WCHS is full of talented and skilled athletes. While this is a positive contributor to increased school spirit, it can have negative effects on students who are looking to play on a varsity team as an underclassman.

“Ryann is a great captain,” senior Anna Kim said. “She is good at motivating the entire team to make sure that we play well.”

Senior Ryann Storch has played Varsity softball for the past four years, and is captain this year.
As one of a few athletes who have been playing varsity for all four years, Storch knows the stress of balancing athletics with academics.

“As a student athlete, I have to remember that my coach cares more about my education than my playing performance,” Storch said. “Student-athletes need to make sure that they’re getting the grades they need, and don’t skip class.”

While being a student-athlete is challenging, as balancing school work with the rigor of an extracurricular sport is hard work, ultimately, being a team member has benefits which pay off.

“The team participates in a lot of bonding events,” Storch said. “For example, we like to hold potluck dinners and play manhunt outside. These activities are a lot of fun and have a really positive impact on the team.”

Storch has been playing softball for eight years and is very dedicated to the sport. When Storch first began playing, she knew that her goal was to play for WCHS as a freshman, and she worked hard to make her dreams reality.

“I originally wanted to play softball at Churchill because I wanted to be part of a nice, welcoming community throughout high school,” Storch said. “Luckily, softball has provided that for me.”

Storch enjoys various aspects of softball, and appreciates the chance to play both first and third base.

“I like playing first because I enjoy stretching as far as I can, and sometimes going full splits just to get the ball” Storch said. “I feel like I get to benefit my team through my bat and being able to keep the ball in front of my body.”

Although Storch has always enjoyed her sport, her favorite moments are ones she finds being special with her team, which are incredibly rewarding.

“A special moment for us came when we were playing against Northwest High School,” Storch said. “Northwest won states and we knew they’d be a challenge but we put all our efforts into that game and our strength as a team is all I remember.”

Thanks to softball, Storch has fond memories of her time at WCHS. Storch would like prospective student-athletes to know that they should have trust in their teammates and not always play as an individual.

“If you only focus on your stats as a player, then your team will have a weak bond,” Storch said. “You can only thrive as a team if you focus on your teammates and not yourself.”