Frequently Asked Questions

These questions are targeted towards families considering trying out for Mission. If you have further questions, please email info@missionfastpitch.com.

Where do you practice?

Mission’s home is Mission Training Center located in Eden Prairie right off the Hwy 5 & Mitchell Road which makes it very convenient from many directions. We use our training center year-round. In the winter we also train at the University of Minnesota (where the Gophers train) indoors in the winter as well as Edina or Chaska domes.

In the Fall, Spring and Summer we practice outside on fields in St. Louis Park, Edina, Chanhassen, Shorewood, and Excelsior.

How many teams are you creating?

Mission’s goal is to have 2 teams at each age level. 18U, 16U, 14U, and 12U.

What is the roster size for Mission teams?

Typically 12 players, but at younger ages we often roster 11.

How many pitchers and catchers per team?

3 pitchers and 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 players from the Duluth area, southwestern MN and Wisconsin in our program now. 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?

Yes. Though you can continue working with any pitching coach you are working with, we do offer pitching instruction and training. Our director of pitching is Whitney Johnson from Windup Fastpitch. Other Mission pitchers use Kent Reed, Sara Moulton, Courtney Saurer, Britt Stewart and others.

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 »

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

Mission is excited to have hire Tien Ly as our Club Hitting Director. Tien has 16 years of experience and as a full-time hitting instructor he has worked with hundreds of players and is constantly learning from other hitting pros around the country. Tien will lead our team of hitting instructors including Lindsay Burr, Joe Reinert and Alex Reak.

Some of our instructors offer optional individual lessons as well.

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. 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?

We expect the team fee for 13u and above to be about $3,000 to $3,500 while the 11u and 12u fee will be less. 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 facility at no cost any day, whenever it is not booked.

Optional winter dome league play 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 Center for their own use?

Athletes can use the facility anytime it is available to throw, hit off the machine, tees or get a workout in. 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?

We often travel once in the Fall to end the Fall season and in the Summer we travel 2-3 times out of state. 18U typically travels twice in the Fall.

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 (USSSA Space Coast Complex).

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.

How many Tournaments do you play?

In the Fall we will play 3-4. 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.

In the Summer our standard is 6 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 USSSA, PGF, Perfect Game, Triple Crown and NAFA 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.

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 league and pool play 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.