The Florida Vibe have been busy this year.
Since announcing their franchise’s formation this summer, the Vibe have announced a front office staff and a head coach, as well as several free agent player signings.
On December 11th, the Vibe will host a player combine in Tampa, Florida, their take on the traditional player tryout. The combine is expected a few dozen professional prospects, all of whom will journey to Florida with the intent of becoming professional softball players.
UCF volunteer assistant and recent Washington alumnus Kaija Gibson was announced as the Vibe head coach in early November. She begins her tenure with the Vibe simultaneously with the start of her collegiate coaching career and just months removed from the end of her collegiate playing career. “Helping these athletes become better versions of themselves is something I look forward to this summer. I can’t wait to positively impact these women as much as they impact me,” Gibson said in a press release announcing her appointment.
If you’re familiar with the Florida Gulf Coast League, the collegiate summer league now entering its third year of existence, then you are sure to recognize a number of people involved with the Vibe. Franchise general manager Mike Scott, for instance, coached a team in the FGCL last summer; Vibe team president Ryan Moore founded the FGCL and owns multiple teams in the collegiate league.
Five players have already signed contracts to play professionally for the Vibe in the summer of 2022. The group is headlined by former Florida All-American Kendyl Lindaman and former Gold Glove winner AJ Andrews. Oklahoma graduate Shannon Saile and veteran pros Fale Aviu and Mandie Perez round out the list of contracted players entering the winter months.
December’s professional combine will also coincide with a separate, yet intertwined, event put on by Fastpitch Pro Scout on the same day. A key piece of the employment structure set up by the Vibe front office, the Fastpitch Pro Scout event will include recruiting-age players in a camp-style format, with a twist. The event is expected to spotlight the Fastpitch Pro Scout business model of professional players as talent evaluators; while virtual instruction and online lessons are a key component of what Fastpitch Pro Scout offers, the in-person aspect of December’s event sets it apart as unique within the company’s model.
The Vibe will debut as a professional team next summer and are headquartered in Bradenton, Florida.
