With the Glendale High School softball team going 5-3 in 2020, the program has received some modifications. With a new coach coming in, the players are motivated to improve for the 2021 season. With Maeli Ibarra as captain, the softball program is in good hands.

Maeli was born in 2003 in Los Angeles, California. She is dedicated to her craft in softball as she practices in her garage in her spare time. Maeli has been playing softball since her sophomore year in high school. 

At first, Maeli didn’t know much about softball. She just thought of it as a “sport with a bat where you had to hit.” She tried to join the program in her freshman year, but her grades didn’t meet the requirements. As a result, Maeli pushed herself in her sophomore year to get back on the softball team. 

After playing softball for the first time, Maeli said it “felt like it was a sign to try something new and not to give up on something.” She felt that softball was life-changing for her, as it gave her motivation to continue playing after graduation.

Maeli’s favorite part of softball is that it essentially serves as therapy. When under stress or having a bad time at school, she goes to the cages and “tends to think of the balls as feelings or problems” in her life. 

On the other hand, she believes that the worst part of playing softball is the threat of injury. The worst injury she has received is a pop-up ball to the chest, which has caused a bruise. However, Maeli sees this injury as a “softball trophy”, showing her resiliency and toughness as a player. 

Maeli’s greatest accomplishment on the softball field is her ability to jump off the pitcher’s stretch to steal bases. This is also her favorite thing to do during the game. This season, she hopes to have her name left on the Glendale High School softball field. After graduating from high school, Maeli looks forward to playing softball at the collegiate level, while also studying to become a pediatrician

Glendale High’s softball team looks forward to their first game against Muir on April 14. Maeli is sure to put up some big numbers against the Mustangs, as her team beat them 18-3 in their previous season. 

We all wish the best of luck to our 2021 Nitro softball team!