Consistency and strong practice habits are the keys to turning around the fortunes of the Oak Harbor High School softball program, according to new coach Tashina Tosh.

Tosh, who has been coaching softball in the North Whidbey Little League, said the jump to the high school “has always been a dream of mine.”

She replaces Todd Showalter, who resigned after coaching the past two years.

“I wanted the opportunity to focus on these girls locally because I see the chance for them to improve both as people and players,” she said. “This program has had its challenges in the past but has so much potential.”

Consistency, according to Tosh, is a goal to “strive for this year and the coming years.

“There has been too much change in both coaches and coaching styles for these girls to succeed.”

The players also need to completely buy into softball for the program to be successful, Tosh said.

“Perfect players are not built without perfect practice,” she added. “Ensuring the basic fundamentals of the game are present in each one of my girls is something I will strive for this year. It is a building block to start our program on. I will be working on the girls fundamentals and conditioning as well as the finer portions of the game this year.”

Tosh grew up in Quincey, Wash., where she played softball for four years. She then attended Wenatchee Valley College but an injury ended her playing days.

Tosh has a bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminal justice and is working on her masters of education.

She is a literacy teacher at Fidalgo Elementary School in Anacortes and works on-call at Island County Juvenile Detention Center.