Unity powers The First Academy softball's transformation

The relationship between The First Academy softball team’s head coach Elicia D’Orazio and standout player Luna Taboas had been developing years before the pair first dressed in their Royals’ colors. 

D’Orazio had been working as an assistant coach at Montverde Academy the season prior, and Taboas was playing under her guidance, but their relationship extends beyond Florida’s border. D’Orazio played for Puerto Rico’s national softball team from 2013 to 2020 before helping Taboas earn a spot on the national team in 2022. 

Their bond is what has helped Taboas become one of the most productive players in Florida. Taboas knows she always had someone there for her who would support her on and off the field, understanding her family, and what gets her going. 

“She reminds me of me so much as a player,” D’Orazio said of Taboas. “That connection guides us so much. She’s part of our family. Our parents do things together. It’s bigger than softball.” 

Taboas said the stability in their relationship is a major reason why she is ranked No. 15 in Florida for her .686 batting average and No. 21 for her 21 runs. She also recorded 33 stolen bases. The senior began playing for Puerto Rico at 14 years old and now is in her fourth year with the team, but her growth was accelerated by having D’Orazio to shadow. 

“We played against each other last summer (in Puerto Rico) and basically did everything the other person did,” D’Orazio said. “I’d strike out, then she’d strike out. I’d hit a single, then she’d hit a single. Everyone was looking at us like mirror images.” 

Their relationship and the other team dynamics has helped create a culture at TFA that centers on their unity. 

“I feel like a lot of other schools can be a lot of, ‘me, me, me,’” Taboas said. “Girls are worried about college or their own things. Here, we’ve stayed grounded in what our goal is.” 

In D’Orazio’s first season leading TFA, the Royals transformed from a program that finished below .500 into a 21-4 team with its first district championship in four years and a Class 2A Region 2 FHSAA regional semifinal finish Wednesday, May 12. The culture shift at the beginning of the season helped to make it all possible. 

“We all go for the glory of God,” Taboas said. “Keeping that the main thing is what really keeps us grounded. It’s not for us. It’s not to be selfish. It’s trying to do our best for the glory of Him.” 

RISE TO SUCCESS

When D’Orazio arrived at TFA in the fall and looked at her landscape of a team — ranging from sixth-graders to seniors — she first wanted to focus on the relationships of the teammates rather than going strictly into drills. 

The team spent time in classrooms with spiritual advisers, completing team-building activities and even engaging in one of their favorites: paint and pass. 

Players began with one canvas before passing it around for teammates to continue painting. Taboas said hers started with a cross but evolved into a landscape with the cross as the center piece. She said everyone was laughing the whole time, especially seeing the crazy evolution of their paintings. 

“It put everyone in an environment where they were just having fun and getting to know one another before we even got to the athletic side,” D’Orazio said. 

When it came time to step on the field as a team, their unification prioritization came together in a productive way and D’Orazio quickly realized the group of Royals were meant to be something special to watch during the season. 

The team opened the year on a four-game winning streak, and two of those games were blowout wins over Trinity Catholic and Windermere High.

“We kind of looked around and thought, ‘Wow, we’re going to do this,’” D’Orazio said. “They’re putting the work in. They listen. They are selfless. They do everything that you could ask for — especially as a first year coach.”

The Royals continued to work hard all season, rarely taking breaks, training on weekends and throughout the holidays. 

“When you have 20 girls who are coachable and willing to compete, it changes everything,” D’Orazio said. 

Junior pitcher Alaina Suber, who transferred from Boone High, said the positive atmosphere and support system at TFA helped her rediscover her confidence. 

“I used to play really mental when it came to pitching,” she said. “Now, I feel like I’ve become a much better pitcher.” 

She was able to find herself while the team found its momentum. When TFA claimed the district championship and ended the four year drought of the title by beating Montverde Academy 4-1, it felt like the team had won a state championship. 

People were lined across the foul lines and the outfield trying to watch the game and support the Royals, but despite the high pressure from fans and a title on the line, the team stayed composed and used that as it headed into the regional playoffs. 

For Taboas, making the postseason represented more than the wins or championships, rather how far the team and her relationship with D’Orazio came in one season. 

“When we started we didn’t even really know each other as a team,” she said. “Now it just feels like family.”