Lakewood’s Barrio sisters eat, sleep, breathe, play and coach softball

The Cascade Conference is getting just a peek of what Lakewood fans have known for years: softball is a Barrio family tradition.

LAKEWOOD — The Cascade Conference is getting just a peek of what Lakewood fans have known for years: softball is a Barrio family tradition.

In fact, there is hardly a time when the sport is not right in front of the eldest Barrio sisters, Kahlee and Arianna, or at least on their minds.

“When we’re not playing, we’re coaching,” said Lakewood senior Kahlee Barrio. “It’s kind of an all-the-time thing. When we’re at home, we go out and practice with my dad or (Arianna) pitches to me.”

It’s not hard to find someone to play catch with at the Barrio house. If one of the five sisters wants to play — and by some stroke of luck the others aren’t so inclined — the father, Jim, who started coaching Kahlee and Arianna when they were four, is certainly willing to help improve her game.

But there is a sense of competition as well. One is always trying to outdo the other in almost any aspect of the game whether it be from the plate or in the field.

“The first couple of games I made a few foul catches,” said Arianna, a sophomore who plays shortstop this season. “And now Kahlee’s working on her speed to get to those.”

This sibling rivalry has produced a pair of all-conferece players that are breaking school records. Kahlee, who hits third, has driven in 10 runs while hitting .611 so far this season, which is well on her way of breaking her previous school record of .500 in 2009.

“Kahlee is a tremendous hitter,” said Lakewood coach Steve Barker. “When you’re a smaller school, you rely on your skilled players and those two are that for us.”

Arianna is hitting .500 with 11 runs scored and set the record for triples in a season in 2009. She is also impressing with her defense, using her quickness to get outs all over the field.

But the sisters are more than just performers in the field and competitors for attention. They look out for each other, and whether they like it or not, they are leaders.

It was Kahlee who came to Barker two winters ago with the suggestion to move over from playing shortstop to third base to make way for her sister.

“It takes a special kind of person to step away from your position for your little sister,” Barker said. “It was an idea we had discussed already, but the decision wasn’t made until Kahlee talked to us.”

Now the two occupy the left side of the infield, which gives Lakewood the advantage of having a third baseman and shortstop who have played on the same team for six years.

“It really helps because we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Arianna said.

The two admit that they need to work on their backhands in the field, but they are more attracted to hitting.

“I like offense because it gets the team riled up,” said Arianna.

And the Cougars have much to be riled up for this season, as eight of the nine starters on the team have been playing together since being on Jon’s U-14 team. The sisters say that there is a softball community sprouting up in Lakewood, and they are lucky to have such support around them.

And it seems that the best is still ahead, as Kahlee is set to fulfill her lifelong dream of playing college softball next year at George Fox in Portland. Meanwhile, Arianna is learning to make even better use of her athleticism by batting left-handed this season for the first time.

“She is as talented a player as we’ve ever had,” said Barker. “And she is just starting to figure out how to use that ability.”

No matter how far their ability takes them, softball will always be a part of their life. Arianna wants to play in college as well, hoping she can do so at the University of Washington. Both have already gotten a head start in coaching, continuing the family sport by helping out their sisters and father when they can.

“It’s really given us more respect for our coaches,” Arianna said. “Because it’s really hard, but if I can’t play, I will coach.”