Keeley Kristel

Sports have always been a part of life for Keeley Kristel. She’s been playing softball and basketball since she was five years old. She said she had a tough time deciding what her favorite sport was. “I went back and forth between softball and basketball for a long time,” Kristel said.

For most of her life, Kristel was so successful that she didn’t need to decide. She led Scotia-Glenville High School in three sports: volleyball, basketball, and softball. Kristel was named a Foothills all-star in all three sports while also serving as a leader to her teammates. “What truly distinguishes Keeley is her character,” said Marcella Tebbano, the athletic director at Scotia-Glenville. “She is a natural leader who uplifts those around her.”

Eventually, Kristel decided to pursue softball as her top sport. “I felt like I had a lot more of a drive for it,” she said. “I was very passionate about playing, and I found comfort in pitching.” Even at a difficult position like pitcher, Kristel says she doesn’t often get anxious when in the circle. “It’s something I’m very comfortable with,” she said. “I like being in control.”

That comfort in the pitcher’s circle served her well. She pitched her way to three straight Foothills 1^st team all-star selections and two MVPs. She’ll even make the jump to pitching in college when she heads to Springfield College next year, a place she says uniquely suits her affinity for athletics. “It’s a very sports-oriented school,” Kristel said. “That’s a lot of what I have done growing up, so the campus felt great for me.”

But even with all the accolades she’s gathered in her softball career, Kristel’s biggest impact on the softball field came when she had the chance to share the circle with a special guest.

Kristel connected with a substitute teacher named Mrs. Dutelle. Mrs. Dutelle also played high school softball, coached in local youth leagues, and had a daughter currently playing in the youth leagues as well. A connection formed quickly as the two bonded over their love for softball.

Later that year, Mrs. Dutelle suffered a pulmonary embolism. Kristel reached out to her softball coach and started brainstorming with her to find anything she could do to help.

Kristel started working on a fundraiser at the beginning of the school year. Her first idea was a youth clinic, but it would have been too late in the season to host an event outdoors. With more time to plan, Kristel and her coach decided on something even bigger. The two planned a season-opening tournament hosted by the Scotia-Glenville varsity team as a fundraiser for Mrs. Dutelle. They enlisted local youth players to make raffle items and operate the concession stand to raise additional funds. “We wanted to do something to raise awareness and help her family,” Kristel said. “So we made ribbons and had a whole tournament out of it.”

Before the first game, Kristel got to show Mrs. Dutelle’s daughter to the place she felt most comfortable: the pitcher’s circle. For just a moment, Kristel was able to offer another player the chance to feel that same comfort she feels when she’s pitching.

In the end, Kristel and the SGHS softball team raised over $4,000 for the Dutelle family. “It was honestly a blessing”, Kristel said. “I think everybody heard what happened, and they were so supportive and wanted to help their family as much as they could.”

Kristel expressed her excitement to join such a special group of women who have been awarded the CDSWOY.

“Becoming a winner of the Capital District Sportswoman of the Year Award has been amazing,” she said. “To see the accomplishments of the other recipients and to realize I am now a part of such an inspiring group is truly flattering.”