Media Coverage
Former Keystone state champ Laura Nichols wants everyone to have the opportunity to play the sport she loves
Originally published by The Chronicle
June 22, 2023 By Shaun Bennett
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Laura Nichols understands the plight of being a single parent of a sports-starved child.
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“When my daughter was born I struggled with money and I knew how hard it was for the extras in life,” Nichols said. “The activities for the kids … I know firsthand how expensive it is.”
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Nichols, who went by Laura Beckham in high school and was a member of Keystone’s first state championship softball team in 1999, found her financial footing and was able to provide daughter Braylee the softball upbringing she enjoyed.
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But knowing that there were plenty of other young girls out there who wanted to play the sport but whose families were unable to afford the equipment, lessons and league fees did not sit well with Nichols.
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“That was one of the reasons that when I got the stimulus money I tried to figure out something I could do for others that could help them in the long run,” she said. “So that was another reason why I formed For the Love of Softball.”
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Nichols, with the help of her husband Josh — they married in 2017 — her parents Bob and Jane Beckham and her brother Rob Beckham, founded the non-profit organization that is in its third year and strives to provide funding for players in Lorain County who need financial help to realize their dreams of playing softball.
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The group’s biggest fundraising event of the year is just around the corner. The third annual For the Love of Softball Hit-a-Thon will take place Aug. 26 at the Lake Erie Crushers’ stadium in Avon.
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“We had like eight or nine girls the first year and it was up to around 50 last summer,” said Jane Beckham, the organization’s secretary and treasurer. “But we had a blast last summer and we’d like to get more age groups involved. We’ve had girls hitting off tees, we’ve had different stations where girls would throw or hit and another that was for speed.
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“We also had baskets that we raffled off, a 50/50 (drawing) and this year we’re trying to add a cornhole tournament for adults.”
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Nichols said the concept isn’t too complicated — the girls sign up sponsors who give the players a flat donation or pledge an amount per foot. The girls then get a series of pitches and their farthest hit is measured.
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The participants get to keep 75 percent of what they raise to help pay for their own softball training, equipment and fees, and the other 25 percent goes to the organization to provide funding to those in need.
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“To write those checks out is what we did this for, so it’s very rewarding to be able to do that for those girls,” Nichols said. “It’s extremely exciting and it’s awesome to see all the support that I’ve had from friends and family and all the people around me that have helped … especially for the Hit-a-Thon. Pretty much, my friends and family run it for the day.”
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Nichols said she’s been going to Hot Stove games and posting on the Northeast Ohio softball tournament websites to drum up interest in this year’s event. She said the support has been growing at the same level as the participation.
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“Last time I checked we had 25 people signed up and that usually grows pretty quickly in July,” she said. “So we’re expecting probably 100 girls.”
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Interested players can sign up at the non-profit's website, where there are also links to donate money, equipment or time to the organization.
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The group has also garnered sponsorships from several area businesses, for the event itself and for the tables and stations.
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With Nichols still holding down the roles of mom and wife, helping coach a Warhawks travel team with her dad and running the non-profit, she said those around her have provided the energy to keep going.
“It’s busy and hectic, but I’ve also met a lot of cool people and I’ve had a lot of people say thank you for doing this,” she said. “I’ve had people from New York message me and say, ‘Oh, I wish we had something like this.’ So it’s kind of cool to get those messages.”
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For the Love of Softball raises money for Lorain County Children who love the game
Originally published by The Morning Journal
July 22, 2022 By Destiny Torres
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Laura Nichols, a former softball athlete and mother of an rising sports star, has witnessed firsthand how finances can limit a child’s ability to participate in sports.
A family might be able to afford the softball cleats but not the uniform.
In some cases, the youngster’s family might not even be able to afford the entry fee to participate in the sport he or she loves.
This is why Nichols, alongside Bob Beckham, founded For The Love Of Softball, a Lorain County-based nonprofit designed to help girls and their families afford and participate in softball.
Beckham is vice president of For The Love Of Softball.
“Growing up, my dad coached softball,” Nichols said. “I saw firsthand how someone’s living conditions and the way they were raised can affect if they can play a sport or not.”
Founded in 2021, For The Love of Softball, has one simple goal: to donate money to girls who want to play a sport but cannot afford it, Nichols said.
“Any girl that lives in Lorain County can apply,” she said. “We are able to help them financially or donate cleats or other supplies.”
On Aug. 27, Nichols is running the second annual Hit-a-Thon, where girls currently being sponsored by the program will be able to pitch 10 times on the Lake Erie Crushers field at Mercy Health Stadium and get donations.
“The girls will get 75 percent of their donations,” Nichols said. “The other 25 percent will be used for other children in need.”
Currently, the nonprofit is accepting applicants at www.fortheloveofsoftballinc.com, she said.
“We sponsored five girls last year,” Nichols said. “My goal is to sponsor 25 this year and double it by next year.
“Girls love to play sports. I want to see them accomplish their dreams.”
Any girl who lives or plays for any team in Lorain County can participate, Nichols said.
Participants ages 6 and younger will hit from a tee, she said.
The farthest ball will be measured and sponsors can donate by the foot or by a one-time donation, Nichols said.
According to the group’s website, before marrying Josh in 2017, Nichols spent the first half of her daughter’s life as a single parent.
During this time, she realized how many sacrifices some parents have to make to give their children “extras” in life, the website said.
For many families, “extras” include sports.
She realized many parents might have to choose between paying bills and allowing their children the opportunity of team sports.
​”I started thinking about how unfair it is that talented kids can’t get the same coaching, equipment and training due to an inequity of financial support,” she said. “Inability to pay shouldn’t be an issue for kids to do what they love: play ball.”
Her own life had been shaped by sports, according to the website.
She started playing at just 4 years old and now has coached for the last 15 years.
With the support of her family, Nichols used the majority of her coronavirus pandemic stimulus money to form the organization in 2021.
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