Impact Stories from NWF Program Participants
How Softball Empowers the Next Generation
FIRST FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
At 7 years old, in 2008, l started playing softball. In 2011, I played my first season in the Natasha Watley League. My memories league are how excited I was to play and be around Natasha, and ask questions whenever I needed to from someone who stood in the shoes that I wanted to be in.
After playing in the Natasha Watley League I played at Culver City Fastpitch ASA where I made it to the Junior Olympics at age 12. I also played at Culver Marina Little League. We were one game away from playing in the little league World Series on TV.
I started my travelball journey at age 13 where I played for the SoCal Patriots. After that, I started playing for SoCal Outlaws and I have been playing for this organization ever since.
Next, I started playing high softball at View Park High School. Winning the championship 3-times in a row took a lot of dedication and drive. But the moments of winning and the atmosphere it created are memories and feelings I will always cherish and appreciate.
Receiving a college scholarship for softball was my proudest moment. It was the kick off to the start of me fulfilling my dreams. It means that I can create the life that I’ve wanted for myself and that all my hard work finally paid off. The journey was difficult but it brought many opportunities and people in my life that I will forever be grateful for. I met my pitching mentor and idol Tatyana McElroy and built a very strong relationship with her. She taught me many things about softball, as a person, and the power of giving back as I experienced in NWF.
Practice and games are what made me become the player that I am, and my abilities would have never reached the level of a champion without the impact of the Natasha Watley League.
Janell Brown
In December 2018, I was given the opportunity to travel to The Gambia to teach the local communities how to play softball. I couldn’t believe that I got to represent the Natasha Watley Foundation and Run the Bases during this once in a lifetime experience.
We spent 10 days in The Gambia. Our view from our hotel was amazing. Every morning when we woke up, we could hear the sound of the ocean waves with the beach being less than a 2-minute walk. It took me a few days to get adjusted to everything. Whether it was fighting all the bugs that liked to hang out in our room or mentally preparing myself to take a cold shower every single day, my normal routine was shaken up but in the most humbling way.
The week of training was a busy, yet exciting week. Every morning we would pick up the kids in the local communities and head to the ditch to practice.
During the car ride, we would sing songs that each community had. The children were always ready to learn and start their day with us. Seeing the kids’ faces light up every time they saw us with gloves and balls for them made everything so special for me. One of my favorite moments is when a little boy came up to me and wanted to play catch instead of taking a water break. It was at that moment that I knew that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I know that I was born to help people in need and to show the many bright possibilities a child can have for his/her future. Not only did this trip impact the children’s lives, but it impacted my own life too. It reminded me to be grateful for what I have in my life right now. I will always remember the hospitality that The Gambia gave to us. I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life.
Arianna Ramos
My trip to The Gambia was an amazing opportunity to learn and grow. My most important takeaway from this trip is unity. This trip brought communities together. I was moved by how everyone played a role in the success of Run the Bases and the impact we had on the children.
Teaching softball to the kids in The Gambia made me realize what an honor it is to spend my time doing something that does matter, not only to me but to many others.
On this trip, I realized how in Los Angeles we are connected all the time with our cell phones, but how we really are not united. In The Gambia, with limited access to social media, the value of family and unity are so important.
Everyone calls you sister/brother. The kids play together and call each other “auntie” and get along with each other. They play with each other as if they grew up together sharing songs and dancing.
This opportunity opened my mind to realize that even when we have cultural differences, the reality of the community I lived with is not that different from mine.
I learned so much about the community and I left with a sense of admiration. The children are a lot more independent; there is a sense of community where you care for people outside of yourself and your immediate family to make sure everyone is loved.
The Gambia was great. People there know 8 languages which is really awesome. One thing I think everyone can learn from a trip like this is the importance of developing cultural awareness. I am really grateful for the opportunity I had to travel to The Gambia to see the difference of other people, other places, and other communities.
Imani Johnson
COACH MENTOR
Going to The Gambia was extremely life-changing. Everything and everyone is so different in the most amazing and humble way. I took away many things like to always be kind, patient, and thankful. It was such an honor to be with the coaches in The Gambia, Tara Henry, and the RTB team. Everyone there had something to offer. And they all taught me so much.
The first few days we taught the basics of softball. Although I was scared to teach, I was sure of the impact of me being here would have. I geared up, and within only a few hours we went over many different stations of pitching and they all picked it up very fast! It was amazing! Being a pitcher myself, the most rewarding thing for me was watching all of them learn and ask questions.
One of the main lessons from my trip is that we tend to take things for granted. The kids and coaches were always willing to give 100% in everything that they did. Here, they have the bare minimum to practice softball/baseball/streetball BUT they make it work and they do the most amazing job at it.
This trip was my opportunity to spread the love for the game to all of the kids and the coaches. I immediately connected with the RTB team and the coaches out there which made everything so much more enjoyable. Leaving all of them was so hard and I just wanted to stay forever.
