KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) was honored with the 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Appreciation Award on Wednesday night at the NJCAA Awards Dinner, as part of the NJCAA Convention in Kansas City.

The honor comes nearly one year to the day (March 11, 2025) that the NFCA led the public #SameGameSameRules movement on behalf of the NJCAA. Along with 15 other national coaches' associations, the NFCA formally sent a request for change to the NCAA and its constituent groups requesting adjusted bylaws creating equal opportunities for two-year college transfers.  

The NJCAA earnestly advocated for change in accessibility rules for NJCAA student-athletes to transfer to the NCAA Division I level for eight years. The NFCA encouraged other coaches’ associations to align with the NJCAA's goal of advocating for change. 

NFCA NJCAA Liaison Lyndsey Talbot was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the NFCA.

"It's hard to put into words the depths of our appreciation to the NFCA and CEO Carol Bruggeman,” NJCAA Senior Vice President - COO & CFO Michelle Meadows expressed. "The NJCAA has fought for years to level the playing field for two-year college student-athletes to have fair opportunities to compete at the NCAA level.”

“When the NFCA heard our story, they did not hesitate to join us in this effort and advocate for change, inspiring 15 other coaches’ associations to submit formal requests to the NCAA that we are hopeful will change the lives of student-athletes for years to come. It's a true testament to their courage, leadership and commitment to two-year college coaches, student-athletes, and member institutions."  

The NJCAA’s #SameGameSameRules campaign will continue until two-year college student-athletes are presented with rules consistent for four-year college transfers, and they said it appreciated the boldness of the NFCA to stand with their student-athletes and advocate for change. 

"We are truly honored to receive this prestigious award from the NJCAA,” Bruggeman said. “Dr. Christopher Parker, Dr. Brett Monaghan, Michelle Meadows, and the entire NJCAA leadership team are first-class people committed to equity and excellence for student-athletes. We simply followed their vision and their lead on this project.” 

“One of the NFCA core values is ‘service to the membership above all else,’ and this initiative allowed us to put those words into action. Thank you to the NJCAA for this special award."

The Appreciation Award is handed out strictly at the discretion of the current NJCAA President & CEO to recognize superior contributions to the Association. This award can be bestowed to an individual, group or member college. 

All 18 of the previous Appreciation Award recipients have been affiliated with the NJCAA as one of its member athletic directors, representatives or officials or Board members. The NFCA is also the first group to receive this honor. To view the list of past winners, click HERE.

The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded coaches polls and All-America awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention. 

Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of over 7,000 coaches today!