First-year coach helping young Quaker Valley softball players develop through fundamentals

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, April 20, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Quaker Valley Middle School softball coach Steve Waffensmith might have a unique name, but he has a one-size-fits-all approach to coaching the sport.

Particularly at the middle school level.

“I’d like to think that my main focus is trying to get fundamental softball being played on the field, but it has to be more than that,” Waffensmith said. “Softball and baseball can have hundreds of different scenarios once the ball is pitched.

“As much as I would like to coach every possibility, we can only cover the basics of what’s in front of us, within our capabilities, and we gradually introduce additional aspects of the game as we continue to practice and improve beyond the basic fundamentals.”

This is Waffensmith’s fourth season coaching middle school softball in some capacity. He was a QV assistant for the three previous seasons when his daughters were on the team.

Kennedy, a sophomore, and Natalie, a freshman, play varsity softball for Oakland Catholic.

Waffensmith, who resides in Aleppo Township, is his first year as QV’s middle school coach.

“Prior to that, I coached softball and baseball at the recreational level, for all age groups, for nearly 12 years,” he said. “I have really enjoyed coaching at every age level, and I continue to learn new things about the game and coaching with every season.

“With middle school, you always have a revolving door of players and talent levels. So no player is guaranteed to play the same position from game-to-game. I would, however, like to call out our eighth-grade captains, Makenna Dalton and Julianna Vescio. These girls are leading by example by being fully engaged every time they walk into practice, then transferring that to the field on game days. They are truly leaders of this team.”

Dalton and Vescio are the only eighth graders on the squad. The remaining nine girls are in seventh grade: Abigail Grimm, Grace Hopkins, Iris Jones, Aylin Leventeli, Zoey Moore, Devyn Mouas, Any Palma, Emily Ponzo and Reagan Wydra.

The only players with “defined” positions are Moore and Wydra, who share the team’s pitching duties.

The Quakers have had more than their share of postponed games this season because of weather conditions. They lost their first two games to Keystone Oaks and South Side.

“But it’s not really about wins and losses at the middle school level,” Waffensmith said. “We have a fairly young group of girls this season, with nearly half of the team getting interested in softball for the very first time.

“The girls are working hard at practices, whether it’s indoors in the gym or on the field. There is something new to learn every day, especially for the girls new to the game, but also for the veteran players that have been playing for years.”

Waffensmith is 46 and employed as a software engineer. He competed in baseball in high school.

His young Quakers team lost its third game this season April 14 at Ambridge.

“With such a young team, we’re not really overly concerned with the wins and losses,” Waffensmith said. “But wins will create confidence and excitement for the girls, so we want to build up to getting that first win under our belt. Every game we try to improve. We try to increase the number of quality, fundamental plays with every game. And if the girls continue to work hard, like they are, they know they will see that quality-play count increase, and success will follow.

“Ultimately, obviously, I want to see these girls improve as softball players, but, mostly, I want to see them continue to develop an enjoyment for playing and watching the game and, hopefully, continue their softball journey outside of the middle school program.”

QV’s first-year coach doesn’t waffle much when it comes to explaining things during practice. And with just three games being played so far, the Quakers have been allotted much practice time.

“I want to express how proud I am of the girls in regard to how hard they are working and how engaged they are through the learning process,” Waffensmith said. “They say I talk too much during practices, but I know a few of those words are getting through, and when you see it start to click for them on the field, it’s fun and exciting for them and for me.”

Tags: Quaker Valley