Due to a limited number of student-athletes interested in playing softball this year, St. Joseph’s Academy was not going to be able to field a team for the 2022 softball season. That is until Coach Maureen McVey, St. Joseph’s Academy’s Athletic Director, had an idea. 

Back in August, when tryouts for fall sports were underway, only eight students attended the first day of softball tryouts. At that point, the team began to accept the fact that they would not get to play this season. However, McVey did not give up as easily. She wanted to find a way for these eight St. Joseph’s Academy softball players to pursue their sport this season. The team’s only option was to find another school in a similar situation. 

“Under MSHSAA rules we had to find a school with a low enrollment count to not exceed the total enrollment of both schools. I called the athletic director at Rosati and we decided to co-op. That is a merger between two schools to have a cooperative sponsorship for participation in a MSHSAA sport,” McVey said.

Rosati-Kain High School, another all-girls Catholic high school in St. Louis, was the perfect candidate. Like St. Joseph’s Academy, Rosati-Kain was also struggling with numbers, but wanted to offer their interested softball players a chance to play the sport they loved. 

After learning that the softball program has been saved, sophomore athlete Lizzie Kirsch was elated. 

“I’m so excited that we found a way to play softball this year and can’t wait to see how

the rest of the season goes,” Lizzie said.

Once the merge between the teams was settled, the two schools’ athletic directors began to organize details regarding the season. It was decided that Coach Alex Thompson, the previous Rosati-Kain head coach, would lead this newly-formed team. Various other trade-offs were decided. The team would wear Rosati-Kain uniforms, but play at St. Joseph’s Academy’s softball field, since Rosati-Kain High School does not have one of its own. It was also agreed that the girls would practice at Forest Park, a fairly equal distance from both of the schools.

McVey reiterated the importance of giving her softball athletes a chance to play.

“It was important that we did everything possible to ensure that our softball players got to compete this fall in a game that they love and have been playing for many years. I am so happy we found a resolution that would allow our softball players to compete in the fall of 2022,” McVey said.

Although the team had a rocky start to the season, the girls remain positive and head into the month of October with a record consisting of seven wins and twelve losses. They remain grateful for the opportunity to play and look forward to all that is to come this season.