Why We Started The Iron Foundation: A Mother's Plea That Changed Everything

Published October 12, 2025 | By Valary, Founder

There are moments in life that change everything. For me and my husband Chris, that moment came through a phone call we'll never forget.

It was a regular Tuesday evening. The phone rang. On the other end was a mother—her voice shaking, tears barely held back. She was calling to tell us she had to pull her daughter from Iron Maidens Fastpitch, the travel softball team we run.

"It's not that she doesn't love it," she said. "She does. She loves every second of it. But we just can't afford it anymore."

The Moment That Changed Us

Chris and I looked at each other across the kitchen table. We didn't need to say anything. We both knew: this child will play.

No questions asked. No hesitation. She would have a home on the team, and we would figure out the rest.

But as we hung up the phone, a bigger question hit us like a freight train:

Sports Are More Than Games

People think sports are just about physical fitness. Hit the ball. Run the bases. Win the game. But anyone who's ever been part of a team knows it's so much more than that.

Sports teach kids:

• Confidence - Standing at the plate, trusting yourself to swing
• Resilience - Striking out and getting back up
• Teamwork - Relying on your teammates and being reliable for them
• Discipline - Showing up to practice even when you're tired
• Leadership - Encouraging others when the game gets tough

These aren't just softball skills. These are life skills. And every child—regardless of their family's financial situation—deserves access to them.

We Refuse to Let Money Be the Barrier

That phone call broke our hearts. But it also lit a fire.

We started asking around. Talking to other coaches. Other parents. And we realized this wasn't an isolated problem. It was everywhere.

Families were:

• Choosing between groceries and registration fees
• Pulling kids mid-season because they couldn't keep up with costs
• Watching their children's confidence crumble as they sat on the sidelines
• Feeling ashamed that they couldn't "afford" to let their kids play

That's not okay.

A child's potential shouldn't be determined by their parents' paycheck. Talent doesn't care about tax brackets. Drive doesn't check credit scores.

So We Built The Iron Foundation

The Iron Foundation was born from that phone call. From that mother's tears. From the realization that if we didn't do something, nothing would change.

Our mission is simple but powerful:

We're building:

• Scholarships to cover registration fees, equipment, and transportation
• Training programs with expert coaches and mentors
• A future facility where every child has access to top-tier training
• A community where kids are valued for who they are, not what they can afford

This Is Just the Beginning

Right now, we're sponsoring 4 girls from Iron Maidens Fastpitch. Four girls who get to play, grow, and thrive because someone believed in them.

But we're not stopping there.

We're dreaming bigger. We're planning a 15,000-20,000 sq ft training facility. We're expanding to serve more sports, more kids, more communities. We're building something that will outlast us—a foundation that breaks barriers for generations to come.

This is just the beginning.