I Committed: Dani Lee Finds Just What She Needs at Liberty University

Dani Lee, a right-handed pitcher from McLouth, Kansas, accepted an offer from the softball staff at Liberty University to spend her collegiate career on the mound with the Flames.

At four, the athlete first took the field, playing T-Ball in a local recreational league. Through the years, Dani would watch softball games on Youtube and attempted to mimic the actions of her favorite players. During these impersonations, the dream of actually playing on the teams she always watched developed. By the age of 10—when Dani began playing competitive club ball, she had made a goal to play Division I softball in the south.

“When I told my parents my dream, they told me exactly what I needed to do to make it become a reality,” shared Dani. “First, they made sure my love for the game was so strong, that no one could break it.”

“When I was 11, I met a coach named Ballard Patterson,” continued the Liberty commit. “He was my town’s high school coach and when I moved to McLouth, everyone said he was the man to see. I spent every day for four hours at my lessons, which, to me, felt like recess because it was so fun.”

Sadly, Coach Patterson had to take a leave of absence from coaching during Dani’s seventh grade year, as he was undergoing a battle with cancer. Losing his presence was tough on the young athlete, as she had spent so much time developing aspects of her game with the coach.

At 14, tragedy struck when Dani lost her mother during the Covid-19 pandemic. With her father by her side, the family has persevered through the loss.

“He has been my biggest supporter since day one. It didn’t matter what he had to do to get me the exposure I needed—he did it. I am forever grateful.”

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— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball

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