Danielle Pizzo has been an assistant coach for the Brighton softball team for six years. This year, however, was her first season as the head coach. Not only did she succeed in her coaching position, but she captured the hearts of her community and won a 4Frenzy Fan Choice Award for Favorite Coach in the softball category!
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Why Softball?
Danielle not only coaches the Brighton High School team, she also coaches a travel league team in Brighton called Turnin2. She credits the sport of softball as being an escape for her. Whenever she begins to have a rough day, she turns to softball to cheer her up. She'll watch videos or even make practice plans so she can escape the world for a little while. "Softball is not only a game but it's my passion" said Danielle.
Advice to her athletes
Danielle credits the lessons she has learned throughout her life to the game of softball. She has faced adversity in her coaching career but has used that to grow as a coach. She tells her athletes that it is not about the wins and losses, it's about having fun playing the sport you love. One piece of advice that she gives to her players is to not be afraid to make a mistake. "Stay in the process, you're going to fail, but it's how you learn from it that makes you stronger," she said.
Support from the community
Danielle said she is thankful for the nomination and the countless support she has received throughout this contest. To her, being nominated was one of the highest honors she has ever received. With coaching the Brighton High School team and a Brighton travel league team, she can feel the support from her community family and her personal family. "Coaching is what I love to do and it's what I feel most passionate about. This honor has surprised me and made me feel so appreciated all at once," Danielle said.
Fun facts
When Danielle is not coaching softball, she works for a chemical company that makes chemical paint for cars. She often finds herself looking at cars and their colors in parking lots and evaluating each color. She joked, "My job is to watch paint dry for a living!"
She also spends her free time watching videos about softball and preparing more practice plans for her girls. Danielle is also a huge country music fan and has seen Miranda Lambert in concert in three different states!