LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Arleta’s (Calif.) Christine Hernandez and Ryan Beaman from Las Vegas Blast 18U (Nev.) are the recipients of the 2026 Easton/NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year award in the high school and travel ball groups.
These awards salute the efforts of coaches from the various NFCA membership categories for their tireless dedication to the sport of softball and to the continued education, growth and development of young women, both on and off the playing field. The collegiate honorees were announced in a press release on July 16. Each recipient was nominated by NFCA member coaches and selected by a panel of their peers on the NFCA Awards Committee.
Hernandez has been on Arleta’s coaching staff for 14 years, volunteering her time every season to help build the Mustangs’ program, which includes work with both the varsity and junior varsity teams. She dedicates herself to preparing the JV team for games and with the majority of the players having little to no softball experience, Hernandez takes the time to teach them the fundamentals. With the varsity squad, she works primarily with the infielders, which has cultivated a strong defensive infield. The hard work paid off with the Mustangs capturing their first CIF-Los Angeles City Section championship, including an 11-0 win over the top overall seed. In her time, the JV program has won three league titles with the varsity capturing two. In addition to softball, Hernandez serves as a campus aid and is the JV girls basketball head coach and assistant varsity coach. Head coach Amanda Guijarro, who was the 2026 All-City Coach of the Year, credits Hernandez as playing an integral role in her earning the award.
Beaman has played a pivotal role in the Blast’s improved PGF Platinum finishes over the last three seasons, which included a 2026 first-team PGF Premier berth and the program being elevated to the Supplemental Powerpool by winning the Fireworks Power Pool at this year’s Triple Crown Sports Sparkler/Fireworks Colorado 4th of July tournament. Beaman handles the majority of the scouting, putting together reports for the pitchers and working with catchers to implement those plans during games. His tireless work as an unpaid coach has allowed head coach Kristy Odamura to focus on all other aspects of the game and she stated she is 100 percent confident in his pitching and catching decisions.
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Easton/NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and a National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of over 7000 members today!
