New Dugouts Are a Gamechanger for Rye Girls Softball

By Melanie Cane

The spring season for the Rye Girls’ Softball League ended June 10 with a noteworthy ribbon-cutting ceremony at their home field at Disbrow Park.

“The dugouts at Founders Field I stand as milestone achievements in our march towards increased participation, improved caliber of play, and, ultimately, a Garnet softball program that is recognized for sustained excellence,” said Sarah Ball, president, Rye Girls’ Softball (RSG).

Ball thanked board member Dawn Pineault for her project leadership, Bill Deertz of BLD Home Improvement for donating his time and expertise, architecture firm RMG Associates for their design, and Rye Recreation Superintendent Sally Rogol for her guidance. “These structures will protect the girls from the rain and shade them from the sun, while making them feel a bit more a bit more special at game time,” said Ball.

Immediately after the ribbon-cutting, the Senior League, which consists of sixth through eighth graders, played its first season-ending Championship. The Comets triumphed over the Lightning 14-13 in an exciting rollercoaster game.

The dugouts aren’t the only additions to the RGS program, they recently welcomed second graders and introduced summer and fall travel teams. The travel teams, 12U, 14U, and 16U, are led by professional coaches hired by the board. RGS also offers the girls professionally run clinics to increase skill sets. In the spring, they plan to expand the program to include kindergartners and first graders.

Though the gap has narrowed in recent years, Ball explained that Rye’s other terrific sports programs – Little League, Rye Youth Lacrosse, Rye Youth Soccer, and CYO Basketball – have three to four times as many players as Rye Girls Softball. “They’ve been the big cats, and we’ve been the mouse. With the arrival of the new dugouts, you could say the mouse just roared,” exclaimed Ball.

Registration for Fall Ball is now open on the RGS website, ryegirlssoftball.com

Captions:

Rye Girls Softball board members, at left, with Mayor Josh Cohn, Bill Deertz, Sarah Ball, City Councilmember Julie Souza, Assemblyman Steve Otis, County Executive George Latimer, and City Councilmember Sara Goddard before the ribbon-cutting

The new RGS dugouts at Founders Field I