Few individuals have impacted local sports as much as Rebecca “Becky” Ahart. And it’s impossible to mention her name without also acknowledging her late husband, Fred Ahart. Together, they made a significant mark on sports around the region, but Becky has emerged as a trailblazer in advocating for women’s sports on her own. Since putting on her coaching hat back in 1985, Ahart has amassed over 270 wins during her career. Becky Ahart has been an important, integral part of helping shape the youth sports community for over three decades. Ahart worked in the Roscoe Central School District as a secretary in the school, starting in the guidance office and ultimately working as secretary for the superintendent before retiring.

Rockland: Rebecca “Becky” Ahart

Forging her own path

“At the time, there were very few female coaches in the area, myself,  in Tri-Valley, and Narrowsburg, but not many.” Ahart shared that stepping into the role as coach “felt natural.” Ahart coached during the 1970-71 season but took on the full-time position of varsity basketball coach again in 1987. As she continued her coaching career, she eventually became involved with the Section IX committee. 

What do you enjoy the most about coaching?

“I enjoy the camaraderie with the girls, being able to teach them something that they didn’t know and move them forward so they can feel good about themselves. And meeting players and coaches from other schools.”

A contrast to Ahart’s days at Candor Central School in Candor, NY. At the time, girls did not participate in competitive sports. The only sports option for girls being offered at the time was called “play days,” through the Girls Athletic Association (GAA). The GAA offered soccer, hockey, basketball, and softball. “But nothing competitive like there is today,” Ahart said. The GAA cametogether to play just one night a week during the school year. “I didn’t enjoy playing basketball unless I could be what’s called a rover. We had two rovers, a guard, and a forward.” A rover refers to a defensive strategy where one player (often a quick, athletic forward) roams freely to disrupt the offense, double-team ball handlers, or cover gaps in a zone defense. Rovers were able to run the entire court, but all the other players were only allowed to stay on one side. “I did not like that,” Ahart said, amused. 

Title IX came soon after Ahart graduated, and since then, the number of girls participating in high school sports has skyrocketed.

How important is it for girls to participate in competitive sports?

“I think it’s very important, I think it’s wonderful that they have it. It develops confidence, it takes them through situations where they want to accomplish something, and they have to be dedicated to working with their teammates to do that, and work through obstacles.” Learning to overcome challenges is something Ahart feels is very important for growth and learning from others, as it equips students with resilience and a deeper understanding of what they’re capable of and helps them to build stronger connections with those around them. “I think it’s [competitive sports] extremely important for kids, girls especially!”Ahart spoke with pride about having former WNBA player and current head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team, Dawn Staley, put on a basketball clinic in the small gym at Roscoe with 200 kids in attendance in the late nineties. 

The importance of women in leadership roles in sports

“I’ve known several that have been, and probably my very favorite coach in women’s athletics was Pat Summitt, who served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012 and is considered one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time. “Her leadership roles were remarkable. Women do belong in sports, and they should be running programs and encouraging other women to get involved and stay involved.”

A historical moment for women’s history

On March 3, 2026, the Eldred Girls basketball team became the first team to receive the newly named Rebecca Ahart Trophy for the Section IX Class D Girls Basketball Championship, in recognition of Coach Ahart’s decades of leadership, excellence, and service to girls basketball across the region. It was a total surprise to Ahart, afterwards finding out that she was the last to know about it. When asked about her feelings about the honor, she said, “I can tell you that it meant more to me than I can fully express. Basketball has shaped so many memories for me. I’ve made so many friendships through it, learned life lessons, for both me and my players, and now to know that my name will be connected to the girls who are dedicated, the teams who put in hard work, it’s incredibly special. I hope that the trophy reminds athletes that dedication, sportsmanship, and love for the game are what truly matter, and I’m very proud that my name will be connected with that. 

Women’s History Month is celebrated in March and honors the contributions of women to American History, culture, and society. Acknowledging local women in our own community is essential for educating future generations about the women who set the standard and broke barriers. In the sports arena, which largely showcases men’s accomplishments, it is equally important. Women’s roles in sports are not a rare thing; whether as a coach, assistant coach, many have experienced their involvement in some way. Despite making up nearly half of student-athletes, women are significantly underrepresented in top leadership roles. The number of female Athletic Directors (AD’s) has doubled since the early 90’s, but progress remains slow. Sullivan County is lucky to have two!

