Bella is not just an athlete, playing every position on the field this season, but she is an amazing teammate to everyone on the field!
Thank you for generously supporting Bella in this year’s competition. Your support helps empower the V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Why Not You Foundation in their respective missions to save lives and empower today's youth to become tomorrow's leaders.
What I love most about softball is that it's an individual AND a team sport. You grind for hours alone, training, pushing and improving, but every rep is for your team. When game time comes, it's not about you, it's about us. I truly love seeing my teammates shine. Their success lifts the entire dugout. That shared fight, and the joy in each other's wins, that's what build more than just a team. It builds a bond, a family you will carry forever.
Samantha Jo Mata, a Ball State alum and Indiana Tech assistant coach, helped coach my travel team a few years ago and changed the sport for me. She pushed me through tough practices, built my confidence on the mound and helped shape me into the player I am today. Over time, she became more than a coach, she became a mentor and one of my best friends. Her strength and heart continue to guide me, and I'm so grateful I got to play for her before she moved on to bigger things.
I am most proud of Bella in the way she unapologetically celebrates her teammates. When they get a good hit or make a great play--she's always the one jumping for joy, the first one out of the dugout to congratulate them. Every time I watch her lifting up the people around her I know that without a doubt, her biggest strength and the thing that will carry her the farthest in this game, is that she is an amazing teammate.
Colossal is a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like Youth Athlete of the Year, Colossal offers participants the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact.