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What an honor and privilege it has been to run the league this year and last. Softball
is a sport, which I truly love. Growing up with three brothers, I’ve been around sports practically all of my life.
The youngest of six children, I had no choice but to compete at a very early age. I went to college on a swimming and diving
scholarship, but I played softball in high school. When I enrolled my daughters in the League 14 years ago, I first volunteered
as a coach, but soon became a serious, fast-pitch student myself. As a result of weekly, private hitting and pitching lessons
for my youngest daughter, Alex, I had the privilege of being exposed to the methods of two truly great teachers: Julie Bolduc
and Angel Manguel.
Helping Alex excel has allowed me to gain a plethora of softball knowledge. I coached
her CYO team at The Villa Maria Academy, bringing home the Bronx CYO championship trophy. Then, as I moved on to coach at
Preston High School, I brought home five Bronx/Westchester JV titles and two Preston Varsity Softball titles. Preston’s
2009 season for example, which ended with an undefeated 12-0 Bronx/Westchester title, was the best one ever. Two of the biggest
honors for me consequently were being named Coach of the Year by the Bronx Times Reporter in 2008 and receiving an honorable
mention for Coach of the Year this year by the NY Daily News.
I work to impart not only what knowledge
I can onto your children, but the League’s coaches as well by having made training DVDs and coaching clinics available
to them in order to teach our girls great mechanics. I’ve also brought in pitching experts to teach our girls proper
pitching techniques. Although good pitching requires patience and steady practice, our girls eventually learn to pitch like
the great players on TV.
For the League’s more experienced players, we created three successful
travel teams this year in an effort to expose our girls to better competition. Next year, I hope to create a 10 and under
travel team and a 14 and under tournament team, the latter of which would travel the country playing girls from all over the
world. (Keep very much in mind that a lot of colleges scout tournament games.)
We have some wonderful
people helping us this year. I appreciate everyone's great sacrifice. Without our volunteers for example, there would not
be a Throggs Neck Girls Softball League. So here's to the up-coming 2010 season. Please join me in making it the best one
yet.
Play ball!
Rachel
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