Boomer's Blogs 1.10 - Softball Events with Firecracker Sports!

APRIL 2ND, 2025

It’s time for another edition of Boomer’s Blogs! We’re glad you’re joining us for a new entry in our series of blogs, especially since this post will stand out from all the rest; this week we’re talking about Firecracker Sports Softball Tournaments & Showcase Events! In just the last couple of years, we have had an increase in contact and demand from Softball programs and organizations for more opportunities, both showcases, as well as tournament events. We are beyond thrilled to have teams and coaches looking to return to our events, as well as looking for and working towards more Softball events in the future!

Ahead of putting this week’s blog together, we figured it would be best to get some information and background from someone on the Firecracker Staff who knows more about the Softball side of things than anyone else, our Director of Softball Operations, Alyssa Mabardy! Since joining the Firecracker Sports team, Alyssa has not only helped to improve our softball events, but our connections with different programs as well. Whether it be teams that are participating in our events, or college programs looking to recruit from our tournaments, Alyssa has already made a noticeable impact on our relationships with different organizations. We spoke with Alyssa on her own personal experiences with Softball, as well as her time with Firecracker Sports and what plans she has moving forward.

We started the conversation by asking Alyssa for a brief background on her experience and history with Softball. “Softball has been a consistent piece in my life. You could say my passion for it started at a young age, playing for 10+ years, experiencing club ball, all the way through college ball. I think the love really came from it when I started doing private lessons, focusing on fine tuning my craft, spending quality time with my parents driving to and from games, and of course meeting new people and making connections with them. My softball journey has evolved in different ways over the years from playing, coaching club ball, coaching at the high school, and now college, levels. Recently, the most enjoyment and appreciation for the game comes from college recruitment. Helping future softballers figure out the right schools for them with the best opportunities to continue playing the game.”, shared Alyssa.

Alyssa’s own personal passions have directly influenced her work in and around the game of Softball, including her thoughts and plans as we move forward with tournament events and college showcases. After discussing her background and personal experiences, we asked Alyssa what her direct “mission statement” would be for Firecracker Sports Softball events.

“I want to create a fun, exciting, and unforgettable softball experience! I want to focus on player and team development, college exposure, and an all around environment for the love of the game; including our showcase day events, recruiting opportunities & player resources, and Firecracker Sports tournaments!”. This mission not only ties into the work Alyssa has already done, but it also puts her future goals and plans into words. As we’ll discuss throughout the blog, we have already seen an increase in interest among programs for showcases and tournaments, and we hope that following our additional events this year, we will be able to continue to expand our Softball operations in the near future.

Speaking of the near future, the next topic we discussed with Alyssa was this upcoming year of Softball operations, with our Summer events set to come up in just a few short months. We asked Alyssa what she was looking forward to most this upcoming season, with a showcase and two tournaments on the way. “I’m probably most excited that we are expanding! I have been a part of Firecracker Softball for a short time and loved all aspects of the Firecracker Sports 4th of July Showcase Event & Tournament. To be able to grow now and have two summer events for 2025 is truly exciting on so many levels! It’s great being able to bring more exposure to what we do, for those that enjoy the game as much as we do!

Outside of the games themselves, I enjoy the “connection” aspect the most; putting Coaches into contact with other Coaches for future scrimmages, introducing College Coaches and future athletes, or just providing a fun environment to those that love the game. I am also looking forward to seeing my staff this summer! I am a firm believer of growing the game and making it better for those that come through after us, and all of my staff are current/former college players or high school coaches. I think what separates us is that we are a group of people that want to leave the game better than the way it was when they found it, and that drives us to improve each season and year.”

Alyssa’s passion and dedication has been a direct influence on the growth of our Softball events, which has already provided results in the form of additional events; we kicked off 2025 with a Softball Showcase event at Slugger’s Academy in Medfield, MA back in January, where we had about 50 athletes, as well as 13 college coaches present. Still to come this year, though, we have our 4th of July Showcase Tournament in Providence, RI from June 30th to July 3rd, which Alyssa also mentioned. As part of this event, we also offer another Showcase Event ahead of tournament play for 2026-2028 graduates, which will be hosted by Johnson & Wales University, and will have 9 college coaches (as of now) in attendance. In addition to the return of the 4th of July Showcase Tournament, we have also added a Softball tournament to our All American Summer Classic event that will be held in Old Orchard Beach, ME towards the end of the summer season, from July 30th – August 2nd. Both of these events are offered with 3 age divisions, each holding tournaments for 14U, 16U, and 18U age groups.

Moving beyond the events scheduled for throughout the 2025 season, we asked Alyssa what some of the “grander plans” may be for Firecracker Sport’s Softball Events;

“Looking ahead, beyond this year, we are looking to solidify 3 Summer tournament events, 1-2 Winter showcase clinic events and expand into the Fall season as well, with 1 or two tournament events. We are looking to grow in all operational areas, while also physically expanding to new locations as well! If we are doing something you think your team(s) or area could benefit from, please email us! We are on the track of growing and expanding the softball side of Firecracker Sports over the next couple of years, and we can’t do that without organizations, coaches, parents, and of course, the players!. We are especially hoping to continue the growth we have seen and provided with player resources, and in creating College connections for athletes.”

We have been more than pleased with the notable growth that we have seen with our Firecracker Sports Softball Events, as well as the increase in connections and crossover that we have seen between athletes attending our events with college coaches and program members. As Alyssa mentioned, we share high hopes for the future of the Softball side of Firecracker Sports, and we hope that this year’s events continue to propel that growth beyond our expectations! Thanks for checking in and reading along with the newest edition of Boomer’s Blogs, and we hope to see you at an event this year!