BY DIXIE KNUTSON - Daily Interlake
Calm, collected and fiery emotions worn on a sleeve.
Close ... with momentary dustups and the occasional knockdown, drag out fight.
Mention Kayla and Shalaina Duford and little grins break out on the faces of the Polson softball coaches.
Maybe they are remembering a few of the arguments they've witnessed.
More likely it is knowing the Pirates have their incredible battery back for one more season.
Kayla, the senior, is a returning all-state, all-conference and all-tournament team catcher with a calm demeanor. Two years younger, combustible pitcher Shalaina was first team all-conference and was the state tournament MVP last spring.
Together, they helped the Pirates defeat Belgrade 6-3 for their fifth state championship and look to lead Polson again this year.
The Pirate softball season is set to start Saturday at 1 p.m. in Belgrade - with a rematch of the state championship game.
"They're kind of the nucleus of the team, being the battery there. Kayla brings great composure, leadership. She has always got her wits about her. She is an extra-smart girl. I can change things on the run with her and she catches on real quick," said Polson coach Larry Smith.
"Shalaina, she's just a little fireball. She's very athletic and very strong-willed. She hates to lose and wants to win all the little individual battles inside the game," the coach said.
But that competitiveness is a positive for the Pirates.
"They give me a sense of ease, too, just having them around. I know all the time, they believe in anything I see and do," Smith said.
"We're close, but we fight a lot, too. Because she wears my clothes," Kayla explains.
"She wears my clothes, too!" Shalaina fires back.
The sisterly arguments are a part of the daily atmosphere, but everyone insists the disagreements are nothing serious.
"We're used to fighting, so it's over in five minutes," Kayla said.
"This morning she told me she can't wait to get away from me. At times, I think ‘just leave.' Other times, I'll miss her," Shalaina said.
Most of (the fighting) happens in the basement where (their parents) don't see it or know about it.
"When they get to the field, we would have never known it," their dad, Dave, said.
"They've actually been a pretty good team on the field, those two. That's one place they actually get along is on the softball field," he said.
"Larry is really good at managing (the differences). They have a lot of respect for him," he added.
Softball is the one area on which they nearly always agree.
They've been playing since they were each about 6 years old, they love everything about it and enjoy having a built-in sounding board at home. They agree neither really wants to take the field without the other.
"Sometimes she gets feisty during the games. Then we fight," Kayla said.
"When (the team) isn't meshing, I start to get upset and frustrated," Shalaina agreed.
"When I get mad, I throw hard, but not that good ... and it makes me more mad when (Kayla) comes out. I don't like to be calmed down when I'm mad," she confessed.
But their respect for one another's strong points is strong.
"I would like to catch for her more than anyone else. I think we mesh well. We feel most confident together," Kayla said.
"She has really good control of the ball. She's smart and she knows where the ball is going to be," Kayla said.
"I know she has a lot of experience. She holds her ground real well, doesn't let anything get by her," Shay said of her older sister.
Softball is a family affair for the Dufords - as it is with most softball families.
"We've never pressured them to play, but I honestly love softball. It's an exciting game because it's such a compact field. I probably, more than the girls, look forward to the season," Dave said
"Dad always tells us ‘thank you for playing softball.' He was the one who taught us to bat and to throw," Kayla said.
The Dufords got their start in Polson's summer program, traveling to tournaments in the family camper.
"All the families just really got into playing summer ball. They have to play that summer ball. It's so competitive and so much fun. I believe that is what makes Polson so competitive every year, is that summer softball. The girls who stay in it are really prepared. It teaches them great skills, they travel all over and they learn a lot," Dave said.
For their part, the girls relate fond memories of parking lot barbecues.
The family campers have improved over the years, they laugh.
When Polson won the title last spring, Dave and Julie Duford were right behind the plate with the rest of the Polson crowd.
"I remember just about every catch, every pitch, every hit," he said.
Dave filmed the entire game.
That moment is better for the father than the state wrestling championship he won himself in 1983.
"Absolutely. By far. It's my babies. I get to watch my babies play," he smiled.
"I was in heaven, absolutely excited. The crowd was going crazy. We were the team that nobody expected to be in it. Nobody expected it. But we played a great bunch of ball all weekend," he said.
"I was screaming my head off. It's all on the tape, me screaming and yelling, being proud, celebrating right along with all the parents. "
No comments:
Post a Comment