07/10/2026
As we wrap up this season, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about everything this team has been through. It’s hard to put into words what this group has meant to me.
To every player…thank you.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for trusting me, even when I asked you to do things that were uncomfortable. Thank you for letting me coach you hard. There were days I pushed you because I knew you were capable of more than you believed. There were days you probably weren’t real happy with me, and that’s okay. My job was never to make things easy, it was to help you grow.
And you did.
Every single one of you is a better softball player today than you were when the season started. More importantly, you’re tougher, more confident, and more prepared for whatever comes next. That didn’t happen because of me. It happened because you put in the work. You chose to keep showing up. You chose to keep learning. You chose to keep fighting through the hard days. I’m incredibly proud of every one of you.
To the parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, family friends, and everyone who spent their weekends at the ballpark…thank you. Thank you for every mile you drove, every hotel room you booked, every meal grabbed between games, every lawn chair you unfolded, every word of encouragement, and every time you cheered these girls on. Your support means more than you’ll ever know, and these girls are lucky to have people who love them the way you do.
This team wasn’t perfect, and neither was our season. But that’s what made it special. We learned. We battled. We picked each other up. We celebrated together. We hurt together. We grew together.
When I look back, I won’t remember every score or every tournament finish. I’ll remember watching young athletes become better teammates, better competitors, and better people. I’ll remember the laughs, the busyness of tournament weekends, the practices where things finally clicked, and the moments when I watched a player accomplish something she didn’t think she could do.
Thank you to every family for trusting me with your daughters. That isn’t something I ever take lightly. Coaching is about so much more than wins and losses. It’s about helping young people become the best version of themselves, and I hope I played a small part in that.
To the girls, one last thing…
Never let anyone put a limit on what you can become. Keep working when nobody’s watching. Keep believing in yourself, especially when things get hard. Stay coachable. Stay humble. Love your teammates. Compete with everything you’ve got. The lessons you’ve learned this season will take you much further than softball ever will.
I love this team, and I’ll forever be grateful that I got to be your coach.
Thank you for an unforgettable season.
Coach Matt
