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Letâs be honest: weâre not just here to play a little softball on the weekends and grab McFlurries afterwards.
Okay, yes â we do that. But weâre also here for something bigger: opening doors for the athletes who dream of playing this game in college.
Okay, yes â we do that. But weâre also here for something bigger: opening doors for the athletes who dream of playing this game in college.
And if that's not your dream? Thatâs cool, too.
If you love competing with your teammates every weekend and want to be part of something special, you belong here just as much.
Not every player has to chase recruiting â everyone has a role, and every role matters.
If you love competing with your teammates every weekend and want to be part of something special, you belong here just as much.
Not every player has to chase recruiting â everyone has a role, and every role matters.
But for the ones who do want that next level⊠hereâs how the Crusaders get it done.
12U â The âBuild the Machineâ Era
At 12U, weâre building fundamentals that stick for life:
- âCheck 2, go 1, then 3â becomes instinct
- Hook slides stop looking like accidental yoga poses
- We train through winter â because the game doesnât hibernate
This is the foundation everything else is built on. Not flashy. Just rock solid.
14U â The Visibility Era
(AKA Softball Meets Social Media đ„)
7th grade
We help athletes set up their socials the right way â clean, professional, recruit-ready.
We help athletes set up their socials the right way â clean, professional, recruit-ready.
8th grade
The highlight factory opens for business.
The highlight factory opens for business.
- Clips
- Slow-motion swings
- Diving catches
- Pitching spins
- Boom â posted
We also play in a couple local âstarter showcasesâ through TierOne. not the crazy national ones yet. These events are more about exposure and experience â coaches are technically there, usually out of obligation, but athletes start learning what it feels like to have eyes on them.
By the end of 8th grade, every athlete who wants to be recruited should have:
- A target school list
- A spreadsheet full of coaches
- Every social handle and email we can dig up (CIA-level research, basically - we use tagout.ai to build that list)
16U â Freshman Year: The Relationship Era
This is when things get real.
Recruiting is rarely âone good weekend and youâre signed.â
Unless you hit 300ft moonshots every AB and throw 80 mph (in which case, hello Oklahoma đ), college coaches want to see:
Unless you hit 300ft moonshots every AB and throw 80 mph (in which case, hello Oklahoma đ), college coaches want to see:
- Consistency
- Growth
- Communication
- Interest
We get loud in all the right ways
Freshman year, we are:
- Posting regularly
- Tagging coaches
- Updating highlight reels
- Emailing monthly
- DMâing respectfully
- Using social media like a strategic weapon
And YES â coaches notice.
Because if you play lights-out at a tournament and catch a coachâs eye, the very first thing theyâll do is search their inbox for your name:
âHas she been emailing me?â
We want the answer to be yes.
We use TagOut.ai like itâs our job
TagOut helps us:
- Track every coach
- See who opens your emails
- Organize contact lists
- Manage tags
- Keep communication tight
Youâre not guessing. Youâre tracking.
We CC our staff
We ask athletes to CC us on coach emails so we can follow up:
âHereâs why sheâd be a great fit for your program.â
That matters.
We go to prospect camps
Every single coach weâve talked to â dozens â says:
90%+ of their roster attended at least one prospect camp.
So, we push all of our athletes to attend them. A lot of them. And we publish a fresh list every 4â6 months for families (free resource! subscribe in our footer if you don't want to miss out!).
Showcase Tournaments: Coaches Donât Care if You Win (Really.)
At this age, we also start to attend the bigger regional/national showcases like Scenic City, Show Me the Money, Atlanta Legacy.
Now, this surprises new families, but showcase tournaments are NOT about:
Now, this surprises new families, but showcase tournaments are NOT about:
- Wins
- Losses
- Brackets
- Rings
- Who beat who
College coaches genuinely do not care.
They are recruiting individual players, not teams.
What they do care about:
- How you compete against elite competition
- How you adjust after failure
- How you carry yourself between plays
- Whether your swing holds up against 65+ mph
- Whether you can field real pressure
- Whether your pitching still shines against national lineups
Showcases are built for evaluation, not standings.
We tell our athletes:
If a coach comes to watch you, theyâre there for YOU â not your teamâs record.
If a coach comes to watch you, theyâre there for YOU â not your teamâs record.
Why Emailing Coaches Matters
One weekend at a massive tournament, we are 6 games into the weekend - we're tired, bruised, battered, we were on the ânot-so-goodâ fields.
No crowds. No golf carts.
Just us playing our 6th game of the weekend held together by grit, snacks, and KT tape.
No crowds. No golf carts.
Just us playing our 6th game of the weekend held together by grit, snacks, and KT tape.
But two athletes emailed a college the day before, CCâing our staff.
We followed up that morning.
That college left the prime fieldsâŠ
the ones with the perfect dirtâŠ
the swarm of scouting coachesâŠ
the NCAA buzzâŠ
the ones with the perfect dirtâŠ
the swarm of scouting coachesâŠ
the NCAA buzzâŠ
to come watch our first two innings. That college was Harvard University.
They took our flyers.
They took notes.
They cared.
They took notes.
They cared.
Thatâs the power of intentional communication.
16U â Sophomore Year: The Sharpening Era
By year two of 16U, we expect:
- Competing at the big tournaments
- More polished execution
- Stronger relationships with programs
- A narrowed list of true fits
We play big events like:
- Scenic City
- Show Me the Money
- Atlanta Legacy
- Top national/regional showcases
And we push athletes to go to prospect camps OFTEN.
This is where the real recruiting heat happens.
This is where the real recruiting heat happens.
Junior Year â The Decision Era
Now itâs about:
- Official visits
- Program evaluations
- Real conversations
- Finding the right culture + softball fit
- Making a decision heading into or during senior year
Some will commit early.
Some will keep exploring.
Some athletes on the team will decide they donât want to play in college â and thatâs 100% okay.
Some will keep exploring.
Some athletes on the team will decide they donât want to play in college â and thatâs 100% okay.
We value everyone the same, because:
Not every athlete needs to be recruitedâŠ
but every athlete deserves a home, a team, and a role.
but every athlete deserves a home, a team, and a role.
At the End of the DayâŠ
I had a conversation with a Grand Canyon University coach at a camp once. We sat and talked for an hour while she evaluated players on the field and scribbled notes. One thing she said stuck out to me: "If a girl wants to play in college, there's a college out there for them. It just takes work to find the mutual both-ways fit, but it's out there."
Weâre here to help athletes who want to play in college chase that dream.
And at the same time, weâre here for the athletes who simply love to compete, be part of a sisterhood, and grow through the game.
Weâre here to help athletes who want to play in college chase that dream.
And at the same time, weâre here for the athletes who simply love to compete, be part of a sisterhood, and grow through the game.
Everyone has a role. Everyone has a place.
And whether youâre chasing a scholarship or championships, the Crusaders are built for YOU.
And whether youâre chasing a scholarship or championships, the Crusaders are built for YOU.