One of the exciting ripple effects of getting through the school year is getting to the Triple Crown Fastpitch schedule, and one of our iconic tournament moments is ready to take flight in the nation’s heartland.
 
The 16th annual TC OKC event will muscle up June 2-5 in Oklahoma City, designed to offer a great time and sturdy competition to 158 teams representing 29 states, in age groups ranging from 10u through 18u. Aside from offering teams unique matchups and the bonding opportunities that come with hitting the road, the game schedule is crafted so teams can attend the NCAA D-I Women’s College World Series, which is established as one of the collegiate sports highlights on the calendar.
 
In 2023, the powerhouse programs from top-seeded Oklahoma along with Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Tennessee, Utah and Washington will tangle in the hunt for an NCAA championship.
 
The excitement of this environment pulses through the TC OKC event, which launches with a WCWS Watch and Player Party at Remington Park Casino, from 2-5 p.m. on June 2. Music, photo booths, air-brush tattoos and pin trading are part of the menu, and TCS teams will get a chance to visit with former college stars Sis Bates, Aliyah Andrews and Sierra Romero. They are directing a 10u-14u Player Clinic earlier on Friday and are part of the amazing rosters you can find through Athletes Unlimited.
 
The TC OKC tournament offers a five-game format (four pool play games and a single-elim championship bracket finish), with a mix of experienced umpires, some of whom just finished working the NCAA Super Regionals. It’s a valued piece of the tourism puzzle for the city, with more than 4,000 hotel room nights booked.
 
Age group champions in 2022 ranged from all around the country, including programs from Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee.
 
“We are nearly at the point where a full generation of youth softball players have been able to experience the TC OKC event, and there are no signs of interest cooling off as we get ready for 2023,” said TCS event director Sarah Pow. “Our dedicated and professional staff is set to deliver a great tournament setting, and outside the fields, there is always a chance you can spot the WCWS teams roaming around downtown OKC in Bricktown.”
 
Follow the flow of game scores and bracket results here: https://bit.ly/3MI0aJD

This is the final entry from the “Journey Journal” of Sophia Taliaferro, a high school junior in Virginia who first hit the Triple Crown Sports radar in June 2022 while taking part in multiple pre-event camps before the Colorado 4th of July softball tournament. The idea was sparked to hear straight from a student-athlete’s perspective about not just college recruiting, but how past experiences and current events influence the timeless question – what’s next?
 
If you follow me on social media, you know that I committed to Syracuse University. For the last entry of my Journey Journal, I want to share why I chose Syracuse.
 
During the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) convention last December, the Syracuse coaching staff had talked about me with my travel coach, India Chiles. The Syracuse staff watched my team play last summer, and head coach Shannon Doepking knew my travel ball coach from their days playing together in college and in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
 
Syracuse wasn’t a school that was on my list or one I knew much about. However, I received an invite from them after the end of fall season inviting me to their winter camp. Coach India confirmed that there was genuine interest and had good things to say about the program so I signed up. A few things that stood out to me were the personalities of the coaching staff, the Syracuse players who worked the camp and the culture I saw there.
 
When I was 12 years old, Lauren Haeger, All-American and national champion from the University of Florida, came to one of my team’s softball practices to help us with hitting. At the end of practice, she told us about her own journey and gave us a piece of advice that stuck with me. She said the most important thing to know when picking a college is to know what you like.
 
She used herself as an example and explained that her dad was a football coach with a reputation for being tough. She said that she knew she played best under strict, down-to-business, male coaches. One of the main reasons she picked Florida was because the coach there was the type of coach she liked playing for – the type that would bring the best out of her.
 
I have been coached by many different types of coaches across all the sports I’ve played. I figured out that I respond best to strong-minded female coaches who have a good sense of humor. When I met Coach Shannon, it was clear that she was someone I would love to have as a coach. I also loved her two assistants, Katie McEachern who played for Coach Shannon at Dartmouth, and Sydney O’Hara, who played at Syracuse. Collectively, it was clear they got along well and played off each other’s strengths.
 
