Don’t be surprised to see a movie someday based on the life of James Lamar, the founder and head of the Lady Dukes organization who has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lowest.

That later category includes dying on the operating table… but, as they do in Hollywood, we’ll hold off on that tease ‘til a bit later.

The highs in Lamar’s life have included being a husband and father in a beautiful family that includes a wife who is a Power 4 head softball coach (Marissa Young at Duke) with four children—Braylon, Layla, Jolyna and Kayden—two of whom have gone on to play collegiate softball (Layla at Florida initially and now a junior at Duke, and Jolyna, a sophomore at UCLA).

Coach Young herself was a standout collegiate player at the University of Michigan, earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors in 2002 and Big Ten Player of the Year in 2003. Jolyna pays tribute to her mother by wearing the same No. 7 jersey number at UCLA today that Young wore in her Wolverine days.

*****

The Emergence & Continued Success of the Lady Dukes

For his part, Lamar has also been an impact figure in the softball world, having launched a North Carolina-based travel ball program in 2012  to help his daughters develop in the game and, today, runs not just one team, but an organization that has nearly 200 teams spread across the country.

Along the way there have been highlights like winning major tournaments and developing players who’ve gone on to play at college programs such as Georgia, LSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Yale and, not surprisingly Duke, along with dozens more competing at all levels of competition.

And the talent pipeline continues to produce high-level prospects.

This year’s high school grad class, for example, includes one of the top senior pitchers in the nation in Brooklyn Hagerty who is committed to Texas and ranked by Line Drive Media as a Top 5 player overall in the 2027 grad class.

The 2028 grads in the Lady Dukes feature elite players, too, including Kelsie Burden, a standout infielder and Alabama 7A state champion, who is committed to Georgia.

The club coach has also seen some of his alums make it into the pros such as Ana Gold, who graduated high school in 2021 and, after playing at Duke, competed for the Carolina Blaze in the AUSL and was named the that league’s Rookie of the Year in 2025.

*****

Health Concerns & Other Issues Off the Field

On the softball field, Lamar has been quite accomplished, but it’s off the field where the story gets quite dramatic.

In May of 2023, he was hospitalized with serious health issues that almost cost him his life.

Over the course of several months that spring and summer, Lamar had emergency heart surgery that forced him to have a heart and kidney transplant as well as serious foot issues—with more than 10 surgeries and counting—which had been so severe, they’ve led to amputations forcing extending rehab time in a wheelchair.

And if that wasn’t enough, at one point Lamar says he actually died on the operating table.

“I passed away in the hospital and was revived,” he recalls. “During that experience, I saw things that let me know I was no longer here. I know God is real, and I am thankful for every day I get to live.”

From that traumatic experience, the coach started His Hands Foundation to support those in the community including “families in need, members of our church family and high-achieving students who lack the resources to pursue their dreams.”

Why the foundation?

“That blessing (of surviving the health issues) gave me a deeper purpose and that is to bless others. I have donated thousands of dollars, provided food, clothing, and shoes, and paid for school lunches for children whose families could not afford them.”

“God’s hands brought me back, and now I want to use mine to help others,” Lamar explains.

“Our goal is to donate thousands of dollars this holiday season to help single parents with utility bills, with holiday meals and Christmas Gifts to encourage families that you’re not alone and to stay strong in your faith, because through Christ anything is possible.”

That’s not to say the story is completed and has reached its happy “It’s a Wonderful Life”-type ending just yet.

In October, for example, Lamar had a follow-up cancer appointment as well as a heart procedure and this month will have another foot surgery.

And there’s been accusations by fellow club coaches of the Lady Dukes poaching players as well as legal issues, such as the September lawsuit filed by the Wooter Apparel company based in New York.

In the legal case, the Lady Dukes and Lamar were accused of not paying a very specific amount of $111,716.68 for custom travel uniforms ordered and purchased in 2024.

An article on the SI.com (Sports Illustrated) website detailed the alleged specifics of the case, including how the company waited until Coach Lamar was released from the hospital and could respond to the allegations since then.

From his side, Lamar says he used an intermediary—a go-between—named Joe Montgomery, a one-time coach with the Lady Dukes, who worked with Wooter and appeared to have everything resolved.

Lamar says that Wooter delayed getting the uniforms produced in time for top events and that the Lady Dukes were forced to purchase uniforms through Wilson and other apparel companies.

He is seeking dismal and the next court hearing will take place on November 19.

*****

Loyalty From Alums

Current and former players and their families, however, tend to be loyal to Lamar despite some of the critics who disagree with his tactics.

Jailia Lassister was an outfielder at Ole Miss and LSU and is now playing for the Volts in the AUSL pro league.

Her mother Cassie Lassiter insists that her daughter thrived under the leadership of her club coach.

“Playing for Coach Lamar and the Lady Dukes organization helped my daughter grow not only as a softball player but also as a person,” Cassie says.

“It pushed her to become more confident, mentally tough, disciplined, and comfortable competing at a high level. Coach Lamar challenged her to work hard, believe in herself, and never settle for being average. The lessons she learned went far beyond softball and helped shape the person she is today.”

The proud mom says that the Lady Dukes experience helped prepare Cassie for life off the field as well.

“One of the biggest things we learned is the importance of surrounding yourself with people who push you to be better,” the pro athlete’s mother continues.

“We learned that softball is about so much more than wins and losses. It is about preparing these young ladies for life, and we are thankful for the role Coach Lamar and the Lady Dukes played in her journey.”

*****

Answering the Critics

Despite the ongoing health and off-field issues, Coach Lamar is appreciative and humbled by where he is today.

