Brooke Howlan

Growing up in a sports family and as the daughter of an athlete, Brooke Howlan said she was first inspired to take up sports by her mom. With a mom who was a former bowler, softball player, and volleyball player, Howlan remembers hours of backyard lessons. But she’ll never forget her mom’s unwavering support on game days.

“I’d say she coached me a lot at home, and she also cheered me on at games,” she said. “She wouldn’t try to overcoach during games and would let my coaches handle that, and then she’d help me at home with anything my coach told me to work on.”

On the diamond, Howlan says she loves being in the circle. This much is obvious, with her 36 career varsity pitching wins and 399 career strike out for Schalmont. She says that even at a young age, she said pitching appealed to her.

“It was really exciting, and it gave me an adrenaline rush,” she said. “I liked having the power of controlling the tempo on the field. What also led me to pitching was my mom because she was a pitcher growing up too.”

Next year, Howlan will suit up for Utica University’s softball team under the guidance of Head Coach Rinae Olsen, who is also a Schalmont alum. Howlan says Coach Olsen was a big reason why she chose to play at Utica.

“The whole coaching staff and all the girls were very welcoming,” she said.

Howlan has taken every opportunity to be a welcoming presence to younger girls in her community. She mentors and organizes local fundraising events for the United States Bowling Congress, helps with Schalmont’s freshman orientation, and helps with clinics put on by the Guilderland Girls Softball program. Howlan says being a part of these events reminds her where she came from.

“It’s so fun watching them grow because it feels like I was just there,” she said. “It’s really fun to watch them, and it’s almost like watching myself.”

This year, Schalmont’s softball program started a new initiative that saw the varsity team work with the JV and Modified players. Her coach, Kaley Brindisi, was impressed with the way Howlan took it upon herself to help younger players get better.

“Brooke embraced this leadership role immediately,” Brindisi said. “She didn’t just show up to work with the modified team; she arrived with drills planned and designed to develop the pitching skills of our younger athletes. Watching her volunteer her time to teach, encourage, and inspire the next generation of players has been incredibly rewarding.”

Hugo McGroty, Schalmont Girls Varsity Bowling Coach, also recognized Howlan’s ability to help others improve.

“Brooke has been the captain the last two years and has always led by example, being prepared for each match herself,” he said. “In a tough match this year, Brooke explained to her teammates how to make an adjustment that resulted in a win that day. She always has a positive attitude and is willing to do extra practice to help her be the best team player she can be.”

Howlan will continue to make an impact on the next generation of student-athletes as she plans to study adolescent education and math at Utica. After school, she says she hopes to be a teacher and coach.

“I really like being able to help kids,” Howlan said. “I really like math, and I really like softball, so I want to help them grow. I want more people to have an interest in math because I feel like a lot of people don’t like math as much. I also want to give back in the same way others helped me.”

Being named to the CDSWOY class is, according to Howlan, a testament to all the effort she’s given over the years.

“This award means a lot to me because it feels like a lot of my work paid off,” she said. “A lot of the coaches who helped me, along with my teammates, really pushed me to be where I am today. I’m just thankful for all of them.”