Emily Allard and Be The Momentum

I first met Emily Allard when I started covering the National Pro Fastpitch Chicago Bandits for the 2014 season. Also in her first season with the Bandits, Emily quickly became one of my favorites.

Emily had a stellar softball career with the Northwestern Wildcats. Among her many achievements, Emily was Northwestern's all-time leader in stolen bases (154), as well as ranking 19th all-time in the NCAA. Emily had a .402 career batting average, including a single-season record-breaking .491 average during her sophomore season. She was a four-time NFCA All-Region and All-Big Ten selection.

The Chicago Bandits selected Emily with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NPF draft. She made an immediate impact, making the All-NPF team as a rookie. The next season, she led the NPF in stolen bases, earning the Rally Spikes Award.

In 4 seasons of play, Emily posted a .366 batting average, with 32 rbi's, 24 stolen bases and 66 runs scored. Perhaps more importantly, Emily won the hearts of Bandit Nation for her fierce play, energy and love of the game. In every interview I ever did with Emily, she always eschewed praise, instead focusing on giving back to the youngsters and growing the game.

Unfortunately, Emily suffered a concussion in 2016 which derailed her career. Emily has shown the same intensity in her recovery process. She currently isn't playing pro softball, but she still has the passion and is still growing the game.

Emily started Be The Momentum with her former Northwestern teammate Kristin Scharkey midway through the 2014 season. Be The Momentum is about empowering slappers as catalysts for game-changing moments.

Slappers are slap hitters and refers to a specific style of moving through the box while hitting. They are usually speedy players, who act as table-setters for other hitters.The big hit is exciting, but it all starts with the slappers getting on base.

Be The Momentum holds clinics, sells instructional videos and does anything slap-related to teach youngsters (including college athletes) the fine art of slapping. They hold clinics or boot camps all over the country.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of catching up with Emily, between her clinics held at The Dugout in Northbrook. In our interview, Emily continued to impress me with the passion and dedication. As impressive as Be The Momentum is, it isn't Emily's sole focus. She is the Marketing & Sponsorships Specialist for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. It's another avenue for Emily to continue to grow the sport.

Emily is growing the sport and making a difference. I see what Emily means to youngsters. As I stated in the interview, I saw a young fan at a recent game proudly wearing her Emily Bandits jersey. I cannot praise Emily enough, but I can do my small part by continuing to cover her endeavors and spreading the word.

In a very real way, Emily is the ultimate slapper. She made a career of slapping on the field and now she is still setting the table for the future of the great (and too often underappreciated) sport. Check out BeTheMomentumSoftball.com for more information.