By Holly Saddler

Westfield Youth Sports has named Molly Wright as its first executive director. Previously, the nonprofit youth sports organization was led by a volunteer board of directors. The board created the executive director position to help WYSI expand.

“We’re growing at a pace that has made it increasingly challenging for volunteers to manage without fulltime support,” said John Moore, WYSI board of directors’ president.

As WYSI’s first full-time employee, Wright will focus on the day-to-day operations and oversee strategic planning, program development and fundraising. She will begin her new role Oct. 1.

“She knows the organization very well and her background is in sports,” Moore said. “She is someone we trust. She is a workhorse, and we know that she is going grow the organization better than the other candidates that we interviewed.”

Prior to joining WYSI, Wright was the senior director of youth programming for the Indiana Sports Corp., where she oversaw events in Indianapolis, including the Big Ten football championship game, Big Ten basketball tournaments, NCAA events and Olympic Trials. She has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Butler University and has served on the WYSI board of directors for three years.

“I am passionate about sports and recreation, and I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to participate in activities that they enjoy,” Wright said.

Wright also said she looks forward to working with a wide variety of people within WYSI and in the Westfield community.

A Noblesville native, Wright lives in Westfield with her husband and five children, which she has coached in various sports.

WYSI provides youth sports programs to children of all ages and abilities within the Westfield community.