Hey there,

This weekend marked something new for Paradigm Sport.

After 16 years of being in business…

After thousands of baseball lessons, teams, camps, and workouts…

After watching kids grow up in our facility…

We hosted our first-ever softball clinic.

Yep. First one. Ever.

And honestly?

It might be one of my favorite clinics we’ve ever had.

How It Started

This weekend, we partnered with the Cabrillo Crushers Softball Club and worked with 100 of their youth softball players at Jade Street Park.

That’s right… one hundred!

That’s a lot of energy. A lot of laughs. A lot of ponytails and softballs flying around. A ton of support from the coaches helping at the clinic.

The clinic was led by our new softball instructor and former UCLA Bruin catcher, Jazmine Sosa.

And let me say this clearly:

She crushed it!

Jazmine brought passion. She brought structure. She brought high standards. She brought her love for the game.

And the girls felt it.

You could see it in how hard they worked.
How locked in they were.
How proud they looked when they nailed something new.

It reminded me why we do this.

The Question That Hit Me

At one point during the clinic, I caught myself thinking:

“Baseball and softball are similar… but they’re different, too.”

Different fields dimensions.
Different pitching mechanics.
Different rhythms.
Different rules.

But then I realized something.

The most important part?

It’s the same.

The Real Similarity

Baseball and softball teach the same core things:

• Show up even when you’re tired

• Work when no one is watching

• Fail… then try again

• Listen to coaching

• Be coachable

• Be tough when things go wrong

• Celebrate teammates

• Compete with class

In other words:

They teach life skills.

Not just sports skills.

And that matters.

Because here’s the truth…

Most kids won’t play in college.
Very few will play professionally.

But every kid will need:

Confidence.
Work ethic.
Resilience.
Self-belief.

Sports are just the classroom.

The Problem I See Too Often

Here’s something I see all the time.

Kids who:

• Are afraid to fail

• Quit when it gets hard

• Avoid things they’re not “good at yet”

• Get frustrated easily

• Doubt themselves

Not because they’re lazy.

Because no one ever taught them how to struggle well.

They’ve been protected from failure.

And failure is where growth lives.

The Cost of Avoiding Struggle

When kids don’t learn how to work through hard things, it shows up later.

In school.
In relationships.
In jobs.
In life.

They give up faster.
They avoid challenges.
They play it safe.

And that’s a tough way to live.

I don’t want that for your kid.

And I know you don’t either.

What This Clinic Reminded Me

Watching those 100 girls grind through drills…

Miss.
Adjust.
Try again.
Smile.
Try again.

It was powerful.

No whining.
No excuses.
Just work.

That’s what good coaching creates.

That’s what good environments create.

That’s what we’re building.

Not just for baseball anymore.

For softball, too.

For Santa Cruz.

The Solution: Build Strong Athletes First

Here’s what we believe at Paradigm:

Before great players…
We build strong people.

And that starts with:

1. Teaching Effort Over Talent

Talent helps.
Effort wins.

We reward showing up and working hard.

Every day.

2. Training the Whole Athlete

Speed.
Strength.
Mobility.
Confidence.

It all matters.

Not just hitting or throwing.

3. Creating Safe Places to Fail

We want kids to miss here.

Because missing here means winning later.

We coach the mistake.
We don’t punish it.

That’s why we coach.

That confidence carries over everywhere.

Why This Matters to You

If you’re reading this, you probably care about your kid.

You want them to be confident.
Strong.
Prepared.
Resilient.

Sports can do that.

But only in the right environment.

Not one that just focuses on wins.

One that focuses on growth.

That’s what we’re committed to.

And this softball clinic showed me:

We’re ready for the next chapter.

Baseball.
Softball.
Performance.
Development.

All connected.

All under one roof.

What’s Next for Paradigm

This wasn’t a “one-time thing.”

This is the start.

We’re building:

• More softball programming

• More clinics

• More performance support

• More development pathways

For families who want more than just practices and games.

For families who want real growth.

If You Take One Thing From This…

Let it be this:

Struggle is not bad.

Avoiding struggle is.

Put your kid in places that challenge them.

Support them.
Encourage them.
Let them work.

They’ll thank you later.

Thanks for Being Part of This

If you’ve been with us for years, thank you.

If you’re new, welcome.

If you’re thinking about joining us, I’d love to meet you.

This weekend reminded me how lucky I am to do this.

And how excited I am for what’s next.

Talk soon,

Joey