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If you can’t find Jason Guseaff on a field running his highly-regarded 14U team, he’s probably running around a softball complex somewhere putting out fires at a highly-regarding showcase event.
Gusaeff spearheads top tourneys like the Atlanta and Florida Legacy Showcases and, back from taking a break from fastpitch a week ago by hitting the Bahamas, he and his impressive coaching staff are rested and poised to lead the Impact to what could be a sixth Top 10 finish at Nationals this summer if his talented team performs up to expectations.
With 10 returners on the roster of 16—including a half dozen players committed—the Gusaeff 14U team was the consensus top pick out of Georgia when Extra Innings Softball compiled the Elite 50 Club Rankings for the 14U age group last week. A lot of that can be attributed to the experience of the group: all are 2021’s except one highly-touted ’22.
There’s a lot of talent in the Peach State this year and of the 15 coaches and scouts who commented on Georgia’s top 14’s for the Elite 50 rankings, 13 of them had Gusaeff’s team ranked as either the top one or two in the state. And nationally, almost all the elite club coaches pegged this Impact squad as one of the best in the country as well as the South.
The head coach talks it up to not just great talent, but also to excellent coaching and the combination of the two has helped the team finish highly at every age division since the team began at 8U.
We caught up with the Impact leader before, during and after his trip to the Caribbean to learn more about his program and its prospects for the 2018 national championship run.
Here’s what Coach (and Event Director) Gusaeff had to say including what his most rewarding moments are as a coach…
When did the Impact organization, recognized as one of the tops in the nation and certainly a top program in the South, get its start?
The Georgia Impact organization was started in 2003 by Will Tomasello in Georgia.
Where is home base for your Impact team?
Our team is based in Hoschton, Georgia and we play/practice out of Signature Park.
What was the purpose of creating the team? Was it to showcase players, win titles, develop skills or a combo of all the above?
We started our team seven years ago with the purpose of putting together talented players from all over to compete on a more regional scene. What we didn’t expect is that it would lead to traveling all over the country year-after-year competing at the highest level.
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
As of today, Georgia Impact has 18 teams based in Georgia and eight teams that play under the Florida Impact brand in Florida.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
Our main focus of the team is to provide a competitive environment where players develop and prepare for the next level while playing in the top events around the country.
What makes the organization unique?
We have also been very fortunate to have some amazing coaching along the way and I think that is one of the most overlooked aspects of the game. I can’t thank Chris Keener, Ondray Jennings and Ed Hatch enough as they put so much time and effort into making this work and are there week after week supporting these kids.
We have also been lucky to have Sharon Perkins with us for four years as she brings 18 years of coaching experience –- in the SEC at Georgia and in the ACC at Georgia Tech — to our team. She has definitely done an amazing job preparing our kids for anything. Rob Crews has also been with us since first year 12’s and he does an incredible job with our hitters. He also brings college and pro experience to us that is so valuable for their growth.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Over the years we have had a lot of success in local, regional and national events:
* 8U – 5th place USFA Nationals
* 10U – 7th place ASA Nationals
* 12U – 5th place PGF Nationals
* 12U – 2nd place World Fastpitch Championship
* 14U – 7th place PGF Nationals