By Meg Kelly, BU Athletic Communications
"What about me?"
Four-year-old
Brittany Younan, glove in hand, would continually ask her father as her older sister fielded endless grounders on the softball diamonds of Chico, California.
Flash forward 18 years…and an hour and a half after practice has ended for the Boston University softball team. The fifth-year senior, whose glove has become an extra extremity on her left arm, is still on the field working on her craft long after practice has ended.
It's a daily sight for head coach
Ashley Waters, who feeds the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year grounder after grounder.
"Brittany is a one-in-a-million," Waters asserted. "I feel like I relate to her on a personal level because there's never too many reps, it's never enough. We'll have a two and a half hour practice and she stays out here for another hour and a half. I feel like I can relate to her on a competitive level where there was never enough for me."
What is it that makes Younan the heart and soul of the Terriers?
That question is best answered by her teammates, who sing her praises as infinite as the number of reps Younan fields after practice.
"Brittany has just been such an outstanding leader on and off the field," commented freshman
Marina Sylvestri. "She's someone that's so easy to talk to and if you're feeling down or frustrated with how you're playing, she's definitely someone you can go to and talk to make you feel better. Personally, I can call Brittany one of my best friends. She's someone that I want to always have in my life. She's such a great friend, a great mentor, she lays down the basics for how a teammate should be on and off the field."
High praise for someone who has known Younan for a year, but no matter what class her teammates are, all 17 of them speak of her in a similar regard.
Like her infamous heel clicks, Younan is the catalyst that makes the Terriers click on and off the field with her inherent persona that bonds everyone on the team, while her positive energy flows as easily as the snap of her wrist tossing a softball across the diamond.
"She has always been a role model for me," stated senior
Emma Wong. "She took me under her wing freshman year and showed me the ropes and has always been super supportive. I really appreciate having her here all four years, especially that we got to keep her another year. It's been so great playing with her, she's really positive and you can talk through things with her if you need anything. She's been a great leader for our team and a great representation of who BU is."
The unquestioned leader of the team, what composes the character of Younan is a combination of character, heart and dedication to being the best version of herself on and off the field.
That dedication to BU has remained firm despite numerous waves of change. Younan was recruited by and has played for multiple coaching staffs. Nevertheless, once she stepped foot on Comm Ave, she knew she was home.
"I had never been to Boston," recalled Younan. "I hadn't really been to a big city other than New York and I assumed it was the same. The second I stepped on Comm Ave, I knew. That's so corny, but it's true. I fell in love with the campus. I know some people say it's just a street, but it's a one-of-a-kind street."
Younan churned in a one-of-a-kind season during her debut season, slashing a .379 average en route to earning Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors as the Terriers captured their first Patriot League championship in 2014. The California product continued to shine, hitting .341 in her follow-up campaign before posting a team-best .379 average as a junior while guiding the Terriers back to the NCAA Tournament, picking up her second All-Patriot League selection along the way.
However, an injury would sideline her for her senior season in 2017. Despite the injury, the Terriers elected Younan as a team captain.
"I still felt her there every day," recalled sophomore
Kali Magane."She was still such a big part of the team and for someone to have that part when they're just sitting on the bench just speaks volumes to what a great player she is."
Younan was primed to guide the Terriers back to the postseason as she got a second chance at a senior season, though another challenge faced Younan right before the start of the season, as her dad underwent open-heart surgery in December.
"My dad's been kind of up and down with health throughout my college career," said Younan. "My sophomore year, he was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. We weren't playing well and that year was a lot, but my teammates have been there through it all, especially this year when he had to have open-heart surgery. It's easy to balance things when you have such a good support system. My teammates understand that I don't necessarily want to talk about it all the time, but when I want to talk about it, they're always there for me. They're just truly my best friends, they're my sisters. Things like that are easy to deal with when you have great people around you."
Back on the diamond in 2018, Younan has produced a .350 average and currently leads the nation in triples per game. She returned to the All-Patriot League First Team and went 5-for-8 at the plate with six runs scored during the Patriot League Tournament as BU claimed its third title.
Primed to make her third NCAA Tournament regional appearance, Younan's favorite memories lie in the moments she shares with her parents, especially her father, who was there for every pitch during the conference championship.
"To look out after the Patriot League championship and see him just smiling from ear-to-ear, that was just priceless," reflected Younan.
Younan came to the BU softball family to be a part of a winning tradition and will leave with an immeasurable impact.
"Personality-wise, she's that kid that you want to be around," said Waters. "She has a great attitude, she has a desire to win, and she's an awesome teammate. She's defiantly been our leader, our catalyst these past few years. She certainly has left her mark on this program. When you have a kid that's as talented as she is, as nice as she is, as academically strong as she is, you can't help but feel as a coach some sort of pride in that and really love and respect that."
