Well, looks like we have our 2023 Club Team of the Summer… and we haven’t even hit nationals yet.
After a disappointing start by its own standards, the Unity team led by Coaches Jay Ross, Josh Johnson and Tommy Bain has been on fire ever since.
“This year we started off a bit slow,” Coach Ross admitted to Extra Inning Softball Brentt Eads this week.
“In early June at the PGF Show Me the Money tournament—the very first weekend out—we finished 4-3 in Florida and rolled into Kansas City (for the Top Gun event) and although we hadn’t lost a pool game, the vibe still wasn’t clicking.”
“We had to take them to church during a morning workout and the sermon hit them between the eyes.”
That last statement was more figurative than literal, as there was no fire-and-brimstone church service, but rather a season-changing discussion between coaches and players.
Since that time, the talent-laden Unity 16U squad has rolled off a 33-1 run and captured three major tournaments in a row (and that’s not counting Top Gun which got rained out on Sunday):
- The Colorado Power Pool Championship,
- The Triple Crown National Championship,
- The Atlanta Legacy Invitational “$10K” Championship
Here’s more with Coach Ross and how this has turned into a championship-winning season for this Virginia-based organization…
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Extra Inning Softball: Talk about the origin of this Unity team and how it got put together…
Jay Ross: We started in 2021 after Josh Johnson and I spent a full year discussing the possibility of merging two very successful teams and challenging our kids to take another step forward in their growth.
After talking with many coaches at the next level, they strongly encouraged us to collectively find a way to bring these players together as a single group in hopes that it would somewhat mirror what their next step might be like when they step on campus.
It would test their mental strength as players to be surrounded by like-minded and like skill set players to expedite their growth and see who could handle the challenge. The plan was to wait until the Fall to bring them together, however some strong outside encouragement convinced us to bring them together prior to one of the biggest tournaments of the year.
A rocky start would be understatement, but the kids would rally together and make a perfect run to capture the title and the bar has been for pushing this group every tournament.
EIS: How did you, Jay and Tommy all come together in the first place?
JR: Obviously with three male figures leading the charge, fastpitch was not part of our original plan. Daughters changed that plan and I can speak for each of us, that was one of the biggest blessings we have experienced!
Each of us were talented athletes that competed in college, so we have an understanding of what is required to become a collegiate athlete. Josh wrestled and played baseball, Tommy was a pitcher and I played basketball and baseball.
I am the only one without a child playing; however, I did help coach my daughter when she was in middle school and travel ball 20 years ago. I went and watched a rec game that Tommy’s daughter, Brinli, was playing when she was four and I was pretty critical with Tommy about kids hitting off of tees and rolling the ball across the infield to first base.
Tommy knew what nerve to hit and said, “If you think you can do better, then get out of the bleachers and help out.”
More than 12 years later, I am still at it, trying to help kids catch their dreams!
EIS: You mention a tough beginning, but this team had the core of greatness based on previous experience, yes?
JR: Definitely. When Josh and I decided to put this thing together, we both had successful teams that already had some talented players.
We still have six kids on the team that won PGF in 10U, eight that were a part of a 2019 WFC, a 2020 JO Cup and four that won the ASA in 2021 before merging—not to mention eight kids that won PGF in 2021.
Our roster carries an absurd 11 kids that have won at least one PGF title during their travel ball years.
EIS: Tell us more about the team as far as where you—the coaches and players—come from…
JR: The organization is based out of Virginia (Josh Johnson’s home) and Tommy (Bain) and I are based in Rockvale, Tenn.
Our players cover seven states:
- Tennessee has five (Esther White, Hallie Meeks, McCall Sims, Brinli Bain and Addisyn Linton);
- Virginia has three (Rylie Johnson, Lilly Parrish, and Destiny Harris)
- Florida has three (Jayden Heavener, Alexia Carrasquillo and Morgen Talley)
- Texas has one (Frankie Vrazel)
- Louisiana has one (Ramsey Walker)
- Georgia has one (Jordan Williams)
- Illinois (Kaidance Till)
EIS: What was the purpose of creating the Unity team?
JR: Obviously winning is a big part of creating successful travel ball clubs on a national level and anyone that says otherwise would be naïve.
Showcasing these players to coaches across the country in hopes of finding their future homes, challenging these players to compete for positions within their own team and enhancing their own skillsets is critically important in our thought process.
EIS: What do you think are the strengths of the team?
JR: Obviously, the skill set is very high with these players and their individual trainers and instructors continue to develop them further within our team goals.
With that in mind, it takes mentally strong kids to test their skills against each other and the field of competitors. How they handle that week in and week out has been remarkable and provides a strong foundation to our success.
EIS: What is your primary focus or goal with this group of players?
JR: Teaching them softball IQ and how to play the game at a high level is our main focus. Tremendous skill sets aside, understanding how to play this game, why the little things matter so much and never getting too high or too low within the game.
The game is set up to make you fail, how you can do the little things matter greatly to you as an individual and pours over into the team.
EIS: In your opinions, what makes the organization unique?
JR: Josh is quick to remind his coaches that we are in the kid business and not a money grab. There are several programs that do use travel ball as an income source and it becomes a business.
Not that this model is wrong, it just isn’t what the Unity name is about. It is about building up these young ladies into young women and teaching them about the game of life as much as the game of softball.
The logo he designed is unique in itself—UNITY—where the design leaves the U by itself and the “I” stands alone. This mantra teaches the kids that if the team “UNITES” as a whole, the individual attention will come. The game is played with nine kids on the field, but it takes a full roster with each player playing a vital role for team success.
EIS: How many teams are there in the organization overall?
JR: At the end of the 2022 season, there were around 20 teams within the organization and heading into the 2023 season there were 42.
A lot of interest into the organization is driven by our team’s success but Josh has stayed true to his beliefs and spends a lot of time vetting teams into the organization that meets the standards and criteria that represents the kids and the families the Unity way.
EIS: If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
JR: That’s tough to identify because there are so many great teams out there that do things their own way. I would be foolish to state anything about another team difference that I have no intimate knowledge from within.
If I were to just speak for our own group, I would say the biggest thing would be parent buy-in. We ask a lot of our kids, and they cannot do any of it without 100 percent support of their parents approval, belief in our process and the financial support to provide for their kids drive and desires.
EIS: Tell us something about this 16U Unity team that most don’t know about…
JR: The part that no one really sees outside our dugout is just how funny these kids are!
When these kids are in game mode, they are pretty focused and not much noise or hype, they take the game pretty serious and stay focused on their craft. Once the game is over, Lordy be, they could be stand-up comedians and the things they come up with are off the charts!
Additionally, their high academic achievement in the classroom, carries over onto the play on the field.
EIS: Finally, what would you say about the caliber of people you have on the team, the players?
JR: It takes the entire village for us to be successful and we preach a TEAM FIRST approach. The kids are embracing that mindset and that has helped with our growth this season.
Our 2024 class has all committed kids (less one, who is really close to finding her home) and our 2025 class is ridiculously good as well and will most likely have their future homes before early November.
