In all her 20 years of coaching, softball coach Kodee Murray had never experienced anything quite like the sport she loved being taken away for a long duration of time.
Around this time last year, all collegiate sports had their seasons postponed due to the outbreak and eventual shut down at the hands of COVID-19.
Fast forward to March 2021, Cerritos College athletics have been cleared to return for on campus social distanced conditioning.
Athletes and staff alike will be excited to return to campus and get one step closer to getting collegiate sports back on track.
Murray says she and her Falcons have been keeping in shape and getting ready for the eventual return of their respected season.
The staff and team met two or three times a week to go over drills and bond with each other throughout quarantine.
Coach Murray gives praise to her fellow Falcon coaches for helping develop training regimens for her girls to develop themselves physically while they train by themselves.
Murray specifically gave thanks to Cerritos soccer Head Coach Benny Artiaga and football Head Coach Dean Grosfeld, as Artiaga helped develop the endurance regimen and Grosfeld helped develop the strength regimen.
“Sometimes, you feel alone and separated from the other sports,” Murray said, “It’s nice to know here at Cerritos college that all the coaches are willing to help shape our athletes regardless of sport.”
Murray is excited to get back and complete her 20th season with Cerritos once the season is resumed.
Danielle Rivera, who plays outfielder and first base for the Falcons, is also really excited about the return of the sport she has spent her whole life playing.
Rivera has been playing softball for 14 years, while also becoming a track athlete in high school.
She goes on to say that softball has been in her family forever as her three older sisters have also played softball.
Rivera has also been doing extra training on top of the recommended regimen by regularly attending CrossFit every week from 5-6 p.m.
“CrossFit is where I get my best training in. On top of my training given out by the coach, I feel like I am in the best shape of my entire softball career,” said Rivera.
She also talks about how her footwork has definitely improved with the soccer workout part of her training.
Rivera described how dedicated Coach Murray is in getting the best out of her and the rest of her fellow Falcons teammates.
“She definitely shows a willingness to get the best out of us and it is an honor to call her my coach,” Danielle said.
Rivera is currently majoring in communications while interning on social media, creating graphics for various colleges. One day, she hopes to work at ESPN as a career dream.
Upon returning to campus, Murray and her team are ready to get back to campus and start preparing for their return to season.
