Girls Baseball EDI helping open doors for female players

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- At the inaugural Girls Baseball Elite Development Invitational (EDI), players displayed grit in many different ways. Sophia Brown displays grit by continuing to play the sport her father got her into before he died.

“Grit means many things,” Brown said. “I started playing baseball at the age of seven, then started playing travel at nine, and then my dad died when I was younger. I continue playing for him.”

Brown and Keira Izumi are two ballplayers who were selected through the Girls Baseball Identification Tour to participate in the Girls Baseball EDI at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla.

Grit ID tours take place throughout the country and were back to full scale this year, after taking a hiatus when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The tours allow girls under the age of 18 to participate in an MLB-style workout. The best performers get selected for events such as the EDI and the Breakthrough Series.

Brown, who plays first base, participated in the event that took place in Chicago, while Izumi, who plays second base and shortstop, was at the event in Arizona. Izumi noted that she wasn’t quite at her best for the workout, but the coaches and scouts saw enough for her to be selected for the EDI.

“I was a little bit surprised,” Izumi said of being selected. “To be honest, I didn’t have a super great day at the Identification Tour, but I think I was able to show that I knew what I was doing, and my attitude and effort.”

Along with going through a pro-style workout, players interact with coaches like Anna Kimbrell, a nine-time USA Baseball women's national team alumna.

Kimbrell, who coached at the Grit ID tour in South Carolina and is at the EDI, noted that she didn’t have similar opportunities to participate in events when she was younger. Because of that, Kimbrell feels more of an impetus to help girls who were once in her shoes.

“Any time I get the chance to spread the game and work with the girls, I’d love to come and get to work with them and share the knowledge that I have,” Kimbrell said. “It’s like just passing along the game and being a female myself, I think it’s huge. I think it’s awesome for them to be able to see other girls and get that camaraderie.”

Along with Kimbrell, Lou Collier, who was an MLB infielder for eight years, is one of the instructors at EDI. Collier is also an instructor for the Boys Baseball Breakthrough Series.

With the attention girls have gotten through multiple events, Collier hopes it opens more doors for them in the future.

“Hopefully it can just create a lane so that they can have their own league,” Collier said. “I think that will just keep them motivated to continue to play and that they don’t only have the avenue to play softball. These girls want to play baseball, and they’re really good.”

While the Grit ID Tour is more about scouting girls on the diamond, EDI puts more of an emphasis on their development on and off the field. For Izumi, off-the-field lessons are what have resonated with her.

“I’m learning a lot of life skills,” Izumi said. “Mainly the perseverance that you need just to be a girl on this path [and] the fact that it is possible to be able to succeed.”

Brown echoed Izumi’s sentiment about her biggest takeaways being how to carry herself off of the field.

“Learning attitude and humbleness,” Brown said. “How to approach the things like positive and negative.”

Brown and Izumi each know the importance of grit to carry the game forward for girls in baseball, whether it’s on the field or in a different capacity. With her sights set on being involved in baseball as a player, coach, or administrator, Izumi is ready for whatever is thrown her way.

“To me, grit means perseverance,” Izumi said. “Most of all, the want to succeed. The ability to overcome any obstacles that are placed in your path and just to have the end goal in mind and the ability to get there however you can.”