Our 2025 Presenting Sponsor
Check us out in the news!
August 8th, 2026
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The Westin Center
Lombard, IL
Empowering Girls for Life is committed to shifting the perception that women do not have the ability or opportunity to achieve as much as their male counterparts.
By creating channels to meet, interact with and learn from diverse, high profile women, EGFL aims to inspire and enable personal and professional success for girls and women everywhere.
Each year, EGFL hosts an event where we invite speakers from various industries and backgrounds to share their barrier-breaking stories and inspire young girls and women that anything they dream of, they can achieve – no matter the obstacles.
Our 2018 – 2025 events hosted Olympic gold medalists, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, educators, national championship coaches, athletes, and more. To learn more about the EGFL alumna, keep scrolling!
Together, we will create the female leaders of tomorrow by empowering girls today.
Experience the epic girls’ empowerment event that will leave you inspired!
Next Event: August 8, 2026
Tickets for the Empowering Girls event are free with required registration thanks to our generous sponsors. 2025 ticket details are below!
Kate Drohan
Coaches Corner
Kate Drohan has led Northwestern since 2002. In 2025, she began her 24th season as the Wildcats’ head softball coach, passing the legendary Sharon Drysdale for the longest tenured coaching stint in program history. Alongside her twin sister, Caryl, Drohan is the program’s all-time wins leaders. The Wildcats have made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances during her tenure, including nine in the past 10 tournaments. Northwestern has advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals seven times under the Drohans and made three trips to the Women’s College World Series in 2006, 2007 and most recently in 2022.
Drohan has won five Big Ten titles with the Wildcats, including each of the last three seasons. Her five conference championships are tied with Drysdale for the third-most in Big Ten history, while her career wins (780 entering the 2025 season) rank fourth-most. Her 327 career conference victories entering 2025 rank the third-most in Big Ten history, a mark which nearly doubles the next highest total among active coaches, while her .675 winning percentage in conference play trails only Carol Hutchins for the highest in Big Ten history.
The Providence College alum has won six Big Ten Coach of the Year awards, including three years in a row and four of the past five seasons the award was handed out. Her six Big Ten Coach of the Year awards rank second-most in Big Ten history, and are tied for second among active Power-5 coaches in their respective conferences. In her 23 seasons, Drohan has seen her players earn 107 All-Big Ten awards and 19 NFCA All-American nods.
This past 2024 season, with a lineup that replaced six of its nine defensive starters from the previous year, Drohan led the Wildcats to a 35-13 record and a 19-3 record in conference play en route to Northwestern’s third-straight Big Ten regular season title and its sixth-consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament.
In March of 2024, Northwestern University announced plans to construct a new Softball Stadium, with construction expected to begin in the summer of 2025 and anticipated completion by the start of the team’s 2026 home season. The project will increase the stadium’s seating capacity, create new spaces for the student-athletes (including a team clubhouse, a players’ lounge, a new locker room, centrally located training and team development spaces), a fully renovated press box for TV and radio coverage, and elevated fan experience amenities including a new courtyard entrance to accommodate tailgating. The lead gift for the project was a $5 million contribution from former Northwestern basketball player, Kip Kirkpatrick (Class of 1994) and his wife, Sara. The new facility will be named ‘Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium,’ while the playing field within the stadium will retain the name ‘Sharon J. Drysdale Field.’
Bonnie Tholl
Coaches Corner
Bonnie Tholl is in her third season as head coach of the University of Michigan softball program in 2024-25. She was named the fourth head coach in Michigan softball program history on August 24, 2022, after spending 29 years as the Wolverines’ top assistant, including the previous 20 as associate head coach.
Tholl led the Wolverines to a 43-18 record in 2024 — the program’s most wins in five seasons — behind a remarkable second-half turnaround, which featured wins in 33 over their final 42 games. Michigan captured the Big Ten Tournament title after taking second in the conference’s regular-season standings and led all teams with four All-Big Ten first team honorees. U-M also returned to the NCAA Tournament, reaching the regional championship against No. 5-seeded and eventual WCWS participant Oklahoma State. Tholl and her assistants were named the NFCA’s Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Tyra Perry
Coaches Corner
Tyra Perry was hired as the University of Illinois’ second-ever head coach in June, 2015. Entering her 25th season as a NCAA Division I softball head coach and 11th at the helm of the Illini, Perry has totaled over 600 career victories as the head coach at Illinois, Ball State, Western Kentucky and Birmingham Southern.
