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Bergen County softball coach out to raise awareness of rare disorder
TL;DR
A Bergen County softball coach is raising awareness for a rare disorder through community engagement and events. The initiative aims to educate others about the condition and its impacts.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #22 Maya Siesta slides and is safe at home.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. R #8 Briana Nicolas.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #25 Ava Martino.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #22 Maya Siesta.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. Rutherford head coach Cherryl Bott and #14 Allie Diaz.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #25 Ava Martino.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #18 Savannah Liccardo.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. Rutherford head coach Cherryl Bott.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #2 Giana Sager scores a run.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. R #00 Payton Lewis. Pequannock head coach Maryann Goodwin.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. R #00 Payton Lewis.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. Passaic Tech head coach Mike Boorman.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #1 Brianna Mendez.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #1 Brianna Mendez.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #14 Audrey Amoruso.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #5 Kayla Bayani on her way to being safe at second as PT #23 Samantha Battaglia tries to get the out.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. Indian Hills head coach Joe Leicht.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. PT #25 Raffaela Porporino.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. RW #17 Avery Butler.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. J #26 Kylie Plunkett.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Ridgewood head coach Craig Bunzey.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. J #21 Noelle Mediterraneo.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Jefferson vs. Ridgewood. Jefferson head coach Amy Pearce.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Jefferson vs. Ridgewood. RW #15 Charlotte Sher.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #22 Sophia Savino.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #10 Riley Smith.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #10 Riley Smith.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #3 Grace McManus.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #7 Ella Ferraro.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. Old Tappan head coach Melissa Landeck.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #3 Abby Keim.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #19 Brooke Smith.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. R #3 Madison Daly.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #10 Teresa Gurnari scores a run.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. J #26 Kylie Plunkett scores a run.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #10 Jenna Regan on her way to scoring a run.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #8 Cameron Greenberg celebrates after hitting a home run.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #9 Kaelyn Brown scores a run.
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #1 Amanda Fasoilno scores a run.
1 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #22 Maya Siesta slides and is safe at home.
1 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #22 Maya Siesta slides and is safe at home.
2 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. R #8 Briana Nicolas.
3 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #25 Ava Martino.
4 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #22 Maya Siesta.
5 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. Rutherford head coach Cherryl Bott and #14 Allie Diaz.
6 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #25 Ava Martino.
7 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #18 Savannah Liccardo.
8 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. Rutherford head coach Cherryl Bott.
9 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #2 Giana Sager scores a run.
10 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. R #00 Payton Lewis. Pequannock head coach Maryann Goodwin.
11 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. R #00 Payton Lewis.
12 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. Passaic Tech head coach Mike Boorman.
13 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #1 Brianna Mendez.
14 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #1 Brianna Mendez.
15 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #14 Audrey Amoruso.
16 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #5 Kayla Bayani on her way to being safe at second as PT #23 Samantha Battaglia tries to get the out.
17 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. Indian Hills head coach Joe Leicht.
18 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. PT #25 Raffaela Porporino.
19 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. RW #17 Avery Butler.
20 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. J #26 Kylie Plunkett.
21 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Ridgewood head coach Craig Bunzey.
22 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. J #21 Noelle Mediterraneo.
23 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Jefferson vs. Ridgewood. Jefferson head coach Amy Pearce.
24 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Jefferson vs. Ridgewood. RW #15 Charlotte Sher.
25 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #22 Sophia Savino.
26 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #10 Riley Smith.
27 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #10 Riley Smith.
28 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #3 Grace McManus.
29 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #7 Ella Ferraro.
30 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. Old Tappan head coach Melissa Landeck.
31 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #3 Abby Keim.
32 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. P #19 Brooke Smith.
33 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Pequannock vs. Rutherford. R #3 Madison Daly.
34 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. Indian Hills vs. Passaic Tech. IH #10 Teresa Gurnari scores a run.
35 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. J #26 Kylie Plunkett scores a run.
