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As we’ve updated over the last nearly two months, James Lamar, the head of the Lady Dukes travel ball organization and head coach for the 18U team, has been hospitalized since May 31 after needed emergency heart surgery.
Currently, he is waiting on a heart and kidney transplant, but there was good news from the family on Friday.
The club coach’s wife, Duke University head coach Marissa Young, released a message from James via social media where he shared the following sentiments to the public and to his 18U team, which is currently in Orange County, Calif. for this week’s PGF Nationals and being led by Coach James Burgess:
Day 55: James asked me to post on his behalf today! Lord we trust your timing but strengthen us as wait on a new ❤️ pic.twitter.com/XKX94G0JPB
— Marissa Young (@DukeCoachYoung) July 22, 2023
There was also a poignant tribute given to Coach James at Friday’s night’s PGF Opening Banquet from emcee Daron Sutton who invited attendees to make contributions as possible to the GoFundMe started to offset the coach’s medical costs (click HERE to access the page).
Currently, over $31,270 has been raised towards the $50,000 goal or almost 63 percent.
Here is a clip of Daron’s speech last night recorded by Laura Rothrock, the noted pitching coach whose daughter, Keagan, a Florida signee and participant in next Saturday’s PGF All-American Game, plays for the Lady Dukes 18U squad:
The Lady Dukes 18U team hopes to replicate its success from the Triple Crown Nationals last week which saw them win the championship with a 10-2 victory over OC Batbusters – Stith.
Keagan had a three-run double and four RBIs while Arkansas-bound catcher/corner infielder Kennedy Miller smacked a grand slam in the title win.
Rothrock, ranked #1 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100 and the 2022 Gatorade National Player of the Year, also started a fundraiser to help her coach by selling bracelets with the statements #ALLOFME4JD and Always Fight, Every Step of the Way.
Here is her twitter post with images and info on how to secure a bracelet:
Hi everyone, we have made these bracelets to help support the family of Coach Lamar. We will ship them out to anyone who wants one, and payment will be on donation basis. All donations will be given to their family to help support them with what they need. Donations will also… pic.twitter.com/mU2MRVa3En
— Keagan Rothrock (@_kea01) June 6, 2023
Summing up what many in the softball world feel—especially those coaches, players and their families tied into the Lady Dukes organization and who close to the Lamar family—Laura Rothrock shared why there is such a groundswell of love and support for Coach James.
“He is an amazing coach and person.”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
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