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Today, we kick off our list of the Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021, which will run through December 31st when we’ll present our No. 1 story of the year.
Also, on New Year’s Day 2022, we’ll list all 15 of the top stories of the year as well as run 15 more that were considered.
We’ve surveyed the softball community and talked internally as well to come up with what were the most impactful and relevant stories of the year pertaining to the world of fastpitch softball.
Where applicable, we are providing the text to the original articles and/or references when the story first happened.
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2020
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2019
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2018
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Today’s Story of the Year: #15:
Club News: 2021 Atlanta Viper MIF/OF Ty’Liyah Hardeman Loses Mother to Cancer, Will Not Attend Bethune-Cookman to, Instead, Help Younger Siblings
Last January, we told the heart-breaking story of then-senior high school softball player Ty’Liyah Hardeman who had just lost her mother, Shakeila Bell—herself a former softball player—to cancer and had to turn down the opportunity to play college softball at Bethune-Cookman to, instead, stay closer to home to take care of three younger children in her family.
The situation 11 months ago was tough, but we’re happy to report that the talented middle infielder was able to stay closer to home as she signed with Kennesaw State in March:
Congratulations to our Lady softball Ram Ty’Liyah Hardeman on her signing to play college softball at Kennesaw State University!!! pic.twitter.com/j60EvLinM9
— NHS Rams Athletics (@AthleticsNewton) March 27, 2021
In the fall, Ty was a starter at second base for the Owls and told Extra Inning Softball earlier today that “it was a big adjustment as a Freshman, you have to love it but I do and was able to start. I’m really looking forward to the Spring!”
The standout infielder was set to attend Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida, but the 600-plus miles away from home made it too far away. The athlete says the coaches were understanding of Ty’s need to stay closer to home.
“They were totally supportive and helpful,” she says, and “(Associate Head) Coach Kelley Montalvo even told me Bethune-Cookman would help me with the recruiting process and being in contact with other schools if I needed it.”
The athlete, who turned 19-years-old last month, now lives on the Kennesaw State campus in the Atlanta area but comes most weekends to be with her siblings, who reside with their grandmother.
“It’s a 50-minute drive without traffic,” she explains, “but can take an hour and a half sometimes, dealing with the traffic around Atlanta.”
The teenager says her first semester of college was productive, but she understandably had mixed feelings.
“It was pretty cool overall,” she explained, “but I struggled because of the loss of my mom. The team, though, was very welcoming and in October—Breast Cancer Awareness Month—my teammates wore bracelets in her honor.”
Ty is home for the holidays now, getting back last Friday and won’t have to return to campus at Kennesaw State until January 13. She says it’s great to be around family again but knows there will be tough times too.
“It hits me here and there,” she admits. “I don’t know how I’m feeling about it being a year coming up in January, and not knowing what to expect. Sometimes I feel like I’m going through the emotions of it all again. I miss her.”
When Ty answered her cell for this morning’s interview, pre-schooler DaLani was belting out an impressive version of Jingle Bells in the background. It was apparent that the college student-athlete was comfortable being at home… and that sports has been a positive force in all of their lives.
“Jamaya is a freshman at my high school, Newton High, and is playing softball and Kobe made the middle school basketball team. DaLani, we don’t know what she’ll play—maybe basketball or softball. She likes everything!”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
To provide comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].
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Club News: 2021 Atlanta Viper MIF/OF Ty’Liyah Hardeman Loses Mother to Cancer, Will Not Attend Bethune-Cookman to, Instead, Help Younger Siblings
Originally published Jan. 30, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
As part of the softball community and family, we all get to celebrate and, sometimes, mourn and grieve together.
A doubly sad tragedy has hit the Atlanta Vipers tragedy in the last week as one of the team’s seniors, Ty’Liyah Hardeman, lost her mother her mother to cancer and, now, will not be able to go to where she hoped for college, but instead will stay closer to home to help take care of her younger siblings, Jamaya (14), Kobe (11) and DaLani (age 4).
Head Coach Jason Holbrook of Atlanta Vipers 18U told us Friday night:
“Ty is 18 and a senior with three younger siblings from a different dad whose father passed away three years ago and her mom passed away last week from breast cancer.”
“Ty was committed to play at Bethune Cookman in Florida,” Coach Holbrook continued, “but with these unexpected new responsibilities she will need to play closer to home here in Georgia so we are trying to help with expenses and these new changes.”
Last week, the Vipers’ leader organized a GoFundMe campaign looking to raise $25K to help Ty and her siblings.
Click HERE to access the GoFundMe campaign
In July of 2020, the Vipers-Holbrook team won the Colorado Sparkler/Fireworks Tennessee Region 18U championship and was playing at that time in honor of another Viper player, South Carolina-commit Aaliyah White, who had lost her brother earlier in the summer in a tragic car accident.
Holbrook said at that time:
“She (Aaliyah) found the strength to come to Oklahoma and then Chattanooga as she felt it was what he would have wanted her to do. All the players wore a blue ribbon with his number in their hair to help show support for her and her family during this tragic time.”
Below is the FaceBook post and GoFundMe text regarding the campaign for Ty and her family as created by Holbrook and the Vipers’ program.
We encourage everyone to keep Ty and her family in their thoughts and prayers and help with the GoFundMe campaign as is possible.
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
Everyone please take a moment and read this story. Ty has played for me the past couple of years and is a wonderful…
Posted by Jason Holbrook on Friday, January 29, 2021
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Help Ty & her siblings after the loss of their mom
by Coach Jason Holbrook
Ty’Liyah (Ty) has been a standout on our Atlanta Vipers-Holbrook softball team for three years. She has worked tirelessly to earn the opportunity to play collegiate softball. Just recently, Ty committed to play Division I softball at Bethune–Cookman University (BCU), located in Daytona Beach, Fl.
She was excited to be a part of the 2021 incoming class next fall. Her family, coaches, teammates, and especially her mother, Shakeila Bell (a former softball payer), couldn’t have been prouder of Ty.
Ty’s mom, Shakeila, a single mom, cherished her children and especially loved watching them in their extra-curricular activities. She always displayed a beautiful smile on the outside, while shaking on the inside, knowing how hard it was to be successful all the time. She couldn’t wait to see Ty compete in college.
Just last week, however, Ty learned that her mother had breast cancer and within one short week, she and her three younger siblings lost their mom to the evil cancer.
The future is unknown now for Ty and her young siblings, but Ty does know she cannot attend Bethune Cookman and leave her siblings behind.
We are currently searching for a more local college for Ty so she can also be available to her siblings. The next several days/ weeks/months will be tremendously difficult as Ty and her siblings place their mom in her final resting place and begin to plan the future without her.
Here is a video of Ty published last September showing her skills on the field:
The GoFundMe is just a small piece of the rebuilding.
We do not know the specific needs for Ty and her siblings yet, but the list of things this young family will need is substantial. Ty is only 18-years-old and her siblings are 14, 11, and 4.
Please also keep this family in your daily prayers. We will update this page as we become aware of the specific needs for this young family.
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Ms. Shakelia Bell “Queakie” of Covington, GA entered eternal rest on January 21, 2021. The Celebration of Life for her was held Thursday, January 28, 2021, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Covington, Georgia.
Here is the YouTube video of that tribute which has already received over 5,000 views…