Perry has made an immediate impact in her time at the helm of Illini softball, leading the program to its first back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances since 2010 after advancing to postseason play in 2016 and 2017, and she helped the Illini to 36 wins or more for three-straight seasons, 2016-18, for the first time in program history. She guided the Illini to another NCAA Regional in 2019 after a 33-25 season and already had three top-25 wins in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the season.
A 1997 and 1998 graduate of Louisiana State University, Perry earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 1997 and added a master’s degree in sports administration in 1998. After two seasons at Nicholls State, Perry followed her head coach to LSU as the second signee in the first signing class of the newly created Tiger softball program. After sitting out in 1996, she became a two-year letterwinner for the Tigers (1997-98), helping the program post a combined 102-28 record over her career, including a 58-14 mark in Southeastern Conference play. She also helped the Tigers pick up a pair of SEC West Division titles and make the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance, where it finished second.
Clarissa Crowell
Coaches Corner
Penn State softball head coach Clarisa Crowell has helped cement the Nittany Lions’ place as a growing brand in college softball, elevating the program to its first NCAA Regional appearance in over a decade during the 2024 season, in addition to spearheading the most dominant offensive campaign in the team’s 60-plus-year history in 2025. Crowell was hired in the fall of 2020 and is in the midst of her sixth season with the Blue & White in 2026.
In 14 years as a head coach, Crowell has amassed well over 300 career victories highlighted by more than 130 in her time at Penn State. She boasts a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, has won two conference championships, published six 30-plus win seasons, coached 14 All-Big Ten Conference student-athletes and notched over 140 conference wins in her time with Miami (Ohio) and PSU. Crowell coached the first Freshman All-American, B1G Freshman of the Year and unanimous First Team All-Big Ten Conference honoree in Penn State history in Bridget Nemeth. Crowell has also coached a pair of Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor recipients in Maddie Gordon and Lexie Black, as well as two Penn State Female Athletes of the Year in Nemeth and Bailey Parshall.
With Crowell at the helm, Penn State has done a remarkable job of preparing women for life after softball through diligence in the classroom, with the program notching 17 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections, 62 NFCA Scholar Athlete accolades, 76 Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors as well as 29 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards in her six seasons at the helm. Under Crowell’s tutelage, Lexie Black was named the recipient of the Big Ten Conference Postgraduate Scholarship, the first recipient of that honor in Penn State program history.
Hanne Stuedemann - Vanderhorst
League of Lady Leaders
Hanne (Stuedemann) Vander Horst is passionate about empowering others through softball and leadership. She helped her team win the 2006 Little League World Series before leading her high school to its first-ever state championship in any sport in the school’s 100-year history, earning honors as Michigan’s 2011 Miss Softball. Hanne competed for the renowned Beverly Bandits under Bill Conroy from 2010–2011, then played four years of Division I softball at Ball State University. There, she served as team captain and earned recognition as an NFCA Scholar-Athlete, multiple First-Team All-Conference honors, a spot on the All-Conference Freshman Team, and was named MAC Tournament MVP her senior year in 2015. Hanne played a central role in three regular season conference championships, and capped her senior year with a conference tournament title that led to a victory over Notre Dame at regionals. She excelled academically as well, appearing on the Dean’s List for eight semesters and graduating magna cum laude. Now a clinician and manager for the world’s largest animal health company, Hanne is also a proud mom of three and a dedicated softball coach, mentoring players from T-ball through high school. Her journey is a testament to the lifelong impact of the game, both on and off the field.
Casey Skeens
League of Lady Leaders
Casey Goff is a West Virginia native and proud graduate of Poca High School, where she was a two-way athlete competing in both basketball and softball. She played travel softball as an outfielder for the Beverly Bandits from 2015–2017 and was an assistant coach from 2018-2020, earning three PGF Championships—two as a player and one as a coach. She later served as a Beverly Bandits 18U coach, helping mentor athletes who advanced to compete in the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, and MAC conferences. Casey continued her softball career at Eastern Michigan University in 2017 prior to the program’s discontinuation. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Eastern Michigan in 2021. Driven by a passion for performance, recovery, and helping others heal, she went on to complete her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Kentucky in 2024. She now works as a Physical Therapist at the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, where she treats patients in the cardiac and medical intensive care units experiencing critical illness. Casey is deeply passionate about helping individuals navigate some of their most vulnerable moments and regain the strength and independence needed to return home after short or prolonged hospitalizations. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, Braxton. In December 2025, they welcomed their daughter, Clara, into the world. Outside of work, Casey enjoys reading a good book, hiking, working out, and spending time with her two fur babies, Bella and Rosie. Best, Casey
Rachel Becker
League of Lady Leaders
Current:
Project Manager for Curve Test Centers
Associate Consultant for CEO.works
Professional Softball Player for the OKC Spark – Entering my 2nd season with the Spark
ESPN+ Analyst for Oklahoma State Softball
Former:
1 season at Athletes Unlimited
2-time All-American at Purdue University & Oklahoma State University
BA in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University; MBA, with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University
Cyborg Security - Emerson
League of Lady Leaders
Ellie Cooper
Wellness Center
Currently, I am the Director of Player Performance for the Florida State Softball Program. I was born in New Zealand and grew up in St. Louis Missouri. I played my collegiate softball career as a second basemen at Florida State University From 2014-2017. In my time at Florida State I was fortunate to be the captain and a 4 time ACC Champion. In my time playing at Florida State I appeared in 4 super regionals making it to the Women’s College World Series twice in my career. In 2018 I joined the Coaching staff at FSU as the student assistant coach where I was coaching first base when we won the National Championship. I also competed for the New Zealand National team in 6 world championships where I was the Captain for my last two World Championship competitions.