Being a coach mentor for NWF is the most rewarding thing ever. Growing up I looked up to her. So, being part of her organization was life-changing. I am forever thankful for the opportunity to go to Africa. Summer 2019 with NWF was incredible. Coaching my own team and helping all of the little girls improve each week was so rewarding to watch. The best part about being a coach mentor is the feeling of giving back. Knowing they look up to you and want to be just like you is incredible. I can’t wait to return Summer 2020!
Brookelyn Garcia
COACH MENTOR
During these past three years, I’ve had the honor of wearing the four-letter word U-C-L-A across the front of my chest. I started playing softball at the age of five. The coaches I played for growing up truly impacted me and saw great potential in me. I’d always looked up to Natasha because she was one of the few people on TV I saw excelling in the sport that looked like me. I carried this inspiration and drive with me throughout my collegiate career at UCLA. Being able to win a National Championship Title with my team was one of the best days of my life. I felt a sense of validation that all the sacrifices and hard work from the age of five had finally paid off.
I have learned so much these past summers mentoring the young girls of Baldwin Park. They have made a lasting impact on me by sharing their personal stories and by trusting me to give them advice not only regarding softball but in life. Coming to practices every week and seeing the huge smiles on their faces because they did well on a test at school, or they finally learned how to do a backhand was what made me enjoy every single moment with them. Their eagerness to learn and get better relit that fire inside me to continue to improve myself. The most important thing I instilled in my team was that it is first important to be a good teammate. Attitude and effort are the only thing in the game that you can control, once they learned that, they were able to open themselves up to more opportunity on and off the field.
I have always wanted to be a positive role model to others. Being on Honor Roll every year at UCLA is something that I am very proud of and encourage others to value. I’ve always believed that it does not matter how talented of an athlete you are if your grades are not up to par. By having a solid GPA it opens up several doors to further your education and future opportunities.
I would like to thank everyone from the Natasha Watley Foundation for inspiring girls around the world and giving them an opportunity to learn and love the game.
Kinsley Washington
I started playing in the Natasha Watley league when I was 6 years old. I had already played a season of soccer and a season of tee ball at one of the parks and this was my first season playing softball. My mom said I mostly picked flowers and asked for snacks but one of the student coaches told her that I was a natural.
My mom said she told her: “Jordan is going to be spending a lot of time in the parks because she is going to be good”. I LOVED it. Everything about it was so much fun being around girls that became my best friends, having coaches that looked like us it was all just so cool.
I remember my very first NW Coach. Her name was Brooke and she went to Hampton University. She was beautiful and tall and I remember just wanting to be like her. That was my best summer. I have played in the Natasha Watley league every summer since then. I even won a championship.
Softball changed my life. I remember when I began to look into playing travel ball and Ms. Watley gave me the best advice: “To be myself”. I’m sometimes shy and it takes some time for me to feel comfortable but I took that advice to my tryout, made the team, and never looked back. I just completed my first complete year of travel ball, I have a 3.4 GPA my batting average is a .444 and I had an ERA of 2.74 at 11. My fastball was 52 mph and my change up was 36 mph.
My dream is to compete on the college level and be one of the student coaches and hopefully intern for the NW foundation. My family doesn’t have much but softball and the Natasha Watley league changed my life forever. I appreciate everything I have gotten from this program and for giving girls like me, that
live in neighborhoods like mine, a shot at something bigger.
I will forever make you proud
Jordan Garcia
The NWF is not just about softball, it also is about family. Below are just two of the countless stories that have become memories to new and returning players and have become part of the experience-based skills that NWF coaches develop with their girls.
The Ferris Family
Liyah Ferris was the 2013, 4 Points of The Diamond Essay Winner. She started at MLK Park playing softball for the first time with the Natasha Watley League at nine years old.
In Liyah’s own words: “I was a beginner, so I didn’t really know what to do but I got catching and throwing down quickly. And then I decided to learn pitching and catching and that’s where it really made me love the sport more.”
During her time with the NWF, Liyah had a coach mentor who was a college Junior at Cal State Fullerton. Liyah’s Dad became involved in helping coach pitching and catching skills. As a result of the family involvement, Liyah has continued to play softball at MLK Park with the Lady Dodgers and envisions herself playing in high school and dreams about playing softball in college (ideally, at Natasha’s Alma Mater UCLA or Oregon).
Liyah’s younger sister, Imani, has become involved in the program as well after seeing her older sister’s love of the game develop. That has kept the whole family involved; even traveling with Chicago with the NWF to Natasha’s National Professional Championship Game as her guests.
More than the trips and games though, the Ferris sisters are benefiting from the mentorship of powerful women leaders. Bobbie Ferris explained the “it’s very big, I mean there’s so many things that women can do, and they just need to see other women be able to do it. When they see it that builds them enough confidence to go out there on their own…there are a lot of lessons that the coach mentors were able to imprint on the girls. [W]hen it comes to responsibility its huge and just taking pride in everything that they do.”
The Ferris Family
