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By Clara Helm
The Capo Girls Softball 10U All-star team was recognized at a San Juan Capistrano City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 15, for its stunning accomplishment. Going under the name Cobra Kai, the team has climbed its way from district champions to state champions and now national champions.
Capo defeated Glendora, 8-0, to secure its title of USA Softball 10U Western National Champions.
“Tonight, the city of San Juan Capistrano gets to celebrate the accomplishments of these young athletes and their coaches,” said Mayor Howard Hart. “On behalf of the City Council and our city, I’d like to recognize each and every one of you for your hard work and winning spirit.”
Hart gave each player and coach a certificate of appreciation for their hard work and encouraged the local team to keep working hard.
Head Coach Tommy Haldorsen was given the opportunity at the meeting to speak about the girls’ hard work, emphasizing the time spent by the team to get national recognition.
“And the work they put in these past three years building to this summer, it was really special for them,” said Haldorsen. “They worked very hard at the Cooks (Cordova) Fields just right down the street; countless hours. Really, thank you to you all for the dedication you have to girls’ sports.”
The Capo Girls Softball 10U All-Star team includes Addyson Aguilar, Addison Shafer, Bailey Campbell, Blair Frank, Blakely Landsman, Brynn Armbruster, Elle McGinty, Evan Alonzo, Izzy Tenerelli, Katherine Eld, Maddie Strzelecki, Molly Haldorsen, Peyton Blaire and Taylor Richardson.
Along with Haldorsen, the rest of the team’s coaches include assistant coaches Robert Aguilar, Ken Blaire, Sean Campbell, Ben Frank, and Franco Tenerelli.
The Capo players range from 10 to 11 years old, and they have been playing together for three years. This time together, their parents say, has led to closer camaraderie and helped them work effectively as a team.
The girls dedicated the whole summer to softball, an exhausting endeavor since softball players end up playing sometimes four or five games a day.
Each member of the team was brimming with excitement at their recognition by the City Council, expressing that it had been a hard road to winning.
Many of them agreed that the biggest challenge in getting through the championship was keeping a positive attitude in the face of a rivalry.
Haldorsen clarified that players have been going back and forth with the girls softball team from Glendora, playing them in the state championship and the national championship.
In the double-elimination tournament for the USA Softball SoCal State Championship, the Capo Girls Softball team made it to the winners’-bracket final. However, they lost to a then-undefeated Glendora team, 2-1, which sent them into the losers’ bracket.
Coming back as the underdogs and only one loss away from being eliminated, the Capo team then defeated Escondido and made it to the State Championship game against Glendora again.
Capo won that game against Glendora, 5-4, but as that was Glendora’s first loss, the teams had to square up for another championship game in the double-elimination tournament.
In the second championship round, Capo was down by two runs most of the game, but came back to win the in the final inning and claim the national title.
The girls came to a consensus that their biggest takeaway from the tournament was to “be kind no matter what” and “never give up.” These words of wisdom came from the girls’ experience with seeing the highs and lows of the game.
“It was 3-1 in the last inning of the state championship, and they came back in the very last inning and won, 5-3, so they learned never to give up,” said Haldorsen.
With more tournaments coming up, their coaches see a bright future ahead of the girls.
“We look forward to seeing what these girls do next,” Haldorsen said during the council meeting.
