NITRO Fastpitch '26/'27

Memorial Day Weekend Vibes 🥎🇺🇸 Come check us out!

2026 🥎 Schedule- Kicking it off Memorial Day weekend ⬇️

As we begin Mental Health Awareness Month: a message for anyone who has a direct impact on a young athlete's life: 👇👏

▪ Developing technical skills without teaching mental well-being ones is like trying to play 🥎 without the ball.

▪ We can believe in teaching that there is winning and losing -- and NOT believe in participation trophies -- and STILL believe our kids' mental health matters.

▪ Toxic coaching can have longterm effects on an athlete's mental health, so can a coach who believes in them. Choose wisely.

▪ There are young athletes out there who love the game who are robbed of that joy by the way the adults in their lives make them feel when they don't perform well. Read that again.

▪We can spend time, money and energy putting young athletes in a position to grow their technical skills to be a high performer. But if we aren't investing the same amount in our athlete's well-being (and helping them develop the tools to invest in their own) -- we're doing them a disservice not only in their sport, but for the rest of their lives.

▪If we encourage adults who struggle with mental health to seek help, why aren’t we helping — instead of writing off — kids who are struggling to handle the stresses of the game?

▪ Your words as a coach matter💯

▪ Your actions as a sports parent matter💯

▪ Our kids and their well-being... MATTER 💯

Over any trophy.
Or MVP selection.
Or Roster spot.
Or D-1 recruitment.

Let's vow to do our part to move toward a youth sports culture that makes sure our athletes BELIEVE It 💪🏽

👏💯 👇

Everyone’s obsessed with the radar gun right now. 68…70…72… like that number is the golden ticket. Like if you hit it, everything else just magically falls into place.

It doesn’t.

I just called a game with Duke Blue Devils softball vs Tennessee Volunteers softball and let me tell you something… hitters were sitting on 77 and fouling it off like it was BP. Not guessing. Not late. On it. Because that’s the reality—these hitters see velocity ALL. THE. TIME.

You think your 70 is blowing it by them? It’s not.

Velocity is sexy. I get it. It turns heads. It looks good on social. But if you can’t locate for s**t and you’ve got one speed? You’re getting exposed. Maybe not at 10U… maybe not even at some travel ball tournaments… but step into the college game and it’s a different conversation real quick.

Because the separator isn’t how hard you throw.
It’s how annoying you are to hit.

Can you live on the edges?
Can you make them uncomfortable?
Can you change speeds so well they’re out in front one pitch and late the next?
Can you move the ball instead of just throwing it hard?

That’s the game now. And honestly… it always has been.

I’ve watched elite arms—elite—with ridiculous velo get rocked. Not because they weren’t talented… but because hitters weren’t fooled. Same speed. Same look. Same outcome.

And on the flip side? I’ve seen pitchers who don’t light up a radar gun absolutely carve… because they can spin it, place it, and mess with timing.

Stop chasing a number like it’s the only thing that matters.
It’s not.

Spin.
Location.
Change of speed.
THEN velocity.

If your whole identity is tied to how hard you throw, you’re building on a shaky foundation.

And if someone’s teaching you that velo over everything?
You might wanna rethink who’s guiding you.

A lot of “brains behind our bronze” on this team! Here’s an incredible accomplishment by one of our commited ‘26s, Mya Sinclair!

“We had 2 bots this year (as a part of the BotsIQ program) so the new one “Grayson” won 1st in the bracket and our second one that we redid - which won 2nd place at national level last year named “A Different Animal” came in 9th out of 65 teams in finals this weekend at PennWest Univ!!” Mya

Great job Mya and team!!! 🤖 🧠

Always a pleasure seeing morning Press with our NITRO 🥎 Ladies. Keep up the Grrrrind 💪🏽
Jenna Whipkey Marlee Miller Maddie Sturgeon
Leah Mondi

Congratulations & Well Done 1-4 🥎!

Athlete of the Week: Mondi leads West Shamokin to undefeated start West Shamokin senior Leah Mondi has developed into one of the best pitchers in the state.

74 days ⏰…IYKYK (not that we’re counting)
🩵🖤>🥎

2025 Season @ the NE Ohio Showcase with Uncle Charlie’s Tournaments. Looking forward attending again in 2026 💪🏽
“All Gas, No Brakes with NITRO Fastpitch” 🥎

TikTok · Uncle Charlie’s Tournaments 7556 likes, 52 comments. “All gas no brakes with Nitro Fastpitch 💨⛽️🥎 Mic’d up in the NEO Showcase In Canfield Ohio”

Congratulations on 2 of our 2026’s and families’ putting the ✍🏽 to the paper yesterday-Taylor Beech-U Pitt-Greensburg 🥎Alea Ladika- Juniata College 🥎. Well done Ladies !

Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day!
We are beyond proud of all your hard work on the field, but more importantly off the field!