In five seasons as head coach of the Navajo High School softball program, Kriston Cusher has enjoyed building the program into a contender.

“This season was quite an adjustment for us,” Cusher said. “We lost six girls off of last year’s team and had to figure out what our identity was without them. We had a ton of underclassmen who really stepped up this year and bought into the mentality of the program. We gained a ton of experience this year that will help us in future seasons.”

With a fall and spring season, the Navajo program continues to improve.

“Playing both fastpitch and slowpitch is definitely an advantage. Slowpitch really works on defense as there is some sort of action going on every at bat,” Cusher said. “The teams that are in the state tournament in fastpitch are normally the same teams that are in the state tournament in slowpitch, so that has to say something.”

Despite having high expectations each season, coach Cusher said the players responded well to the pressure and made the most of the opportunity to improve their game.

“The group of current players that I have, have stepped into a program where the expectations are high, and they expect nothing less. They have been around a culture where state tournament is a goal that they are willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Their drive to continue that reputation impresses me daily,” Cusher said. “We stick to the basic fundamentals each year; however the strategy can change based on the personnel of the team. Last year, we were loaded with power and this year we had to pride ourselves on placing the ball, stringing base hits together, and using our speed on the bases.”

Community support has also been a major factor in Navajo softball’s success, a fact not lost on its coaches and players.

“The school and community support has been the best. We always have a huge following even prior to playoffs. We know that if we get ourselves to the biggest stage, we will have the biggest cheering section with the best fans,” Cusher said. “Having this support is huge motivation in being as successful as we can be.”

Navajo’s players seem to enjoy the high levels of competition each game and they love to make it fun for everyone.

“The game is most fun for me when they are having fun. When they want to be there and want to compete, it makes it all worth it. I also love playing good teams who test us and sometimes humble us,” said coach Cusher. “The thing I enjoy most about coaching is the relationships I make with the girls and then watching them grow and succeed after graduation.”