The Bloomingdale Youth Sports Association’s (BYSA) 12U Xtreme team began their spring season in January. Xtreme is an advanced softball program that allows teams from different facilities in the district to compete against each other.
On May 3, this team, coached by manager Edgardo Pagán and assistant coaches Jamie Radcliffe and Lauren Leto, won the Xtreme Championship, finishing an undefeated season with a record of 14-0.
“This wasn’t just a good season. It was a special season, and every player, parent and coach should be proud of what we accomplished together,” said Pagán.
Shortly after the Xtreme season ended, the All-Star team was formed and preparing for the District 10 Championships. This team was composed of both players from the Xtreme team and the recreational team to represent the association.
The athletes spent about four days a week practicing at the field. In addition, outside of practice, teammates held each other accountable by sharing their extra work in the team group chat.
The team’s hard work and determination paid off, as they won the Florida Babe Ruth Softball District 10 Championship in Madeira Beach. By securing this win, they became the first 12U softball team at BYSA to move on to the state tournament since 2014. At the state tournament, the team won their first two games but lost their final game in single-elimination play.
Throughout the 26 spring season games, the Xtreme team that later evolved into the All-Star team had 165 hits, scored 236 runs and only allowed 94 runs.
“Those numbers don’t happen by accident. They are the result of hard work, commitment, countless hours of practice and every player buying into what we were trying to accomplish as a team. Every hit, every run, every out and every win was earned. But what makes me the proudest isn’t just the statistics; it’s the heart this team showed all season. We competed, supported one another, overcame challenges and never stopped fighting,” said Pagán.