Saint Leo University Softball Coach Wins National Championship After Beating Cancer
Key Takeaways:
- Saint Leo softball coach Erin Kinberger won a national title after completing breast cancer treatment
- Kinberger was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer at age 39 after finding a lump
- She continued coaching through chemotherapy and surgery and achieved a complete response to treatment
Saint Leo University head softball coach Erin Kinberger lifted the national championship trophy over her head. Her team cheered, rushing toward her. It was the end of a historic season, but it also marked something even bigger for Kinberger.
This time last year, she was completing chemotherapy.
“It was a really special moment. Not too many people get to check that box off,” Kinberger said. “I think the universe and the game know what you put in is what you get out.”
Kinberger is no stranger to hard work. A Saint Leo softball alumni, she says she was feeling fit and healthy going into the 2025 season, her 11th as the head coach.
But at the end of 2024, right before the season started, she felt a lump in her breast. At just 39, she wasn’t old enough for routine screening, and doctors originally thought it was just an inflamed duct. Kinberger scheduled a mammogram just to be safe.
That mammogram led to a biopsy, which revealed stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer.
“It was a shock. When you think cancer, you think of disease and being unhealthy. I was literally in the best shape of my life,” Kinberger said. “I think I was naïve, but I never had an experience with anyone with cancer, and it really wasn’t at the front of my mind.”
The softball season became not only about beating opponents but also beating cancer.
‘I Could Do Hard Things’
Kinberger started treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in February 2025. She underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy in August and reconstruction surgery in December.
Kinberger kept coaching during treatment to continue to be a mentor to her players and her 9-year-old daughter.
She vowed to continue coaching through it all, only missing one series the entire season. She was open with the team about her diagnosis and her treatment.
“I feel like given my career and my role, my purpose in life is to help others learn through my mistakes, my successes, my challenges. I am a big believer in that.”
While there were days all she could do was physically show up, the support from the players and coaching staff kept her going. The team had a successful season, making it to the regional tournament. Their fight mirrored their coach’s.
“It changed the perspective for some of the kids. They saw I could do hard things, and I refused to quit or to lay down,” Kinberger said.
This was especially true when Kinberger was recovering from surgery in early 2026. She says she had to “double down on my toughness” but knew she had a strong team behind her on and off the field. One of her Moffitt nurses went to one of the games, and Kinberger says she was happy to have surgeon Nazanin Khakpour, MD, on her team.
“She is just a winner. She has an ‘it’ factor to her being. She walks into the room, and you can tell she seeks greatness,” Kinberger said.
Perspective Change
Kinberger had a complete response to her treatment, and after she healed from her surgeries, she was ready to focus on the next softball season. The incoming team was very talented and had a lot of depth, which proved to be a winning combination.
When the team clinched its first-ever national championship in June, it was a victory on multiple levels.
Kinberger and the team celebrated their historic win by jumping into a pool.
“For myself, personally, cancer changes you and the way you think,” Kinberger said. “I think this year I was super grateful for all the little things. To be alive.”
For now, Kinberger says she and her team are just enjoying the moment, staying humble, working hard and setting their sights on another championship. She hopes this season has been a learning experience for her players about not only the game, but also their health.
“I think this put into their minds that just because it looks good on the outside, doesn’t mean you can take that for granted,” Kinberger said. “You do have to monitor your health and pay attention to your body. I hope this helps them stay on top of their self-checks.”
