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Who Is Thunder?
The Thunder Softball Family is a group of parents, players, and coaches that are dedicated to our TEAM, our softball FAMILY, and to the game of fastpitch softball. We currently have 110 members and our goal is to teach them the fundamentals of the game and ensure their abilities to play it at the highest level.
Where Are We From?
We now have our very own facility in Benton, Arkansas. Our Thunder girls and their families are from Alexander, Atkins, Bauxite, Benton, Bismarck, Bryant, East End/Landmark, El Dorado, Hot Springs, Jacksonville, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mabelvale, Perryville, Pine Bluff, Redfield, Sardis, Sheridan, and White Hall. Some of our girls drive a long way to practice. We ensure the skills they learn are well worth the time, effort, and cost they put into it.
How Old Are We?
Thunder Girls currently range in ages from 5-14.
Why Do We Do It?
Because we love to practice, we love to play, we love our TEAM, and we love this organization!
What We Want From You?
Our girls would love to hear from you! Please feel free to check our news pages and photo albums for each team. We also welcome you to sign our guestbook.
THUNDER NEWS
Thunder World Series Titles and Runner-Ups
2011 - USSSA 10u "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder Y2K
2011 - USFA 10u "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2010 - USSSA 9u "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2009 - USSSA 8u "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2009 - USSSA 8u "A" Class World Series Runner-Ups - Thunder 2000 Blue
2009 - ASA 8u "A" Class National Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2009 - ASA 8u "A" Class Nationals Runner-Ups - Thunder 2000 Blue
2008 - USSSA 8u "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder 99
2008 - ASA 8u "A" Class National Champions - Thunder 99
Thunder State Titles and Runner-Ups
2012 - USSSA 9u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 2002 Black
2012 - USSSA 10u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 2001 Black
2012 - USSSA 12u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 99 Black
2012 - ASA 12u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 99 Black
2012 - USFA 12u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 99 Black
2012 - USFA 12u "A" Fall State Runner Ups - Thunder 2000 Black
2011 - USFA 10u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2011 - ASA 8u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 2002 Black
2011 - USFA 10u "A" State Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2011 - USFA 8u "A" State Champions - Thunder 2002 Black
2011 - USSSA 10u "A" State Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2011 - ASA 8u "A" State Runner Ups - Thunder 2002 Black
2011 - USSSA 8u "A" State Champions - Thunder 2002 Black
2010 - USSSA 8u "A" State Runner Ups - Thunder 2001
2010 - USFA 8u "A" State Runner Ups - Thunder 2001
2010 - ASA 10u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 99 Black
2010 - USSSA 10u "A" Fall State Runner-Ups - Thunder 99 Black
2010 - USFA 10u "A" State Champions - Thunder 99 Black
2010 - USSSA 10u "A" State Champions - Thunder 99 Black
2010 - USFA 10u "A" State Runner-Ups - Thunder 99 Blue
2010 - USSSA 10u "C" State Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2010 - USSSA 10u "C" State Runner-Ups - Thunder 2000 Blue
2010 - USFA 14u "A" State State Champions - Vertigo
2010 - USFA 16u "A" Fall State Champions - Vertigo (14u)
2010 - ASA 14u "A" Fall State Runner-Ups - Vertigo
2009 - USSSA 8U "A" State Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
2009 - USSSA 8u "A" State Runner-Ups - Thunder 2000 Blue
2009 - ASA 8u "A" State Runner-Ups - Thunder 2000 Black
2009 - ASA 14u "B" State Champions - Thunder 97
2008 - ASA 8U "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 99
2008 - USSSA 8u "A" Fall State Champions - Thunder 99
2008 - USSSA 8u "A" State Champions - Thunder 99
2008 - ASA 8u "A" State Champions - Thunder 99
USSSA "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder Y2K
July 24, 2011 —
Today is a great day for the Thunder Organization and a great day for our Thunder Y2K team because they are now the USSSA 10u "A" Class World Series Champions. This team has been on a mission for the past two years and this week their mission was accomplished.
Thunder Y2K traveled to Branson, Missouri and faced some great teams and made it all the way to championship game unbeaten and faced a team from New Mexico that gave them their first loss 3-1 and forced the "if" game. This time Y2K was not going to settle for second place just like they said all season and the shut out Mexico 3-0 and now they have became USSSA World Series Champions.
This is a tremendous accomplishment for this team and all of the credit goes to the players, parents, and coaches. First we would like to mention Coach Eric Ryan who took this team under his wing last season and now he has lead them to a World Series title. Eric had some very good assistance alongside and special thanks to Coach Tracy Brown, Coach Will Scott, and Coach Jeff Quarles for sharing all of their time and knowledge. And, of course Brenda mehlin who takes care of the girls at all times and certainly gets the World Series MVP of all dugout mom's.
