War and Peace

While sitting in a softball meeting one morning this past fall, Texas A&M head coach Trisha Ford and her staff were on a search. 

The group wasn’t out looking for opponents to play in 2025 or the next top recruit in the nation, but their mind was focused on the 2024 Aggies. The coaches always found ways to get the most from their student-athletes on the field, but this time they were seeking to get more out of their players off the field, building camaraderie and toughness.

As the veteran coaching staff tossed ideas around that seemed to be getting nowhere, it was the two youngest members in the room, Halle Harger and Gianna Mancha, that provided what the group was seeking. 

Harger, the recruiting coordinator, and Mancha, a graduate assistant coach, reflected on their preseason training week at Boise State as freshmen before they set a program record with 40 wins, including its first conference title in school history and first appearance at the NCAA Tournament in 2018 under then head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. 

“Halle and Gianna brought the War Games idea to the table,” Ford said. “We put our spin on some things, but the core idea of what they went through during their time as players was what we were trying to get out of our players.”

Thus, the War Games began. 

The 23 athletes were divided into teams of six (one team had five), while the seniors served as captains of their respective groups. Hand picked by the coaches, each team was designed to have an even amount of power and speed, while each player possessed a unique skillset that they would contribute to their team. The week consisted of a mixture of grueling physical challenges, as well as fun and creative competitions, while each team had to plot out a different uniform design for every day.

“Each night they spent time with their teammates planning their outfit for the following day and how to strategize for the next activity,” Ford said. “Usually when you go through preseason training, you go home, eat, you’re tired and go to bed. It encouraged them to spend the evening with teammates getting to know each other. We wanted the War Games to push them physically and mentally, as well as forcing them to communicate and work together with all their teammates.”

Day one set the tone for the rest of the week as the first task was a triathlon consisting of a 3-mile run, 5-mile bike ride and 5,000 meters on the rower. The following day consisted of a gauntlet of softball skills where each person on a team needed to perform perfectly, whether that was laying a bunt down between cones, making a perfect throw from the outfield or pitchers hitting a certain spot. 

As the week progressed the games transitioned from physically grueling to the more mentally challenging tasks and team building activities. The teams competed in an arms race around campus gathering clues to get from one location to the next including the 12th Man statue, Reveille Memorial, Reed Arena for volleyball and Ellis Field for penalty kicks. Other days included a talent show, bake-off and minute-to-win it games. 

“The first day was the hardest,” graduate pitcher Shaylee Ackerman said. “They put us together in certain groups to make it challenging and to put us through adversity. Even though some of the games weren’t softball related, we had to work through adversity together, which is what we will face as we go through a season’s ups and downs. We will need to stick together to grind it out.”

With a second year head coach, players are typically prepared in knowing what to expect from their coach. Ford challenged herself and her staff to get the most out of the team by presenting something new to the 23 players, which include 13 returners and 10 newcomers. 

A range of players from sixth-year seniors and true freshmen found common ground competing against each other in the inaugural War Games. The success of camaraderie and toughness from the War Games was established, leaving some less enthusiastic about the week than others.

“The seniors are lucky they only had to do it once, I have to do it for the rest of my career,” freshman outfielder Scout Lovell said. “It was a really hard week, but it was fun. I’m glad I was able to share that experience with my teammates because it really did bring us closer together.”

Friday, Feb. 9 marks the beginning of the 2024 Texas A&M softball season. 

Rather than going to war against one another in competitions, these Aggies start going to war with each other on the diamond.