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When the varsity softball team met for practice the first week back from break, they were all smiles, all the time—during their warmup lap, during group stretches, during their long toss drill. It couldn’t have been the weather, though. Although spring was starting to show itself, temps were still in the forties, not exactly ideal conditions. More than likely, it was the elation they were still feeling after the previous week’s team trip to Orlando, Florida.

Centerfielder Morgan Dulude ’26 confirmed the hunch.

“They were the best memories of my life,” Dulude, a senior from Holyoke, said. A smile beaming on her face, Dulude recounted her highlights of the four-day excursion, including “packed days” exploring the rides inside Disney World—she put special emphasis on the “Guardians of the Galaxy” ride—as well as three games held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located inside the Disney resort.

While the baseball team has gone on a Florida preseason trip for years, this was the softball team’s first time heading south. Money to subsidize the cost of the trip came from a fund started in the name of Sue Curry Barnett, who taught and coached softball at 91���� from 1968-2011. Barnett, who passed away in 2019, was inducted into the 91���� Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dulude’s teammate, Riana Shaw ’26, was equally overjoyed as Dulude in describing the complex in which they played their games.

“It was crazy,” Shaw, a senior and third baseman on the team, said. She went on to explain that just the process of getting the games was exciting and validating to her as an athlete.

“Getting to get on a bus with the whole team, taking the drive down to the ESPN fields, seeing a bunch college teams, and being taken seriously” all fueled Shaw’s feelings for the trip and her teammates.

“People really bonded,” she said, “you could tell everyone was having a good time.”

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex spans more than 260 acres and includes multiple fields, a 9,500-seat stadium, and two fieldhouses, according to the complex’s website. It was completed in 1997 at a cost of more than $100 million.

Dulude said the games, in which 91���� faced off against Blair Academy and two other New Jersey schools, made the team a tighter, more cohesive unit, and set them off on the right foot for the season.

“It was nice to be able to come back here and know what to work on,” she said.

Beyond time on the field, both Dulude and Shaw enjoyed the wonder and magic of Disney. They both noted “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind,” a reverse launch ride and one of the largest fully-enclosed roller coasters in the world, as a big draw.

Dulude waited three hours for the experience, alongside both Head Coach Kristi Stefanoni and Assistant Coach Janine Whipple.

“Being with all of them was so much fun,” Dulude said.

Although Shaw didn’t ride, Dulude’s excitement about it was clearly infectious.

“Morgan said it was the best time of her life,” Shaw said.

Coach Whipple agreed, and added that in addition to the ride, which she called “the best roller coaster I’ve ever been on,” it was the hours waiting in line that truly solidified the bond with her players.

“They talked us into that,” she explained, but added “it was great, we talked, we played games. Waiting in line was the best part.”

When they got back to 91����, Whipple spoke with Athletic Director Jade Morris, who observed the team’s first practice, and told Whipple, “the team looked like we’ve been playing together for weeks.”

“It really jumpstarted our season,” Whipple added. “It was a huge benefit.”

As the softball team warmed up on March 25, the baseball team faced off in their season opener against Deerfield Academy. They, too, were fresh from their own five-day spring training trip to the Jackie Robinson Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. Like the softball team, it brough the boys together and prepped them for the upcoming season.

“It was a really good experience,” said Connor Graff, a senior in his third year on varsity. Graff, who pitches and plays infield, recounted the first early morning breakfast and practice. “We got up at the crack of dawn,” which, in their shared exhaustion, “brings everyone together.”

Graff said spending the week with the team forged and encouraged new bonds. The weather didn’t hurt.

“It’s such a better vibe when it’s 80 degrees and sunny,” he said.

The Vero Beach trip was also the first one with new head coach Andre Marrero. A West Springfield native, Marrero is taking the helm after former coach Matt Sawyer’s 30-year stint leading the Wildcats. Marrero said the group connected well both on and off the field.

“This trip was exactly what we needed to kick things off,” Marrero said. “For me as the new head coach, it was a great chance to get to know the guys in a real game environment, and for them to get a feel for my expectations. We got meaningful live reps, competed in great weather, and started to build our identity as a team. It set the tone for how we want to play and how we want to compete this season.”

Marrero, who was joined on the trip by co-coaches John Doll and John Bussard, was impressed with how his squad dealt with all the new expectations.

“I ask a lot in terms of how we approach the game, and they did a great job taking it in and applying it right away,” he said. They embraced the standard and responded in a really positive way. That was great to see this early on.”

He added, “The guys competed hard, supported each other, and represented the program the right way. It was a great starting point, and we’re excited to keep building from here.”