Women's professional softball is on the rise on Long Island.

One of four independent teams in the Association of Fastpitch Professionals (AFP), the New York Rise are set to play a 19-game regular season beginning on June 19 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Rise, who will play its home games at Hofstra, are joined by the Oklahoma City Spark, Florida Vibe and Chattanooga Steam.

Rise founder Jeff Ahn, a Syosset resident and Port Washington native, has enjoyed watching college softball with his daughter, Josie, for years, but they noticed a problem. The Ahns would watch and follow college players for four years, and once they graduated, they never saw them again.

After about 15 months of building relationships and working with other teams, what was once a vision by Ahn, a 45-year-old senior vice president at a financial services firm in New York City, is ready to become reality.

#newyork #softball #womenssports

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