Five years ago, veteran outfielder Victoria Hayward was pitched the idea of an unconventional softball league committed to growing the game. She flew to New York City to hear an idea about a league with no coaches, general managers or set teams.
“If there is passion to play, there is opportunity,” Hayward shared, reflecting on her career that has included stints at the collegiate, professional, and national ranks.
She was fully on board with the unique vision of how Athletes Unlimited could revolutionize professional softball.
“It was a couple of us in a room talking about what we wanted in the softball league. There weren’t coaches, there were just five Athletes Unlimited representatives and four people who had played a lot of pro softball, theorizing how to make something really, really great,” Hayward said. “So when I left that first meeting in New York, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
In 2020, Hayward became the first softball player in history to sign with AU Pro Softball. She’s been an integral part of the league’s evolution as the organization has expanded and adapted, highlighted by the launch of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the naming of Kim Ng as the AUSL Commissioner and a strategic partnership with Major League Baseball — it’s clear her investment paid off tremendously.
Now, in the inaugural season of the AUSL, and her final season ahead of retirement, she still proudly wears the number one to represent being the first athlete signed in AU history. Hayward truly epitomizes how far the league has come.
“When we committed that very first year, it was a vision and having belief in the people around us that we could make it awesome. So in five years, to have something that you believe is sustainable, and the answer we’ve been looking for is really fulfilling,” Hayward said.
Hayward has seen Athletes Unlimited in every single one of its iterations; from climbing up the leaderboard and being designated team captain to joining the Talons this summer, she has taken her softball career to new heights each season.
Early on, softball was a vehicle to attend a quality university and prepare her for a professional career after college athletics, not realizing life after college would be full of softball.
“My recruiting process was like, ‘How can I get to a great academic institution? Because softball is not forever.’ So it’s kind of ironic, now it’s like softball kind of was forever,” Hayward said with a smile.
Hayward grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and got an early taste of college softball when traveling to Stanford games. Watching Team USA compete also showcased the opportunities for softball at its highest level. As just a teenager, Hayward didn’t realize she would soon be among these athletes she admired.
“Coming from Canada – college sports and how big they are (in the U.S.) – it’s not really a thing in Canada. I had my first experience, though, with professional softball [and] Team USA, just that next level of grown women playing and playing at a level that was just beyond anything we could see. I had that first experience in 2008 when they were on their tour for the Olympics, and I think that was the first time where I was like, ‘Wow, these women are playing.’ I never thought I would be in their shoes,” Hayward said.
Hayward began playing with Team Canada at 16, and the opportunity propelled her recruiting. She continued to grow as a player, competing with athletes who had collegiate and professional experience. Eventually, her sights were set on competing in the PAC-12, and she committed to the University of Washington as a senior. She would go on to be a First Team NFCA All-American selection, earn multiple PAC-12 honors and be a member of the 2011 PAC-12 All Freshman Team.
When Washington would host softball camps during Hayward’s collegiate career, assistant coach J.T. D’Amico would tell Hayward that she would be a coach. Hayward disagreed early on, believing life after college had other plans.
She soon recognized that coaching afforded her the opportunity to stay connected to the sport and continue to train for professional opportunities, as well as the Olympics. Her first coaching opportunity came as a graduate assistant at Louisiana State University. She then made stops at San Diego State, the University of Central Florida, Maryland and the University of Massachusetts before being named head coach at the University of Nevada last year.
Talons Head Coach Howard Dobson was an assistant coach at LSU while Hayward was the graduate assistant for a semester.
“I’ve known Vic for a long time. Whenever she played in college and then her being on Team Canada, when I was coaching with Team USA. I got space for quite a bit there, and then at one point, she was a GA type person for us when I was at LSU; she was with us there for a semester. So I’ve got a chance to know her personally as well as professionally,” Dobson said.
Dobson not only recognizes the value Hayward adds to the Talon’s roster, but he has also noticed the way her coaching experience impacts the rest of the team, especially the rookies.
“Having her on the field, her maturity, her experience; also, she’s a coach now. She’s a head coach now in Nevada, so basically, people say they have a coach on the field, but literally, we have a coach on the field. So when she’s out there, she knows what to expect of the players, but also she knows how to be a leader,” Dobson said.
Even in her final season, Hayward’s main goal is to continue to learn. She also has her sights set on making history and winning a championship.
“I think every season brings new challenges, and I really just want to be in the mindset of learning and growing so that I can be a better coach for my players, and I can be a better human because of this,” said Hayward, the 2025 Mountain West Coach of the Year.
Hayward attributes the longevity of her career to ‘the pursuit of never arriving,’ always striving to get better. She encourages other young athletes who want to play professionally to keep going.
“Never did I really think any of these things were possible. So to have it be a part of my legacy, that I helped build what I know will be the the league of future generations of softball players, and to just inspire, you know, that next little kid to know that it’s a real opportunity for them is awesome, and I hold that privilege very close to my heart.”
Cayla Sweazie is a former collegiate softball player turned sports reporter with a passion for telling the stories of athletes. She is serving as a correspondent for the Talons of the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @caysweazie.
