Offseason Preparation Key For Cooper Armstrong Softball's Success

It’s no coincidence that Barry Stern’s Cooper Armstrong U18 softball team is heading into today's state qualifier with plans to win. That seed is planted long before the summer season begins.

It begins in the gym in November, when the girls start their weekly offseason preparations. Thursday nights are focused on defense, and Sundays are for hitting.

“It’s kind of a goal for the summer to achieve the things you want to achieve,” Stern said. “You want to win the qualifier. You want to win the state tournament. You want to win every time you’re on the field.”

It’s what drives the girls—half hailing from Robbinsdale Armstrong or Cooper and the others commuting from as far as Anoka and St. Michael-Albertville—to make it to the twice weekly, offseason practices.

And it’s why the 10-2 Cooper Armstrong squad expects to win every time they take the field. Their next tournament is the state qualifier beginning at 8 a.m. today at Bentfield Mills Park in Buffalo.

Cooper Armstrong, the No. 1 seed in the 25-team tournament, has a bye in the first round.

The team’s success is largely attributed to the group’s dedicated work ethic and team chemistry, which develops over the winter months. Once the summer rolls around, everyone is on the same page.

“They’re comfortable, and it’s an easy transition without having to learn who everybody is,” Stern said. “These girls have practiced together all winter and are ready to go.”

Like last summer, when Stern’s U16 squad reached the state championship game, the hard work has translated into wins.

Cooper Armstrong is tied with St. Anthony for the top spot in the Suburban League A standings, and they’re outscoring their opponents by 61 runs this season.

Much of that has to do with amping up their pitching and defense this year. Offensively, the team scored 473 runs at the U16 level last year, Stern said, but this year the pitching combination of Anoka’s Hailee Gifford and Robbinsdale Cooper’s Casey Anderson has led the charge.

They’ve already qualified for the national tournament in Omaha on July 22-25, thanks to winning the Centennial tournament in June. If they are one of the top 15 teams at this weekend’s qualifier, they will also make the state tournament on July 16-17.

Just don’t think Cooper Armstrong is overlooking this weekend’s qualifier in lieu of bigger and better things. This team has worked too long and hard for that.

“We’re never looking ahead—it’s one game at a time, one opponent at a time,” Stern said. “Right now the focus is on the qualifier. That’s what we want to win. We want to show them we’re the team to beat. We’re motivated. This is our state—it’s a big deal for us to make a run at the state championship.”