One Person to Thank is April Beltz

By Lyse McGilvery

Back in the 1980’s, in the San Lorenzo Valley, there were many opportunities for boys to play team sports, but not for girls. One 32-year resident and mother of five, April Beltz, decided to rectify that situation in 1988 by helping form the Gal’s League for 5-15 year-olds interested in softball. No longer did they need to go to Scotts Valley to play team sports.  In fact, because of April’s work, now girls from Santa Cruz and San Jose come to SLV to continue playing after the season is over.

Given the success of this league, April founded the traveling Mountain Dream Team in 1995 for girls aged 8 to 18 who are into softball. This league is for girls that want to play competitive softball and they travel all over California and the western United States to play. April volunteers on so many little league, basketball and softball teams, setting up fund-raisers to keep the girls’ programs going, and serving on boards, that it has become a full-time job, along with her job as a coach at SLV Junior High and High Schools. Our daughters are grateful.