Throwback Thursday: Mizzou Tiger Cayla Kessinger’s Hug with Dad Takes Us Back to Her So Cal Chopper Days

Last Sunday, the final two Super Regionals were decided in and, in one of them, unseeded James Madison knocked off Missouri 7-1 to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

It’s always heartbreaking to lose, of course, especially when you’re so, so close to getting to the World Series and, especially, if you’re a redshirt senior and that might have been your last opportunity.

After the game, Mizzou All-American Calya Kessinger gave her dad, Cory, a heartfelt huge that represented a world of emotions: sadness, frustration, disappointment, yes, but also love, support and appreciation for the fantastic softball journey that got the Southern California native to that point.

On a Facebook post, the proud father wrote a beautiful message summarizing the feelings he felt from the pic:

“One of the most emotional hugs I’ve waited to give to her!” Cory began. “Her face says it all. All those years of dreaming and working her ass off to be within 4 innings of it, and then see it slip through her grasp!”

“Unsure if it’s over and that was the last time she will step on a field and play, but preparing for it if it is! We have traveled this country for years. Softball took us places as a family I wouldn’t ever have gone. Lol. Cayla I love you, I’m proud of you and whatever is next. I’ll be waiting with open arms to hug you!”

Any parent whose child has competed in sports knows what goes into that hug… and that words will never be able to match the power that goes into the loving, supportive embrace.

The photo was taken by the athlete’s stepmother Jamie Kessinger, who added:

“This is a proud father!” she writes. “This is a man who will always be there for his daughter no matter what! And these are the moments I will continue to capture because they mean so much more than any other photo!”

“They are not staged, unedited and show true emotion between a father and a daughter… a bond that I wish every girl could have.”

“He will always be there for her in times of celebration, joy, sadness and hurt with open arms! He is truly proud of his little (not so little) girl. I hope to capture many more moments like this in the future.”

Because of the COVID redshirt opportunity, Cayla may or may not come back, so the power in the hug is amplified because that may have been her last time wearing the Tiger colors.

Whatever happens, the Saugus, California native can take great pride in her career  which has included her being the cleanup hitter and batting .327 this season—third best for Mizzou—with 14 home runs, 34 RBIs and a team-best .426 on-base percentage. Cayla was also perfect in the field, not making an error in 36 chances.

I have to admit: I have a soft spot in my heart for Cayla who I’ve covered for almost a decade!

She was in my top 100 player rankings for the Class of 2016 when she played for the So Cal Choppers, one of the top programs in the country.

Cayla in late 2013… when she was still planning her college future!

In December, 2013 (7 ½ years ago!), she blogged for me when I was running Student Sports Softball and the high schooler impressed everyone with her confidence and her ability to articulate her thoughts.

Here’s one example of her strong writing skills was when she talked about why she committed to Missouri in a piece published in December of 2013:

Hello everyone, my name is Cayla Kessinger and I am a 2016 recruit.

I currently play for the So Cal Choppers 16U – Shipman team. I started playing when I was 5 years old down at William S. Hart Baseball/Softball Complex.

Who knew one little game of t-ball would lead to my biggest passion? I am so determined to win a National Championship for all levels that I play. I have already won one when I was 9 years old in Salem, Oregon.

This is my life: eat, sleep, breath, softball, and I have worked so hard, and now it has gotten me to the one dream I have looked upon my whole career…becoming a collegiate athlete at the Division 1 level.

It is my biggest passion because of the bonding I have with my team and the motivation it gives me to win and want to be the best. It’s my stress reliever and it’s something that you can be yourself in and also have a unique attribute that no one else does.

I have recently verbally committed to the University of Missouri. The reason I chose Mizzou is because of their great academic program as well as their softball program.

They have one of the top Journalism programs in the nation which is the what I want to major in. The way I looked at it, you have to be a student before the athlete.

The school was beautiful and it was the perfect size for me; not only that but the atmosphere was amazing and so warm and welcoming.

Missouri was the first school to ever offer me a full-ride scholarship. I am very excited and blessed to have this opportunity to finally make my dreams come true.

“It was my gut feeling that I had to be here.”

My non-profit organization is called “Get Off The Bench” and this is where I go and I help talk about sports to children who are in need or are battling a sickness.

I’m all about giving back and helping out little kids! I wanted to do this because I know if that were me I would want someone to come and teach me and help me, because maybe they are the next generation of professional athletes.

I am looking forward to being able to help out others and make their dreams come true.

— Cayla

Seriously, how could you not root for someone like this?

A month or two before the written piece above, I interviewed her at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex and asked her about her recruiting journey.

Check out this video and see how, even then, Cayla was energetic and passionate about not just softball but life in general!

Cayla has certainly made a great name for herself and blazed a path to great success over the last eight years and kudos to her, her family, her teammates and all the coaches along the way who made it possible.

And we wish her all the best in the future and many, many more hugs for happy reasons… especially from Dad!

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball