The mantra of the Southeastern Conference is "It Just Means More," and the Florida Gators softball team embodies that to a T.
Whether this NCAA Softball Tournament is your first time tuning into a Gators softball game or not, you will notice each of Florida's players wearing a yellow sunflower positioned on the back of their heads.
It's not unusual to see a softball player put something in their hair —whether it be a headband, hair tie, or something else, but a sunflower is unique — and symbolizes something bigger than the game itself for the Gators.
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Here's what you need to know about why Florida players wear sunflowers in their hair as the Gators kick off NCAA Softball Tournament play on Friday:
Why does Florida softball wear Sunflowers?
It's a story that dates back to 2009 with a diehard Gators fan, named Heather Braswell, and an organization called Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
As noted by The Oklahoman in 2015, Heather Braswell first came upon the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation while watching television. Shortly after this, she signed up for the foundation's Adopt-A-Child program, which pairs kids who are dealing with pediatric brain tumors and/or other forms childhood cancers with a high school or college sports team or club as an honorary team member.
It is similar to Team Impact, another organization that partners with college sports teams that has become popular over the last few years where college programs can sign a kid facing a serious illness and/or disability as an honorary member of their team.
Friends of Jaclyn Foundation matched Heather Braswell with the Gators softball team, and quickly became a constant figure inside Florida's dugout and locker room. Just as Heather supported Florida on the diamond, the Gators supported her off the field as well, most notably during her cancer treatments.
Cancer unfortunately returned for the Gators' No. 1 fan in June of 2013 after a five-year remission. In January later that year, her cancer was diagnosed as terminal. She died 10 weeks later.
Later that season, the Gators went on to win the first of two back-to-back Women's College World Series titles with their angle looking down upon them from above — a powerful heartfelt and emotion-filled sports moment for all.
In honor of Heather Braswell, the Gators began to wear yellow sunflowers — her favorite flower — in their hair, something that they've carried on still today.
"Sometimes, it (the sunflowers) makes me cry," Terri Braswell, Heather Braswell's mom, told The Oklahoman in 2015.
"But it warms my heart that she touched so many. She would just be ecstatic. She would be thrilled with what they’re doing. It’s making people ask questions, which will hopefully in turn bring awareness."
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On top of continuing to wear sunflowers in their hair during games, the Gators have continued to honor Heather in several ways.
Each year, Florida hosts an annual "Yellow Game" in April, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, to raise money for pediatric cancer. This is on top of the Gators' "Sunflower Saturday" home games. In 2023, the Gator Diamond Club — Florida's softball booster club — raised over $9,400 for St. Jude's Hospital with "Sunflower Saturday" t-shirts as noted by Gatorsports.
Heather Braswell also has a locker in the Gators locker room at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, where her name is engraved into the locker with a “Team Heather” shirt hanging below it.
Friends of Jaclyn Foundation
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was founded in 2005 by the family of Jaclyn Murphy, who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in 2004 at nine years old.
The "mantra" of the foundation is "Live in the Moment…Play in the Moment" as it looks to help "improve the quality of life for children battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers."
There are three programs that the foundation offers: Adopt-A-Child, Safe on the Sidelines for Siblings and Guardian Angel. According to their website, over 950 families with children in the last 19 years.
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