By Andy Valencia
Most young Islanders are good at video games. The hand-eye coordination when you target and shoot, the reflexes to respond in the blink of an eye to a new threat. The ability to maintain situational awareness under stress – maybe it’s time to get outdoors, play in the dirt, and “touch grass” while experiencing the excitement of applying your skills IRL. What better way than to take the field for a lively game of fastpitch softball!
Community softball has been a fixture of Island life for as long as anybody can remember, and it’s been a varsity program at Vashon High School since 1979. However, the VHS fastpitch softball team faces a major challenge: its supply of younger players has nearly dried up. All VISD’s athletic programs rely on local recreational youth sports programs to train up elementary and middle-school kids. But in recent, years girls have been dropping out of organized sports at high rates, not just locally but nationwide. For VHS, it means there may not be a softball team after 2027!
In order to “Save Our Softball,” kids need to “Come out and play ball!” The VHS softball team is partnering with Vashon Youth Baseball & Softball (VYBS) to get girls excited about playing softball again. The new “Friends in Fastpitch” clinics will pair current high school players with younger athletes in a mentorship model, emphasizing the camaraderie of softball while practicing the skills of the game. The clinics are free of charge and will take place in January and February. Coaches Tess Carman (VHS) and Lindsey Gay (VYBS) encourage island families with girls ages 8-14 to register early at vybs.net.
Maybe your young athlete has never even thrown or caught a ball? Come and give it a try! No experience is needed and equipment will be provided (but bring your own glove if you have one). Coaches and mentors will start with the basics of catching, throwing, fielding, and batting. Nothing beats the feeling of hitting a ball! Haptic controller feedback will never feel the same once you’ve done it for real.
If you already have experience playing softball or baseball, come dust off your skills and fine-tune your play. Tess Carman is the current softball coach at VHS, so this is a great introduction to varsity athletics.
After the free clinics, the spring season with VYBS runs from the end of March to mid-June, with practices twice a week plus games against other Puget Sound-area teams. As a community recreational league, VYBS prioritizes affordability: registration will be $185 for the 11U team and $230 for 14U players, which covers uniforms, equipment, field time, and safety training and background checks for coaches.
Are you and your young athlete interested? Visit vybs.net for more information and contacts. Lindsey and Tess hope to see you on the field!
