High school spring sports hit the field for the first time in nearly two years on Saturday. Among the excitement, a bittersweet celebration at Foran High School in Milford.
One year delayed, the school was finally able to dedicate their new softball field in the name of Danielle Kemp. Kemp was a standout catcher for the Lions who went on to play at Stony Brook.
During her sophomore year of college, she learned she had an inoperable brain tumor which eventually took her life.
On Saturday, the team honored her as an athlete and teammate. Foran retired her no. 8 jersey and both teams made donations to the scholarship in her name. Her family and former coaches hope that now, every player who steps on the field in Milford will know what it means to “Play Like Danni."
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“I want them to play like Danni,” said Jeff Bevino, who coached Kemp at Foran. “That's what I want them to do. She was the ultimate teammate, the ultimate warrior and the ultimate player.”
“To see that logo over these that says ‘Danni Strong’ and ‘Play Like Danni,' that's amazing, she loved this game,” said Danni’s mom, Melinda Kemp.
