- The head coach behind four Deerlake Middle School softball championship wins is trying to make the sport accessible for all girls in Tallahassee.
- He says softball doesn't always reach everyone due to the costs of lessons and equipment.
- Watch the video to see what he's planning to about it.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On paper, it may look like Coach Kendal Powell has just a few players.
But in reality, he's coached hundreds across 61 softball teams.
Now, he's teaming up with local dads to turn this warehouse, The Battery, into a non-profit to make the sport more accessible.
"Lessons aren't cheap and equipment is not cheap, and, you know, I think softball has had a problem over the years of not reaching everyone,” Powell, the co-owner of The Battery and head coach of the Deerlake Middle School softball team, said.
In a 2022 Aspen Institute survey, families reported spending about $880 for just one sport per child.
Since he started coaching in 2013, he quickly learned the power behind the ball.
“You fail more than you succeed in the game…as these girls grow up, you know, they're going to have bumps in the road in life. I hope that …they can think back to the next pitch is the most important one,” he said.
Just take a look at the Deerlake Middle School team—
They just won its fourth straight championship this year.
But the trophies aren't what's driving him.
“The best thing is making those memories with these teams,” Powell said.
The girls say they learn more than just how to swing.
"He always says that the last pitch doesn't matter, it's just the next pitch that matters,” Deerlake Middle School player Elsie Walker said.
"I have a good attitude, like just on and off the field,” Lily Trunbower, another player, said.
“I found myself like, a hard time last year, and he was definitely someone I came to talk to,” Travel softball player Lanie Woodson said.
Coach Kendal says the biggest win of them all would be giving every girl in Tallahassee the chance to play.
"We're trying to see if we can't make a bunch of clinics and equipment and stuff like that free, so we get all the best athletes out here, not just the ones that can afford it,” he said.
This non-profit isn't up and running just yet.
But Coach Kendal says so far they've created a board of directors for it.
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