Casey McNulty is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Westwood High School for AZPreps365.com

Head coach Alyssa Dale broke Westwood softball's three-year coaching curse. Dating back to 2007, the Warriors have seen a coaching change every two to three years, causing the team to cycle through seven different head coaches during the past 18 seasons.

The 2024-2025 season marks Dale's fourth year as head coach of the program, making her the only coach in nearly two decades who has stayed for more than three years.

Historically, Westwood softball has not performed well, as the Warriors have had three winning records since 2007. When Dale took the head coaching position in 2021, Westwood had just finished a brutal 2-15 season under former head coach Rick Doran.

Coming in, Dale knew that the consistent coaching changes were taking a toll on the program. So, she had to commit to the team long-term if she wanted to see any real improvement.

"It's hard to build a program when coaches are turning over all the time," Dale said. "So, I knew it would be a lot of hard work, but I also knew that to get through the hard, I had to stick around."

Staying and investing in the Warriors hits home for Dale, as she is a Westwood softball alumna and previously served as the team's assistant coach. While Dale had plenty of Westwood softball experience, turning around the program was the challenge she expected. During her first year at the helm, the Warriors went 3-15.

"I did not necessarily anticipate how emotionally taxing it would be to lose over and over and over and over again and still show up the next day and try to convince these girls that it's still worth showing up every day to go get your behind kicked the next day," Dale said.

Despite the rough first season, Dale's commitment to the team's growth was unwavering. She returned the following year, and the Warriors improved to 8-10. The team's advancement did not go unnoticed by the players, and senior Navi Brinkerhoff recognized how Dale is actively working toward the program's success.

"[Dale] is just non-stop working for Westwood softball and trying to get us better," Brinkerhoff said. "We do preseason all year long, starting in August, when we start school, and up until the season starts. We also do summer weight training and practices, and we have a softball weight training class during school. Softball is always on our mind over here."

Not only has Dale invested in the players' game, but she has helped them open up emotionally. Senior Lexi Vasquez remembers being quiet when she first joined the team, but Dale's coaching caused her to become more confident and competitive.

"When I first came here, I was really quiet, and I wasn't even talking to anyone," Vasquez said. "She has also helped me with my throwing, so that helped me be more aggressive on the field.”

While Dale has made multiple tangible impacts on the Warriors, one of her most indelible marks goes beyond the game. Dale is one of the only female softball head coaches in program history. The last female head coach of Westwood softball was Jamie Mendez in 2010, signifying an 11-year drought until Dale took the position.

Now, under Dale's tutelage, Westwood softball has an all-female coaching staff. From varsity to JV and the freshman team, Dale understands the importance of empowering the players and setting a precedent for the future of the program.

"We are all women working together, and I really have tried to instill this mindset of [the coaches] actually have this experience," Dale said. "We played women's softball, so let us teach you women's softball."