Higher expectations and more pressure were both things that Purvis head coach Lindsay Robertson learned to finally embrace and enjoy it.
After reaching the state championship for the first time in school history last season and graduating only one player from that team, Purvis had to prove it was not just a flash in the pan.
For a second straight year, Robertson guided Purvis to a 28-win season, another region title, and, more importantly, helped the program reach the state championship for a second straight year, leading to her being named the Pine Belt Sports Coach of the Year for the 2025 season.
“There’s a lot of pressure to this past season,” Robertson said. There’s a lot of pressure to this next season. This season, we were able to sit back and enjoy it a little more, and not with every round in the playoffs, it felt like my head was spinning. This year, I knew what to expect, and the girls knew what to expect.
“So this past season was also like, we’re going to show you that this is not a fluke. We’re not going to discredit what these girls have worked hard for.”
Fortunately for Robertson, who is in her second year as full-time head coach, there was less of a learning curve for her. Robertson was also quick to credit that much of the success came from her senior class and assistant coaches.
“I’m proud of what we have done,” Robertson said. “I feel like the culture has changed. I feel like, academically and athletically, the culture has changed for Purvis. We figured out that if you expect it you are going to get better things. You can’t be complacent with just being average but pushing to be more.”
However, after Purvis got off to a 5-0 start, the Lady Tornadoes fell into a rough stretch, losing six of their next eight games.
“We told the girls that we have a target on our backs,” Robertson said. “Everybody wants a little of Purvis softball. I didn’t care who we were playing. We were going to get their best game.”
“We started off real strong, and then we hit a lull. It was kind of a four to six-game streak where we didn’t play to the best of our ability. If you let a team hang around, then it’s like playing with fire and getting burned.
This also included a frustrating 3-1 loss to rival Sumrall to start region action, which proved to be the turning point.
“It was one of those games where if we got on the ball it went straight to them,” Robertson said. “I felt like we gave that game away. Even if we did win, we saw areas where we were weaker than we should have been. After the loss to Sumrall, you have to dig deep, and the girls figured it out. They put a lot of pressure on themselves, and they know the level of expectation, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way, and you have to figure out where you want to be.
After some team meetings, Purvis went on a 21-game winning streak that carried into the state championship.
“We’re going to be there for each other,” Robertson said. “We’re going to push to make each other better. We’re going to enjoy the ride. We’re going to want to accomplish things that not a lot of teams get to try to accomplish. The expectations are there, and the pressure is probably already there. I do feel like this past season, we did a better job of enjoying the ride.”
Although it was bittersweet for Robertson to watch her team fall short of a state title game for a second straight year, she embraces the even higher expectations for next season but also recognizes the many accomplishments her program has enjoyed.
“You have to be careful not to let it put a damper on what you have accomplished,” Robertson said. “We had a freaking successful season, but it puts a bad taste in your mouth to fall short.
“I have to put a lot of into perspective. Was it a good feeling to fall short again? No, it was not. But not everybody gets to go to that level. Not everybody gets to play for that, and at the end of the day, a team is going to win, and a team is going to lose. I’m looking forward to seeing what these girls can do.”
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