For Addy Kluck '29, softball offers something beyond the game itself. "It's a time I get to spend with my best friends," she says. "Softball has taught me many life lessons like mental toughness and communication skills."
Today the team is participating in the launch of Investing In Champions, Queens Athletics' annual giving campaign. Every gift this week goes directly to student-athletes like Kluck and her teammates, funding the equipment, travel and team-building opportunities that shape the Queens Softball experience — and the players who live it.
"They become great people," says Head Coach Kella Armstrong. "This is because playing a team sport, they learn to work together with each other, and they learn that they may not always get along with each other, but they will always have each other's back."
Kluck's favorite memories from Queens often happen off the field. Last fall, her coaches took the team on a beach trip over fall break, one she still counts among the highlights of her time here.
Armstrong builds team bonding into the program on purpose, and hearing from alumnae years later confirms it worked. They tell her they were able to find their best friends while on the team. "We are really big on having a good team dynamic, and having past players tell me that they still talk to most of the girls from when they played here is something I really enjoy hearing."
The coaches are committed to the whole athlete, not just their stats, and work to prepare them for a lifetime of success.
"I hope they leave here knowing they are capable of more than they think," Armstrong says. "I want them to carry the ability to work hard, hold themselves accountable, lead others and believe in themselves long after their time playing here is over."
The moments that shape these players into leaders, the moments that form lifelong bonds, don't happen without donor support. "It gives us as a coaching staff the ability to offer special things to the girls," Armstrong says.
This week, you can invest in Kluck and every student-athlete on the Queens Softball roster. With a goal of $15,000, every gift is an investment in the culture and community that builds leaders and relationships for life.
Check out this year's challenges and progress toward the goal on the team's giving page.
Investing In Champions is October 2-9, 2026. Unlock Royals Club benefits with gifts of $100 or more. For questions or information on issuing your own challenge, please reach out to Danielle Evans-Clan, director of athletics advancement, at evanscland@queens.edu.
