The Impact of High School Softball From the Eyes of Laine Macosky

BY Extra Inning Softball Staff

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The following article was written exclusively for Extra Inning Softball by Laine Macosky. Macosky is a Class of 2026 middle infielder from Livermore, Calif. She attends Livermore High School and also plays for Universal Macias Softball. An outstanding student, she recently received her academic letter and excellence in writing award from Livermore High School. You can follow Laine on X and Instagram.

My softball journey started at 6 years old, like many others, playing in a recreational league. From there, I fell in love with the sport and learned that the game allowed me to satisfy my desire to compete and be an outlet for my emotions. Thus, I advanced my level of gameplay to travel ball and at 10 years old, I earned a spot on All-American Sports Academy Macias 12U (now Universal Macias Softball). Now I am 16 years old and playing both travel and high school softball. I know how important travel softball is for my growth as a player, however I never imagined the influence playing high school softball would have on me as a player and person.

First off, I have learned so much from playing highly competitive travel ball with our coach Brandi Macias. She has pushed me to advance my knowledge of the game, as well as taught me how to handle the pressures of competing at the highest level at all times. Macias’ coaching is a very important part of why I am the player I am today and why I have stayed on her team for all of these years. However, while I am grateful to have grown and evolved with my travel ball teammates, I became extremely used to the style and routine of the team.

I’ll say this, starting high school softball at Livermore High School was very intimidating. The coaching style was much different and the girls were older than me. While I did know some of the players from when I was younger, I was uncomfortable and felt lost while being surrounded by my new teammates. On top of this, I felt pressured to live up to high expectations entering this new team. I wanted to prove that I could contribute to making the team better, so I worked extremely hard during open fields. I also respected the traditions of incoming freshmen by preparing the field before practice, raking my middle infield positions, and cleaning the field after practice. I hoped to prove that I could be a good teammate not only in my gameplay but also my work ethic.

After a few weeks, it was clear that I was still not connecting with the girls. I felt very guarded and was having a hard time opening up. Looking back, I believe this was due to my dedication to my travel team. The culture was different from my travel team and I was not used to it. So, I looked to my mentor and hitting coach, Debbie Nelson, for advice. She told me to keep working hard and being myself. Once the actual season started and I proved the kind of player I was in games, I would naturally become accepted and fall into place with the team.

Although it was hard to trust the fact that time and patience could resolve my conflicts, she was right. Once the season started, I made varsity and things started to improve immediately. In the first game, I started in the middle infield, making plays and going 2-for-3 with a double. I also closed the game in the circle after not pitching for years. Feeling proud of my debut, my older teammates quickly welcomed me into their close-knit group.

Since then, our whole team became closer and closer off the field as we continued winning on the field. Winning was fun, but my favorite memories are the team bonding sessions that we have had, including our post-practice In-N-Out runs. The connections built within the group is something that I am beyond grateful for. Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have a high school team with a dynamic as healthy as ours, and I believe that this is a huge advantage that we have over other schools. As a result, we ended up in the NCS Division II Championship. While we didn’t win, it was a privilege and huge accomplishment for us to have made it that far, given the last time was 2009. I was also extremely honored to be named the team most valuable player at our end of season banquet.

I firmly believe that the senior captains of my freshman year helped me the most. Having two of the seniors, Audrey Sweet and Kaitlyn “Duckie” Aguilar, in the infield with me was the best thing that could have happened. I learned from our experiences together what true communication, teamwork, and leadership was. The captains held each other and the team accountable and pushed us every day to be our best for the team. Most importantly, I learned from them that I was no longer playing for the name across my back, but for the name across my chest.

(L to R) Liz Ruiz, Kaitlyn Aguilar, Laine Macosky, Audrey Sweet

Livermore High School represents our city and our tight-knit community, which can be seen during our annual Livermore Stampede High School Softball Tournament. Many families have lived here for generations, and the pride in their school is more than one could even imagine. Because of this, many people follow and support Livermore High, especially its sports. This was something I learned to appreciate during my first season and I continue to be very honored to be a part of this school community and this team.

Another important lesson, if not the most important, that I have learned so far in my high school experience is the true grind. While it is tiring physically, the mental and emotional aspect was also something that I struggled with. I had trouble adjusting to the busy schedule while maintaining high grades in advanced classes. It took some time, but I fell into a new routine to manage some relaxation in the midst of chaos. Now being back for my second year, I feel better than ever and have become comfortable with the busy schedule. I am incredibly grateful for this experience because I feel as though it has given me insight for what I can expect when playing in college.

Being on the Livermore High team has allowed me to reconnect with why I decided to pursue softball over many other sports. While my experience may not be the same as others, I attribute much of this to my high school coaches Andy Paulazzo, Larry Bird, Jeff Perry, Andrew Sprecher, Toff Garcia, Kristin Paulazzo, and Mark Ramirez. They have created an environment that has allowed me to completely refuel my love for softball. They facilitate and encourage energy, excitement, and enjoyment. They recognize hard work and dedication to perform athletically and academically and also allow room to make mistakes and work through them. Most of all, they believe in their players and care about our success after high school. Although we compete to win, playing on this team allows me to take a break from the high pressures that come with travel ball. I am able to play the sport I love for my teammates, school, and community.

The ways that high school softball has influenced me as a player and person are immeasurable. Overall, I have become more confident in myself and more comfortable doing things that I would never have dared to do just two years ago, on and off the field. I have learned how to use my voice to lead those around me and communicate with players who have different styles. The examples set from teammates with more experience have taught me how to be a role model for those coming after me. In my last two years of high school, I look forward to continuing to grow, learn, and lead younger players to keep our city, school, and team traditions alive. #COWPRIDE