Where do you practice?

In the Fall, Spring and Summer we practice outside on fields in Hopkins, Golden Valley, and Edina.

We train and practice year round at our own two facilities in Eden Prairie (near Hwy 5/494 intersection) and Hopkins (169 & Excelsior Blvd). We also train indoors on Saturdays during the winter at the University of Minnesota - where the Golden Gophers train.

How many teams are you creating?

We expect to field 9 year-round teams. See our tryout page for information on those teams. We will also field a 10U and 12U Offseason team that will train October through February.

What is the roster size for Mission teams?

National teams will have a roster size of 13. Other teams will have a roster size of 12.

How many pitchers and catchers per team?

Ideally 3 pitchers and 2-3 catchers. Ideally we have pitchers and catchers who are strong players at another position. Our pitchers bat and play in the field as well.

How does the offer process work at Mission?

Beginning with the first of three tryout sessions, Mission coaches will evaluate player performance and may choose to begin making an offer even during the tryout. Most often offers are provided at the end of a tryout session in person, or later in the tryout day by phone.

When an offer is extended, we ask the athlete to accept. If she does, she’s in the Mission family after signing an offer sheet. If she needs time to consider her options, the coach or director will let her know how long we can hold the offer open before making the offer to another athlete. It’s a big day on tryout day and so we have to move forward with another player if we don’t get commitment from you. That is why we suggest you schedule your tryouts in the order of your preference.

How does Mission support multi-sport athletes and does it work?

Playing multiple sports or activities absolutely works with Mission. Some of our most talented players are also excellent volleyball, basketball and hockey players. Others are involved in cross country and DECA. We understand that the athleticism built in those other sports pays off on the softball field. It’s also a great life skill to play multiple sports, learn how to be a teammate, etc.

When an athlete is in a primary season for their second sport, it takes priority over Mission off-season activities. That said, they should make every attempt to make both when possible and in the Spring/Summer season Mission needs to be priority #1 over other sports and activities.

Typically we see basketball and volleyball players anywhere from 1-2 times a week during our Winter training if it works in their schedule. In the Fall they often miss practices held during the week, but make a lot of the weekend events.

I live far from Mission Training Center. How can that work?

We have had players from the Duluth area, southern MN, Wisconsin and even North Dakota in our program. We have worked alternative training schedules during the school year and even alternative practice options during the Summer season. If the player is a fantastic athlete, we want to help make it work as long as the dedication is there.

Is there a pitching coach for lessons both off season and during the season?

Mission is the best club for pitching. We pay for a certain number of lessons with the pitching coach of your choice. We also have pitching coaches on staff including former Gopher pitcher Brianna Enter and our club pitching director Whitney Johnson.

In addition, we run Mission Pitching Labs (pitcher training to build power, accuracy and mental fitness) which leverage our Rapsodo pitching analyzer tool. Read here about all of the development opportunities for pitchers »

Do you offer experienced Hitting instruction?

Yes. Mission offers experienced hitting instructors and a team of coaches who all are very knowledgeable in the proper approach to a successful mindset, swing and body control. Our hitting instruction is lead by:

• Tien Ly - Full-time softball professional and co-owner of Windup Fastpitch

• Mike Perry - Longtime coach at the national level and hitting instructor

• Lindsay Burr - Former collegiate athlete, current college coach and full-time softball professional

We leverage our two indoor facilities that feature 7 batting lanes, several pitching machines, Raspodo Ball-flight monitor, and Blast Softball swing analysis.

What do you offer for catcher training?

Mission offers year-round instructional clinics and practices for our catchers led by our catching director, Nikki Caicedo and Tien Ly. This includes Fall, Winter and some in the Summer - all included in your team fee.

Nikki played high-end travel ball - growing up in Michigan but played for a New Jersey team - then started 4 years at Macalaster. She has been running catching clinics since. She has a full curriculum for her catchers and takes it personally that they all develop to be stud catchers.  The variety of her drills make it a lot of fun.

What are your attendance expectations?

