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We continue our list of the Top 15 Softball Stories of 2018, which will run through December 31st when we’ll present our No. 1 story of the year.
We’ve surveyed the softball community and talked internally as well to come up with what were the most impactful and relevant stories in 2018 pertaining to the world of fastpitch softball.
Here is yesterday’s feature (clink on link to read):
#15… Alexia Carrasquillo: The Shot Heard Round the Recruiting World (Dec. 17, 2018)
Today is #14, a heartwarming story of an athlete who, two years ago this month suddenly lost her father–a very beloved figure in her Tennessee community–but how she responded and has succeeded in all areas of life is inspiring…
To provide comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].
*****
One of the real pleasures of my job is getting to know the athletes and their families and one of the most poignant, inspiring stories I’ve ever covered was on Ashley Rogers, the outstanding pitcher who is a freshman at the University of Tennessee.
I knew for several years she was a talent on the field as the homegrown Tennessee standout was winning all types of awards and championships and had committed to the Vols several years before signing.
But then I heard about what happened two years ago almost exactly at this time: two weeks before Christmas in December of 2016, her father Loring Rogers suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.
Not only did it rock the family, it devastated a softball community not just locally, but across the state.
A true measure of a person’s impact in life can be gauged sometimes by the reaction to his or her death and when Loring Rogers’ memorial service was held in cold, rainy weather, the line of those coming to honor him stretched out the door and down the block; some people waiting two to three hours to pay their respects including Ralph and Karen Weekly, who got permission from the NCAA to be able to attend.
As I got to know Ashley and her mother, Lynda, and learned about how much Loring did to impact lives, it became a story that transcended softball.
On the field, Ashley was our National High School Player of the Year, an Extra Inning All-American, a Gatorade State Player of the Year, a Tennessee high school state champion, a travel ball standout and an Extra Elite 100 player in the 2018 class.
But the way she honored her late father by rising above the loss and keeping him close to her heart… that to me was the real story.
Below, you can read the beautiful Father’s Day tribute Ashley did as well as the story on her being named National Player of the Year.
First, though, we caught up Ashley today and asked her how the first semester at Tennessee went.
“My first semester at UT went really well!” she said. “At first, I had a difficult time managing all of the work and adjusting to college life; however, after I got settled in, I absolutely loved it. I was really nervous about my classes, but I ended up doing extremely well in all of them. As for softball, I absolutely love it, too. We had a good fall season that I did pretty well in, and I am really looking forward to spring!”
It’s been two years since the shocking loss of her father but Ashley says: “We are doing well and staying extremely busy, as expected. A lot has changed and happened between that day and now, but we still miss him dearly. I believe this experience has brought my family closer than ever before, and it really makes each of us appreciate each other and the time spent together more.”
How would it impact the Rogers’ family around Christmas and the holidays, we wondered.
The Tennessee freshman admits it’s a bittersweet time of the year.
“Each member of my family still appreciates this time of year,” she answers, “but it can be difficult at times. However, we still have each other and amazing friends that make the holiday season easier. We miss Dad very much, but the memories we have with him and knowing he is in a better place gives each of us comfort during this difficult time.”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
*****
Father’s Day Special: Ashley Rogers’ Touching Tribute to Her Late Father Loring
(article originally published June 3, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball)
Ashley Rogers from Athens, Tennessee is one of the top pitchers in the country and recently repeated as the Gatorade State Player of the Year, was highly ranked in the Extra Inning Softball Elite 100 (2018 class) and again this spring won a state title for her Meigs County High team.
Next week she will also be recognized as an Extra Inning Sports High School All-American.
Ashley realized a life-long dream when she committed to the Tennessee Vols to play softball in March of 2016, but just nine months later her world would be rocked when her father, Loring, suddenly passed away from a heart attack just two weeks before Christmas. He was only 52 years old.
From all accounts, Loring Rogers was an amazing man.
His wife, Lynda, wrote us just a week after his passing: “The family received friends for four hours, while an estimated 1,000 people waited to pay their respects in a line that wrapped around the church and into the street. The outpouring was a testimony of how many lives he had impacted.”
Ashley’s father was heavily involved in sports as he coached boys’ and girls’ basketball teams and was an assistant coach for travel baseball, travel softball and golf teams from elementary to high school.
Both Ashley and her older brother, Andrew, would have great athletic success as each won state championships in basketball, Ashley won multiple titles ins softball and Andrew’s baseball and golf titles also won championships at the state level.
The two children were also excellent in the classroom—Andrew, who is three years older than his sister, graduated Valedictorian and started college with a full academic scholarship; Ashley also was a Valedictorian and finished high school with a 4.0 GPA.
Loring Rogers was so dedicated to seeing his children reach their athletic goals, he built a gym and a softball field on the family’s farm, so his kids—and all those he would coach—would have somewhere to practice.
“Hundreds of his former players came (to the funeral) heartbroken and reminisced about how passionate he was about sports and working hard to be your best,” recalls Lynda.
Loring was an Electrical Engineer and Manager at Tennessee Valley Authority where he worked for 30 years, his entire career.
“Hundreds of his co-workers came to tell us how much they respected him for his passion about his family and his faith,” his wife continued.
We’ve spoken to several people, including Ralph Weekly, Ashley’s future coach at the University of Tennessee, about Loring Rogers and everyone said the same thing: he was a remarkable man and loving father.
For this Father’s Day, we thought it would be poignant and important for everyone to know of Loring’s story and asked Ashley to reminisce and explain exactly what it was that made her dad so special to so many people—especially to her—and the lessons we can ALL learn from him.
Here is her beautiful tribute to him…
*****
December 11, 2016.
It was just like any other Sunday, we were all up and getting dressed to go to church. Dad had already gone ahead to make coffee, pass out bulletins, and prepare each classroom for Sunday School – chores he had faithfully done every Sunday for as long as I can remember.
We were about to head out the door when Mom got a phone call from Dad. He said he was walking down the stairs when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest that took him to the floor.
He said, “I can barely breathe… I think I am having a heart attack.”
We rushed to the church and, upon arrival, found Dad at the bottom of the staircase on his knees, gasping for breath. Other church members had found him and already called the ambulance minutes before we arrived.
I stood there and watched Mom hold up his head and struggle to keep him awake and breathing. The minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive seemed more like hours. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance arrived, and a stretcher was brought inside to where he lay.
As we were all lifting him on the stretcher, he took his final breath.
The paramedics tried to revive him in the ambulance, and the doctors attempted to numerous times again at the hospital, but he never came back.
I honestly do not remember too much from the days following the tragic event, which were primarily occupied with my grandparents (Dad’s parents) and my family arranging the funeral. We were all numb, hoping to wake up and find it was all just a nightmare; however, as the hours crept by, we realized this morbid reality was true and inescapable.
One thing I do remember, though, was that during these difficult days, my family was uplifted in numerous ways by many people. The support, love, and prayers from our friends was not showered, but rather down-poured upon us.
The “bubble of prayer” that encompassed my family and I kept us going and comforted us through these difficult times.
It was Wednesday, December 14—the day of the funeral had arrived. Puffy-eyed, quiet, sleep-deprived, tired of crying: that was the mood on the way to church. None of us wanted to cry more or for people see us like this.
Little did we know that after the night was over, a sense of pride would outweigh our care for our physical conditions and appearances.
We pulled into the church parking lot and saw a line of people already forming at the door – AN HOUR BEFORE VISITATION!
