The Athlete

“How good does a female athlete have to be before we just call her an athlete?” – Unknown

This quote exemplifies the struggles women have faced in the realm of sports, especially a sport such as baseball. Deb Bettencourt wanted to play baseball and make it possible for all girls to play baseball, and she did. This is her story of how she became involved with baseball.

“In the spring of 1981, one of my friends came home from school with a flyer for the Pawtucket Slaterettes. It advertised for an all girls baseball league at the local park. I begged my parents to sign me up. My friend and I went to tryouts and I was scared to death. I had never participated in an organized sport before.”

This was the beginning of Deb’s career as a female baseball player; or, I should just say, that this was the beginning of her career as a baseball player with the Slaterettes.

Deb started out in the instructional level of the Slaterettes. Back then, kids started playing at an older age (Bettencourt was 10). There was no tee, live pitching, and long games. Each player got a chance to play almost any position she wanted.

“I probably have never played in the outfield and I really don’t know why that is… probably when I played I really had no fear of the ball and I really didn’t care if I got hit with a line drive.”

Deb played basketball, ran track, and played slow-pitch softball in high school because “it was unheard of to try out for the boys’ baseball team at that time.” As she put it, “softball sucked” and baseball was always what she wanted to do.

“Baseball was what I wanted to do even though I knew then there was nowhere to go. Then, a ‘League of Their Own’ didn’t come out, you didn’t know anything about these all-American people. It was just something to do for fun. We kind of knew we were weird. I mean we weren’t doing what most girls were doing. That’s the cool part of it and I don’t think then I realized just how cool it was.”

Deb spent very little time in college after high school, and therefore did not have any interest in playing sports in college. Given the chance, she does not think she would have wanted to play softball anyway because at that point you do not just play for fun anymore.

“I’ll coach competitively, but for me personally I just want to be able to have fun just like I want other kids to have fun.”

The way it was timed, at the age of 18, Deb could no longer play for the Slaterettes and her only options were to either coach or go play softball. Again, baseball was what she wanted to do.

In her late teens and early twenties, Deb got more involved in coaching and organizing because she had a full time job and little else to do with the rest of her time. Deb decided to occupy her time with her passion; she was going to be involved with baseball any way she could.

And what advice does she have for any girl that wants to defy public misconceptions and play baseball?

“DO IT!!! If you don't want to play in a boys' league, then start your own! Don't let anyone tell you that you are weird for wanting to play. There are girls all over the country and the world that are doing it. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of such a great movement.”