Every sport has its trademark. Baseball has hats, football has jerseys and Southeastern Conference softball has bows.  
Not small, insignificant bows. They are statements made with glitter and sequins, huge bows that hang off the sides of players’ heads and remain magically perfect through all the diving catches, stolen bases and trips to the plate.
Although not every player in the SEC sports a bow, they are the trademark of the conference that has come to dominate softball, with two of the last three national champions and the only two undefeated teams left in the country: No. 1 Florida and No. 5 LSU.  
In Baton Rouge, there is a clear divide between the Tigers who wear bows and those who don’t. Regardless of whether they sport a bow, the Tigers come together behind a quiet mantra of “look good, feel good, play good” and spend hours bonding as they prepare to step into the bright lights at Tiger Park.  
For sophomore pitcher Baylee Corbello, the bows are the sparkle on gameday that represents all the hard work and hours spent in the bullpen. 
“We’re girls, and girls like to get dressed up every once and a while,” Corbello said. “We’re out here practicing every day, so of course we’re not going to wear makeup and try to look cute. Then you wake up early for workouts, so you’re not going to look cute for school. The only time that you really get to dress up and be a girl is for games.” 
For many players, the bow tradition began on their travel ball teams. Sophomore infielder Constance Quinn said she has worn a bow since playing travel ball and continues to wear bows, even to practice at the collegiate level. Corbello said LSU coach Beth Torina is even in on the style, making bows for some of the players this season.
Sophomore outfielder Bailey Landry, who wears a large silver, sequined bow to most games, summed up why she wears bows with two words. 
“Why not?” 
Although many Tigers embrace the bows, there are a select few who don’t understand their teammates’ love of the sparkly accessory. 
“[The players who wear bows] literally pick bows like they’re picking a wedding dress,” said senior outfielder A.J. Andrews.  “It’s like ‘Say Yes to the Bow.’ That is their mentality to bows. I don’t wear bows. I don’t want to wear a bow, but they’re cute and [the players] like them.”
The bows and focus on looking pretty in games is predominantly an SEC trend. With the recent emergence of the conference, the SEC norm of players who wear bows, braid their hair and wear makeup has clashed with the typical Pac-12 style of wearing visors and no makeup. 
Freshman pitcher Carley Hoover has embraced the SEC culture after transferring from Stanford during the summer.   
“The SEC is so different,” Hoover said. “It’s like earrings, glamour and glitter — look pretty. In the Pac-12, it’s like wear my visor, don’t show my face and look like a boy … It’s just two different looks. If you go out there or go to the SEC, you just fall into it no matter where you’re from. I’ve never thought I would wear bows, but I’ve worn bows since I’ve been here.”
Whether they wear bows, Corbello said the Tigers get to the park an hour or two before they need to be there to get ready together. 
The atmosphere in the locker room while the team gets ready is one of relaxed excitement. For many of the players that don’t wear bows, this is the opportunity to braid their hair or to have one of their teammates do it
for them. 
“It’s awesome,” Quinn said. “Just seeing everybody’s face and everybody’s excitement, it’s a cool thing. I wish everybody could see it. It gets you game prepped and game ready. Knowing that you’re not alone in it and everybody is just as excited to be out there as you are. It’s a cool experience.”  
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Javier Fernández

LSU softball players use diverse type of bows to enchance their looks while they play, following the look good, feel good, play good philosophy. Softball players wear bows during the Tigers' 4-2 victory against NC State on Tuesday, Feb.10, 2015 at the Tiger Park.