O U R S T O R Y
The Organization
The Birmingham Thunderbolts, known nationally for consistently presenting the top teams for national events and drawing the attention of college programs across the country, expanded into the Mid-Atlantic DC Metro region. Since 2005, Richard Shea and his dedicated team have led the Thunderbolts organization and produced numerous national championships and college commitments. In the 2022 NCAA D1 College World Series alone, some 40 players were Thunderbolts alumni. As Shea and the Thunderbolts carefully and selectively expand into states with thriving softball talent, Thunderbolt representation at all levels of the college game will increase.
Jay Roberson, Thunderbolts Franchise Manager, carefully evaluates and invites organizations and teams to join the Bolts family only if the teams can support the Bolts' mission and when the organization can support the team's goals. Following an invitation from Roberson and the Thunderbolts, Coaches Chris Cardinale and Brittany Wieland signed a franchise agreement to establish the Virginia Thunderbolts 2025 commencing in the Fall 2022. Cardinale and Wieland managed softball and local operations and Roberson assisted the Virginia Thunderbolts coaches with recruiting players, tournament entry, field selection, college recruiting, and the process of identifying franchise team players eligible to guest play and, in some cases, matriculate to Bolts Premier teams. |
Our Team
Our team is comprised of 16U eligible student athletes from Virginia and Maryland, with open doors to players from all over the Mid-Atlantic.
Our players love softball, look for challenges in the game, and strive for consistent progress over perfection. Our players are athletes – first and foremost. They practice like they play – full of speed, energy, and athleticism. Our coaches are fully committed and available. They teach and develop. Before telling players what to do, they teach them how to do it - and when they can’t, they find a coach who can. They are resourceful and humble. We are not afraid to take risks and we know failure well – we welcome it. We acknowledge mistakes, we talk about them, we learn from them - then we adjust and move forward. We are proud of who we are, but are focused on who we will become. We value effort more than wins – but know that our effort will bring them. The team location is Fairfax County, Virginia with practice locations in McLean, Tyson's Corner, Falls Church, Fairfax, and Loudoun County. |
Tournament Schedule - Summer 2023
SGE Summer Showcase
June 9-11, Richmond, VA Pennsbury Invitational June 15-17, Quakertown, PA Team New Jersey Summer Showcase June 21-24, Edison, NJ Glory Strike Out Cancer Tournament and Showcase July 8-9, Fairfax, VA Atlanta Legacy Showcase July 13-16, Atlanta, GA PGF National Championships July 21-29, Anaheim, CA |