08/06/2026
When our season came to an end last week, I couldn’t have been prouder of the way these girls competed. They battled, they grew, they overcame adversity, and they represented Top Gun with heart every time they stepped on the field.
But then something happened that made this season even more meaningful… and it didn’t happen on a softball field.
Last fall, our 12U team partnered with Rutgers University and The Bearing Hope Foundation. Together, our players built teddy bears that would eventually be given to children facing unimaginable circumstances.
This week, after Nationals, I received a video that stopped me in my tracks.
It showed children in Ukraine—children whose lives have been forever changed by war—holding the very bears our team made. For a moment, those bears provided comfort, hope, and a reminder that someone, thousands of miles away, cared about them.
In that instant, every win, every loss, every tournament, and every statistic took a back seat.
As coaches, we spend countless hours teaching softball, but our greatest responsibility is helping develop compassionate young people. Championships are wonderful, but character, empathy, and service to others will always matter more.
These girls didn’t just leave an impact on the softball field this year—they left an impact on the world.
I’m incredibly proud to coach a group of young athletes who understand that true success isn’t measured by trophies or medals, but by the difference you make in someone else’s life.
Because in the end, this game is bigger than a diamond. It’s about using the platform we’ve been given to bring hope to others.
Thank you to The Bearing Hope Foundation, Rutgers University, and importantly, our incredible players and families for showing what being part of a team is truly all about.
🧡💙