The close relationships of the coaching staff reflected the culture of the program. Coach Shannon told me her program was focused on player AND person. She explained that she values people for who they are outside of softball and works to develop her players in both aspects of their lives. When I was at camp, I saw evidence of this. First, I got to meet a member of the softball staff who works with players on their mental game. This is important because it shows that the athletic program cares enough about their athlete’s mental health to pay someone to help.
 
There were two athletes from the team working the camp and they also told me they loved their coaches. One of them transferred twice before she got to Syracuse. She shared that she hated softball before she got to Syracuse, where her mindset changed completely. Because of the Syracuse coaches, she had learned to love the game again and found peace with herself. Finally, “person over player” is something my high school coach, Suzy Willemssen, also talks about and I learned that Coach Suzy and Coach Shannon knew each other from attending “What Drives Winning” seminars. This was another affirmation of their culture.
 
Another thing important to me going into recruiting was going somewhere competitive athletically and strong academically. For that reason, there were many Atlantic Coast Conference schools that I had contacted. I liked the combination of athletics and academics in the ACC. Syracuse is in the ACC and is also well-known for academics. It's somewhere where I can play softball at the highest level, while earning a great college degree.
 
Other high academic schools with D-I softball programs also talked to my travel ball coach at NFCA and asked me to come visit, which I did before committing to Syracuse. Syracuse stood out because it appeared to me that Syracuse didn’t place athletics over academics or vice versa. Additionally, Syracuse provides significant academic assistance to its athletes. The high academic schools seemed more like academic institutions that play softball – academics first. Ironically, the high academic schools also had less academic assistance available for their student athletes compared to Syracuse.
 
I wanted to be somewhere that excelled at both, and Syracuse, for me, was the best choice.
 
Lastly, I love the campus. It has an old-money, cozy feel. Syracuse is a university with many colleges and each college has a unique architecture, which is very different from schools that have a uniform look. The campus is easily walkable and doesn’t have a huge population. There are roughly 23,000 students, which was a perfect size for me. I didn’t want to go somewhere where I would know everyone after the first semester, but I also didn’t want to go somewhere with an overwhelming number of students.
 
The best advice I want to leave you with is first, know what you are looking for. What culture is important to you? What kind of coaching do you respond best to? How far away from home are you willing to live? What do you want to achieve both academically and athletically, and what schools provide that? It’s important to be open minded throughout the entire process because you never know when opportunities will present themselves.
 
My dad likes to say that “people are interested in people who are interested in them and it works both ways.” Even though I wasn’t initially interested in Syracuse, they were interested in me. I opened myself up to that interest and found a place that I feel is perfect for me. Finally, healthy relationships and honesty matters. My travel ball coach, my high school coach, my recruiting advisor and my parents were all parts of my recruiting journey. They helped me set attainable goals, and then gave me the resources to achieve them.

My journey has led me to Syracuse and I am counting down the days until I get there. I can’t predict the future, but I feel good about where I am now.
 
Best of luck to you all! – Sophia

Teams can win PAID Entry into Power Pools at 2024 Colorado 4th of July event
 
Ready to elevate your game and make the climb to the Colorado 4th of July? It all starts in Fall 2023, on the Road to the Rockies, now wide open for selected age groups at the following Triple Crown events (to win a PAID Power Pool spot in the 2024 Colorado 4th of July):
 
Sept. 8-10: Chicago Super 72 (14U, 16U, 18U divisions)
Nov. 3-5: Arizona Fall Showcase (16U, 18U divisions)
Nov. 11-12: Myrtle Beach Fall Showcase (14U, 16U, 18U divisions)
Nov. 17-19: Don Battles On (So Cal) (14U division)
 
We’ll be releasing more details on how your team can earn a PAID spot in the 2024 Colorado 4th of July Power Pools later this spring – please direct any questions to:
 
Stephanie Klaviter
stephanie@triplecrownsports.com
(970) 672-0531

January 18, 2023, FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Triple Crown Sports and Athletes Unlimited have forged a strategic partnership for 2023 that will look to combine the strengths of both organizations through cross-promotion and overall marketing support throughout the upcoming year.

