Nailah Edmondson
City Times
Pop flies soaring across the sky and grounders skipping through Betty Hock Field were the sight at last week’s practice, when City College’s softball staff helped simulate game-like situations.
“Today’s practice went really well probably one of the best practices so far, hopefully it carries over into tomorrows game,” Assistant Coach Monica Sny said.
Although their regular season does not begin until tomorrow, the women’s City College softball team have dedicated their time and effort on and off the field since august. This dedication is because of the experienced staff of Head Coach LeeAnn Taylor and Assistant Coaches Monica Sny and Summer Ehrsam.
So far this pre-season, their record is 4-5-1. With errors being their number one obstacle, “LeAnn Taylor says they know what they need to improve on and they are working on it.”
First year Infielder at City College Yanitzia Jimenez had this to say about the season thus far: “We are working as a team, not winning as much, but in the end we will be champions.”
In 2007, the determined Lady Knights won conference for the first time in City College history. There are seven Pacific Coast Conference players that have returned for the 2008 season. “I expect a lot from them, but I know this team can deliver, Coach Taylor says more so than any team I have coached at City College.”
She began coaching for City College in 2005. “I knew what I wanted to do with this program and I told them from day one we are going to playoffs and conference,” Taylor said.
The softball skills and experience she gained at CSUN is what gave her the drive to become a coach and teacher as well. Before City College, she coached at schools such as University of San Diego High School, Point Loma Nazarene University and her alma mater of CSUN.
Like many students at the community college level, she transferred from San Diego Mesa to Cal State University Northridge where she earned a full scholarship for softball. She soon after received a bachelor’s in Child Development.
Not only are they team players on the field but off the field as well. This past December, the Lady Knights helped raise funds for Peter Gregory, a City College cross country coach, and his family after their home was lost in the October fires.
