Dad Carries Injured Daughter to Celebrate Championship Win

Sophie Catarozzoli was stuck on crutches watching her Johnston County Little League teammates rush the field after winning the national championship, until her dad swept her into his arms and carried her straight into the celebration.

The moment happened on August 9 in Greenville, North Carolina, when Sophie's team defeated Kentucky to become Little League Softball World Series champions. Sophie, the team's starting second baseman, had suffered a badly sprained ankle in the first inning but stayed on the sidelines cheering her teammates to victory.

As the final out was recorded and players ran onto the field, Ben Catarozzoli spotted his daughter struggling with her crutches. Without hesitation, he scooped her up and brought her into the middle of the celebration as she cried tears of joy.

"It's just dad instincts, I guess," Ben told TODAY. "I would've done it for any of the girls on the team. It was important that when they were all rushing the field to celebrate, and she was kind of still trying to crutch her way out there, that I got her out there as quick as possible."

Sophie remembered exactly what her father whispered as he held her in his arms during the celebration. "He said, 'We did it,'" she recalled.

The touching scene was captured on video and quickly went viral on SportsCenter NEXT. Thousands of viewers called Ben the ultimate "girl dad" in the comments, praising his dedication to making sure his daughter didn't miss out on her team's biggest moment.

Sunny's Take

What makes this moment special isn't just a father helping his daughter. It's four years of hard work between a coach and his player who happen to share a last name. Ben has coached at every level, treating all his players like his own kids while trying to treat Sophie like any other teammate.

Sophie admits coaching from dad has its moments. "It always takes a while for me to realize that he was really right in the moment," she said with a smile. Her father just grinned and called her assessment "fair."

The team's victory represents years of growing up together. "I've basically grown up with all these girls," Sophie said. "To see them this happy and this proud, to see each other and do it for each other, to win this championship was really special."

Sophie will spend four to six weeks in a boot recovering from her sprain, but she's already received a video message from her hero, former Oklahoma softball star Jayda Coleman, congratulating her on the win.

Sometimes the best coaching happens off the field, in the split second when a dad realizes his daughter needs him most.