Ryan Harrington, has been developing leaders across the world and coaching softball for over eight years, helped Bombers NTX National 14U get started before recently joining with James Lamar to start Lady Dukes TX 14U National.
“They say everything is bigger in Texas, well Texas here comes the Lady Dukes softball organization,” Lamar said. “When considering expansion to the great state of Texas I was fortunate to meet Rob Rogers. I was blown away by Rob’s knowledge of the game and the level of talent on this team in the 14u division. We are truly blessed to have Rob help us grow our brand in Texas. Our premier team in Texas will be led by Ryan Harrington, Head Coach, an outstanding leader who can take this team to the next level. This team is loaded with Power 5 talent, I am extremely impressed. They have it all, speed, power and ambition. I could not be more proud than to have this group represent the Lady Dukes Softball organization.”
Harrington talked about the club and Lady Dukes TX 14U National’s future.
CLUB PROFILE: LADY DUKES TX 14U NATIONAL
When did the team start and how did it come to be?
Out team was born in the summer of 2019, with a passion to prioritize the athlete first and to build softball skills with a long-term vision to compete nationally. In the early days of our program, we were unrelenting with our strength and conditioning while developing softball footwork skills. We have used that foundation now to build a culture focused on hard work.
Where are you based? Where do your athletes come from?
Our team is based in North Dallas, many are local to the DFW metroplex, however. We have players coming from all four corners of Texas with a program designed for players to develop and succeed from anywhere in the country.
It’s extremely exciting and an honor for us to be the first Lady Dukes’ team in Texas. The move from Bombers to Lady Dukes was simple for us. We will never be complacent with any level of success and as we are making our mark nationally we felt there was no better organization for us to represent.
James Lamar invited us out to participate in a camp they were running in Atlanta, Georgia. The lasting impression was a leadership team with a bias for action and a culture that represented the values we work to instill in our players every day.
What was the purpose of creating the team?
From Day 1, our vision has been to develop our players and team to peak at second-year 14U to compete for a national title. Performing at this level will directly serve to springboard our athletes into showcasing their talents and achieving their dreams.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Coming out of Covid, we began to prioritize the TFL (Texas Fastpitch League) and the Alliance National Championship. We secured a Tier 2 berth in our first tournament this past spring with a third-place finish in the Triple Crown Bombers Shootout. Not satisfied with this result, we went undefeated at the Spring TFL Championship to secure a Tier 1 berth. We finished as the top TFL team in the Alliance Championship.
What makes the organization unique?
We have built an infrastructure to support our athletes. We take full advantage of technology partners; Rapsodo, Win Reality, Blast Motion and Sprint 1080 (running analysis) to provide the tools for our athletes to baseline and improve. We utilize our gym for strength and conditioning to continue our focus on building the athlete first.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
My softball coaching career like many was inspired by my daughters. Beyond my passion to lead with confidence, my in-game expertise lies within pitch calling, situation recognition and teaching our pitchers and catchers to identify and leverage our opponents’ tendencies to our advantage.
I am proud to be surrounded by like-minded coaches with great experience, who help us bring out the best in our players. Rob Rogers, USA Region 5 HPP coach, brings positive energy and extensive knowledge of the game, and Stacy Haxel, who sought out to learn how to lead and coach at (Oklahoma), and is a tremendous mentor to our players.
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
We are proud to be the first Texas team to represent the Lady Dukes in Texas. We are, from my understanding, the 109th team across 15 states. There are more teams coming behind us in Texas as we look to provide new and unique resources to the athletes of this great state.
Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history?
We hit a point this past summer when our players took over. They began holding themselves accountable and working for each other instead of working because their coaches have expectations. I recall after a tough loss Zailey Freeman telling in a few words, “we have to start being more serious if we want to win these close games.” Our team responded. One of the best examples is (C/3B) Lola Andrews, who sets a tone by sticking every snap in a bullpen to finding every opportunity to get better. This fall in an all-day event, we had a single game break, during that time when nobody was looking, I found Lola in the tunnels behind the fields doing tee work. Our players define us every moment. Lola and Zailey exemplify our high standards.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
We aim to surround our players with the resources to help them develop in all aspects on and off the field. Our team utilizes Rapsodo, Blast Motion, Sprint 1080 for running analysis and our gym for strength and conditioning.
What do you think are the strengths of the team?
Our team is athletic to say the least. We game plan to put pressure on our opponents and utilize our team’s speed and power to capitalize on every opportunity. We have an attacking mindset; in fact, we measure/count our offensive and defensive attack points in-game. We want every inch our opponents will give us.
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
Our culture. Ask any of our families and I believe it will all point back to our culture. We prioritize a mindset that rewards hard work. We discourage our parents and supporters from recognizing great plays with “She is so talented.” Those statements do not recognize the work our athletes put in. Yes, we are talented, but the amazing plays, the clutch plays, the huge moments all happen because our athletes are intentional with their work in practice and at home to prepare themselves to succeed. While simple, our hashtag #HWPO, is very empowering to our players.
*** Scroll down to read the bios on each player with stats and insights…
