By Jacob Miller
Working through various highs and lows remains a crucial part to any team’s success.
For the Iowa softball team, the players’ morale and energy throughout the season stayed consistent, even during a brutal 16-game losing streak before conference play, and when it strung together a couple of wins against Big Ten opponents, the optimism remained positive.
After the Hawkeyes had success against conference foes, the energy in the dugout was higher than ever. Two team leaders stand out in this: freshmen Taylor Makowsky and McKenzie Schneider.
“When we bring energy in the dugout, that’s a role some people play,” head coach Marla Looper said. “They may not get on the field, but they play a huge role with the energy in the dugout. If they’re solemn, and they’re low, and look like they’re pouting even though they’re not, it drags people down, so if they can lift them up, it allows others to really just go play the game.”
Makowsky and Schneider are both natives of Texas, which made it easy for them to bond. Keeping up the team’s spirits came naturally to the “very loud Texas girls.”
“I and [Makowsky] a lot of times try to keep up the energy in the dugout because our team usually feeds off of what’s going on in the dugout, so keeping it up and alive even if we’re not doing so well,” Schneider said. “It keeps up people’s spirits and keeps pushing them through the game.”
Each has her own tropes and shenanigans with each of the players — a unique way for them to contribute to the team’s victory without even stepping on the field.
Though both have received playing time this season, their major contribution to the team is from the dugout. Many believe the women in the dugout would have it easy on game day, but the job they do cheering and supporting their team can be just as much workas , if not more than, the players on the field.
“It makes a big difference,” Looper said. “When our team does that, it’s exhausting, it’s just as exhausting for the people in the dugout as it is on the field, and sometimes more, because you are exerting so much emotional energy, but it plays a big role in our success.”
Positive energy and outlook for every matchup is huge for any team, especially the Hawkeyes, who have had to work through some substantial adversity. No matter what, nothing is going to bring down Makowsky’s and Schneider’s positive mindsets.
“I just try to stay positive, even though we do have our ups and downs, but you can’t look at the negatives,” Makowsky said. “If you do, it’s going to get you down, but staying positive about everything is going to keep the energy up.”
