West Side Little League board member Bill Getz didn’t have to look far to find his motivation in starting a youth softball league at West Side Little League.
“I felt being a board member with two daughters, it was time to start softball at West Side,” Getz said. “My oldest played baseball and was a little timid playing with the boys and I knew other girls in the same boat so it was time to start a softball league.”
Long a haven for baseball greatness, WSLL now enters it’s second season hosting local softball with Getz serving as commissioner. Getz saw in his own household the need and with the help of Hamilton High softball coach Steve Heckman and Hamilton High assistant Athletic Director Tyler Belew came up with a plan.
The inaugural season in 2016 had 26 girls on two teams with that number growing to 38this year on three teams. West Side features teams at the coach pitch level as well as 10U and 12U teams.
“The board was hesitant at first but everyone seems like they like it now,” Getz said. “We have a great foundation and we are definitely growing. We started from scratch. We got uniforms, field time and organized games.”
Having an advocate in Heckman helped. The long time coach of the Big Blue was thrilled when Getz approached him about a feeder program. For years Heckman has seen Greater Miami Conference powers Mason, Lakota
East and Lakota West flourish with a feeder program and sees the long term potential for his Big Blue program.
“For me personally, I am very excited to team up with West Side to create a local feeder system,” Heckman said. “Bill Getz has been fantastic in helping get kids to our winter and summer clinics. The local kids get to use our fields which we take a lot of pride in to practice and play games. The main goal is to make it a positive growth experience for the girls and West Side has stepped up to help us out with their resources. It has been nothing but a positive. “
For me personally, I am very excited to team up with West Side to create a local feeder system, Heckman said. Bill Getz has been fantastic in helping get kids to our winter and summer clinics.
Getz said Belew was instrumental in helping getting the league off the ground, citing Belew’s work in helping let the league utilize the fields at Hamilton High.
“(Heckman) has been great as well as well as Belew,” Getz said. “Being able to use top notch facilities at Hamilton High as well as getting access to the Hamilton High coaching staff and players has a been a big plus.
“All our players attend clinics at Hamilton High and get evaluated by the staff and players. The kids really like working with the players at Hamilton High. ‘
The teams follow the same format as the boys in terms of length of season and participate in the Southwestern Ohio Girls Fastpitch Softball Association (SOGFSA).
League play is regionalized with Hamilton playing teams from Madison, Edgewood and Hamilton-Fairfield which has teams composed of non West Side Hamilton residents.
“It is pretty much the same exact schedule as the boys with interleague play this year,” Getz said, adding the teams play some games at West Side complex as well as playing away games.
Long time WSLL manager Kenny Coomer is also an advocate, citing the growth for the league and the positive response from the parents and kids.
“It’s long overdue,” Coomer said. “We have talked about it for many years but with the help from Hamilton High School we were able to get it started. This is only the second year and it has already doubled in how many girls are playing. We hope it keeps growing.”