Malibu Little League Softball
By Dick Dornan / Special to The Malibu Times
Young, bright and full of exuberance, 11-year-olds Moorea Morrison and Sydney Stern are on a mission. Their goal? Spread the gospel of Malibu Little League softball.
After five years each of playing in the league, Morrison and Stern want others to share the same experience, and for there to be more softball, period. The MLL season is nearing its end, with division championships and the closing ceremony set for June 2.
“I want to make softball all-year-round because it is just so much fun,” Morrison said. “Malibu Little League is so small that no one really realizes it until they start playing and seeing how much fun it is. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose as long as you do your best. When you come out here you feel like this is your home.”
In past years, drumming up enough participation to fill out several rosters has sometimes been an uphill battle. But this season, MLL Softball Commissioner Russ Purtell succeeded in getting more than 60 girls to play. His efforts left a positive impression upon Stern.
“I was really happy this year when we got four teams to play,” Stern said. “I thought we wouldn’t have enough. Our commissioner did a lot of hard work to do this. He did a great job this year. Softball is so much fun and it is my favorite sport. If you come to our little league, you will learn so much.”
MLL softball consists of two minor teams, one middle and a major. Morrison and Stern are the co-captains of the Sharks in the major division.
“I feel honored to be a captain because I get to lead the team on the field and help them out,” said Morrison, a recipient of the Ross Feikel Award last season that recognizes a player who demonstrates spirit, inspiration and a positive attitude.
“Being a captain is great because you get to teach your teammates, you get to encourage them and show what they are doing wrong while being really nice,” Stern added.
This season Morrison is the team’s cleanup hitter, batting fourth in the lineup, and is second on the team in runs batted in. She even has a home run to her credit. Stern bats fifth and is also the squad’s leader in strikeouts for a pitcher. Where they sparkle the most is on defense. For the past three years, they have formed a dynamic duo on their team with Morrison as an all-star catcher and Stern an all-star pitcher.
They formed the foundation of last year’s Shark’s middle team that went an amazing 17-0 during league play and advanced to the semifinals in the District 25 Tournament of Champions. It was the farthest a MLL softball team had gone in 15 years.
“I felt we played really good but after we lost that one game I was kind of letdown and felt we could have done better,” Stern explained. “This year I’m realizing it’s not all about winning but about having fun.”
When they’re not on the field, the two sixth-graders attend Malibu Middle School, where they both made the honor roll during the first semester with a 4.0 grade point average.
“They started from the beginning with coach-pitch five years ago and have come a long way,” Sharks coach Geoff Stern said. “They are positive, always encouraging others and have embraced being captains of the team. They are the backbone of the program and I’m just honored and proud to have them as players.”
As the saying goes, attitude is everything. Both girls say the energy and excitement that surround the game is what gets them pumped up to trot out on the diamond.
“The excitement of the game keeps bringing me back each year,” Morrison said. “It’s fun to be with my team and friends and helping them out.”
“What I really love about softball is all the energy that you have to put into it,” added Stern, a nominee for the Ross Feikel Award this season. “I just love it and it’s been such a fun experience for me.”