AGSL Madison Small Scholarship

#WePlayFor24

AGSL:

“In April 2015, the softball community suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Broad Run High School senior captain Madison Small.  Madison was a four-year varsity softball player for the Spartans.  Like so many other softball players, Madison began her softball career in the Ashburn Girls Softball League 8U house division.  As Madison began to develop her softball skills, she moved on to play for the AGSL Pride program and eventually the Ashburn Shooting Stars.  During her travel softball career, she also played for the Vienna Stars, Baseliners, and Glory softball programs.

Madison was a beautiful young woman with so many wonderful qualities. She was smart, athletic, kind, thoughtful, and hardworking. Madison was successful at every endeavor that she was a part of.  She was the kind of child that every parent hopes to have. Madison was the kind of person that we all aspire to be. The world was a much better place with her in it.

In honor of the contributions that Madison made to the softball community and for the important role she played in the Ashburn Girls Softball League, the Annual AGSL Scholarship was renamed in April 2015 to the AGSL Madison Small Scholarship.  The scholarship is awarded annually to former AGSL players who have demonstrated sportsmanship, citizenship, and commitment to the game of softball that resulted in a positive impact on their own development and AGSL as a whole. This is precisely the type of player that Madison was. Funds raised will go towards this annual scholarship that will be awarded to deserving high school seniors in Madison’s name.”

NVO’s very own team member, Macie Scott, was a recipient of the AGSL Madison Small Scholarship in 2018.

“Softball was, without a doubt, the most impactful part of my life growing up, but it wasn’t just the game that shaped me as a person; it was the community of people. From teammates, to coaches, to family, to people that felt like family. I played softball from age 9 to 18 around Ashburn, then continued to play for fun in intramural league in college, and now play in an adult league. Words can’t express how grateful I am for my experience in AGSL. AGSL creates an environment for girls to grow their athletic abilities and skills no matter where they start. The organization empowers young girls to be strong, both physically and mentally. They encourage true teamwork: what it means to be a teammate on and off the field. They teach leadership skills from a very young age and give opportunities for girls to put their experiences to use as they move up through the league. They encourage girls to chase after their biggest dreams, and provide endless tools and support to help reach those. The greatest coach I ever had taught me to always be the hardest working one in the room. He made me mentally tough, whether things are going my way or not. He taught me to be a respectful person with integrity and a good attitude, to be a strong leader with discipline…and when things get rough, rub some dirt on it and keep going. These lessons are invaluable and I take them with me wherever I go in life.

I never had the pleasure of playing on the same team as Madison, but I got the chance to play against her and with teammates of hers. She is a unique case in that people only ever said amazing things about her; never a single bad word. The impact she has left just goes to show what an outstanding woman and player she was. It was an immense honor to receive the scholarship as I went from high school into college, and I truly aspire to embody all the things she and the foundation stand for in my life today and every day. It warms my heart that I work for such a generous company where we are able to give back to the community in different ways. NVO as a whole is inspired by the legacy Madison left behind and we are beyond excited to be the Ashburn Girls Softball League sponsor, and more importantly, a donor to this year’s AGSL Madison Small Scholarship fund.”