the dirt divas story
My name is Erica Shoemake. I began playing softball for the Bunker Hill Apples in connecticut when I was 7 years old. I played through grade school and was a member of the team that won the Connecticut state Class LL high school softball championship in 1989. After high-school, I went on to play for a Division I University on athletic and academic scholarship.
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After college, I coached or assisted with numerous camps and clinics, but life happened and I slowly got away from playing and coaching for several years. It wasn't until my own daughter started playing competitively that I realized just how much I missed being out on the field playing and coaching. Mostly, I missed sharing my passion for this sport with younger girls just starting out.
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As a coach in volunteer-dependent leagues for several seasons now, I see first-hand that so many girls are not being properly taught the fundamentals of the game. There are countless well-meaning parents coaching our young girls, but too many of these parents have no experience playing softball or baseball competitively. Some coaches have never even played a team sport! These young players need to learn the good habits that will help them improve and advance in this wonderful sport. They also need to learn how to be loyal teammates.
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i started dirt divas softball camps + clinics in 2022 to give young girls an opportunity to learn all aspects of the game of softball and to create a sisterhood of players who share a love of the game and a desire to live their absolute best lives! as fabulous as it is to work with young players in my camps+clinics, I want to do more. in the back of my mind, I was always brainstorming ideas to launch an organization of 8U-14U select (tournament) teams, but there was always a reason to wait. However, following my most recent season coaching the SLGSA 10U Dirt Divas, I decided it was now or never. I am beyond thrilled to introduce the KTx Dirt Divas Select Softball Program!
Beginning with the 2023-2024 season, KTX Dirt Divas Select Softball teams will provide opportunities for developing players to build their skills and their softball IQ, initially to compete against C-level teams, but with the goal of advancing each team to B-level, with the opportunity to compete in national tournaments. More specifically, our teams will be made up of players who find themselves outgrowing their local recreational league, but who may need more advanced training and development to compete against girls playing at B or A class levels.
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the very first dirt Divas team, the ktx 2K14 dirt divas will hold their initial round of tryouts on december 10, 2023!
