New Varsity Softball Head Coach Announced for 2026-27 Season

Westminster School is pleased to announce that Annie Berry will serve as Head Coach of Varsity Softball effective July 1, 2026. Berry succeeds Mitch Overbye P’05, ’09, H’19, who has led the program with distinction for the past 24 years and is retiring from Westminster at the end of the current school year after a 40-year career in independent school education.

 

Appointed to the Westminster faculty in 1999, Coach Overbye has been a cornerstone of the school’s softball program. His teams have won 11 Founders League titles and nine Class A Western New England Championships since 2007. He was honored with the Founders League’s M.D. Nadal Sportsmanship Award in 2021 and, in 2025, was inducted into the USA Connecticut Fast Pitch Softball Hall of Fame—recognition of his leadership and lasting impact on the sport and on generations of Westminster students.

 

“I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to coach Westminster softball over the past 24 seasons, and looking ahead, Westminster will be very fortunate to have Annie Berry leading the softball program,” said Coach Overbye. “Our current coaching staff is excited about her appointment, and during her time at Westminster, Annie has proven herself to be an excellent, knowledgeable coach who communicates well with both students and colleagues.”

 

“We are lucky to have someone of Annie’s character and capability ready to lead at this moment,” said Director of Athletics Tim Joncas ’00. “Annie is exactly the kind of leader every program hopes to find to carry our tradition forward—thoughtful, competitive, and deeply committed to the growth of our student-athletes.”

 

Currently the Assistant Coach for Varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Girls’ Hockey, Berry is a graduate of Tabor Academy where she captained the softball, field hockey, and ice hockey teams and was named All New England among other athletic awards. She attended University of New Hampshire where she played on the Division I Women’s Ice Hockey team, serving as captain for two seasons. She was also the recipient of the Hockey East Sportsmanship Award, a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society, and earned many other collegiate accolades. In addition to her current athletic coaching duties, Berry is an associate director of admissions.

 

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return to the softball field,” shared Berry. “Softball has impacted and shaped my life from a young age through my own playing days and through the influence of my dad and grandfather, who both coached and ran our local Little League. Coach Overbye is passing along a program that is in a great place and a group of athletes I’m truly excited to work with. The sustained success he brought to this program is a direct reflection of his genuine care, unwavering commitment, and the lasting impact he’s had on every player and person involved.”

 

Berry noted, “I’m also looking forward to working alongside Coach Garcia and learning from her program experience and knowledge. As I follow in Coach Overbye’s footsteps, I strive to honor his legacy by carrying his values forward and plan to lead this impressive program with purpose each day.”