Breaking Barriers, Shaping Champions: A Trailblazer on the Softball Field | 3x24

In this episode we are joined by UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Inouye-Perez, head softball coach for the UCLA Bruins in southern California. Entering 2024, she leads all active PAC-12 coaches with 775 overall victories and 275 conference victories, securing four regular season PAC-12 titles in her tenure as head coach. Starting 2024, she will move onto her 18th season as lead coach. In 2022, Inouye-Perez led the Bruins to a seventh straight Women's College World Series appearance, and in 2019, she guided the Bruins to their 13th National Championship and 12th NCAA title.

We have open and important conversations about the relationship between ethnicity and athleticism, and touch upon different topics including women in sports, opportunity, college admissions, and diversity within the athletic community. Coach Kelly leads to empower the futures of young women through the sport, inspiring them to strive for better futures and well-being. She also touches on how she was fortunate to be a part of a traveling sport club when she was a teenager, and how that shaped her own journey to where she is today. 

She provides aid to those who might not have the opportunity to follow their passions and dreams, and encourages a fighting spirit in the entirety of her career. Coach Kelly dominates on and off of the field, all the while leaving a positive impact on the lives of others. We are left with an important message pertaining to focusing on your dreams, not the color of your skin, whether in a sport or in life.