Eldred:  Amanda Zgrodek, Coach “Z”

Eldred’s AD, Amanda Zgrodek, known as “Coach Z” to the students, comes from a sports family. “We are a sports family, we always have been. Zgrodek’s brother currently coaches in Middletown and her father had a successful fifty-year coaching career in Port Jervis and Middletown. Following in his footsteps, Zgrodek began her own coaching career as the varsity cheerleading coach for four years, after which she served as the volleyball coach for ten years. Zgrodek taught kindergarten Physical Education in the Middletown School District for twenty years before deciding to switch gears to Athletic Director at a much smaller school district in Eldred. “I needed a change,” Zgrodek shared. “And when this position opened up, I was still able to teach a little bit while working in administration and get more involved in sports, and it just seemed perfect.” It was a bit of an adjustment for Zgrodek, coming from a large district like Middletown to a much smaller Eldred, but she was ready to take on the challenge. “I wanted them to know that just because we’re a small school, we could still have that big school atmosphere, evidenced in the immense success of many of their sports teams this year. “Ninety five percent of our fall and winter teams have also been Scholar athlete teams.

 What is a typical day like?

“Every day is different,” Zgrodek said. On the day of the interview, it just happened to be the first day of varsity spring sports practices. “Everyone wanted to be outside, but the fields are not quite ready to be used.” Even though no two days are the same Zgrodek embraces the variety. Game days are longer, which can be close to 12 hours, and Athletic Directors are required to attend home games. “ I like to be here for practices as well, especially for the first week or so, just in case. Not all days are that long, Zgrodek shared, but it’s all about trying to find that balance.

What do you feel you bring to this position that you think is unique?

As a woman and a mother, Zgrodek says she approaches the position with care. “Sometimes they just need a snack, other times they’ll come into my office to just sit and talk. In this position, I want the athletes to know that they’re cared for.”

Is there something about Women’s History Month that stands out to you?

“It’s important for women to stick together and raise each other up. Let’s do this together!” 

Fallsburg: Amanda Stevens

AD Stevens’ background in sports began at a very young age, as she participated in a diverse range of activities, including t-ball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, track, and snowboarding. She found her love of education while teaching snowboarding to young kids at Windham Mountain for 15 years. “I became nationally certified through an organization called AASI, the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. Stevens stepped away from coaching to complete her graduate degree in education. Stevens has an undergraduate degree in Art Education, but knew she wanted to complete her master’s degree in health education. I’m fascinated with the subject of health, specifically nutrition, but art has always been a passion. I dueled between health and P.E. for a while because finding a job in just health would’ve been difficult.”

Stevens found the town of Fallsburg through OLAS, the online job search platform for K12 education. On a visit to Fallsburg, Stevens shared that it reminded her a lot of Cairo-Durham, NY, where she grew up as a child. In 2017, is when she officially made the move to Sullivan County. After a period of teaching Family Consumer Science until 2022. “…that’s when I jumped ship to athletic director.”

Stevens also enjoyed time in the district as a coach for track and field, modified cross-country, and weight room training. “I enjoyed coaching. It’s the job I regret giving up,” she said with a chuckle!

What made you take on an administrative role like AD?

Taking on more of an administrative role as AD was something she said was in the back of her mind after facing challenging experiences before coming to Fallsburg, knowing that if she were ever to take on a leadership role, then she would do things differently. In a pre-interview with Dr. Ivan Katz, Stevens quipped, “He talked me out of it at first. I had a young baby at home, and he shared with me some of the hard things that go along with the position. I took what he said to heart and decided that it just wasn’t the right time for me.” 

But luckily for Stevens, after working briefly as AD in an internship, she officially stepped into the role as full-time athletic director in June of 2023.

What do you feel you bring to this position that you think is unique?

Stevens says she brings a different approach to the job. “I want to be able to provide opportunities for kids with the best means that we can.” Last month, at the behest of some of the students, the district was able to bring back its boys varsity volleyball team after many years. “We’re a small school,” Stevens said,  “and there are ebbs and flows, but I just want them to be able to participate in something that they will remember for the rest of their lives and take those experiences of being a part of a team with them.” Over the past few years, there has been a drop in the number of kids participating. To try to offset that, Stevens says the school does their best not to cancel sports programs. In turn, they run it as an intramural program so the students still get a chance to participate and, at the same time, build up the program.

What is one thing you want your students to know?

“This is a really fun time for them. I want our programs to succeed, and I want them to get the most out of it. When you get to a point where it’s just fun, then you’ll continue to seek out ways to stay active. If you played sports when you were younger, you’re more likely to want to participate when you’re older!”