Beginning with diamond-sport tournament offerings dating back to the 1980s, Triple Crown Sports currently produces more than 150 events in the youth and college arenas, today with particular emphasis in baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball. With its roster of proven athletes in basketball, lacrosse, softball and volleyball, Athletes Unlimited stands as a natural fit to be in association with TCS as AU expands its competitive game schedule.

The partnership is rooted in the important work of highlighting the skills of female athletes and elevating the presence of women’s sports. Athletes Unlimited rosters include some of the nation’s most proven and dedicated talents in their sports; meanwhile, Triple Crown has a long history of supporting women’s athletics, starting with youth fastpitch and evolving into the national college space with the Cancun Challenge and Preseason/Postseason WNIT in basketball, the NIVC in volleyball and the NISC and Puerto Vallarta Challenge in softball.

“This strategic partnership with Athletes Unlimited is great news for all of the teams, coaches and players who play with Triple Crown Sports.” said Andy Hansen, Chief Marketing Officer.  “AU continues to transform women’s professional sports and now the TCS community will get first-hand insight into what’s in store for AU in 2023.  Keep an eye out for updates from AU throughout the season and special appearances at some of Triple Crown’s top events.”

“Everyone at Athletes Unlimited couldn’t be more excited for this new opportunity to partner with Triple Crown Sports,” said Athletes Unlimited Sr. Director of Marketing Matt Biggers. “This partnership will allow us to combine the reach of both organizations to raise the level of awareness of all of the great things both organizations are doing in the world of girls’ and women’s sports.”

About Athletes Unlimited
Athletes Unlimited is a new model of pro sports where athletes are decision-makers and individual players are champions of team sports. Athletes Unlimited literally changes the game with faster play and new team rosters every week, delivering next-level competition and engagement in which every moment counts. The first season of women's softball took place in 2020, with the inaugural seasons of women's indoor volleyball and women’s lacrosse being completed in 2021, along with season two of softball. We completed our inaugural Basketball league, season two of lacrosse and volleyball, season three of softball and our inaugural AUX softball competitions in 2022.
For more information, visit AUProSports.com.

About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for 40 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. Triple Crown’s PV College Challenge features two sessions of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. TC fastpitch tournaments (including the 1,100-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 700-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 600 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.

​Media Contact:
TCS: Craig Buchanan, craig@triplecrownsports.com, (970) 672-0566
AU: Scott Miranda, scott@mirandaco.net, (914) 806-6771

​This is the third entry from the “Journey Journal” of Sophia Taliaferro, a high school junior in Virginia who first hit the Triple Crown Sports radar in June 2022 while taking part in multiple pre-event camps before the Colorado 4th of July softball tournament. The idea was sparked to hear straight from a student-athlete’s perspective about not just college recruiting, but how past experiences and current events influence the timeless question – what’s the future going to look like?
 
Going into the fall, I saw myself being committed by the end of the club travel season with Fury Platinum. I suited up for events like the Diamond Direct Invite (SC), Ray Seymour Invite (FL), Connect Sports Scenic City Showcase (TN), Atlanta Veterans Showcase (GA) and the Thunderbolts 5-Star Showcase (AL).

As it turns out, I have successfully made it to December as a free agent.
 
On paper, my season looks fantastic. I led the team in most offensive stats; in 56 at-bats I ended with a .464 batting average and a .508 on-base percentage as the leadoff hitter. I played innings at shortstop, second, outfield and behind the plate. I showcased my athleticism, my versatility and my bat.
 
To have had a season where my performance was everything it needed to be, but not have the college commitment to show for it, is disheartening. I’m sure my experience isn’t special. I know that there are so many other girls going through the exact scenario as myself. Still, I stare at all the commitments happening on my Twitter feed and tell myself the reason I haven't made it yet is that I’m just not good enough.
 