Congrats to Bailey Buffington on her award for World Series MVP and Mary Kate Brown for her World Series Defensive MVP award. But everyone should know that it took both of them and Zanayah Allsworth, Blaie Quarles, Susan Caroline Rice, Regan Ryan, Madi Mehlin, Crystal McVeigh, Olivia Scott, Megan Woods, every coach, every parent, and every family members to pull this off and thank each and every one of you so much for representing Thunder Y2K and the Thunder organization and congrats on being World Champions.
USFA "A" Class World Series Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
July 17, 2011 —
BACK to BACK to BACK World Series Champions. What? Or should we say What, What, What?
Thunder 2000 Black once again brought home another world series title this past week in Panama City, Florida where they won the USFA World Series Championship by going undefeated.
WOW! There is so much to be said about all of these girls who once again proved that they are the best of the best after this weekend. In a total of six games played Thunder 2000 Black only allowed 5 runs scored and they were no doubt the best team in the tournament on this weekend. They have also won over 30 consecutive games without a loss so it would be very difficult for anyone to say that they are not the top team to be found anywhere.
Special thanks to Rylea Brimhall, Kaitlyn Black, Baylee Rowton, Taylor Sledd, Jolie Mitchell, Grace Nowlin, Maggie Hicks, Kylee Williamson, Leighton Withers, and Macie Ratliff for this special accomplishment. Also this would not be possible without the dedication and loyalty from each of their parents as well. Thanks for the support from our grandparents and siblings as well. It was a total team effort and we appreciate each and every one of you.
USSSA "A" Class 9u World Series 3rd Place - Thunder 2001 Black
July 24, 2011 —
What a season Thunder 2001 has had and this week was no different as they traveled to Branson for the USSSA "A" Class 9u World Series and came home with 3rd place.
These girls have came so far in this new game of live arm and at times did things that nobody thought they could do and we were not sure who taught them how to do. Their base-running was as good as any team in the nation and they used it to their advantage this week in Branson as many teams complimented our base-running throughout the week.
We would like to offer congrats to a very good Oklahoma Machine team that is now World Champions and we hate that we never had the opportunity to face them this week but we certainly look forward to the challenge of seeing them in the future.
Special thanks to all of our coaches, parents, players, and families for making this season a huge success and our best days are still yet to come!
Thunder 2002 Wins USSSA "A" State Championship!
July 3, 2011 —
Likely the only people at the USSSA State tournament in Conway that thought Thunder 2002 Black would win it all was Thunder 2002 Black. In all honesty even some of us thought it would be very difficult for this team to beat the best teams that this state of Arkansas has to offer.
Well it was very difficult but our coaches, our parents, and our girls proved that on this weekend they were the best team in the state of Arkansas as they took 1st place in the USSSA "A" Class State Championship. After losing our second bracket game to a much improved Hurricanes team it made for a very long day and little time to rest in the heat of the day and into the night.
We bounced back in the losers bracket and defeated Diamond Elite, Dirt Devils 02, Hurricanes, and finally double dipped Stars to win the state championship. Major props to all of the teams mentioned because they are all great teams and very well coached.
Special thanks to the parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters for finding a way to keep the girls rested, hydrated, and fed along the way but most importantly you proved this weekend that you are the best fans in Arkansas. Your dances, your cheers, the music, etc...all played a big part in our championship this weekend and we certainly could not or would not have done it without every one of you.
It is also very important to give props to all of our coaches on this Thunder 2002 Black team. Each one of you played a key role in all of this and we appreciate everything that you did for these girls and this team on and off the field. We not only appreciate the time that you have put in to this but the willingness to battle through the hard times as all coaches do but most importantly thank you for being the glue that kept it all together and led us to the championship(s).
Thunder Girls you have battled adversity since last fall and you have had to endure lots of discipline, running, push-ups, and lectures along the way but it was all for a purpose of making you a "TEAM" and on this weekend you were the best "TEAM" in the State of Arkansas and for that we are very proud and honored to be involved with such a great group of players both on and off the field.
Congrats on being 2011 USSSA and USFA STATE CHAMPS!
Thunder 2000 Black USSSA State Champions in 2011
June 28, 2011 —
Thunder 2000 Black keeps adding to their list of State Championships after traveling to Conway this weekend and winning the 2011 USSSA Arkansas State Championship. Props to runner up Dirt Devils 2000 for a great road to the championship and thank you for the outstanding competition and sportsmanship.
Our Thunder 2000 Black team has won over 20 games straight ver the last few weeks and they are preparing to travel to Panama City in a couple of weeks to take on the best of the best in the World Series. Hopefully your win streak will continue and you can bring home another World Series Championship.
Great job players, parents, and coaches and thank you all very much for bringing our Thunder Family another State Championship.
