run<\/a> but didn\u2019t have an event of its own. So when Hutchins saw an opportunity to have a bigger impact on the community, she took it.<\/p>\n\u201cI got to talking to the person in charge, who was the ACS person running that event, and I said, \u2018I\u2019d love to see us do something like an adult softball clinic,\u2019 \u201d Hutchins told The Michigan Daily. \u201cAnd here we are. Then at summer camp that year, while they were registering all the little kids, I was standing with a group of moms, and the moms said to me, \u2018We never got to do anything. I\u2019d love to go to camp.\u2019 I said, \u2018Well, if you went to camp, what would you want to do?\u2019 \u2018Well, we\u2019d want to run the bases and we\u2019d want to pitch, and we\u2019d want to drink wine,\u2019 and we do it all. And it\u2019s just been a hit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nPhoto Courtesy of JD Scott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Academy draws numerous Michigan softball fans, many of whom are season ticket holders, to participate in the event each year. Despite not yielding the Academy\u2019s highest numbers, the 130 participants at this year\u2019s event on April 23 were still more than enough to support cancer awareness. The first year, there were 84 participants, and some years, that number has vaulted above 200. The social mixer to follow the on-field event can attract over 400 people dedicated to fighting cancer.<\/p>\n
The event begins with participants gathering on the field with the Wolverines to play ball. After brief introductions of the coaches and the year\u2019s co-chairs \u2014 this year, that included former Michigan women\u2019s gymnastics coach Bev Plocki and University first lady Susan Hull Grasso\u00a0 \u2014 the athletes break into stations to run drills. Groups of two or three players lead each station, and the participants rotate between the stations in their teams. This year, participants got to field ground balls from senior shortstop Avery Fantucci, watch film with redshirt junior catcher Lily Vallimont and hit pitches off senior third baseman Madi Ramey.<\/p>\n
\n
Photo Courtesy of JD Scott.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAfter a tribute to cancer survivors following the activities, the big sluggers come out for the Home Run Derby. Donors who raise over $5,000 get the chance to hit homers out of Carol Hutchins Stadium, and Michigan\u2019s own educational studies professor Greg Dooley swung the bat alongside former Detroit Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge.<\/p>\n
The evening ends with a social mixer that includes a silent auction and guest speakers. This year\u2019s auction featured items such as a pickleball match with Wolverines coach Bonnie Tholl, lunch with Domenico Grasso and pink Michigan softball jerseys. The auction generates a substantial amount of money \u2014 before the first pitches were even thrown at the event this year, the Academy had already raised $180,000. By the end of the night, $216,397 had been put aside for cancer research.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe very first year we probably made just shy of $50,000, and then the last few years, we have been close to $200,000,\u201d Tholl told The Daily. \u201cWe marched through a million, and then we marched through $2 million, and then we\u2019re on our way to $3 million, and we are the largest fundraising effort by any college team for the American Cancer Society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nPhoto Courtesy of JD Scott.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile the couple hundred thousand dollars raised nearly overnight have an immeasurable impact on funding the ACS\u2019s research, there are other less tangible effects of the Michigan softball team\u2019s annual fundraiser. The familiar faces that return each year \u2014 and the new faces that discover the Softball Academy \u2014 create an invaluable community shared by the team and its supporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of true Michigan softball fans,\u201d Tholl said. \u201cPeople that are season ticket holders, and then those who have come to the clinic and have become enthralled with what this event is all about, and then they now have become season ticket holders. They have become Michigan softball fans because of it. So it truly is a community event.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Wolverines have an incredibly devoted fanbase, and many season ticket holders participate yearly in the Softball Academy fundraiser. Some have been coming since the very first event 20 years ago, and some have just recently discovered the Academy. But no matter their familiarity with the event, the community that is created between the team and its fans is evident.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many of the teams, consisting of 10 or more people, have been participating in the Softball Academy together for numerous years. These participants recruit their friends, coming up with a team name and often designing shirts or other accessories to represent that name.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first year I came, I was a free agent, so I joined up with the Chest Protectors,\u201d Carolyn Hayman, an Academy participant, told the Daily. \u201cThen I was like, \u2018This is so fun! I\u2019m going to bring people next year.\u2019 I play tennis, and I brought my tennis friends with me. We love it. Everyone has a great time, and it\u2019s for such a good cause.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nHayman\u2019s team, the Pop Flies, are distinct, coming adorned in pink balloons of various shades. These balloon skirts, capes and hats are provided by Hayman\u2019s business, POP! Design and Creations. Hayman, like many others, found out about the Academy because she attended softball games. Many newer fans find about the Softball Academy that way too, noting the date when the advertisement pops up on the scoreboard.<\/p>\nPhoto Courtesy of JD Scott.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI\u2019m a fan of softball,\u201d Hayman said. \u201cSort of became a fan back when they won the national championship (in 2005); we started paying attention. I live very close by and when I heard about it, it was when (former Michigan infielder) Sierra Romero was here. And I was like, \u2018Geez, that\u2019ll be kind of cool to go learn to hit from her.\u2019 That was why I decided to sign up and had so much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another team that makes a regular appearance at the Softball Academy is the Swingin Misses, whose members are mostly recruited from the alumni band that plays at softball games. They have been attending\u00a0 for around 10 years, and are characterized by the personalized names that read across the back of their pink shirts. Teams like the Swingin Misses and the Pop Flies come out to support cancer research while learning from the players they watch each weekend, whether watching from the sidelines while playing tunes, or from the stands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not only does the event affect the community, but it also benefits the athletes that run it. After a shortened practice, the players gather at their stations and prepare for their own chance at coaching. Over the years, the veteran players begin to recognize and get closer to the teams that return routinely each year, building relationships when they are not in their uniforms. As the Wolverines coach, they learn about what this day means to the community and those affected by the disease. And their contributions ensure that the community enjoys their time while also raising money by doing what they do best \u2014 playing softball.<\/p>\nPhoto Courtesy of JD Scott.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cLike everyone has said, everyone is affected by cancer,\u201d junior center fielder Jenissa Conway told The Daily. \u201cWhether it\u2019s from ourselves or family, friends or friends of friends, we have all been impacted by it. So just learning about other people\u2019s stories is super heart-touching and you just learn more about it in a way, especially with breast cancer and being a woman, it\u2019s super important in our lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nAnnually, the Softball Academy is a reminder of the fact that cancer has touched so many people\u2019s lives. It is also a reminder of the impact that a community can make. This year that impact resulted in $16,397 more than the set goal, tacking on to the years of enthusiastic achievement. Every year, the community that supports the softball team is reminded of just why they support them \u2014 to make a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the years, Hutchins\u2019 dream has become something that has pulled so many people in. The dedication and inspiration of Hutchins and everyone involved has influenced so many people: the players, the coaches and the community that encapsulates it all. By taking time out of their usual practice and the other busy aspects of their lives as student athletes, the Michigan softball team understands that, as Tholl says, life is the bigger game, and being able to make a difference in people\u2019s lives is the real win.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n
Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the past 20 years, the Michigan softball team has been raising money for cancer research. For the past 17, the Wolverines have done so by helping people play softball. By doing what they love with the community that supports it, the team and its coaches directly contribute to the fight against cancer. Michigan\u2019s coaches […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4163,3191,920,1456,1118,812,1572],"class_list":{"0":"post-5073","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-17th","9":"tag-annual","10":"tag-cancer","11":"tag-fundraiser","12":"tag-research","13":"tag-scenes","14":"tag-wolverines"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5073"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5075,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073\/revisions\/5075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}