Head coach Shelly Hoerner and all the players and staff pride themselves on being able to have a positive impact on children and citizens around the community.

Last November, the softball team paired with the CofC baseball team to take part in the Charleston Miracle League, a non-profit organization which allows children and adults with special needs to play baseball in a formally organized league at a state-of-the-art complex built specially for them. CofC's athletes mentored the league's participants and provided constant support and encouragement. After the league games, the players put on a whiffle ball game, much to the enjoyment of the kids from the league.

The kids of the league were all deeply moved by the involvement of actual college-level baseball and softball players.

"I loved how proud all the athletes were of themselves and their peers," said Kristi Woodall, a senior outfielder on the softball team. "I just loved the positivity around the place, and it was all about playing whiffle ball and having fun. It reminded me why I love the game."

The team also sponsored a Thanksgiving box in which they collected items in order for an underprivileged family to be able to enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal. The team also gathered essential food items for the family to keep as well as hygiene and cleaning products. The team has done this project for six years and this year benefited a grandmother who singlehandedly cares for her five grandchildren.

The Cougars also make regular trips to the MUSC Children's Hospital to visit and play with the children. In December, the players brought winter crafts such as snowflake and snowman ornaments to make. The players also painted with the children and the coaches played air hockey and pool with an excited bunch of young enthusiasts. The girls made a contribution on their own and bought 12 new-release DVDs for the kids to view.

The team will be making monthly trips back to the Children's Hospital in small groups throughout the 2011 season.

Throughout the entire fall 2010 semester, the team also participated in the Lunch Buddies program at Saunders Clyde. The program is aimed at helping youth meet different adults from the community to mentor them. The softball players were paired up with kids in grades three through eight and would go to the school to share lunch time with their buddy and get to know them. The elementary students were always excited to share their lunch buddy with their friends and also impressed that the girls played college softball and crossed the bridge every day to go to practice. The students were excited to receive the team's 2011 playing schedule and plan to attend games in the spring.

Amanda Lonergan and Katie Forbes also volunteered on Saturdays in the fall with "Move, Groove, Get Active", the College of Charleston's School of Education, Health and Human Performance's family-centered program for adolescents with Asperger's/autism spectrum disorder.

Lonergan has always fully embodied the ideals of community service and giving back. She has been personally involved with all of the team's community service projects and continually goes above and beyond the call of duty to help others out. In addition to contributing to the team's Thanksgiving box, Lonergan organized a second box through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is one of the team's Student Athlete Advisory Board representatives and, despite all her endeavors, still maintains an excellent grade point average.

Even as the 2011 spring schedule gets into full swing, the Cougars still plan to remain fully involved with the community around them. The squad gets the season underway on Tuesday, Feb. 15 with a doubleheader at Campbell before hosting tournaments in back-to-back weekends at Patriots Point.