It is the top of the first inning for the Wilmington Friends baseball team! All of the baseball athletes are gearing up for an exciting season commencing in early March. This spring, Olivia Billitto ’20 plans to play on the school’s baseball team. Billitto is a new student to the Wilmington Friends community, and is passionate about playing softball. Billitto has played softball since she was seven and believes that she should be able to play baseball, since the school does not offer her sport of choice. Although baseball is typically a male-dominated sport, Billitto, along with  Mikayla Echevarria ‘18, will be the only female students playing on the high school’s baseball team this year. Wilmington Friends promotes equality and individuality and is open to the idea of a non-traditional approach to the athletic program.

In fact, this is not the first time at Friends school that a female student has played on a men’s team. In the early 2000s, Friends did not offer a women’s soccer team, so three female students played on the men’s team. Corey Leader ’02, Kyle Holsinger-Johnson ’01, and Olivia Clyne ’01 were some of the first girls to ever play on a male-dominant team. “Those girls were playing on the team when my sons were. It was a start to something new,” noted Richard Kittle, head of the athletic department. This created a controversy in the school, but after a large amount of community support, the athletic program offered a women’s soccer team for female soccer players. Additionally, Billitto is not the only female student to ever play on the Friends baseball team. In 2004 there was one female student who played on the men’s baseball team, named Colleen Farrell ’04. There has not been the same amount of support for the formation of a women’s softball team as there was for a women’s soccer team, due to the amount of student interest.

Billitto, who has played softball for the past seven years, is excited to join but also a little bit nervous. “I believe that girls should be able to play on a boy’s team if there isn’t a female version offered,” states Billitto. Billitto currently plays on the Delaware Cobras travel softball team. Although there are a few differences between baseball and softball, such as pitching and the size of the ball that is used, Billitto is still confident in her ability to play. Billitto plays second base, which is one of the more important positions in baseball. The transition from softball to baseball is not a particularly tough one, because of the similarities the sports share.

One of the benefits of going to a Quaker school is that the administration is open-minded and values inclusiveness. Clearly, the community is supportive of those who go against the status quo such as Billitto. “Olivia is really passionate about what she does. She gives 110% at everything. She does what she loves, no matter what other people think,” expressed Ajala Elmore ’19, one of Billitto’s close friends who also plays softball. Billitto joined baseball like any other student did. She has shown strong skills in the sport of baseball therefore should be able to join the team despite the fact that she is female.

When it comes to athletics, hard work and passion are key to any athlete in accomplishing their goals. Billitto is a prime example of this key idea. With her talent and understanding of the sport, she and her team have the opportunity to come together and have a successful season. In a community that is so diverse and accepting to all, the focus should not be on one’s differences. With a history with diverse athletic teams, Friends is optimistic about their ability to carry this tradition into the future.