Club News: National Championship-Winning Birmingham Thunderbolts Organization to Go Nationwide

Over the last 15 years, the Birmingham Thunderbolts travel ball organization based in Irondale, Alabama has emerged as one of the top club programs in fastpitch softball.

Formed in 2005 “for the sole purpose of providing the youth in our area the opportunity to compete in travel softball on a national level,” the program headed by Richard Shea, who runs the family-owned Morris-Shea Bridge Co. based in Irondale, has seen great team and player success.

From winning titles at prestigious events such as PGF Nationals in California to producing talented athletes who would go on to commit and/or sign with schools in every Power 5 conference—especially at in-state powers Alabama and Auburn and with nearby SEC schools such as Florida and LSU—the Birmingham Thunderbolts program has become one of the most successful and well-respected models on how to develop a local organization (Central Alabama) which can win on a national level.

The Thunderbolts have emerged as a national power thanks to a strong network of experienced coaches and trainers and great facility resources including a private, two-field softball complex with Field Turf surfaces and a third private practice field comprised of a traditional clay infield and Bermuda grass outfield, all supported by a 13,000 square private state-of-the-art indoor training facility.

Although players from outside Alabama have commuted to play for the Bolts in major tournaments, showcases and championships across the country, Shea and his highly successful cadre of coaches including Rocky Thompson (18U), Jay Roberson (16U), Jaquan Green (14U), Ryan Thompson (12U) and many others have, up until now, resisted the urge to expand outside the state’s borders.

“This is something Richard, our owner, has never wanted to do,” explains Roberson, who has an all-star staff of coaches himself in assistants Josh Hillman, Keith Dorsett, Ted Flannery and his wife, Amanda Roberson, who serves as Pitching Coach.

“He has always wanted to keep things small and keep all instruction and  practices locally.  Over the last several years we have had organizations from California, Texas, Georgia and Tennessee start teams in our home state of Alabama and it just seems like the right time for us to do the same (expanding).”

Roberson adds that the Bolts leadership feels that others can benefit from the learnings and successes they’ve earned over the last decade and a half.

“We have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with any Bolts-supported team nationally,” he continues. “The Bolts brand is a nationally known and respected brand in the softball world and we have sent kids to major programs from Auburn to Washington and usually do that on a yearly basis with each class.  We will certainly be able to help our new teams navigate the recruiting process through experience and our relationships with college coaches coast-to-coast.”

Along with being tied into the purple-and-gold colors, new teams under the Thunderbolts umbrella will benefit in other ways.

“There will be multiple other advantages such as, but not limited to, placement in top-tier exposures and showcases, coaching clinics, bi-yearly boot camps for our organizational teams and more,” the 16U head coach believes. “The Bolts name should help these teams recruit and develop players as well.”

It won’t be long before the softball world see new club teams playing as the California, Florida, Indiana or Texas Thunderbolts, although Roberson—who will serve as the Development Manager of the expansion coast-to-coast—is quick to point out that there is a history that new teams, coaches and players should appreciate.

“We want to make sure each of the teams understand that all of the hard work by former and current Bolts players and coaches is what made the Bolts name one of the most respected names in all of club softball,” he adds. “And now it’s time for us to share that success with other teams from around the country.”

Announced just this week, the national expansion begins today and will really take off at the beginning of 2021.

“We will begin screening teams immediately but won’t actually start adding teams until January,” the championship-winning coach concludes. “We will not just take any team that wants to wear the Bolts jersey; each team we add will have to meet the same Bolts standards that Richard has always required.”

And he finishes with what the organization will especially be looking for in potential teams that want to be considered.

“Playing with class and character will always be most important to Richard and the Thunderbolts.”

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For more information, contact Jay Roberson at 205-907-1317 or [email protected]