I need to work harder.

I need to be stronger. Faster. Smarter.

The truth is, a million people could tell me that I have so much time, and I will still submit myself to doubt. I struggled with feelings like these for most of the season. I would step onto the field believing I had to prove that I was worthy of a coach's attention. Each error and bad at-bat told me that I didn’t deserve a spot playing college softball.
 
In one game, Georgia Tech came to watch me. I was at shortstop. In that game, I went 2-for-2 at the plate but made two errors in the infield. I felt like crawling into a hole. When the game was over, I went to speak with my coach. I rhetorically asked her if I blew my shot. I think she was a little taken aback. She didn’t say much to me right then but gave me some advice after the tournament was over. She told me that she noticed I was too focused on the opportunities I could lose over a bad performance.
 
One thing she said that really resonated with me was, “Just give the coaches your best.” My coach wasn’t telling me to strive for perfection. She was saying that all I needed to do was play at my best level of intensity, energy and aggression. When I played worried about what I could do wrong, I played scared. My mindset made a 180. For the last couple of tournaments, I allowed myself to play big. I was suddenly unbothered by minor mistakes. I embraced practicing mindfulness, which was a huge theme for my team this fall, and my confidence grew roots.

Now, as I continue to navigate the recruiting process, I am still working to maintain a positive outlook. Some things that help ground me when I start to feel anxious about my future are these:

I have no doubt that I will play college softball.
Where I land, and when it happens, will work itself out.
God has a plan for me.

During this off-season, my goal is to improve where I can and let go of the things that are out of my control. I know it is a cliche to tell you all to trust the process, but there really isn’t a better phrase for recruiting. As Coach India says, “If you try to make sense of recruiting, you will only succeed in making yourself insane. There isn’t any rhyme or reason behind it.”
 
Best of luck to all the 24’s out there. Happy Holidays!
-Sophia

FORT COLLINS, CO. – In the first agreement as part of the Triple Crown Series softball initiative, TCS has secured an official partnership with Primetime Fastpitch Series, which will run multiple softball tournaments in the summer of 2023 out of its home base of the Inwood Sports Complex in Joliet, Illinois.

Triple Crown Series is designed to combine the insight and expertise of local and regional tournament directors with the marketing muscle and production skillset found at Triple Crown Sports, which has 40 years of experience in professional execution of premium, must-attend events. Triple Crown Series will be a magnet for and natural fit with high-value organizations across the country that attract teams to their weekend tournament slate.

The TC Series will help continue to move youth diamond sports forward in the right direction and provide unparalleled experiences for athletes and their families across the country. Primetime Tournaments has worked hard to create and execute some of the top events in the Midwest over the past 15 years.

“We are in our 15th year running youth events and in our 2nd year in fastpitch. We are excited to move forward with Triple Crown Sports,” said Jay Darnell, president of Primetime Tournaments. “We are excited to be hosting all our fastpitch events at our turf facilities. TrackMan with video for hitters and Stalker Radars with video for pitchers will be used to gather data during tournaments.”

Here’s a quick look at the 2023 tournament offerings from Primetime Softball:

June 8-11: Triple Crown/Primetime Summer Opener
June 15-18: Triple Crown/Primetime Summer Bash
June 22-25: Triple Crown/Primetime State Championships – College World Series Format
June 29-July 2: Triple Crown/Primetime Red, White and Blue Classic
July 6-9: Triple Crown/Primetime Summer Championships
July 13-16: Triple Crown/Primetime Midwest Collegiate
July 20-23: Triple Crown/Primetime Great Lakes
July 27-30: Triple Crown/Primetime National Championship

“Triple Crown Sports is proud to announce its partnership with Primetime Softball. They are producing high-quality softball events in the Midwest and are using state-of-the-art technology to test and measure players who participate in their events,” said Matt Pilcher, national director of Triple Crown Series.

Primetime Fastpitch Series

TC Series