On December 9, we launched a fun contest around the theme of one or our apparel store tag lines: “I have no life MY DAUGHTER PLAYS SOFTBALL“
CLICK HERE to access the Extra Inning Softball Store!
We offered the top three winning entries a long-sleeve shirts for their mom or dad… and here are the trio of winners and their FANTASTIC ENTRIES (below) as selected by the EIS staff!
Pretty powerful stuff, we think you’ll agree…
*****
My dad, Jose Lizardo, does everything and anything to support me in softball and in life. He will stop at nothing to support my softball dreams.
We have traveled to 15 states just this past year: Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma and Indiana!
He has spent countless hours with me in a cage or on a field helping me perfect my catching and hitting.
But most of all he has been right by my side through it all.
Kaylee Lizardo
Class of 2026
Virginia Unity 14U – Johnson
*****
My dad, Wil Winkler, is a 100 percent disabled veteran—he can’t work, but he has a full-time job. My dad takes me to work out with him Monday through Friday and we go and hit right after. He’s always on top of every schedule, flight, car ride… whatever it may be.
He has only missed one game in my entire life, and it was for a surgery. He has become the announcer for my travel ball team for AthletesGoLive. He gets compliments about it all the time.
When COVID hit and recruiting got hard for me, he would hold me while I cried and tell me I’d end up exactly where I needed to be. I know he was more stressed than I was. He watches my videos at home and will tell me what I need to fix, or just simply watch it “just to see his baby girl play.”
My dad is truly the reason I am where I am today and I will forever be grateful for the father God blessed me with.
Madison “Pickle” Winkler
Class of 2022 (signed with Louisville)
Louisville Lady Sluggers
*****
I would like to nominate my stepmother Toni Brooks for “I have no life…MY DAUGHTER PLAYS SOFTBALL!”
She is a fun, loving, caring human being. I met her when I was five years old, and she always looked at me as her daughter. She shows her support by helping me with any schoolwork, driving me to different tournaments, and pushing me to be the best softball player in the world.
Not only does she support me as a person, but she also shows her support through softball. She encouraged me to leave a rec ball team at nine-years-old and play on high-level national teams.
While working for her Ph.D., she would drive me to all my tournaments, not caring about the distance (from Ohio to Florida), while she sits in the car writing her papers during some games. During games, she would sit behind the backstop and always yell “Protect the plate!,” “Anything close!,” “Drive the ball!,” “Read the defense!” whenever I have two strikes on me (which is most of the time!).
If I don’t get a hit, she will be ready to give me the business after the tournament! lol.
She also drove me to over 25 different out-of-state colleges including Duke, Ohio State, Norfolk State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina A&T and others to visit the campus and take pictures of all the softball fields.
Even though we are not blood-related, Toni has always been a second mom to me. Thank you!
I would really love for my stepmom to win because it would show her that I really love and appreciate her.
London Slade
Class of 2023
Tri-State Thunder
