YORKTOWN, N.Y. —Gianna Degaltini knows what it takes to play Division 1 college softball, as she was an infielder at Canisius for five seasons (including one as a grad student in 2021).
“One of the best experiences I have had is being a Division 1 athlete at Canisius College,” Degaltini said.
Her college career came after she graduated from Yorktown in 2016, where she was both an All-Section and All-League player, batting .463 during her four-year varsity career with the Huskers.
Degaltini is back with the Huskers, as she was recently named their new softball coach.
“When I think back to my high school days, I always remember saying to myself, my family, and my best friend’s dad, how cool it would be to be given the opportunity to coach at Yorktown,” Degaltini said. “There’s something about representing Yorktown, not only as a student but as an athlete. You know what the expectations are.”
Degaltini learned under some of the best while playing at Yorktown, including Ryan Iamurri, a former University of Alabama player who is now that school’s coordinator of player development, and Christa Leighton and Jess Balas, who played Division 1 college ball at Seton Hall University and UCONN respectively.
“From my own experience I was lucky enough to have been coached by some really great coaches at Yorktown,” Degaltini said. “Christa Leighton was a coach that I looked up to and who I always tried to embody for her positivity and dedication to the program. Jess Balas was also one of my coaches who supported me and continuously pushed me to be my best. Ryan Iamurri was my coach my senior year and I am fortunate to have experienced her coaching style. She had high expectations for us which drove us to want to succeed.”
Prior to being named head coach at Yorktown, Degaltini was an assistant coach for four years at Byram Hills.
“I worked alongside two really great coaches (John McNamara and Rich Guaragna) who enjoyed coaching softball,” Degaltini said. “I learned a lot from both of them. Not only just the physical coaching but also the preparation that goes into the season before it even starts. I am currently the head coach of a 10u travel softball team based out of New Jersey called the New Jersey Thunder. Both of these experiences have helped prepare me for this opportunity.”
In addition to coaching, Degaltini is a special education teacher at PS 121 in the Bronx.
“It has provided me with an understanding of how to deliver instruction in the classroom, [and] I am now able to transfer that understanding onto the softball field,” Degaltini said.
Degaltini believes one key to a successful program is team cohesion.
“My goal is to provide the girls with team bonding and team-building activities to help foster a family-like atmosphere,” Degaltini said. “If there’s one thing that I can say from my own experience is that having a team where everyone feels seen, respected, and heard, is the stepping stone for a successful season. Once we have that, there will be no stopping us.”
She also hopes to build a program with a strong future.
“My goal is to aim for long-term success by setting goals like winning leagues and furthering the development of a sustainable program that nurtures talent for years to come,” Degaltini said.
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