We are thrilled to announce a brand new developmental program we are calling Fireballs Futures!


The Fireball Futures program is designed to be a developmental program committed to youth softball players and  coaches with a desire to transition to competitive tournament softball.

Fireballs Futures serves as a bridge between recreational and competitive tournament level softball. It is not necessarily for every softball player. It is designed for the player truly interested in playing a higher level of softball in her future. Initial skill level or experience is not important.

Our goal is to assist in the development of those players and coaches that are committed to the sport, want to make themselves and their team better, and desire to progress into high level competitive tournament play. In order to reach this goal, we are committed to player development, coach education and training, small team sizes, and inter-program support across all teams and age groups. Players will be taught the game from the fundamental level up with the goal in mind to play at the highest level possible in competitive tournaments. Coaches will be given training materials, guidance and mentorship opportunities to assist in their development.

• Girls of similar size and skill level will be grouped to then develop together
• We anticipate a limited number of teams
• Rosters limited to 12 players with priority given to Sherwood residents
  
  
  

 

What will a Fireballs coach be looking for?

• The Fireball Futures program is not concerned with a player’s current skill level. We are focused on a player’s commitment level to the sport of softball. 
• A girl that may have great natural ability, but is unfocused and doesn’t have the drive to play at a high level is not a good fit for our program. 
• Alternatively, a girl who is new to the sport but has a strong desire to play and develop her skills, is probably a perfect fit. 
  
  
  

How will games and practices work? 

This is not a full-blown commitment to weekend after weekend of tournaments! This is to develop skills to thrive and give players and parents a taste of what is to come and gain the experience of what that next level is like. The goal is to spend more time on skill refinement during practices, drills and simulated games.

• 2 practices per week, beginning early spring and ending late June/early July
• 8U teams (generally 2nd-3rd graders) will have approximately 3 weekend commitments made up of scrimmages with similarly skilled teams and 1 tournament toward the end of the season
• 10u teams (generally 4th-5th graders) will have approximately 5 weekend commitments made up of scrimmages with similarly skilled teams and 2-3 weekend tournaments later in the spring season
  

   

If you have questions about the program, please feel free to email [email protected]

What can I expect as a coach?

As a coach for a Fireball Futures team you can expect the full support of the Fireballs family. You will be assigned a coaching mentor from one of our tournament teams to help guide you on your coaching journey and support you along the way. This could include anything from practice planning and drill ideas to game-time strategy to managing parents.

Your team will consist of no more than 12 players who have expressed a clear desire to grow and develop their softball skills. You will be responsible for leading practices, managing games, communicating with parents and recruiting your assistant coaches. Of course, the Fireball Family will be there to help and assist where needed. 

How many players will be on my team?

We are committed to keeping teams small in order to maximize skill development and individual attention. All Fireball Futures teams will be 12 or fewer players. 

How do I find players? Can I recruit my own players?

The Fireballs organization will have a recruitment period whereby all interested players can sign up and express interest in playing on a Futures team. After registration is closed, there will be a tryout process whereby girls will be evaluated on a variety of qualities. After tryouts, coaches will select girls for their team with input from the Board of Directors. If you have particular girls in mind for your team, they should register and attend tryouts. 

How do I find Assistant Coaches?

You will need to recruit Assistant Coaches from the parents of your player pool. The Board of Directors can assist with this process as much or as little as needed. If you have an Assistant Coach in mind, he or she should register through the Fireballs website.

What kind of support can I expect as a coach? 

Each Fireball Futures coach will receive a coaching handbook. Among other topics, the Handbook will cover:

• How to plan and run a practice
• Skill development
• Drills
• Basic softball rules
• Basic softball strategy and game management
• How to deal with common problems or issues

In addition, each Fireball Futures coach will be assigned a coaching mentor from one of our competitive tournament teams. The coaching mentor will help guide you through the coaching journey and answer any questions you may have. The Board of Directors is also a resource for you to lean on as a coach. The Board is dedicated to helping you be as successful as possible.

When are practices; how long are they; where are they located; and how many are there?

Fireball Futures usually have 2 practices a week in the Sherwood area. Practices are normally 60-90 minutes in length on weeknights. Teams may have a game or scrimmage during the week, which may take the place of a regularly scheduled practice.

When and where are games; how many games are there?

Games times and locations will vary depending on scheduling availability of other teams. Games will be geared towards getting girls ready to play competitively and therefore may be against teams based in other communities. Games may be played on weeknights or weekends. Most games will be played in Sherwood, but there may be some travel to nearby communities involved. The end of the season will be marked by a tournament (or tournament-style) series of games against nearby competitive teams. 

How long does the season last?

The Fireball Futures season begins in spring and runs through early summer. More details to come!

Beginning at the 10U level, our competitive tournament Fireball teams play through the summer and fall. Our goal with the Fireball Futures is that eventually the Futures teams make the jump to play beyond the spring and become full-blown competitive teams. 

How do I become a coach?

If you are still interested in being considered for a Fireball Futures coaching position, please register through the website. If you have any other questions or would like to discuss something in more detail, please reach out to: [email protected]