The 10-and-Under Lawrence Phenix line up for a pregame cheer. Lawrence lost to the Tulsa Blast, 10-1, on Thursday at the NAFA B National championships at Clinton Lake Softball Complex.

“I believe in myself” is the motto for Barry Johnson’s 10-and-under Lawrence Phenix.

“It all came from the Journey song ‘Don’t Stop Believin,'” Johnson said. “You can’t stop believing in what you can do and I want them to understand that.”

The Phenix have been battling their way through this weekend’s North American Fastpitch Association’s “B” National championships. The girls went 2-1 in pool play, defeating the Lady Vipers, 1-0, and the Phantoms in a forfeit before falling to the Oklahoma Posse, 5-0.

In the first round of the double-elimination bracket Wednesday night, the Phenix took out the Sioux City Extreme, 13-1. On Thursday night, the Phenix suffered their second loss, 10-1, against the Tulsa Blast at the Clinton Lake Softball Complex.

The girls tried not to let the loss get them down.

“It’s tough to lose,” said Brooklynn Sumonja, who plays shortstop and pitcher for the Phenix. “But sometimes it’s OK. If you play hard and you know it’s a team that’s beaten everyone else by a lot, it’s not as bad.”

Johnson couldn’t be prouder of his 10-and-under team.

“The girls have done extremely well this week,” Johnson said. “They have far exceeded my expectations. When we started out in April, I thought it was going to be a long year, but as it progressed, we faced some of the same teams we’d played earlier and the comments I heard were about how much better we were.”

Johnson said he tried hard to stress improvement in a positive way.

“You have to remember that they’re 10 years old,” he said. “Coming from coaching older girls for four years, sometimes you completely forget. You try to push them, but there’s times you can’t get on them too much.”

His simple focus on fundamentals has already given the girls a love of the game.

“I like getting on base,” Sumonja said. “Pitching is fun, too. You have to practice a lot, but it’s fun to get strikes.”

For Johnson the true success is in the smiling faces of his players.

“We played a tournament in Place Center where we were down, 3-2, in the last inning with two outs and runners on second and third,” he said. “Brianne Kennedy hit this ball into center field that scored two runs and we ended up winning, 4-3. The hit in itself was great, but the best part was the reaction. Just to see those girls bouncing around and hugging each other.”

Johnson and his assistant coach Bob Folks try to make fun a major part of the game for their players and it’s a part that’s clearly evident by the team’s constant cheering.

“We all made up the cheers,” said catcher Tori Huslig. “It makes it more fun. My favorite is the foul ball cheer.”

The 10-and-under Phenix will take on the Nebraska Blue Diamonds at 9 a.m. today at the Clinton Lake Softball Complex.