LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Virginia Glory was voted by its peers as the 2026 ATEC/NFCA Travel Ball National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Under the direction of head coach and NFCA Hall of Famer Suzy Willemssen and assistant coach Kevin Bednoski, VA Glory capped off a successful season with a Tier II national championship at The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series. All season, VA Glory competed against elite national competition, collecting quality wins at Top Gun KC, Triple Crown P4, the Alliance Super Cup, and the Triple Crown National Power Pool at the Colorado Sparkler.
Competing, Development, College Fit, Servant Leadership, and Giving Back are the cornerstones which the Glory strive to achieve every day, which includes developing players to reach their potential, helping athletes find college opportunities that are the right fit academically and athletically, and teaching them to use softball to make an impact on others. The commitment to service was once again on display as the program raised more than $50,000 for Children’s Hospital, with 100% of the proceeds going to charity.
A representative of Region III, VA Glory was joined by South Shore Patriots 14U (Region I), Pennsbury Gems 14U Elite (Region II), Top Gun 18 National (Region IV), Indiana Magic Gold 2032 Futures DuPlessis (Region V), Texas Glory (Region VI), Firecrackers Illinois - Ring 14U (Region VII), Bronco Select 18U Black (Region VIII), Lady Magic (Region IX) and NW Vandals Morton (Region X) - as Travel Ball Regional Coaching Staff of the Year recipients.
Willemssen and her staff will be recognized at the NFCA Awards Brunch on Dec. 12 at the 2026 NFCA Convention in Atlantic City, N.J.
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded awards program, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to and extensive drills database, to in-person events and National Convention.
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