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Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2029 head coach Russell Whitaker has remained true to his vision for his team from day one.
Recruit Birmingham, Ala., players and develop them both personally and athletically with the ultimate goal of growing each player into a recruitable student-athlete.
The Thunderbolts earned the distinction of being ranked second in the Extra Inning Softball Class of 2029 Team Rankings for Region Two (Southeast).
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Head coach Russell Whitaker provided insights into his team and his players…
When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
I started coaching this team in the fall of second year 8U. We actually still have five kids on the current team off of that team. Myself and the two guys helping with the team, Clint Chaney and Stan Oliver, helped coach that team as well. We had eight kids off that team until last season (we are a second year 12u team now). As a 10u team we moved from the Birmingham Vipers organization to the Thunderbolts organization. It was such a fun time for me personally to watch the kids grow both personally and athletically. We’ve added players over the past couple of years that have made us better. All of our kids are local Birmingham kids that come to every practice. They are a special group of young ladies.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
We are ultimately a softball team. So our primary goal is to help each player grow as a softball player into a recruitable player in the next few years. Hopefully the commitment to player development leads to us winning big tournaments. Obviously, we are also committed to each player growing as a young lady. The discipline and work ethic required to be successful in this game will undoubtedly help each player the rest of their lives.
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