Katonah Bedford Softball Season in Full Swing

While some 'tween aged girls are spending their summer evenings at the beach or the mall,  there’s a group of girls dedicated to pitching, catching and hitting across the softball field. And for at least one team in the Katonah-Bedford Girls Softball Summer program, it’s paid off.

The 10-and-under team has gone from an “abysmal” 1 – 12 record last fall to an 8 – 1 winning streak this summer and according to one of the team’s coaches, Marc Altneu.

“We took our lumps last year but the girls kept working at it—they played together last fall, they took lessons all winter. This is what they do and their passion for the game is why they do it,” he said.

The team seems to exemplify the spirit of the KGBS league, which brings together girls from different schools and school districts to compete in a sport they love. Girls from Mt. Kisco and Katonah Elementary Schools play together with girls from West Patent and Bedford Hills elementary schools. “It’s a healthy interaction for them and nice to meet kids from across the district,” said Altneu.

The association has five teams that play in the softball division of the Westchester Putnam Baseball Association—a 16-and-under squad, two 14-and-under teams, one 12-under squad and one 10-and-under team.

The teams started playing games in late June, with the schedule going through the first week of August. The winner of each division is the one with the best regular-season record.

Steve Vandervelden has overseen KGBS for five years and said he loves every minute of it. “I enjoy obviously instructing the players and watching their progress on the field,” he said.

Vandervelden said summer play offers the girls a chance to build on what they learned during the spring season, and provides the experience of going against kids from all over Westchester and Putnam Counties and a few from New York City and the Bronx. Not only do they play with girls they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to get to know, they play against a diverse roster of teams.

Altneu said the girls on his team have been so dedicated to learning the game that many have given up other sports to focus on softball. His fellow coaches—Mike Murphy, Chris Palladino, Elyssa Michaels and Laura Eidam—have worked intensely with them to turn their record around.

“They’re a year older and a year wiser and they know what to expect,” he said.

Teams across the league have games and practices in Rasor Field in Katonah, Katonah Memorial Park, Bedford Village Memorial Park and Fox Lane’s High School softball field.

For some of the players, their softball experience in the summer consists of WPBA games while others also play what is called “tournament ball.”

Then there are other players that play both.

“Tournament ball, you may play in Pennsylvania this weekend and Vermont next weekend,” Vandervelden said. “This is somewhat of a hybrid. The travel is less but the competition is great and the repetitions the players get are critical in improving their games.”

One of those players who gets to improve on her game is Kayla Fisher, who plays for her Dad, Mike Fisher, on one of the two 14-and-under teams. She said she'd like to eventually play for a tournament team. “I play it because I enjoy it—I like to play and have fun with my friends,” Fisher said.

Tournament play may be a goal for the scrappy 10-and-under girls who are fine-tuning skills and learning rules of the game. But for now the team focuses on safety, fun and the foundations of softball.

For Brooke Altneu, who is coached by her Dad, her reasons for being on the field on some of the hottest days of the year are simple.

“It’s a lot of fun for me because I love softball and this is always what I have wanted to do,” she said.