BOZEMAN — Last year, the Bozeman High School softball team had to cancel its spring season due to low participation numbers.
This season, the same problem occured.
The solution, though, was different.
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Instead of canceling the season, Bozeman and crosstown rival Gallatin High School combined as a co-op team.
It's not uncommon for smaller schools to co-op sports teams due to low participation numbers, but it's not typically heard of at the Class AA level.
One of the Bozeman players who was given an opportunity to play by co-opping is catcher Avery Westphal.
"I've really enjoyed it," Westphal said. "I tried to push for it last year because I just wanted to play softball, and to be a part of something that was more important than myself."
Westphal was already familiar with some of the Gallatin players before the teams combined.
"They're really a great group of girls and they're really sweet," Westphal said. "They're really accepting of us on the team."
That feeling is mutual from her Gallatin teammates, including center fielder Tayjah Jasinski.
"I've honestly really liked it because I've played with a lot of them since travel ball and when we were young," Jasinski said. "So I think we meshed together."
Jasinski says the decision to combine was mutually beneficial.
"I think it's good competition," Jasinski said. "They're learning from the Gallatin girls and we're learning from the Bozeman girls. So I like it together."
And the way the two teams have adapted to playing together so quickly is evident to others in the community as well, including the school district's activities director, Mark Ator.
"I think the team has gelled well," Ator said. "You can't really tell which school the kids are from. They've been high-fiving each other, they're just happy to have a season."
To help with participation numbers, the roster also includes eighth graders who are gaining experience at the JV level against high school competition, which only helps the future of the program.
One of those players, Zephy Sally, can see the benefit of playing up.
"This year in travel season I might have more of an advantage than most girls because they don't have the opportunity like we do to play high school softball," Sally said. "And for the future, it'll be really good because we just have all this experience. When we get to senior year, we'll all know each other and we'll just be a really good team."
Instead of having a crosstown rivalry like other sports in town, the team represents Bozeman as a whole, which Ator has felt with the co-op.
"(Before) we first started up with two schools about seven years ago, it was one Bozeman," Ator said. "So I've been hinting that's where we're back. We're back at one Bozeman with our softball programs."
And Westphal, a Hawk by day and Raptor by night, has felt the same.
"I go to my high school, Bozeman High, and I show up in Gallatin softball and I get crap from my teachers," Westphal said. "They're like, 'Oh, why are you wearing blue?' And I (say) it's my team and I play for them and I'm proud to be out there just playing softball."
