Marley Jackson is passionate about softball and helping others feel included.
Her contagious love for the sport is why she recently became a Jennie Finch Empowerment Award recipient at the Elite Development Invitational in Kansas City, Mo., which took place in June.
“I’m very shocked, very excited,” Jackson said. “I just love the feeling of making others happy and making sure that no else is feeling down because I’ve been there and I know how it feels.”
As a JFEA recipient, she received a $10,000 scholarship and will be honored during a pregame ceremony at the World Series, along with other youth award winners from the 2025 season.
Jackson said this opportunity will help her find more opportunities in out-of-state programs where she can enhance her softball skills and that it “gets her where she wants to be.”
In its seventh year, the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award presented by ARM & HAMMER presents four scholarships to deserving softball players at all Major League Baseball Develops events every year, including the Breakthrough Series, Jennie Finch Classic during All-Star Week, the Elite Development Invitational and the RBI World Series.
The chosen athletes have demonstrated the many values represented through the award and its six guiding principles: leadership, motivation, commitment, dedication, humility and integrity.
Jackson encapsulates all of them.
“The Jennie Finch Empowerment Award is so much more than softball,” Finch told Jackson. “It’s about your core values on and off the field and when your name comes up, leadership and commitment stand out the most.”
A catcher and a native of Alexandria, Va., she is also part of the Nationals NIKE RBI team, a dedicated volunteer coach at YBA PLAY -- the Nats Youth Academy, where boys and girls learn more about baseball and softball; and at Northern Virginia Girls Softball Association.
Jackson not only excels on the diamond but in the classroom as well, at Thomas Edison High School. With a 4.7 GPA and aspirations of majoring in criminal justice and going to law school, she has found the perfect method to juggle being an athlete and an outstanding student.
“It definitely gets tough but me just finishing my junior year, I learned a lot about balance and how to do all that,” Jackson said. “I make sure my work is done before I go out and hit off the tees or take some reps.”
Whether she stays later after practice or asks her coach to come in early to practice, Jackson is always ready to play ball.
“When she’s around you can hear her and her teammates, you see their vibe light up,” EDI coach Sky Ellazar said.
Jackson’s relationship with her teammates shows how her leadership goes beyond the field. She is willing to build the best version of her athlete self, according to her teammates.
Like Lauren Willenbucher, who recently joined the same league as Jackson.
“Meeting Marley was one of the best things,” Willenbucher said. “She’s really changed my outlook on the game and the positivity that comes from it.”
For teammate Alex Nehrer, an award like the JFEA is made for Jackson.
“She’s charismatic, she brings a lot of energy to the field, she’s really just a great person in general,” Nehrer said. “She’s uplifting. If you ever made an error or anything, she would definitely bring you back up. She’s a great teammate to have.”