Friendship fuels softball champions

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Macey Callans has spent quite a bit of time watching her older sister, Mallory, excel on the softball field over the past few years.

And eventually the Braden River Elementary School fourth-grader’s intrigue got the best of her. Macey decided to give the sport a try, and she hasn’t stopped playing since.

Now, the 9-year-old is the starting left center fielder for the Suncoast Storm 02 travel softball team, which comprises 13 8- and 9-year-old girls.

“I thought it might be a sport that I would like to start playing,” Macey said. “I like playing with my friends and playing my favorite position. We work hard, and it’s fun.”

The Suncoast Storm 02 team formed in December 2009. Since then, the team has developed into one of the premier travel softball teams in the state and already has two state championships to its name.

On Nov. 13-14, the team will look to capture its fifth-consecutive tournament championship when it travels to the ISA Fall State Tournament in Bartow.

The idea for the Storm 02 team originated last year when Storm 98 coach TJ Goelz approached Kevin Callans about starting a travel softball team for the younger girls — many of whom have older sisters who play on the Storm 98 team.

Kevin Callans liked the idea, and in December 2009, he, along with Goelz’s wife, Liz, helped form the team.
“The older Storm teams have been a great help and inspiration to all of the kids and coaches,” Kevin Callans said. “It is a great organization to be involved with."

The girls played in their first tournament the following month, which they won.

“When they won their first game, they thought they were the next best thing since sliced bread,” Kevin Callans said.

However, their winning-streak proved to be short-lived. The team lost its next three tournaments, including the Future Stars Tournament, where the girls were outscored 40-5 in their first two games.

After a needed reality check, the Storm rallied together. The team completed the Future Stars Tournament in April, advancing to the finals and facing the two teams that beat them the first day of the tournament.

Since then, the Storm has won its past four tournaments — two of which earned them state championships.

“Not only has their development been individually but as a team,” Kevin Callans said. “They have learned how to make themselves the best team they can be at their age level and playing within the rules of their division.

“For such young girls, they are very mature on their selfless play and team attitude,” he said. “This is truly a TEAM made up of great friends that really exaggerates their play on the field.”

In July, the team traveled to West Palm Beach to compete in the USSSA State Championship. After winning their first two games of the tournament, the Storm appeared to have lost its focus — barely winning the next and soundly losing the final contest.

As a result, the team had to win its next five games to capture the state championship, including beating a team that was undefeated up to that point twice.

Most recently, the Storm competed in the Halloween Spooktacular Tournament Oct. 23-24 in Sarasota. The team finished 5-0, outscoring its opponents 64-15 to capture the 9-and-under division championship.

Next year, the team, which practices once a week, will move up to the 10-and-under division, where the girls will learn to pitch by themselves. In addition, the girls will have to adjust to playing at a faster pace, stealing bases and having strikes called against them, among other challenges.

“They have to learn the new rules and style of play, but they also have to learn that they are going to get beat on a regular basis learning the new style of play,” Kevin Callans said. “The main goal will be able to have them keep their focus and not get down on themselves as they are learning something new.  Based on their past performance and progression, we are excited to watch them grow.”

And although it will be quite the adjustment, the girls and their friendships are up for the challenge.

“We focus a lot,” Macey said. “We work hard and we work as a team — we don’t do everything by ourselves.”

“We have a lot of friends, and we all communicate together,” 8-year-old Kali Reis said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].