RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
If the name “Vines” sounds familiar when it comes to college softball, it’s probably because you’ve watched Brooke Vines play at Tennessee or later as a grad transfer for Loyola Marymount or have seen her younger sibling Anna Vines compete at UCLA where she’s currently a redshirt senior.
Behind the accomplished sisters on the softball front is their father, Anthony Vines, who is now running a Southern California-based club team that both daughters help with (Brooke as she can, as she’s moved to the East Coast).
Here’s the story of how the team started with comments not only from Anthony, but also—in a first for our club profile series—insights from one of the team players, standout sophomore pitcher/outfielder Ash Green…
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When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
Anthony Vines (Coach): We love softball. Probably a little too much! Brooke asked me to help her coach this transitioning all-star team named Outlaws and of course I said yes. The first six months were super rocky since the girls were green and COVID terminated our winter schedule. It’s important to note that we converted to being Firecracker – Vines in January 2021. Brooke has since moved to North Carolina. My assistant coaches are Chris Wilson (his daughter Mackenzie plays for Baylor), Anna Vines is our “Director of Hitting” part-time coach (currently at UCLA), Mckenzie Wilson part-time (currently at Baylor), Soraya Shabazian full time (Ole Miss/CBU graduate 2019) and Brooke (Univ. of Tennessee graduate 2019/Loyola Marymount graduate 2021) is our administrator/part-time coach as she moved to North Carolina.
Ash Green (Player): The team was formed in November 2019 after a successful run in the USA Softball LA regional tournament when the girls won 1st place. After realizing that this group of girls had a natural chemistry, we decided to further enhance our skills by creating a travel ball team. Unfortunately, there was a dearth of travel teams in the South Bay, so we searched for a knowledgeable coach to help us attain the level of excellence we aspired to have. Through diligent searching and mutual connections, Coaches Brooke and Anthony Vines became our coaches and we formed our team under the Firecracker banner.
Where are you based and here do your athletes come from (all locally, some out of state?)
Ash: We are based in the South Bay region of California with all our team members residing in neighboring cities just south of LAX airport. The girls attend good academic schools in the South Bay region including Mira Costa, Redondo Union, Peninsula, and Palos Verdes High School to name a few.
What was the purpose of creating the team (showcase players, win titles, develop skills, etc.)?
Anthony: Our goal was to create college ready student athletes from the South Bay.
Ash: Though we had an innate love for softball, this team was formed to help polish our skills and get us college ready so that we can compete at the collegiate level.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Anthony: Our greatest success story is the product that takes the field. They are a group of tough athletes that weathered personal storms, crazy coaches and each other. Last week we hit back-to-back homers. Amazing! The majority of our girls hold 4.0’s and have become high achievers on the field.
Ash: Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our local school travel restrictions, we were unable to participate in showcases and tournaments as initially planned. We are looking forward to participating in more competitive tournaments, such as the Birmingham Bolts tournament in November and many other showcases in the Summer of 2022.
What makes the organization unique?
Anthony: The parents and players. They are unique. We have several Ivy bound athletes that have the academic pedigree to prove it and the parent group consists of 1 Police sergeant, 2 dentists, 1 optometrist, 2 doctors and 6 business owners. It’s a melting pot of diversity like I’ve never seen. We’ve all grown and stretched.
Ash: In addition to the multitude of adult coaches who played collegiate baseball, we also have numerous female coaches who either attended or still currently attend Power 5 programs (e.g. UCLA, Tennessee, Baylor, Ole Miss, Fresno State).
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
Anthony: My sister Jstone Vines played softball for Cal State Fullerton from 1991-to-1994. I was blown away at the speed of the game and the uniqueness when compared to baseball. I was that dad who coached all three of my kids in everything. It was my way of connecting with them personally. Long story short, the girls were extremely blessed by God to have some talent and extremely blessed to be coached by Mike Smith, Marty Tyson, Rob Weil and Bruce Richardson. After playing collegiate baseball, I raised my two girls to excel in softball. I have been fortunate enough to have my girls play with the Firecrackers and Corona Angels coached personally by Tony Rico and Coach Marty Tyson. My daughters were blessed to receive full scholarships to the University of Tennessee and UCLA. This is my first travel team under the Firecracker banner.
Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history?
Anthony: I think the defining moment has not happened. We are grinding hard currently to become a solid and respectable team. The parents are starting to understand that travel softball takes serious dedication and sacrifice.
Ash: The defining moment of our team, I feel, was when Anna Vines took over her sister’s spot as an assistant coach and help bring the UCLA way of playing softball to the program.
What is the primary focus or goal with this team?
Anthony: We are driven to produce strong lady leaders that will play college softball that will achieve high marks academically and acquire degrees at top universities in USA or Canada.
Ash: To me, the primary focus of this team is to get the girls to play “big girl softball” and be professional collegiate softball players. This includes developing the mental toughness required to compete at the higher level in addition to having the physical skills to execute at Power 5 schools.
What do you think are the strengths of the team?
Anthony: Our diversity of thoughts and ideas, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and educational focus.
Ash: The academic excellence of this program is not often seen at a travel club of this caliber. Additionally, the individual and team character of our girls is unrivaled.
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
Anthony: The help we have with Brooke, Anna, Mckenzie and Soriya. They’ve all touched the lives of the athletes very positively.
Ash: Besides our academic excellence, our female coaches are in their 20’s and can better relate to the girls, provide mentorship and appropriate guidance.
How does being in Southern California make an impact on who this team is, identity-wise?
Anthony: The girls are known as the “Beach Girls” because some of them live close enough to the ocean to meet and swim after school!
Ash: Our conditioning of running through the steep hills of Thousand Oaks and admiring the bucolic landscape was a treat for the girls as we trained during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
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Scroll down to get insights on each player from Coach Vines…