36 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #10 Jenna Regan on her way to scoring a run.
37 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. OT #8 Cameron Greenberg celebrates after hitting a home run.
38 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #9 Kaelyn Brown scores a run.
39 / 39
Check out scenes from the Blue and Gold Softball Tournament
Apr 4, 2026; Pompton Plains, NJ, USA; Blue And Gold Softball Tournament at Hillview Middle School. DePaul vs. Old Tappan. D #1 Amanda Fasoilno scores a run.
Hackensack and Paramus will sport special jerseys when they clash on the softball diamond April 16 in Hackensack to promote awareness of ataxia, a hereditary neurological disorder that impairs movement, coordination and speech.
It’s a condition Comets coach Brian Hooper is unfortunately all too aware of. His beloved grandmother, “Grandma Gay,” and his father, Glenn, are battling ataxia.
“I know there are games and events out there for autism research and cancer and I think those games really help the causes,” Brian said. “Ataxia is something most people have not heard of. I want to make people aware that that it is very difficult to deal with and the more attention something like this gets, the closer we can get to helping people with it.”
The American Brain Foundation believes the condition impacts more than 150,000 people in the United States alone.
Hackensack will wear custom gold jerseys with a blue ribbon (the ataxia color) and Paramus will wear grey jerseys also with a blue ribbon. Hooper is directing friends to National Ataxia Foundation website for any donations.
Hackensack will wear special softball jerseys promoting Ataxia awareness April 16 when it faces Paramus at home.
“It’s a neurological disorder, kind of like Parkinson’s,” Brian said. “It impacts your motor functions and balance and your speech. Eventually people have trouble eating and it can shorten your life span. It’s rare.”
Grandma Gay (real name Gesa Hooper) had a home in Paramus and would take her grandsons fishing in Schlegel Lake when they were growing up. Brian describes her as always active, someone who loved to travel and had fudge-stripped cookies at the ready.
She was diagnosed with ataxia near the age of 70, when her symptoms become serious. She’s now 93 and requires full-time care in Wyckoff.
“Mentally she is pretty sharp for her age,” Brian said with a laugh. “She has outlived every doctor’s expectation.”
Brian’s father, Glenn, who was chief of police in the Township of Washington and served 42 years on the force, was diagnosed with the disorder last February. He now walks with a cane, but Brian said his father, 71, is attending physical therapy and getting along well.
“He’s managing as best as he can,” Brian said. “At PT, they work with him on his balance, but he is starting to understand the limitations of what he can and can’t do. He has to go at a slower pace.”
Brian’s aunts, Susan and Sharon, are also dealing with the early stages of the disorder. Brian and his brother Glenn, a policeman in Paramus, know they have a 50-50 shot of being diagnosed when they get older.
“I’ve talked to my doctor and he said there’s no point in getting tested now, there’s nothing they can do about it early right now anyway,” Brian said. “I just try to keep myself mentally and physically fit and stay healthy. I’m sure more advance treatments will become available.”
Doing an awareness game against Paramus made perfect sense to Brian. It’s where his family grew up, and he and Spartans coach Marc Gregory are friends.
Brian prefers to keep family matters private, but wants to use this opportunity to spread the word.
“I try not to show too much, but when I told my team’s parents and the players what we were doing, I started to get emotional,” Brian said. “I’m not usually someone who shows much emotion, but I know if we win Thursday, I will cry happy.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hackensack NJ softball coach out to raise awareness of ataxia
Q&A
What rare disorder is the Bergen County softball coach raising awareness for?
The specific rare disorder has not been mentioned in the provided text.
How is the softball coach raising awareness for the disorder?
The coach is engaging the community through events and educational initiatives.
Where is the Blue And Gold Softball Tournament taking place?
The tournament is being held at Hillview Middle School in Pompton Plains, NJ.
What teams participated in the Blue And Gold Softball Tournament?
Pequannock and Rutherford are the teams that participated in the tournament.
