GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — 2024 marks 50 years of girls sports at Grand rapids Catholic Central High School. Softball coach Chad Bice wanted to do something to mark to momentous occasion. He welcomed any and all softball alumni to their annual alumni game last Tuesday.
“I think that we’ve come a long way but we have a long way to do,” said Katence Brown-Holzgen.
“We didn’t have sports until we were juniors and seniors,” said Sara Smolenski. She was on that original team. “To see it come as far circle as it has is really a wonderful feeling,” said Smolenski.
At the Cougars double header against South Christian, the softball team held their annual alumni event. Over 50 women showed up.
“When I first started putting it together last fall I said that I would be happy with 5 or 10 people to come in. But the fact that we had representation from the very first team, up until the girls that left last season, it’s amazing,” said head softball coach Chad Bice.
Head softball coach Chad Bice organized the event and also shared with his team why it’s so important to celebrate girls athletics. Being a dad to two girls, he felt that it was his duty to inform his team on the history of their program.
“I wanted them to understand that it was the people who came before them that made it possible for them to be here today,” said Bice.
“You don’t realize how many people are actually from this (program). I mean 50 years seems like a long time but there’s just a lot of people here and it was really cool to see that,” said Allison Owen.
For the girls on this years team, they’ve only known a world where they’ve been able to play sports. Junior Katence Brown-Holzgen says that it’s important to be grateful for the opportunity.
“This sport is something that sometimes we can take for granted. Like some days we’ll say that we don’t really feel like going to practice so it’s just a good reminder that 50 years ago women didn’t even have the choice on whether they wanted to go to practice or not so just to always be grateful for what we have,” said Brown-Holzgen.
Maureen Geary was also on that 1974 softball team and shares that the lessons she learned on the field are some that she’s carried with her all her life.
“We didn’t have a chance to be a team in that way, but all the hours spent together the trills and the agonies of the ball games. The success and challenges and just making life long friendships,” said Geary.
That original team played in blue jeans at Garfield Park. On a field without a full back stop. They’ve come a long way since then and Bice hopes to continue to share the traditions of CC softball for years to come.
“It’s a blessing for me to be able to do this for them and to share that experience with them. I cherish it everyday,” said Bice.
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