Freeport Area Softball received an equipment grant in 2020 as part of the Pirates Charities and Tull Family Foundation program, which provided baseball and softball gear to 20 leagues in Pennsylvania and one program in West Virginia.
The program, located in Freeport, PA, had experienced a recent decline in player sign-ups as well as lack of adult volunteer staff for coaching, field maintenance, and board members, and therefore, less funding as well. Many families in the league were not able to afford their own catcher’s gear, and the girls were using mismatched, ill-fitting, and broken or worn equipment, causing concern for injury and often delaying games while equipment had to be adjusted. It was often difficult for the league to find girls who were willing to attempt to catch.
Hannah, age 12, wasn’t sure she’d be as good at catching as she used to be before the 2020 season started. She had been a catcher for five years, but the summer prior she found out that she had kidney reflux disease. Her doctors had to surgically correct it, which took her out of softball for a season. In the meantime, she had also outgrown her catchers gear. Thanks to the equipment grant, the league was able to supply her with a complete set of gear and a glove to use. Hannah not only came back and played games at the 12u level, she even played in the 14u bracket as a substitute player. With lots of encouragement from her awesome coaches and fellow players, she’s gaining her self confidence back.
· Years Involved:2020