from Coach Danny Shutt and the Triad Power:
The Triad Power Fastpitch Softball Organization is based out of Greensboro, NC. We are a non-profit travel softball organization. We participate in travel and showcase softball tournaments in NC, VA and SC. We have teams in every age group from 8u to 18u. We play tournaments with ASA, NSA, WFC and USSSA. We have an indoor facility located in the old Sears warehouse building that has batting cages, pitching machines, pitching areas and many training aids. The Greensboro College Softball team also has access to our facility.
I took over as head coach for the 12u team in the fall of 2007. I brought Todd Webb with me as my assistant. We held tryouts in August 2007 and started the building process for this new team. We played several tournaments in fall which were used mostly to tryout new players. The fall tournaments also gave the coaches, players and parents some time to get to know each other and to start developing team chemistry.
Once the fall season ended we started our winter program on Dec. 1st. We hooked up with Carmine Pagano with Carolina Acceleration and started an eleven week program. We worked an hour each Sunday on strength training, plymetrics, quickness and agility. We also met twice during the week for team batting practice at the Power Plant (indoor facility). Our pitchers also had pitching lessons with Vanessa Oakes who was UNCG’s ace pitcher in 2007.
Once the weather broke and we could get outside we had practice games with the Triad Thunder 14u and GBC Storm 14u teams. The practice games were very helpful in getting us prepared for the 2008 12u spring season.
We currently have ten players on the team. We have two from Northern Guilford Middle, Ashton Dobbins and Haleigh Epperson. Ashton is a pitcher for the school team and Haleigh is the manager. Brianna Webb and Kara Shutt attend Southeast Guilford Middle. Brianna plays second base for the school team and Kara is a sixth grader. Bergan Goddard and Ashley Carter go to Kernodle Middle. Berg is pitcher on the school team and Ashley is in the sixth grade. Morgan Coleman goes to Northwest Middle and plays on the school team as an outfielder and pitcher. Hayley Rumley comes to us from Southern Alamance Middle. Samantha Stilling is a sixth grader at Northeast Middle and Molly Pustay is a private school sixth grader.
We started our 2008 tournament season in Walburg, NC. last weekend. We participated in the ASA Season Opener. We opened up with GBC 95 and won 9-2. We drew the Winston Whiplash next and won 7-6. Our next game was against a high powered team called the Carolina Comets from Mooresville, NC. A tough six inning game that went down to the wire, we pulled off the 2-1 victory. The win put us in the championship but we had to wait and see who would be our opponent from the losers bracket.
The Comets won easily and we were paired up again. The double elimination tournament would mean the Comets would have to beat us twice. The first game was all Comets, they won 13-2 with very good pitching. The win forced game two and we were determined to get our first championship. The game was a pitching battle, 0-0 through three innings. In the fourth we finally put one the board to break the tie. However, it was a short lived lead. In the fifth the Comet bats came alive and the error bug bit us hard. They ended up scoring five making it 5-1. We made a charge in the sixth and tacked up one more but fell short and lost 5-2. A second place finish to start the season is more than we could have asked for.
This new Triad Power 12u team has a lot of talent and determination. They never give up and fight to the end. We do have room for improvement and we will be working hard to get better.
Please visit our website at www.eteamz.com/triadpower12u and www.triadpower.com
*****Best of luck this season to Coach Shutt and Coach Webb and all the young girls who are the REAL Power Players.*****