At Team IMPACT, we believe in the power of sports to uplift, inspire, and transform lives. National Girls & Women in Sports Day is a celebration of the resilience, strength, and determination of female athletes everywhere—and we’re celebrating all month long.
For the East Texas Baptist University softball team, being women in sports is about more than just playing the game. It’s about using their platform to make a difference in the lives of young girls, like their Team IMPACT teammate, Serenity.
For pitcher McKenzie Jones, this responsibility stands as a reminder use her platform every day to support and uplift the next generation—mentally, physically, and spiritually. “It is important for Serenity to have us as role models and mentors so she has social opportunities to be around strong women who are not only strong mentally and physically but also spiritually,” McKenzie said. “This is important because, as a team, we strive to help guide her while also keeping her optimistic and excited about her future.”
From their official signing day to weekly FaceTime calls, Serenity’s birthday party, and all the special moments in between, the bond between Serenity and the ETBU softball team has been life changing. Serenity isn’t just an honorary teammate—she’s family. “Serenity is a bundle of joy. Since having her join our team last year, it has completely changed our team atmosphere. She’s always keeping us on our toes,” said pitcher Madalyn Melton. “We go into our time with her with the intention of bringing a smile to her face, but she always blesses us with so much more joy than we could have imagined.”
ETBU Softball Head Coach Janae’ Shirley has seen her team transform since Serenity became a part of it, bringing joy and perspective while deepening their belief in fate. “It has been such an amazing experience for our team to have Serenity be a part of our program,” she said. “Our team has really loved getting a chance to get to know her better and be surrounded by her joyful spirit. We are so thankful God has allowed our paths to cross with Serenity.”
Serenity’s presence on the team has been equally transformative to the team’s success on the field as it has been off. When the team won the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2024, it was a historic moment for the university, but what made it even more special was knowing Serenity was cheering them on from home.
“Winning the National Championship with Serenity on our team made the whole accomplishment mean so much more. Although she wasn’t at the game when we won, we know that she was keeping up with us and cheering us on from home,” Madalyn said. “It’s really cool to think about the fact that she has the title of ‘National Champion’ as well. I’m so glad that we were able to share that with her and make the memories that we have so far.”
Serenity’s mom, Dawn, echoes this sentiment. The team shows Serenity that they can be competitive and victorious while also showing her that strength, resilience, and joy go hand in hand. “I was proud of Serenity and her teammates when they won the NCAA 2024 Division III Championship,” Dawn said. “As a parent, it brings me so much joy to see Serenity have a group of girls like the ETBU softball team bring her so much joy. With Serenity’s health condition, the girls bring nothing but joy to Serenity when she’s going through her good days and bad days.”
With Serenity by their side, the ETBU softball team is reminded that sports are more than just wins and losses—they’re about creating a support system that extends beyond the field. “I think Serenity learned from her teammates that practice makes perfect and never give up on your dreams,” said Dawn said. “Team IMPACT helped in ways that motivated Serenity to stay positive and never give up.”
For McKenzie, Madalyn, and their teammates, they hope their relationship with Serenity will inspire future generations of girls to lead with empathy, faith, and confidence. “Being women in sports gives us an avenue to help young girls, and we hope to shed light on that through Serenity being a part of our team. We hope to show our love for Serenity just as Christ loved us through our daily actions and the time we get to spend with her,” McKenzie said. “By doing this, we hope to set an example for all women in sports to put forth the continuous effort to lift other women and young girls up through the acts of showing love, passion, joy, and faith in all that they do.”
“Being a part of Team IMPACT has been such a great reminder to me of what a blessing it is to be able to play this sport,” Madalyn said. “Team IMPACT has really transformed me into seeing every day on the field as a blessing.”
For Dawn, she loves that Serenity now has an entire roster of friends who inspire her every day, just as she inspires them. “I think women in sports are important for the future because it will inspire other young girls that they can do anything they put their mind to,” Dawn said. “The girls have taught Serenity so many things, and they also say Serenity has taught them to always be joyful in the midst of obstacles.”
As we celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day this February, we are reminded that the impact of sports goes beyond the game itself. It’s about lifting each other up, building lifelong bonds, and making sure that every young girl knows that she is strong, capable, and unstoppable.