MONROE - When Monroe junior Olivia Bobak makes her first trip to Walt Disney World it will not be all fun and games next week. It will be a business trip with the Monroe softball team making the journey to Florida.
The Monroe softball team will fly Tuesday from O'Hare Airport in Chicago to Orlando where they will play three games and spend six days in the sunshine state. The last time the Cheesemakers made a trip to Florida, Bobak was a freshman pitcher on the junior varsity softball team in 2016.
"I'm very excited to have this opportunity," Bobak said after a scrimmage against Parkview Thursday at Twining Park. "It's not something many schools get to do. I'm very much looking forward to it. It's my first time to Disney World. I just want to go and ride all of the rollercoasters."
Monroe will play three games next week at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the middle of Walt Disney World Resort, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. Monroe will play Piqua High School from Piqua, Ohio on Thursday. The Cheesemakers will then face Dallas High School of Pennsylvania on Friday and on Saturday they will play Hilton High School of New York. It will be the eighth time the Monroe softball program has made a trip to Florida. It was a tradition to make the trip to Florida every other year that began with Hall of Fame coach Dale Buvid.
Besides getting the chance to practice and play games against other teams from various states, there are benefits second-year Monroe head coach Joe O'Leksy sees from the experience. It's about more than getting in a few extra at-bats or innings pitched.
"One of the biggest benefits is team bonding," O'Leksy said. "It's a great team bonding experience. We get to spend more time together and get to know each other more. It's good to see some good competition early in the season. We will see some high-quality programs that are larger than us."
Bobak isn't the only player that will experience the Florida trip for the first time. Monroe senior catcher Meredith Hose will make her first trip. Hose was the catcher for Bobak on the JV team in 2016.
"It's a great opportunity and not a lot of other schools get to do that," Hose said. "There are a lot of players back from last year. We know each other so well and the chemistry is great."
Planning the trip would not be possible without the fundraising efforts of the players. Once they play in Florida, the Monroe softball program begins fundraising for their next trip. The Cheesemaker softball team hosted a youth softball camp as a fundraiser that drew more than 80 children. The players had canned food drives, hosted a spaghetti supper, and sold items at the concession stand during the volleyball and basketball seasons.
"They worked for it," O'Leksy said. "I think they appreciate it more because they had to work to go. It's really a great reward. People always ask me if it's something we will continue to do. It's something they look forward to."
Several Monroe softball players have aspirations of playing the sport in college. O'Leksy said he's been contacted by seven or eight college coaches inquiring about Bobak as a pitcher. Hose has drawn interest from Madison College.
Bobak understands this could be a special season for the Cheesemakers. The last time Monroe won a Badger South Conference title and made a run to state was in 2013.
Bobak said the Florida trip will definitely benefit the team and bring them closer together.
"I feel like we can go really far this year and I think this will help with our team chemistry," Bobak said.
One area that Hose shares with the team's ace pitcher, Bobak, is her thrill-seeking mindset.
"I really love the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster," Hose said.
The Monroe softball team will fly Tuesday from O'Hare Airport in Chicago to Orlando where they will play three games and spend six days in the sunshine state. The last time the Cheesemakers made a trip to Florida, Bobak was a freshman pitcher on the junior varsity softball team in 2016.
"I'm very excited to have this opportunity," Bobak said after a scrimmage against Parkview Thursday at Twining Park. "It's not something many schools get to do. I'm very much looking forward to it. It's my first time to Disney World. I just want to go and ride all of the rollercoasters."
Monroe will play three games next week at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the middle of Walt Disney World Resort, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. Monroe will play Piqua High School from Piqua, Ohio on Thursday. The Cheesemakers will then face Dallas High School of Pennsylvania on Friday and on Saturday they will play Hilton High School of New York. It will be the eighth time the Monroe softball program has made a trip to Florida. It was a tradition to make the trip to Florida every other year that began with Hall of Fame coach Dale Buvid.
Besides getting the chance to practice and play games against other teams from various states, there are benefits second-year Monroe head coach Joe O'Leksy sees from the experience. It's about more than getting in a few extra at-bats or innings pitched.
"One of the biggest benefits is team bonding," O'Leksy said. "It's a great team bonding experience. We get to spend more time together and get to know each other more. It's good to see some good competition early in the season. We will see some high-quality programs that are larger than us."
Bobak isn't the only player that will experience the Florida trip for the first time. Monroe senior catcher Meredith Hose will make her first trip. Hose was the catcher for Bobak on the JV team in 2016.
"It's a great opportunity and not a lot of other schools get to do that," Hose said. "There are a lot of players back from last year. We know each other so well and the chemistry is great."
Planning the trip would not be possible without the fundraising efforts of the players. Once they play in Florida, the Monroe softball program begins fundraising for their next trip. The Cheesemaker softball team hosted a youth softball camp as a fundraiser that drew more than 80 children. The players had canned food drives, hosted a spaghetti supper, and sold items at the concession stand during the volleyball and basketball seasons.
"They worked for it," O'Leksy said. "I think they appreciate it more because they had to work to go. It's really a great reward. People always ask me if it's something we will continue to do. It's something they look forward to."
Several Monroe softball players have aspirations of playing the sport in college. O'Leksy said he's been contacted by seven or eight college coaches inquiring about Bobak as a pitcher. Hose has drawn interest from Madison College.
Bobak understands this could be a special season for the Cheesemakers. The last time Monroe won a Badger South Conference title and made a run to state was in 2013.
Bobak said the Florida trip will definitely benefit the team and bring them closer together.
"I feel like we can go really far this year and I think this will help with our team chemistry," Bobak said.
One area that Hose shares with the team's ace pitcher, Bobak, is her thrill-seeking mindset.
"I really love the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster," Hose said.
