Pioneer softball team sets high goals for upcoming season With conference preparations in full swing, the Grinnell softball team is prepared for the long season ahead. By Papa Kojo Ampin-Darko [email protected] Grinnell College’s softball team began their conference preparations last weekend. With a mix of experienced players and fresh faces, they are excited about the prospect of a new season. Emily Jordan ‘19 is enthusiastic for the season ahead. “I feel really good. I think that the team is ready to get after it and have a really good season, make conference again and just generally build and improve on last season. I think [head coach] Lynn [Anderson] has prepared really well and I think the team in general has a pretty enthusiastic and hardworking attitude so I think we will do well,” she said. As a team captain, Jordan said she has the power to be a major influence on the team. “I just want to lead by example and make sure that I’m a consistent presence on the field and so that I can support and encourage my teammates in however they need me as well.” The Pioneers started their season last weekend with two tough games against highly ranked opposition, including University of St. Thomas, who are ranked seventh nationally. “I think the logic behind it is, basically, playing hard teams is going to make us … just more aggressive, and more heads up on the field … so when we do play conference games we’re already like at the level we need to be and … above the level that we need to be. So, yeah, I just wanted to get out, start strong, it felt really good … I think we played really well,” Jordan said. Maddie Matsubara ‘22 also said it’s important for the team to test themselves against tough opposition. “We played some really good teams and I think we did the best that we can do at this point, I think that we can only go up from there so should get better.” As a first year, Matsubara has already been pleased with the team dynamics at the College. “The softball team is super welcoming, super nice. They always make you feel included, just a wonderful team to be a part of.” This has contributed to her drive to have a great debut season. “I think we’re all pretty passionate about the sport, we want to represent Grinnell, the best we can,” said Matsubara. “So we all care enough to put in the effort so I think … our commitment or shared interests and shared goals for the team really bonds us together.” Jordan, as a senior, is feeling mixed emotions about the upcoming season. “Being a senior, in general, is a little bit bittersweet because it’s the end of my softball career but also it’s really exciting, because when we came in, freshman year of the program, we still did really well but it was just completely different. So, I think that all the seniors especially are eager to see how the season goes, to perform to the best of our abilities, really enjoy the season, and make the most out of it.” For the season ahead, both Matsubara and Jordan have set their sights on a number of goals. “Get at least one hit a game,” said Matsubara. Jordan added, “I would be remiss not to mention that like we have a big goal to beat Cornell. That’s our team’s big rival. It’s going to be here [at Grinnell] on April 16, everyone should come see it.” The Pioneers continue their season next Saturday, March 9 at Westminster College. Student organization aims to improve accessibility for international student athletes International Athletes and Allies hosts a workshop on the theme of identity in sports and society. Photo by Shabana Gupta. By Jonathan Gomez [email protected] Although most varsity sports offered at Grinnell College are popular across the world, international students often feel discouraged from joining a team on campus due to the overwhelming number of white, domestic American athletes. At the College, international students represent 18 percent of the student body, yet only 7.6 percent of the student athlete population. The International Athletes and Allies organization, along with other identity-oriented groups on campus, was founded to create a space within athletics that champions diversity and inclusion. Nana Okamoto ‘20 and Vishva Nalamalapu ‘20 were both on the Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams when they decided to create the organization in October 2017. “I personally had been struggling with being an international student and doing athletics. I always felt like I didn’t belong. Second year, we both realized that it was not just a personal problem but more systemic,” said Okamoto. After discussions with other international student athletes, Okamoto said she realized others shared her sentiment. “A lot of international students share the same difficulties, whether it be navigating health insurance or other social barriers like not knowing culture references. It’s just harder to integrate yourself into the team. We made it [International Athletes and Allies] more as a way to improve accessibility in athletics and make it a more comfortable space for everyone, while specifically focusing on international students.” Although the athletics department does provide valuable resources for many challenges student athletes face, Okamoto said she didn’t believe enough attention had been given to topics such as race and identity. “We do have talks with Jen Jacobsen … that go over alcohol use, but we never talk about race, gender, or any of those identities.” Since its conception, International Athletes and Allies has been able to facilitate diversity discussions with various varsity and club teams. These discussions have been in collaboration with other student groups such as Queer Athletes and Allies, and they “talk about how to improve inclusivity on your team and what steps that you individually or the team as a whole can take to improve,” Okamoto said. IAA has also been focusing on addressing other issues such as those that have arisen due to new fitness center rules. “The rules of the fitness center need to be clearer so people feel more comfortable. There are currently guidelines for the fitness center that a lot of people don’t know about, just in terms of dress code and a lot of other things. It is really an accessibility issue and we just want to make this a place that makes everyone feel comfortable,” said Lauren Miller ‘21, IAA co-chair. One specific issue that IAA helps international students with is improving the information provided to incoming first-years who are interested in becoming student athletes at the College. “International students are very rarely recruited for teams. Oftentimes, coaches only find domestic students because that is the limit of their reach. … Even if international students did want to play sports, since they don’t have that information, they join late and oftentimes end up missing that whole season,” Okamoto said. To buck this trend, the organization created a document to help inform incoming students. “We made a document that gives information on how to join varsity teams and expanded that to include information about how to join club teams, PE courses … we sent it out to the Grinnell College Class of 2022 Facebook group in hopes that people interested would see it and be able to prepare for the season,” Okamoto said. While International Athletes and Allies is focused on improving inclusivity for international student athletes, the founders of the organization would also like diversity among members of the organization to increase as well. “I personally would want more non-athletes to come because a lot of people come up and ask us whether they can join because they are not international or an athlete. The truth is that everyone can join and the point is to create space that welcomes all identities and specifically promotes the inclusion of underrepresented groups,” said Okamoto. The International Athletes and Allies organization meets on every other Wednesday at 8 p.m. in JRC 202. Coaches outline challenges in recruiting new student athletes Swim and Dive Head Coach Erin Hurley discusses the challenges of recruiting student athletes. Photo by Elena Copell. By Frank Li [email protected] Recruiting for sports at Grinnell can be a long and difficult process, with uncertain results. Student-athletes are expected to succeed in both the classroom and on the field. The athletics recruiting process at the College differs depending on the team. “We use a variety of sources [when recruiting athletes]. We work in close conjunction with the admissions office, and they’ll also let us know if they’re working with a student that is interested in a sport. We can also use recruiting services for swimming. We can get the names of students with their times, and what events they swam,” said head swim and dive coach Erin Hurley. Recruits can be contacted out of middle school. “As soon as the freshman or sophomore year of high school, we can establish email communication [with potential recruits] back and forth junior year, we try to get them to campus during junior visit day. When they become seniors, they can do an overnight [stay] in the fall,” Hurley said. For other sports, coaches may also travel to seek out potential recruits. Tim Hollibaugh, baseball head coach and assistant football head coach, often finds himself traveling to elite training camps across the nation. “During the summer, I go to referee camps and see kids play.