One of the many things Nicole is remembered for is her passion for sports. Over the years, she was involved with almost every sport she could. She played softball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball and she kept stats for the basketball and wrestling teams at school. Her favorite sport was softball, which she started playing when she was five years old. Through years of practice and dedication she became one of her team’s greatest pitchers.

Not only was she an excellent player, but she was a great sportsman as well. She was always supportive of her teammates and opponents no matter the outcome of the game.

After Nicole, then a 17-year-old senior at Rancho Cotate High School, was in a fatal car accident on September 6, 2004, her family decided to honor her memory by creating a scholarship foundation in her name.

In honor of her love of the game, they hold a softball tournament (along with other events) each year to raise money for scholarships to help high school seniors pay for college.