As it is stated proudly on the front page of the St. Louis Chaos home page, the travel ball organization led by Evan Beatty has produced “200+ D1 Athletes” with “$8+ million in scholarship earned,” with many of these athletes having gone on to be “College All Americans.”
The program has had success on the team front as well, including a “USA Junior Olympic Cup National Championship” and looks to be doing better than ever—especially in the younger ages with Backsmeyer’s 14U team already having made some waves over the last year.
Justin Backsmeyer’s team, St. Louis Chaos ’08, finished 8th overall at the Colorado Sparkler, finishing 3rd in the Silver Bracket and also took 5th at the talent-laded PGF Power 80 hosted by the Beverly Bandits. And just last weekend, the Chaos won the OKC Challenge.
The team also earned a berth to the Alliance Nationals in California for this year and has qualified for PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach, Calif. this summer (the coach confirmed they will be playing at PGF).
We caught up with Coach Backsmeyer this week to get more insights into his fast-rising team… here’s what he had to say:
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On a macro level, how did the St. Louis Chaos program get started and how long have you been a part of it?
The St. Louis Chaos organization has been in existence for over 20 years and has put together a tradition of competing on a national level and producing high-level softball players. There are 11 teams in the program and our team began our journey in the fall of 2018.
Where are you based and where do your athletes come from? Are they all local or are some out of state?
We are based mainly out of St. Louis County, Missouri. We have grown over the past 18 months, bringing in players from Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri and several parts of Illinois.
What was the purpose of creating the team? Was it primarily to showcase players, win titles, develop skills or something else?
The purpose of putting this team together is always development first given their ages—all while having a competitive team that focuses on getting better while trying to win ball games. When you play at this level, you learn a lot about who you are as a player and a person.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Over the last few years, we have played well in many events and have had some marquee wins! We have never—and will never—shy away from going to play the best competition we can find. We have always done that and, because of that, I have seen the growth in our players with the opportunity to pick up like-minded players and families that want to do the same. This year, with the roster we have, it’s a culmination of players and families that all have the same goal. That’s what makes this so fun and rewarding!
In your opinion, what makes the St. Louis Chaos organization unique?
The Chaos organization is unique in my mind due to its core principals. We just try and go out and do what’s right for these young athletes, to give them core habits that will allow hard work to take care of the rest. Every player is important in this organization—whether you’re Power 5 kid or a D3 kid. Their aspirations are supported, and I believe that is felt by everyone in the Chaos program.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
My softball background started when I had three daughters! (laughs) My wife, Brittani, grew up playing competitive softball and was a heck of a player, but I had no softball experience. I had a successful baseball career, one that led to me getting drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school. I played five seasons with the Rangers and then one and half seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. I love the game of baseball and have completely fallen in love with the game of softball. I find each year I’m becoming a better coach in terms of how I coach in game situations or managing young female athletes.
Scroll down to read more about the Chaos ’08 – Backsmeyer team!