Yes. Players should be at all practices and offseason training, unless an in-season sport they play takes priority or school, healthy or family issues arise. In some instances of a player who lives far away (Duluth for example) we work out an alternative plan.

What is the cost?

Pricing for 2025-26 will be set later in July.

t’s expensive to run an elite Fastpitch club, but as a non-profit we focus on how to use our team membership fees to the most benefit for our athletes. The team fee will be split into 10 monthly payments.

For first-year players there are jerseys, helmet and bag to buy. The estimated cost for uniforms, helmet, bag, etc is $375 over the first year.

One key difference with Mission is the amount of off-season and in-season development training we offer for pitching, catching, hitting and speed/strength training. Group training is offered during the Fall, Winter and Summer seasons at no additional cost.

Players can use the Mission facilities at no cost any day, whenever it is not booked.

Optional winter dome league and spring season for those not playing school ball is an additional cost. Keep in mind we already host games at the U of M for Winter games and may play winter tournaments. The dome league play is for those that want more.

If playing for Mission is not possible because of your family finances, scholarships are are offered so that doesn’t prevent a player from participating.

Are there Fundraising Opportunities?

Yes! We have done a number of fundraising opportunities where players have earned hundreds and even thousands towards their team fee or for travel. We’d love you to bring any new ideas as well. Those have included running a 10u/12U tournament, clinics, selling flowers, bagging groceries, etc. - all the money goes directly to player families, not the club.

There is NO requirement to participate in fundraising.

Are there required volunteer hours?

NO. We know you are busy and there are no required volunteer hours. For those who want to be involved more, there are always ways you can help the club. We have a great culture of parents and grandparents who enjoy being involved.

What access do athletes have to the Mission Training Centers for their own use?

Athletes can use either of our two facilities anytime it is available to throw, hit off the machine, tees or get a workout in when it is not booked. An online calendar shows the availability and most of the time you can get in every day. Jan-March is typically very full of options for the player to train with her team or our instructors but there is always some time available - other than that you can get in most days. This includes access to the workout area. There is no fee for this use. If an athlete brings in an outside instructor, the instructor must pay a small hourly fee.

What is your travel like for tournaments?

In the past few Summers our teams have traveled to New Jersey, South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois (Louisville Slugger Complex), Tennessee, Wisconsin, Kansas City and Florida.

Travel schedule is planned per team based on what makes sense for that team’s age, goals and competition level. Expect to travel both in the Fall and Summer. Tournaments are planned for the upcoming Summer by the end of January.

Fall: National teams will travel twice out of state, Gold will travel 1-2 times. Teams focused on recruitment at the 16U and 18U level will travel 3-4 times into early November.

Summer: National teams will travel at least 3 times out of state. Gold teams will travel 2-3 times.

How many Tournaments do you play?

In the Fall we will play 3-5. In the Winter we may not play any or just one. We typically rent our own dome time and schedule games so we can play longer and choose our competition. An optional dome team is also available for those that are interested.

We do sometimes take a team to Florida or Arizona in the winter depending on the desire of the coach and families.

In the Summer our standard is 6-7 tournaments, though we give teams some flexibility. By principle we try to have at least 1 weekend off in June and July so families can enjoy the Minnesota Summer.

We play in Alliance, USSSA, PGF, Perfect Game, and Triple Crown tournaments.
A mix of showcases for 16u and 18u are a priority.

Do you offer Dome Ball Teams?

Yes, players can opt-in to playing in a Nov-Dec and Jan-Feb dome league. There is an additional fee split by the players choosing to play at that time of year.

How do you handle playing time?

Playing time is not guaranteed and it is decided by the head coach based on their strategy for developing players while winning games. Mission’s goal is to be as competitive as we can be while understanding that developing all of the players on your roster makes you more competitive.

We bat the roster in pool play and friendly games and each player plays some on defense. In bracket play, the coaches are asked to play their best line up of 9 or 9 with a Flex defensive player. It may be the case that some players do not play in one or all bracket games in a tournament. In general, younger teams at the 12U and 14U levels will factor player development a bit more than 16U & 18U teams.