When it comes to being connected with softball fans, Sam Landry is tapped in. She stays late after games to sign autographs, fosters meaningful connections with young players, and shares the personal side of her life on social media.
That’s why, when it came to choosing her Athlete Cause for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup season, it only made sense to have her fans’ input.
“I feel like I have such a good response on my [Instagram] Stories. People love responding and interacting, and I absolutely love that. And I know I’ve been pretty open about talking about mental health here recently, and I’ve had a lot of feedback on that as well,” Landry explained.
While Landry’s performance on the field helps her climb the leaderboard and earn a larger bonus, it also benefits the cause Landry supports for the season. Athletes Unlimited, powered by Give Lively and the Give Lively Foundation, makes a grant equal to 100% of the athlete’s win bonus to the non-profit of the athlete’s choice at the end of the season.
She posted on her Story that she wanted to partner with a mental health awareness organization and asked her followers to respond with ones they support.
People continuously mentioned The Hidden Opponent, a non-profit that specifically focuses on athlete mental health advocacy, education, and support.
That drew Landry in.
“I didn’t think that was something that was going to get a lot of feedback because, as much as I suffer through it, honestly, I think I had a blind eye to how much other people suffer through it as well.”
The idea for The Hidden Opponent was inspired by a TEDxTalk by Victoria Garrick Browne, a former Division I volleyball player. She shared her story of how she battled and overcame depression and anxiety as a student-athlete. The talk has since gained over 625,000 views on YouTube.
The Hidden Opponent provides resources and seeks to create a global community to empower athletes to prioritize their mental health and shatter the stigma within sports culture.
Through its Campus Captains program, an educational ambassadorship for high school and college students, participants learn about mental health and related topics and develop advocacy skills to enact change in their communities. The Hidden Opponent also works with coaches and professionals to educate them on mental health through panels, story sharing and resource education as leaders.
Landry wishes she had heard some of the messages The Hidden Opponent advocates for during her softball journey.
“I think back over the years, how bad my mental health has been because I’d made my full purpose of life being an athlete,” Landry said. “Having the people [to say], ‘This sport does not define who you are,’ is something that I needed to hear a lot sooner. I eventually heard and got to understand that, and it really helped me.”
The Hidden Opponent’s social media campaigns, presence in over 800 colleges and high schools across the globe, and education initiatives drive awareness, which Landry didn’t experience until college.
“That was something I suffered from for so long, but it’s like you never knew what it was,” Landry said.
“Nobody, really, in my opinion, had a name for it. So you were just like, ‘You’re sad.’ So I pray that it’s helpful to the younger generation and the parents of those kids to put a name to it, to identify it, help from there, and start at a young age.”
Now in her rookie season as a professional, Landry’s own influence is palpable. Volts’ shirts with No. 21 can always be spotted in the stadium, and girls wearing clear frames like Landry’s signature look are becoming increasingly common.
These fans helped Landry choose her cause, and they’re the reason she continues playing.
“I would absolutely just say thank you… They’re the ones that are giving me this reason to keep going and to keep leaving my heart out on that field,” Landry said.
“It’s not always sunshine and rainbows walking off that field, but it is just walking into this crowd of people because I know anything that happened on the field does not matter except what I’m doing right in front of me and who these people are. And so it’s just a big thank you – I literally love all of them.”
Learn more about the Causes Programs and which organizations the 2025 All-Star Cup players are supporting here.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.
