Meet Keilani Ricketts — pro softball player, mom, and all-around inspiration for athletes everywhere.
The pitcher is widely considered one of the best softball players in the world. Ricketts led the U.S. to a Gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games and helped Team USA secure a Gold medal at the 2018 WBSC World Championship.
Now in her 11th season as a pro player, and first season with Athletes Unlimited, Ricketts is stronger than ever. "Being a mother has just given me a newfound strength that I never thought I'd be able to tap into as a woman," she says.
When coming back to the sport after giving birth, she faced questions like, “Is she still going to be able to throw?" and "Will she be able to play?", but her impressive debut with Athletes Unlimited speaks for itself, scoring 700 win points and 856 leaderboard points.
Athletes Unlimited provides Ricketts with child care services during the season to assist players who are parents in staying at the top of their game while also spending quality time with their families.
"[Because of the child care services] I didn't feel as guilty when I needed to go work out, or if I needed time on my own to prepare myself for the game," explains Ricketts. "Having this type of support makes me feel welcome, comfortable, and makes me want to continue to play."
Having her daughter with her during the season helps Ricketts focus on what truly matters: "Having [Elizabeth] around helps relax me. It puts things into perspective that it is way bigger than a sport. Just the fact that we're able to be here, and I'm able to have representation as a mother still playing pro softball is really cool.”
For Ricketts, motherhood is resiliency, "I don't think that mothers really get the appreciation they deserve. Being a mother is tough." she says. "Motherhood has helped me keep going, even when it's really hard."
#MotherhoodStories