Thunder 2002 Black ASA State Runner Ups
June 28, 2011 —
It has been a long hard road for this team after battling many setbacks and roadblocks throughout the fall and going into the 2011 spring season. But these girls and these families have persevered though the storm and given our Thunder Family a state championship runner up title in this weekends ASA State Championship in Russeville.
Second place in the state was not our goal going into the season but the Starz are a very good team and we are honored to have the opportunity to compete against them in the championship game and we are looking forward to seeing them again on the field in this weekends USSSA State Championship in Conway.
Great job and thank you Thunder 2002 players, parents, and coaches for bringing and runner up State Championship trophy to our softball family.
2011 USFA State "Open Class" 8u Champions - Thunder 2002
June 19, 2011 —
Our Thunder 2002 team has certainly had its up and downs this year but the last few weeks have been impressive and we are very proud of all the girls for bringing our Thunder Softball Family another state championship this weekend at the USFA State "Open Class" 8u Championship.
We would like to commend both Dirt 2003 and Hurricanes for impressive performances by both teams. Dirt 2003 especially for stepping on the field and competing very well against the top second year teams. Hurricanes were able to pull out a win against us and that team has came an awful long way over the course of the year and the coaches deserve a lot of credit.
Thunder 2002 team has been on a roller coaster for the majority of the season but the last few weekends they have proven to be considered the best team in the state of Arkansas and possibly the entire region after winning this weekends state tournament and last weekends Pitch For The Cure. We still have a long road ahead to prove it but on this weekend we are USFA Arkansas State champions and are very proud of each and every parent and player on this team.
Thank you all very much for your time and dedication and we appreciate all of your sacrifices to make this state championship possible!
2011 USFA State "Open Class" 10u Champions - Thunder 2000 Black
June 19, 2011 —
Thunder 2000 Black represented us very well this weekend by adding another state championship to our softball family in impression fashion. By no means was it easy with close wins over both Thunder 2001 Black and Dirt Devils. Great job to both of those teams as well.
2000 Black has always been very good on defense and if they have a weakness it would likely be at the plate but the past several weeks we have spent a lot of time on hitting and it has showed up in a big way. These girls have gained a lot of confidence at the plate and put on quite a show at times this weekend and last weekend as they put on a show at the largest regional tournament of the year where they were champions in Pitch For The Cure.
Congrats to each and every parent and player on this team and we are very proud of the time and dedication that you have all put into this and thank you for bringing home another State Championship!
Thunder 2001 Black Places 3rd In USFA "Open Class" 10u State!
June 19, 2011 —
"Wow"! That's what we ask our Thunder Girls to do every time they step on the field. We want them to "WOW" everyone watching the game and this weekend was full of heart, hustle, determination, courage, and effort for this Thunder 2001 Black team. WOW!
We have faced the best of the best in Arkansas and in this region all year and these young nine year old girls have knocked off all the top teams in Arkansas except one which is our Thunder 2000 Black team.
This weekend they were able to knock off a very good Havoc team after coming from behind in the end. They don't back down and they don't give up and that is what makes them special and this weekend they were the 3rd best team in Arkansas and that proves they are "special".
We would also like to congratulate the top two teams Thunder 2000 Black (Champions) and Dirt Devils 2000 (runner up's). Both are very good teams and we enjoyed the competition and the sportsmanship all weekend.
Thunder Family Slide Show On The I phone!
Thunder Player Development Page!
Attention Thunder parents and players. We have worked very hard to create a link on this site to give our Thunder coaches, players, and parents an advantage on and off the field this upcoming season. Please take a minute to browse the "Player Development" tab on the left of this site. We have updated it with lots of good information, videos,coaches materials, and links to sites that can help make us all better. The page is password protected for our members but you should all have the password.
Thunder Life Lessons Page Added!
Thunder parents, players, and fans please take a minute to visit our Life Lessons page on this website. Great videos and articles that will get you motivated and excited about everything you do in life.
Prayer Request Available On Thunder Site!
From time to time we get letters from Thunder families, friends, and fans asking for their prayers. We are sure that most people reading this site gets prayer request from their friends and family.
We will now post any prayer request on the Thunder site so more people can help us during troubled times. You will see a tab to the left on the home page of this site and we encourage you to visit it daily so we can all help each other through the grace of God.
If you would like to ask for a prayer request to be posted on our site please email it to Coach Scott Knight and it will be posted within 24 hours.
God Bless You All!
Keep Up With Each Thunder Team On Their News Page!
March 13, 2011 —
Our Thunder teams have certainly got off to a good start for the 2011 season and we hope that everyone will keep up with all of our Thunder teams on their news pages on the left menu of this site.
So far we have updated each team and are very proud to say that after two weekends of play we have brought home four first place finishes, one second place finish, and one third place finish.
Be sure and read all about each team by visiting their home news page on this site. We will update weekly and hope you enjoy watching each team progress throughout the 2011 season!
Go Thunder Family!!!!!
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