finally turning it around this season. We’re probably going to finish pretty strong.”