Michelle Kolodny Named First Female Youth Baseball of New Rochelle President

By Stephen E. Lipken

For the first time in its 43-year history, Youth Baseball of New Rochelle (YBNR) has elected its first female President, Michelle Kolodny. An active Beth El Synagogue Center member,. Kolodny has been involved in the league for many years, volunteering her time for a few seasons before becoming the Commissioner of the Rookies Recreational Division and subsequently being nominated to the Board last year.

YBNY is a league offering recreational baseball and softball divisions for children from Pre-Kindergarten through High School. They also have a more competitive Travel Division for baseball and softball.  The Baseball Travel Division, the Huguenots, consists of 6 teams ranging from 8U through 12U, while the Softball Travel Division, the Diamonds has teams ranging from 8U through 14U.  YBNR plays at Pinebrook Park, Isaac Young, Flowers Park, Lincoln Park and New Rochelle High School.

Kolodny was a varsity softball pitcher for the Scarsdale Raiders for three seasons until she graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1996.  She has lived in New Rochelle for the past 9 years with her husband, Noah Kolodny and sons Spencer, 14 Levi, 10 and Micah, 9.

Ms. Kolodny first became involved with YBNR when she did not believe that Spencer’s coaches were helping him to develop a love of the game as he was not given the same opportunities to play a variety of positions that other children were given.

She is excited to bring about various changes within the league to grow YBNR so that it will be a recreational league for all children in New Rochelle while also strengthening the league’s Travel Program.