By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora High Retires Legendary Coach Brittany Beall’s #7 Jersey
Mount Dora High School retired the jersey of its former standout softball player and current Florida A&M University Head Coach Brittany Beall last night, honoring a legacy that spans from a determined local athlete to a championship-winning coach and program builder.
The ceremony was held during a game featuring Beall’s alma mater Mount Dora who faced off against Eustis High School, where she built her coaching reputation. The game saw Mount Dora retire Beall’s No. 7 jersey. Beall, a proud Mount Dora Hurricanes graduate, played collegiately at Auburn University before embarking on a highly successful coaching career.
Beall described her journey as one of perseverance and purpose.
“From a little girl ‘across the highway’ who couldn’t throw a ball two feet, to becoming the first Division I softball player from my school to earn a scholarship, the journey wasn’t pretty, and it definitely wasn’t easy,” she says. “I was denied. I sat on the bench. I questioned myself more times than I can count. But in the end, every setback was worth it.”
Coach Beall credited Mount Dora High with shaping her character, saying “Mount Dora High School shaped and molded me into the woman I am today. Back then, I thought I was missing out on so much as a teenager. Little did I know God was preparing me for something greater.”
After her playing days, Beall returned to Central Florida and spent over a decade as head coach at Eustis High School, compiling a 257-77 record. She led the Lady Panthers to multiple Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state tournament appearances, including three championship game berths. Eustis won state titles in Class 4A in 2021 and 2024, with a runner-up finish in 2016. Her teams also secured numerous district and regional championships, establishing Eustis as one of the state’s premier high school softball programs.
Beall stepped down from Eustis in 2024 to become the head coach for Florida A&M University softball, taking over the Rattlers program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). In her first season, she guided FAMU to notable achievements, including a winning record and a SWAC championship game appearance.
The jersey retirement, organized by Mount Dora athletic director Stive Colas, staff, and the school, recognized more than statistics.
“This honor isn’t just about numbers or stats, it’s about legacy, resilience, and the little girl in orange and white who dared to believe!!” Beall says.
She emphasized her drive to give back to the community that once lacked such opportunities for her. “It has always been about giving back to my community. Because that little girl in orange and white didn’t always receive it. And I made a promise that if I ever had the chance, I would be what I didn’t have.”
Coach Beall concluded by framing the moment as part of a larger impact.
“I didn’t grind for applause,” she says. “I grinded to break cycles. To build something that will outlive me. To make sure the next little girl doesn’t have to wonder if she’s good enough. This isn’t a moment. It’s a movement.”
Coach Beall continues to afford young girls in our area opportunities to excel at the next level. We are so proud of her and everything she has done in her career and continues to do at the next level. Way to go Coach!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
