The Boca Raton Softball Association is branching out as it has partnered with TBT Training to begin the TBT BOLTZ travel softball program.

“We wanted to offer the girls of BRSA and the surrounding community a high quality travel softball program with excellent, dedicated coaches, very well-maintained fields and the support of TBT Training,” said Ryan Benson, who has served as president of the Boca Raton Softball Association since April 2022 and a board member since Jan. 2021. The league was co-founded by Benson, Mark Minadeo and Stephen Clyne.

“We are proud of what we have started,” Benson said. “This is just the very beginning, and we are excited for the future of the TBT Boltz.”

Benson said they established the Boca Raton Softball Association travel program to offer a competitive softball outlet for families that wanted to stay local. They started with one 10U travel team, and with TBT’s support, they will be fielding three travel teams in the fall (8U, 10U, and 12u) with plans to expand rapidly.

TBT training offers indoor hitting, pitching, fielding, running, and strength and conditioning. Beginning this month, TBT Training will offer dedicated softball hitting and pitching lessons.

In 2016, Clyne started the TBT Ballers, and with the help of his team, the organization is now one of the most recognized in the country. Clyne is the co-owner of TBT Training, which is recognized as one of the premier facilities for development. Some of the best talent across MLB, college and youth baseball train at the facility.

“TBT Training is excited to partner with BRSA to develop the TBT Boltz travel softball program,” Clyne said. “With premier coaching and training, TBT has been successful in developing baseball talent, and many players have gone on to play high-level baseball at universities all over the country, including MLB.

“We now want to duplicate that model with fastpitch softball,” he said. “We are excited to offer softball players premier softball coaches and a facility where they can train, work hard and continue to develop their softball skills.”

The 12-Under age group will be spearheaded by University of Maryland grad Sarah Lang while being assisted by Ari Jarvis. Jarvis, who is the program’s lead pitching instructor, is the starting pitcher for the Ireland National Softball Team.

Last month, Jarvis pitched for the Ireland National Softball Team in the 2023 World Cup against high-caliber talents such as Great Britain, USA, Chinese Taipei, Australia, and Botswana — hosted in Dublin, Ireland.

“If there’s anything that is seamlessly transferable from competing in the World Cup with Ireland, to coaching young women in their development — it’s approach,” Jarvis said. “Due to COVID, I haven’t competed live in a couple of years, so in a lot of ways it was essential that I get back to basics while training hard the last few months.

“My track record with the sport told me that I could do it, I could come back stronger and more confident than before if I wanted to,” she said, “but the discipline it took to take action on it was driven by my mindset.”

Jarvis said it was the same mindset she had growing up that gave her an opportunity to be successful in her professional endeavors as well.

“I’m excited to teach these young women that with the right mindset,” Jarvis said. “They’re capable of doing anything.”

Leah Allison is the 8-Under coach and a pitching coach for the organization. She had a stellar high school career in Illinois where she totaled over 500 strikeouts in her career. She also batted .407 in her senior year in high school before attending the University of Toledo to play softball as a pitcher and earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s in business administration.

Taylor Nemetz will serve as the 10-under coach who helped her team to three district and two state championships in high school in Pennsylvania and was a four-year varsity softball player. Nemetz, who has been a volunteer coach for several years in the Boca Raton Softball Association, is also the girls’ softball coach at Don Estridge Middle School in Boca Raton.

Minadeo has taken the reigns as program director of the TBT Boltz. He’s coached for multiple seasons in BRSA and was the head coach of the South Florida Boltz (now the TBT Boltz) 10U team.

“With TBT’s operation support we were able to identify and hire dynamic coaches with high-level softball experience, provide summer camps and pitching clinics, and allow the girls to train in an elite indoor training facility,” he said.

Contact Minadeo at 561-214-0537 or .