Weekly Updates

What a weekend for Geneva Valkyrie softball!

From creative dugout costumes and the fan-favorite pumpkin smash to high-energy competition across the dirt, our teams brought incredible spirit, grit, and sisterhood to the annual Field of Screams tournament. With four age divisions competing, our athletes proved what dedication and teamwork look like at every single stage of their development.

Our youngest squad tackled their very first round robin experience this weekend! Stepping onto the tournament stage brings brand-new energy, faster game speeds, and big moments. The girls competed with heart, learned valuable game-situation lessons, and set a fantastic foundation for tournament play moving forward.

The 10U squad brought steady focus and great hustle to the dirt, earning a solid game victory while continuing to sharpen their situational awareness, base running, and defensive communication.

With strong execution at the plate and locked-in defense, the 11U team put together a powerful performance, capturing TWO wins on the weekend and showing great resilience across competitive matchups.

Battling through high-level bracket play, the 13U roster delivered big hits and disciplined innings, finishing with two wins and a tie!

A weekend like this succeeds only because of the people behind the scenes:

A special shoutout goes to the fellow Valkyrie players from other levels who showed up on their off time to volunteer, field-prep, run stations, and cheer on their younger sisters. That support is the true definition of program sisterhood.

Thank you to every family member who gave hours to help keep dugouts organized, fields running smoothly, and events moving without a hitch. And huge appreciation to the creative hands behind this year’s festive decorations and spooky setup. It transformed the park into an unforgettable experience for the players and fans alike.

Thank you to Kimmer's Ice Cream for giving everyone a chance to sate their sweet tooth on Saturday, and to Wiltse's Farm for being our go to source for our pumpkin smash!

Thank you to everyone who bundled up, packed the bleachers, and cheered loud all weekend long!

Fall is in full swing, and Fall Ball isn't over yet! Our Valkyrie teams are gearing up for one of the most anticipated, high-energy events on our fall calendar: the annual Field of Screams tournament!

This weekend, standard uniforms are taking a backseat to creativity as our athletes take the diamond dressed in their Halloween finest. It is the perfect blend of girls fastpitch, team spirit, and seasonal fun. Whether you have a favorite on the field or you are simply looking for a great way to spend a fall weekend with the family in Geneva, we would love to see our sidelines and bleachers packed!

Here is everything you need to know:

• Location: Mill Creek Community Park (940 Prairie Clover Dr., Geneva)
• Saturday, October 17: 
• 10U: 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am
• 13U: 1:30pm, 3pm, 4:30pm
• Sunday, October 18: 
• 9U: 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am
• 11U: 1:30pm, 3pm, 4:30pm

🍦 Saturday Sweet Treat: The Kimmer’s Ice Cream Truck will be rolling into the park at 12:30 PM on Saturday. Be sure to grab a scoop between games to celebrate the weekend!

💥 The Pumpkin Smash Derby: Stick around through the final outs! We will be hosting our crowd-favorite Pumpkin Smash Derby immediately following every session. Watch the team take some massive swings for a messy, hilarious celebration.

🍿 Concessions: Drinks and stadium snacks available at the concession stand both days.

Our athletes have put in tremendous work this fall developing their skills, building team chemistry, and representing Geneva with pride. Let’s show them the full strength of our community support. Grab your chairs, throw an extra blanket in the trunk, and come make some serious noise for our Valkyries!

13U Update! Avery Semyck of 11U and Allie Helland of 10U stepped up with zero notice within 30 minutes of gametime on Monday night due to injury, health, and volleyball that took a toll on 13U participation at the last possible moment. Those two played great left field and catcher while also going 4-5 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Shoutout to the 13U girls for being so positive and welcoming all night long. 12 hits is the high point for the Fall season and shows that their hard work in September is going to pay dividends in October.

We still need some help to make our upcoming Field of Screams a success. Please see the sign up genius for ways to assist!

