📸 Future meets present: Few Valley View’s state champion players and coaches volunteer alongside dozens of young athletes at today’s softball clinic at Valley View.
Written By: Jeric Yurkanin | Agape Freedom Sports |
In the fall, Northeastern Pennsylvania beats to the drum of football. Friday nights under the lights, Saturday afternoons at college stadiums, and Sundays packed into living rooms and bars where diehards scream at TV screens—it’s tradition. NEPA bleeds football.
Earlier today, I grabbed lunch at Benny’s Restaurant on Main Avenue in Peckville before heading up to Valley Views softball clinic.. Let me just say—if you haven’t had their double-crusted steak and cheese pizza, put it on your list. Best in the area, no doubt. (They’ve got locations in Scranton and Clarks Summit too—worth the stop.) Inside, the scene was pure NEPA: wild cheers, fans on their feet, eyes glued to the NFL broadcast. That’s what Sundays look like around here.
Meanwhile, just a few miles away, Valley View state champion head coach Mia Wascura was running a clinic—not for college or pro football hopefuls, but for the next generation of softball players.
Because here’s the twist: while football rules the headlines, another sport is quietly building its empire in NEPA—girls’ varsity softball.
“Take a look at our classifications—1A, 3A, 4A, 5A—and you’ll see teams representing Pennsylvania at the highest level,” Wascura said. “A few of them were even named State Players of the Year. Others came close—two Tunkhannock girls, Valley View’s Abbi Call as a runner-up. And former Cougar Taylor Cawley was runner up as pitcher of year 4A classification.”
Valley View head softball coach Mia Wascura speaks during an interview after hosting the program’s youth clinic.
She’s not exaggerating. The résumé is stacked. Mia Galella of Holy Cross (Class A) was State Player of the Year before heading to Boston College. Valley View’s Kalli Karwowski claimed the 4A honor and is now suiting up at Penn State. Pitchers of the Year, runners-up, and a growing list of Division I commitments prove it: softball isn’t just keeping pace in NEPA—it’s sprinting ahead.
And while NFL fans were glued to their screens this weekend, Wascura was on the field with about 50 kids, grades one through six, at Valley View’s softball complex. Alongside her assistants and several of her 2025 4A state champion Cougars, she poured her energy into stations—hitting, outfield, fielding—breaking the game down for the youngest players in the valley.
That’s the thing about Wascura: she doesn’t coast. She eats, breathes, and lives softball. It’s the fire that delivered her Cougars gold last spring, and the same fire that’s turning her into one of the most respected coaches in the region.
Among her helpers was Cora Castellani—a steady second baseman last season who’s sliding over to shortstop this spring. She’s not only stepping into a bigger role on the field but also giving back to the sport already.
“I wanted to take the opportunity to help the youth and be here,” Castellani said. “The younger athletes will definitely benefit—learning from a state championship team, seeing how we practice, and how we carry that into games. As they get older, they’ll be able to use it themselves.”
Cora Castellani during an interview with me following the Valley View softball clinic.
Cora smiled and added, “It felt good helping the kids. Some came up with questions, some already knew who I was. It was cool that they felt comfortable enough to do that. What we did today was special—I really enjoyed it.”
The camp looked like the future in action: kids lugging their bats, sporting travel-ball and rec jerseys, even a few rocking softball shades like they meant business. The next wave of talent was on display, and the foundation was being laid one rep, one drill, one word of encouragement at a time.
I found myself listening just as intently. Soon, I’ll be launching my own 18U travel team alongside William Sandly and Margaret Adolfson. Watching Wascura was like attending a masterclass. Her speeches weren’t just for the kids—they were for anyone who wants to understand what makes champions.
“Most of these kids came from different schools and areas,” Wascura said. “I wanted to share my passion and love of the game. When young players can learn from high school athletes who’ve been through it, it means more. Our program is about giving back—and today proved it.”
Football may own the fall in NEPA. But make no mistake—softball is rising. And with Wascura at the helm, her Cougars aren’t just building players—they’re building a legacy. Don’t be surprised if Valley View makes yet another run at state gold.
Thanks to some of our fall sponsors below:
Agape Freedom Sports LLC 
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