In my time playing and coaching I realized how important the mental side of the game and life, which let me to be inspired to become a mental performance coach. I am now a certified mental performance coach and the Owner of Ellie Cooper Elite Performance where I do one-on-one coaching and group consulting relating to mastering mental performance in life and in sports. Lastly, I am the Lead Facilitator for the Athletes Unlimited Professional softball league.
Tracy Sellers
Dream Maker
Tracy grew up playing sports in Austin, Texas with her focus always on softball. Upon
graduating high school, Tracy continued her softball career in college at Texas Tech
University. She spent three years in her collegiate softball career before graduating in 2005
with a degree in corporate communications. Since 2005, she has remained connected to
her athletic roots through investing in local school athletic programs and sports fields
around the North Texas and West Texas communities. She is passionate about doing
everything she can to create the appropriate environment for today’s youth, setting them
up to be the best athletes possible. The dedication to a sport and fellow teammates is an
invaluable lesson both on the field and off. By investing in these communities, she is able
to promote the importance of being part of a team.
Tracy is actively involved with the Red Raider Club at Texas Tech, an organization created by
Texas Tech alumni, boosters, and former athletes. Within the Red Raider Club, Tracy helps
promote and mentor female athletes attending Texas Tech University. Being involved with
this program allows her to connect one-on-one with these athletes, which is something
she enjoys tremendously.
Outside of her sports-related endeavors, Tracy spends much of her time volunteering on the committees for the UT Southwestern Expansion, All Saints Advancement, and the committee responsible for hiring Texas Tech softball coach Gerry Glasco.
Her husband, John, and their three children (Liz, 16; Sloan 14; and Jase 11) keep her busy with what remains in her very active schedule.
Lonni Alameda
Conqueror
Lonni Alameda is in her 18th season at the helm of the Florida State Softball program and has led the Garnet and Gold into one of the top college softball programs in the country. Alameda has led the Seminoles to five Women’s College World Series appearances and helped the Seminoles win the National Championship in 2018. Alameda is a seven-time ACC Coach of the Year and has won 17 combined ACC Championships (9 ACC Tournament Championships, 8 ACC Regular Season Championships). Alameda was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2023 and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
Emcee - Sydney Supple
Sydney Supple is a color analyst and PXP for ESPN+, BIG Ten+, ACC Network, and FloSports. A former student-athlete from Northwestern University, she played softball at the highest level, winning three Big Ten titles, and started at the Women’s College World Series in 2022. At Northwestern, she discovered her love for Journalism, chronicling behind the scenes of the softball team and broadcasting sporting events.
After completing her degree in Journalism from Medill at Northwestern, she obtained her Master’s in Broadcast & Digital Journalism at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
She is a contributing member of Softball America, a play-by-play, color analyst, and sideline reporter for Power Four football, softball, volleyball, soccer, basketball, and baseball.
Achievements:
- 2023, BigTen Distinguished Scholar
- 2021, 2022, 2023 BigTen Academic All-American
- 2023 Big Ten Softball Conference Tournament Champion
- 2022, 2023 Big Ten Softball Conference Champion
- 2022 Participant in the Women’s College World Series
- 2019, 2018, and 2017 Wisconsin Softball Gatorade Player of the Year
11 Speakers
Join us August 8th for a day of inspirational keynotes and fireside chats from current and former student-athletes, executives, broadcasters, and more. We can’t wait to host a power-packed lineup of speakers for our 9th Annual Empowering Girls Event!
Coming Soon!
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Coming Soon!
Sydney Supple – ESPN and BIG 10 Sports Broadcaster
