After suffering three ACL injuries, Jessie Rebhan’s softball career was cut short. Even so, a year after playing at the University of Florida, she returned to Miami to stay involved with the sport she loves.
She started coaching the travel softball team — the Miami Stingrays 12 and under division — with her husband Gator Rebhan. Travel softball’s main season runs from March to August and consumes copious amounts of time with approximately seven games a weekend.
“Travel softball is like a family. The girls form a special bond, like a sisterhood” Jessie Rebhan said. “They get the chance to stay at hotels together and the team becomes a second family. The people in the organization sometimes see each other more than their actual families.
“Everyone has each other’s back and can rely on each other to help with whatever they need. It’s a lot of time and money invested, but in the end it’s worth it.”
Nearly 13 years of coaching various divisions within the Miami Stingrays’ organization, the travel softball program has produced some amazing talent that Rebhan attributes to rigorous practice and relentless support.
This past year alone, The Miami Stingrays were responsible for producing 13 girls who went to the NCAA Regional Tournament in the Women’s College World Series, and three that made it to the Super Regionals.
Notables include All-SEC player Kylan Becker from the University of Mississippi, Carsyn Gordon from Florida State, Caitlin Charlton from Baylor, Brittany Husk from Villanova, and Stephanie Texeira from Florida International, who broke the school’s all-time home run record this season. Last year, Kelsey Bogaards from Auburn made it to Women’s College World Series Championship.
In addition to these high profile success stories, the Stingrays organization has produced over 250 Division I players who went on to play for schools ranging from UF, FIU and UCF to Harvard, Penn, and Cornell.
Every year, the Miami Stingrays program has 10-12 teams — typically two from each age division: 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under, and 18 and under. The youngest division may have girls as young as 6 years old following the regimented schedule. They practice three times a week and compete in various tournaments throughout the season.
“People think we are crazy for spending the whole summer traveling and playing in tournaments,” Rebhan said. “But none of us would trade it for anything.”
Despite the fun memories Rebhan created as a player, she suffered a series of knee injuries, which cut her playing career short. However, those setbacks helped her develop a true love of coaching.
“Because I suffered debilitating injuries, coaching was truly a blessing,” Rebhan said. “One of the reasons I enjoy coaching so much is because I understand what players have experienced; tearing my ACL three times taught me to play every game like it was my last, and I try to instill that sentiment in my players.”
The empathy Rebhan possesses as a coach is something she transfers over to her two daughters, Taylor and Brooke, who play in the 8 and under and 12 and under teams, respectively.
Jessie is their youngest daughter’s current coach, and Gator coach’s their older daughter, thus continuing a tradition of families playing and coaching together.
“It’s like two extended families,” Jessie Rebhan said. “There are a lot of families that have two, three and even four siblings playing on different teams in our organization.”
As the Miami Stingrays develop girls who go on to have successful playing careers, the league also creates family bonds formed through the team and sport. They even get together to participate in charity work several times throughout the year.
“I have been through the process myself. I see a lot of my friends who coach their daughters,” Rebhan said. “A lot of the girls who have gone through our program as a player, have come back to coach as well. It comes full circle.”