Sign up here:

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0A45ADAC2BA3F85-66080186-field?useFullSite=false

"You know, we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening." That quote from Field of Dreams rings true as the Geneva Valkyrie headed out to the place where that magic was made many years ago. The smiles on the faces of young and old were magical on Saturday evening as the players walked the corn as a team and with their families. They had more than just a catch out on the field. 11U and 13U spent wonderful moments together at the Field of Dreams movie site along with building strong bonds back at the hotel for what was the longest road trip they've had as softball players.

The 13U squad competed in the 14U open division. They jumped out to leads in both of their pool play games. The day started when Maggie Helland ripped a ball into left field plating Kendall Harbach and Escher Matheny, but she wasn't done there as she kept running all the way home as she drew throw after throw from the Expos defense. Defensively, Mary Casserly caught a line drive shot out to left field, and Sophia Behrens had a clutch fly ball catch in center. Hadley Chmiel threw two innings across the two pool play games with an incredible 85% strikes thrown and zero earned runs. Game 2 saw the Valkyrie score runs in every inning. Peyton Christensen and Escher Matheny had clutch hits in the middle of the lineup, while Maycee Rizer smoked a double to cap off the day offensively. Kendall Harbach gunned down a runner trying to take 3rd base as Maggie Helland applied the tag. Bracket play opened with a strong start. Maddie Bulak threw out multiple batters at third base. Morgan Kulaga made a clutch catch for a third out in right field. Lucy Ziebka controlled the game behind the plate. The girls worked as a team and grew as players facing tough competition out of state. 

The 11U Valkyries had a memorable weekend in Iowa!

We challenged the girls by playing up in a 12U Open tournament and faced some great competition from teams across Iowa and Minnesota. We learned a ton, competed hard and got better as a team throughout the weekend.

Outside of the diamond, the girls had plenty of time to bond and make memories together. From pizza and swimming at the hotel to breakfast waffles in the morning, these are the core memories that make GSA standout as an organization.

One of the highlights was the skills competition Saturday night. Each girl competed in one of three events: Home Run Derby, Speedster or Fast Hands.

A special shoutout to Claire Lower for finishing in the Top 3 of the Home Run Derby!

A great weekend of softball, competition and memories for the 11U Valkyries!

Softball is back in full swing for the Geneva Valkyrie! Valkyrie 10U opened up their season playing against the Fox Valley Titans and the Glen Ellyn Phillies over the weekend and is excited for their upcoming Wasco tournament this weekend. Valkyrie 11U will face the Rockets this Saturday. Valkyrie 13U battled it out this weekend against the Wasco Warriors, AHQ Dupage, MSP Stars, and Eclipse. Mary Casserly and Hadley Chmiel led the hitting as both had doubles against high level competition. Maycee Rizer earned an MVP medal for her relief work on the rubber, while Lucy Ziebka earned her medal for stellar work behind the plate. They will face the Batavia Bulldogs this Saturday!

Spirit Wear:

Grab your spirit wear for this year at: https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/illinois/geneva/geneva-softball-associaton

Hitting Evaluation:

Parents should have received an email last night from Stryde Training, and can contact Gabi Nilles directly for your daughter's hitting assessment which will include the corresponding drills.

Indoor Facility Partners

Champion Craft

303 N 4th Street

St. Charles

GSA has partnered with Champion Craft for our Wednesday night immersive hitting program this winter. As part of that relationship, Champion Craft offers all GSA families 15% off lessons and the option for $39.99/month for unlimited cage use from now until December. Call to confirm pricing. Check availability here: https://portal.thefuturesapp.com/c962fdaf-6357-4494-ae24-1f7238c3e4d7

Top Pick

769 Heartland Dr Unit J

Sugar Grove

GSA continues our partnership with Top Pick for weekend winter practices. Top Pick offers a 10% discount on cages. Please call beforehand and then state that you are with GSA to receive the discount before payment. You can check availability here: https://toppickathletics.ezfacility.com/Rentals. With the 10% discount, a standard tunnel for 30-minutes would be $27, and $40.5 for an hour, $36 with a machine for 30-minutes, and $49.5 for an hour with the machine. If anyone is interested in coming in over 5 times, Top Pick can also work out a package deal.