“The future looks good” he believes. “In fact, we have top kids wanting to come be with up and the growth of the program speaks for itself. We’re growing continually, especially on the East Coast.”

Although some who are critical of the club organization in how it raises and uses its financial resources, Lamar insists that the Lady Dukes are fiscally smart and gives back to others.

“The important thing is how we cut costs and create an environment where a third of what we have money-wise goes somewhere else,” he continues.

“The main thing that’s important to me is I give back… I reinvest. Instead of putting money back into our pockets, we put it back into the kids and the organization. For example, we have a sponsorship deal with a shoe company. We don’t advertise where we get our shoes, and gloves, we get that investment from a brand and spread it throughout the entire organization.”

Lamar knows too that outsiders are way of the tie-in of the Lady Dukes to the Duke softball program led by his wife and some say that’s a conflict of interest.

The coach refutes that by saying:

“There was a time—I’ll never forget this—when four players committed to Duke and of the teams we played against, the coach said ‘Oh, they just feed players just to Duke.’”

“Marissa has built her success at the college level her own way—I had nothing to do with that—and, at the end of the day, she doesn’t know the club world, her assistants do that. She couldn’t name four kids on my team right now!”

“What Duke and Marissa created is separate from me and what the Lady Dukes organization does is separate from Duke University.”

*****

Appreciation for His Peers

As Lamar has put in the time for his craft—coaching and developing players—it’s given him a grateful perspective of those who he says, “do it the right way and over time.”

“As I’ve gotten older,” he continues, “I have the utmost respect for coaches like Scott Smith (Texas Bombers), Renee (Ciccarello Jr.) at Tampa Mustangs, Ken Briggs (BSC Bengals), Nathan Nelson (Hotshots), Jazz Jackson (Impact) and their family, Mike Stith (Batbusters), Marty Tyson (Corona Angels), Tony Rico (Firecrackers) and Bruce Richrdson (SoCal Athletics).”

Lamar believes these people have helped him grow not just as a coach, but as a person—especially as a father to his own children, but also his players who he considers as his kids too.

“Sometimes you just need to know your place in the game,” the Lady Dukes founder believes, “and I wouldn’t be where I am without the Marty Tysons and Scott Smiths, the Ricos… those guys set the standard.”

“All the people who extended an arm to me—Rico calls me his ‘Godson’— I try to extend back to the kids, players and coaches also. The level of relationships I’ve built with people including college coaches like Steve Singleton (Cal), J.T. Amico (Georgia) and the UCLA coaches—these are some of the most impressive human beings, I’ve been around.”

“They inspire in how they want to win and how they encourage and respect you. I’ve learned so much from other people and it’s humbled me, it was these people who’ve inspired me and changed me.”

*****

Appreciation for His Extended Time

It’s not to say, however, that all is peaches and sunshine these days, however, but there are improvements for which he’s very grateful.

Take the ongoing health issues, for example. A year ago, Lamar says he couldn’t walk and nor take steps by himself “but now I can do so.”

“I can stand up and do everything I used to be able to do,” he says with gratitude and a new outlook on life. “I’m not in the wheelchair for life, I probably will be for another three or four months, but after that I’ll be out of it for good.”

Sometimes, he admits, it’s tough because he’ll seemingly take two steps forward and three steps backward when it comes to his health improving.

“A year ago, I was battling Leukemia at the same time and I was misdiagnosed and had a failed surgery where the doctors were supposed to put in a stent but in the process punctured an artery in the right side of my hear and that led to internal bleeding.”

“There were times too when I was going to treatment for six to eight hours per week, taking multiple pills every day, and when traveling I couldn’t get my luggage off the plane; the only way I could get it was with the help of strangers because I was in so much pain, and just to get out of the plane I’d have to have help through the kindness of others.”

****

Looking at Life Through a Different Lens

Still, his recovery from the nightmarish medical issues he’s endured over the last few years provide him the means to look at life in a new and better way.

“I am truly blessed,” Lamar adds, “because those are the most important things in the game and, God, it’s come full circle. I’ve attained things and now what I can do that. God has brought me back and not because He wants me to do for me, but to do for other people.”

Life has humbled him, Lamar confesses, and relying on others for even the basic things has showed him that every second is precious and to not let it go unappreciated.

“All these people have given me so much value and because of all of these things I take from everybody, it’s led to the version of the man I am today. I was 6-foot-2 before of all of this (health issues) but in the wheelchair I’m 4-foot-11. God wanted me to have this transformation for a reason and I’m going to make good use of it.”

“I was brought back, I believe, to help kids believe in themselves and now they’re achieving their goals and that makes so proud.”

“Just today, I had a conversion with two of my former players who are in college. They’ll call and tell me how they’re doing… it’s like we’re still in the same dugout! It’s an on-going battle for these players and I believe I can help get what the players and kids need to learn in life.”

“I use that in my coaching believing that the way they’re being treated in travel ball will set them up for college and life after that.”

*****

A New Approach

How does he do things differently as a coach now, after what he’s been through?

“I spend a lot more time on development,” he answers. “I take my time on how I push my kids through things. I believe I’m more patient, especially with the mental piece, and I don’t have to yell, to be in their face, but now am better in knowing how to connect and what’s their ‘why.’”

“I believe I help them embrace that and find in themselves something they can pull out and truly believe in what they can achieve.”

Finally, as James Lamar believes he’s been given extended time, he wants those who he interacts with to know how much they’ve helped change who he is… for the better.

“I’ve been blessed to continue on this Earth, so I treat every day like a gift. At the end of the day, having the role models I do—the players, the coaches and even the parents—they just don’t realize how much they’ve meant to me.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Media