In her 24th year as the Santa Monica High softball coach, Debbie Skaggs has an outstanding team with CIF championship ambitions.
Skaggs’ teams have been highly successful. The last four have won the Ocean League. But there hasn’t been a CIF championship.
This season? That would be rewarding since Skaggs is planning to give up coaching next season.
The timing is right for a couple of reasons. The first step in a campus renovation is to tear down the beautiful softball complex, which will leave the new coach scrambling for a home field. Second, as Skaggs’ son Tyler progresses through the Angels’ farm system she’d like to spend time with him.
The team is currently on spring break with a 9-5 record. It will begin league play this month and normally that would be a breeze. But the league is stronger this season with Culver City and Hawthorne optimistic.
Holly Elander, pitcher Celisha Walker, Kaile Nakao and Haley Congdon have provided most of the offense.
The last two years Skaggs coached games while receiving reports on Tyler’s pitching. At times he was pitching on an adjoining diamond.
This season she won’t have that distraction.
MITCH CHORTKOFF
Mirror Sports Editorsports@smmirror.com