On March 4, under sorely missed sunny skies, Crescenta Valley United Softball Association kicked off its inaugural season at the Glendale Sports Complex. Born out of a merger between CSA Softball and CVGSA Softball (formerly CVLL Softball), CV United offers girls throughout the Crescenta Valley and Glendale, the opportunity to play in a single league dedicated solely to girls’ fast pitch softball.
“This merger was two years in the making,” said CV United President Armen Derian. “After years of having two leagues split the talent in our region, we finally have all of our girls playing together. One league for one community.”
According to the league’s vice president Luke Zoeller, “Both organizations had been formerly affiliated with larger baseball leagues. However, over time they found that they respectively wanted to pursue a core philosophy that could only be realized with a softball specific program aligned with the needs of the girls who participated.
“The merger not only represents the coming together of mutual interests but also the strength of dedicated experience and knowledge that our many coaches and volunteers have gained through their many years of involvement in the sport of softball.”
Glendale City Council member Zareh Sinanyan got in on the action and threw out the first pitch. Instrumental in helping the league obtain more field time, Sinanyan recognized the need for the girls in the community to have equal opportunity to playing fields. Opening ceremonies were followed by a full slate of games that extended into the early evening.
The league currently has over 220 participants, ages 4 to 14, and plans are underway to continually expand.
“We are not only offering the girls an opportunity to play games, but we are partnering with area specialists to offer clinics in areas like hitting and pitching to continually help the girls develop their skills,” added Derian.
Plans also include trips to watch UCLA and other college softball teams so the athletes can see what it’s like to play the sport at its highest level.
CV United’s season will run through mid-May and then resume in late August for fall. More information can be found at www.cvunitedsoftball.com.

Photos by John NISHIMOTO