Thanksgiving Day - 2022
Kevin O’Donnell President of NJ Intensity & Brittany O’Donnell (Head Coach and Mentor)
Bella Maria
@bellamaria2026
2x USA Softball All-American USSSA All-American & Select 30
Wishing you a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday.
I want to share my Thanks and Appreciation for my Head Coach and Mentor Brittany O’Donnell. Coach Brit is far more than a softball coach, she’s an elementary school teacher, a leader who inspires us and challenges each and every one of us on and off the field.
She takes so much of her spare time to organize events for our team to give back to our community through the Miracle League of Mercer County NJ.
She makes sure we are always having team building events whether it’s bonfires at PGF, or Halloween Parties while on the road at the Showcase event we are attending.
She is kind, caring, and compassionate and can be firm and assertive when the need is there.
This past summer she led us to a 3rd Place Finish at PGF Nationals in the 14U Platinum Division. She believed in all of us when most in the softball community never gave us a chance of going on the run we made. She’s an excellent communicator, she clearly defines everyone’s role and expectations, and I couldn’t be happier with her as my coach leading up to my recruitable years.
She has all the credibility in the softball community having played at the highest level when in high school in New Jersey, and having played at the highest level at her "Dream School" the University of Notre Dame.
She’s taught us that if we focus on the team, all of us will achieve our goal of playing at the next level in college.
In closing I am grateful for Coach Brit, and the entire O’Donnell / Intensity Family.
Many thanks for all the work you do to bring attention to our great game. Not sure people take the time to say thank you for all you do.
God Bless!!!
Sincerely,
Bella Maria
2026 NJ Intensity 16U BOD National
2026 NJ Intensity 16U BOD National at PGF Early Thanksgiving Showcase
Addison Brown
@addi_brown2025
RHP/1st w/ lethal drop curve & CU. Great spin on the ball (1200+)! High OBP/
Illusions Gold National 16u/ Central HS c/o 2025/ 3.95 GPA
addi_brown2025@yahoo.com
I’m thankful for a roof over my head! Our home got flooded 2 weeks ago and so we had to stay in a hotel room with 2 dogs! Ugh! Luckily we got into an Airbnb just in time for Thanksgiving! So there is that! We take little things for granted! My mom is happy having a stove again! Haha!
Have a happy Thanksgiving and God bless.
Addison Brown's Family
Cara Steele 2027
@CaraSteele2027
2027 Pitcher/CF/3rd- Lady Dukes National - Steele I USSSA All American Games All Star I
"A" student I Pitching Coach Kenzee Smith, UIndy Pitcher I JWHitting
Hi! I’m thankful for my many softball sisters I’ve made over the years. My Lady Dukes girls are the best! Happy Thanksgiving!🦃
The friends I’ve made have a lot of goals like I do. We work hard to get better but we have fun too. I’m just really thankful for so many reasons.
Lady Dukes National - Steele
Dee Ma'ae
@D_maae32
4.0 GPA - C/3B/OF - 2024 Extra Elite ranked #30 - Cal Cruisers 18U Gold Sievers
#32 - Pacifica HS (Garden Grove, CA) - All State ~ 32dmaae@gmail.com
I’m so thankful for my family who allows me to keep playing softball. It’s a commitment for all of us & to have them here for me is the best support.
Dad, my first coach, still pushing me to be the best on the field.
Mom, my #1 fan & advocate, always has my best interest.
My sisters are the best hype men & photo takers.
God surrounded me with inspirational & instructional coaches.
For these things, I’m thankful.
Dee with her sisters, Dad and Mom.
Kaitlyn Russ
@KaitlynRuss2025
Providence Christian School of AL, c/o 2025 ,#48, Outfielder, GPA: 4.25+
Ranked 145th in the country for the c/o 2025
Adiktiv Elite Gold 18u - Hutchinson
I have always had big dreams. Always wanted to go to college, to have young girls look up to you, to set a good example for my sister and the people I mentor. All that was almost taken away.
This last summer I was in a very poor situation. People constantly trying to bring me down, ruin my dreams, tell me I could never be good enough. At 15 years old at the time that felt like a knife to the back, and part of me sometimes thought maybe it’s true, maybe everything they said is true.
But one day my family, my sister, my good friends, and my mentors all came to me and said you are good enough, you can achieve your dreams, that person can’t define who you are and who you want to be. They can spit in your face, bench you for no reason, try to ruin your mental health, but they can’t take away your character and your faith.
After they said that I left that situation. I said no more and I will never regret that choice. To this day I still have some anxiety from it but my family and friends help me with it. Is it hard sometimes, yes! But my family my friends and God got me threw that time and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Words can never say how thankful I am for my the people that got me through that time in my life.
Kaitlyn and her family
To my Dad, thank you for always driving me to tournaments and being so supportive of my dreams. I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without you.
To my Mom, thank you for always being there for me telling me if my socks where miss matched, letting me vent about a bad at bat or getting me some ice cream when I needed it the most.
To my little sister Addison, thank you for always being there, for always having my back. Thank you for always being supportive and getting in my face when I needed it the most. Thank you for doing fun things with me or making me laugh so hard when I needed it the most.
Kaitlyn and her sister Addison playing together for the first time in five years
To my grandmother Mamo, you worry a lot but you always get so excited when I hit doubles and triples or make diving plays, and everyone in the stands love it when you make remarks about the strike zone on batters that are almost 6 feet tall.
To Anna, Ava, and Kenzie, y’all are the best friends I could ever ask for, y’all are always there and always push me to be better. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for out Wednesday hitting group this spring.
To Coach Cory, Coach Makayla, and Coach Michael, thank you so much for coaching me this past school ball season. For always pushing me to take the extra base or to lay out and make the impossible catch.
To Coach Easterling, thank you for all the advice on leadership, softball, and life. You have truly helped me grow as a player and person and that’s all I can ask for.
To Coach David Hutchinson, you re-lit the fire in me after the situation this last summer. You gave a team to go to when I had nothing. You gave me a deeper love of the game and words cannot express how grateful I am and will always be for that.
To all the college coaches that have met me so far, thank you for your time you have spent with me at a camp your emails that you have written back, and thank you for the drills and advice on how to be a better softball player, thank you for taking a chance on me, and also thank you for your time because we know how busy you guys are!
Spring Hill College after meeting coaches
There are so many people that I have not listed because it would be a novel instead of an article. But whoever is reading this just know it takes hundreds of people to help one person. Don’t take anyone in your life for granted because there will come a time when you need help. Love other people the way God loves us. Be grateful for what you have because you never know when it could be taken away.
Kaitlyn's two chocolate labs Bruce & Jake who always makes her smile after a long day
Thank you Legacy and Legends Softball for letting me write this to the twitter world.
May God Bless y’all this Thanksgiving. - Kaitlyn Russ #48
Legacy & Legends Softball wishes everyone an amazing memorable day with families and loved ones. Thank you for your continued support of the rapidly ever growing softball community and helping young ladies (and parents and coaches) make their dreams come true as they play for love of the game. Happy Thanksgiving and ... GO COWBOYS!