Brookelyn Garcia

Coach Mentor

Going to The Gambia was extremely life-changing. Everything and everyone is so different in the most amazing and humble way. I took away many things like to always be kind, patient, and thankful. It was such an honor to be with the coaches in The Gambia, Tara Henry, and the RTB team. Everyone there had something to offer. And they all taught me so much.

The first few days we taught the basics of softball. Although I was scared to teach, I was sure of the impact of me being here would have. I geared up, and within only a few hours we went over many different stations of pitching and they all picked it up very fast! It was amazing! Being a pitcher myself, the most rewarding thing for me was watching all of them learn and ask questions.

One of the main lessons from my trip is that we tend to take things for granted. The kids and coaches were always willing to give 100% in everything that they did. Here, they have the bare minimum to practice softball/baseball/streetball BUT they make it work and they do the most amazing job at it.

This trip was my opportunity to spread the love for the game to all of the kids and the coaches. I immediately connected with the RTB team and the coaches out there which made everything so much more enjoyable. Leaving all of them was so hard and I just wanted to stay forever.

Being a coach mentor for NWF is the most rewarding thing ever. Growing up I looked up to her. So, being part of her organization was life-changing. I am forever thankful for the opportunity to go to Africa. Summer 2019 with NWF was incredible. Coaching my own team and helping all of the little girls improve each week was so rewarding to watch. The best part about being a coach mentor is the feeling of giving back. Knowing they look up to you and want to be just like you is incredible. I can’t wait to return Summer 2020!