POWERGRAMS

17 PROFILE AU B U R N P L AY E R S ' F I R S T C OAC H E S W E R E T H E I R PA R E N T S Tiger Tales While most people spend vacation sightseeing or relaxing, Lead Lineman David Swindle can be found on the softball diamond. Swindle, who works at the 12th Street Service Building in Birmingham, and his wife, Trina, a fuel analyst at Corporate Headquarters, are among several employees whose daughters play collegiate softball. The Swindles often travel from their home in Jasper to Auburn University, where their only child, Ashlee, pitches for the Tigers. A decorated pitcher out of Curry High School, Ashlee was the 2016 MaxPreps All-USA National Player of the Year. "It started out as a hobby and turned into a dream," David said. "She told us about the age of 9 that she wanted to play college ball. We went from park ball to local travel ball to big-time travel ball. She was doing what it took day in and day out to reach her goals." Swindle coached his daughter from about the age of 6 until she was 16 or 17. As she progressed as a player, Ashlee started playing travel ball throughout the year and working with a pitching coach in Atlanta. "Our whole vacations revolved around ball. We started from the first of January and went to November, with about two weeks off in between," David said. "But it was something we got to do together, as a family." Ashlee is in her sophomore season at Auburn. She is majoring in human resources management and was named to the Academic All-SEC team in 2017. Peppi Cooper, maintenance and tech training manager at Plant Farley, also remembers the years of coaching and traveling with her daughters, Kasey and Kortney. Cooper worked to bring softball to Dothan City Schools and became the first softball coach at Northview High School. "Both Kortney and Kasey grew up thinking the Northview High School softball field was theirs," Cooper said. Peppi and her husband, Jeff, coached recreation and travel softball for the Patriots Softball Organization, a 501(c)3 the couple started. "Jeff and I agreed that I would coach Kortney, and he would coach Kasey. Often, we would be in different states playing in tournaments," Cooper said. "If we were ever at the same softball park, the older players would come cheer on the younger players and vice versa. My players considered the younger players like little sisters." Kortney started for Troy University, while Kasey became an All-American at Auburn University and is currently on the U.S. Softball Women's National Team. Cooper said softball has taught her daughters much about life and working as a team. "They have learned the importance of doing your job. Everyone has a job – whether it's in a classroom, at a softball game, a chemistry lab or a business," Peppi said. "They have also learned that you don't have to like everyone on the team. In life, just like sports, there will be teammates and bosses or coaches that you might not adore. Nonetheless, you have a job to do. Be professional. Be the bigger person." After graduating from Troy, Kortney earned a doctorate in nuclear chemistry from Michigan State. She lives in Maryland and is a pharmaceutical representative. She talks with her sister every day. Kasey will graduate in May with a mechanical engineering degree from Auburn. She is looking

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