Jill Amato doesn’t see coaching a very young team as a disadvantage, but, rather, an opportunity.

The Palisades coach and her young players made the most of that opportunity, resulting in a record number of wins and a trip to the PIAA Class 3A semifinals for the first time in school history.

For those reasons, Jill Amato is the Courier Times/Intelligencer Softball Coach of the Year.

This season was the culmination of years of hard work to rebuild a program that had five coaches in four years prior to Amato.

“My first year we had a great group of seniors, but they had experienced so much inconsistency that it was hard for them to trust another new person,” Amato said. “The next year the season was canceled due to COVID, and the following year we had a new group of inexperienced players.

“Last year we had six freshmen and that season was just about getting them to learn to work together and adjust to the high school game; they didn't feel any pressure and played freely.”

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A whole new ballgame

Palisades won the District 11 championship last season, which brought higher expectations for this year.

“This year the girls were definitely more aware of the expectations,” Amato said. “They took it a lot harder when things went wrong.”

Building trust and understanding between the players and coaches were keys for Amato.

This proved to be important in the PIAA semifinal, when the team was hampered by the field conditions. After a couple misplayed balls led to a big inning by opponent Mid Valley, Amato called timeout to reset her players' mindsets.

“I saw one of the girls with tears in her eyes and I knew I had to calm things down,” said Amato. “We were down but not out and we were going to play hard until the final out.”

Though Palisades rallied and had the bases loaded in the seventh inning, it didn’t come away with the win. The Pirates did, however, gain some valuable experience.

“The younger players can be nervous when asked to do something different,” Amato said. “I asked the infielders to play in due to the field conditions. They were hesitant but that’s where the level of trust comes in.”

Leveling the playing field

The team's lone senior this year was Amato's daughter, Ashley Amato. She also coached her older daughter Jemma Amato, who graduated in 2021.

“Having this season with Ashley was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Amato said. “I had to miss a lot of her middle school games when I started here, and it’s been incredible watching her become the player she is.”

Ashley intends to follow in her mom’s footsteps by coaching in the future, and Jill hopes to encourage her to take that path.

“We have a great mix of coaches and coaching styles in the area,” Amato said. “But I think girls need more women coaching their sports. We can be role models for girls both on and off the field.”

Palisades 2023 season by the numbers: 

• 25-3 record, most wins most in school history.

• First team to play in a state semifinal; first to make quarterfinals since 2010.

• Won District 11 title for second straight year.

• Sophomore pitcher Karlye Teman has 535 strikeouts and is on pace to break the school’s record of 814.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Palisades softball coach of the year led young team to PIAA semifinals