From Fan to Player

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - In 2017, when Gianna Ceccarelli (Claremont, Calif.) arrived on the Bryant University campus, she didn't realize that current head coach Nick French was part of the staff. Gianna met Coach French at a University of Arizona softball game against Stanford for her 10th birthday when French was a volunteer assistant at Arizona for the Wildcats.

Going to softball games was a common occurrence for Gianna as a kid. This game was a little more special as she got to meet players that she someday hoped to become.

"It was a huge deal for me because I got to on the field for warm-ups," Ceccarelli said. "I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a lot of college softball games as a kid, but it was an incredible experience to be able to meet the players I looked up to. I was so inspired by these women from just watching them on TV, but meeting them really took that inspiration to the next level. This experience showed me that I could play in college which has led me to Bryant where I get to play softball every day with my best friends, so I will forever be thankful for the experience."

Ceccarelli would wait after games to get an autograph from all of the players. The ball that she got for her 10th birthday is still with her to this day.

"One of my favorite parts of going to any college softball game was staying after and waiting to get signatures from the players, but this specific softball is incredibly important to me," Ceccarelli said. "To be able to get every player's signature from the team I looked up to the most was absolutely mind-blowing to me as a kid. I actually still keep the ball on my desk in my room just as a reminder of why I love the sport."

Gianna met French at the game and got his signature. Now they share the same dugout.

"It seems very surreal that I have had a softball sitting in my room for a whole decade with my head coach's signature on it," Ceccarelli said. "I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I think this coincidence proves that to be true. I mean, what are the odds that I would get Coach Nick's signature the day I fully fell in love with softball"?

After this day at the Arizona softball game, Gianna knew that becoming a college softball player was what she wanted to do.

"I got to meet some players and stand on the field with the team during the national anthem," Ceccarelli said. "I remember feeling so overjoyed to be meeting the girls I watched play every week and so thankful to be given the opportunity to be there. According to my mom, after the national anthem, I ran up to her in the stands and told her that I wanted to play softball in college."

Coach French believes this is a great story about how female college athletes can have a huge impact on younger generations.

"It's pretty surreal to see that ball, I do remember signing it and thinking at the time, 'who wants my autograph?" French said. "But it's such a neat story just knowing that she was inspired that day to play college softball. I'm so glad she is here playing for us now, but really what's great about this story is it shows the impact that female athletes in college can have on young girls. We talk about that in our program a lot when we do camps. One positive interaction that may seem innocuous to you can change a young girl's life for the better."