Nucleus Pitching Academy

https://www.nucleuspitching.com/so/6cPv0uRhd?languageTag=en

Summer Bookings Are Open

There is a motivational quote that says "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." - Norman Vincent Peale

Harlow was trying her best to combine all three factors--Fundamentals, Speed, and Accuracy. Her dad and I were encouraging her to be confident, to really go for it, not to hold back. "Don't worry about where it goes." I said. "Just give it 100%." And, so she did! She burst off the mound, thinking hard about her fundamentals, just as I encouraged her to do. The only problem is that she forgot one very important thing--to RELEASE the ball! Her arm flew right past her hip, ball still in hand. By the time her body realized it, it was too late, the ball was headed up at a sharp angle, narrowly missing the first light, somehow sneaking under the board which is in place to protect the light during hitting lessons. We all stood there in shock as the ball never came back down. It was stuck! Stuck in the rafters, lodged between a piece of wood used to brace the ceiling joists and the electrical wire rod. We all burst out laughing! How could this have possibly happened!? Talk about a 'One in a million', 'Couldn't do it again, if you tried'--kind of pitch.

Harlow, slunk down along the back wall, initially shocked from the loud impact and mildly embarrassed. But after seeing my reaction, of "Wow, congratulations, that's amazing! No one has ever done that before! You are the first person to ever throw a pitch that hasn't come back down." her embarrassment faded. Her glove no longer hid her face as she made her way over for a closer look. Once she saw her unintended achievement, she became delighted in her feat--asking to keep the ball. Though I turned down her request, I immortalized it with these pictures.

These pictures truly show the process Harlow's emotions went through in the moments following the pitch. She could have continued comfortably throwing strikes at 60% effort, and the lesson would have appeared very successful. But, I know that athletes grow most when tested with opportunities where success isn't always guaranteed. Coaches/parents/mentors, there is no failure in trying. Each result, intended or unintended, provides feedback for future attempts. This pitch created a coachable moment--a chance to applaud the effort more than the result. By establishing a stable, predictable response, we give our athletes confidence to try without fear.

Harlow will always remember the time she threw a pitch that never came down. I'll remember her smile as she looked up at the ball. The basement is a safe place to fail, where there is no pressure to be perfect, and all are encouraged to try their best regardless of the result.

As a fun side note, let's do the math:
On average each pitcher throws about 160 pitches each lesson (drills & mound). If I have about 5 lessons a day, that's 800 pitches a day, which comes out to 4000 pitches a week (Monday-Friday). If I give lessons about 45 weeks a year, that's 180,000 pitches a year. I started Nucleus in 2020, so that's six years of lessons, giving a grand total of 1,080,000 pitches thrown!

Congratulations, Harlow, that's truly a One in a Million pitch!

Google has now updated the quote to read: "Shoot for the strike zone, even if you miss, you'll land among the rafters." - Linnea Utecht 😜

Check out these Nucleus alums excelling at the next level! 🥎

Hortonville native and freshman Olivia Peters is off to an incredible start to her college career, at College of Lake County in Illinois. After delivering dominant performances on the mound, she is currently ranked #1 nationally across all NJCAA divisions in ERA—an awesome accomplishment! Olivia is also making a big impact at the plate, hitting an impressive .545 in conference and .326 overall, including 8 doubles and 4 home runs.

Olivia was a dedicated student, attending lessons weekly for three years. I still remember the moment she mastered her flip change-up, after months of frustration. It was her dad who coined the phrase “Take it Away”—a cue I’ve used many times since to help others learn the pitch.

Moments like that are powerful reminders that coaching is a team effort between the athlete, their parents, and the coach. When everyone is aligned and working toward a common goal of what’s best for the athlete, great things happen.

Ashley Borowitz, senior ace at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, is also having an outstanding season. She is currently ranked #3 nationally among all NCAA DII pitchers. Ashley has also been named a Distinguished Athlete, an honor awarded to student-athletes who maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout the academic year.

An Oshkosh native, Ashley trained with me early in her career. Even after I moved away, we continued to connect for lessons whenever I was back home. I had the opportunity to watch her pitch live at UMSL two years ago—a fulfilling full-circle moment.

Even at a young age, both Olivia and Ashley stood out. They were detail-oriented, internally motivated, and driven to achieve their goals. They showed respect for their parents, coaches, and teammates—qualities that set them apart long before the accolades.

Stats will change and awards may fade, but character lasts forever—and theirs will always be nationally ranked!

Congratulations and keep it up ladies!

State Bound! 🏀🏆

Huge shoutout to Gabby and the SMCS Zephyrs on a massive Sectional Final win! That game was a total battle—lead changes, shifting momentum, and an overtime finish that tested everyone’s nerves.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Gabby for 4+ years, and seeing her growth has been incredible. She is the definition of driven, balancing a tough academic load with non-stop athletics.

A few summers ago, we started "walk-n-talks" to level up her mental game. Instead of just focusing on pitching mechanics, we hit the pavement to talk through the challenges of being a high-level athlete. We worked on mindset, processing failure, and building the confidence to play free.

Seeing her use those strategies today—playing with speed, poise, and a short memory—proves that mental toughness is her "X-factor." She’s become a powerhouse leader, and it was awesome to see my younger pitchers in the stands looking up to her today.

So proud of you, Gabby! Go take it all at State! 💪✨

Reunited after a decade! 🥎☕

I had the pleasure of catching up with one of my girls today! The last time I saw Sam, she was a high schooler firing balls at the tarp in the basement back in 2015. Since then, our paths took us in different directions—I went to Canada and Sam went to Minnesota and North Carolina—but today, our paths crossed right back here at a coffee shop in Appleton.

We talked about how much softball has changed, but more importantly, how much it has stayed the same. No matter the rules or technology, the true value of the game is in the relationships, the memories, and the life lessons learned along the way.

Sam's "can-do" attitude and caring nature are now being displayed in her career as a Home Mortgage Consultant for Wells Fargo, right here in Appleton. If you’re looking for someone professional, down-to-earth, and local to guide you through the lending process, Samantha Gary is your girl! 🏠✨

So good catching up, Sam! As a real estate agent, I am Iooking forward to working with you!

I was cleaning up under the steps today, organizing my softball stuff, and came across these old VHS tapes. It really took me down memory lane, as these tapes basically taught me how to pitch. Good thing mom still has a VHS player so I can brush up on how to teach pitching! ;)

🥎 Clinic Wrap-Up: Building the Next Generation of Pitchers! 🥎
Just finished a very productive 4-session pitching clinic with a keen group of Ripon Tigers softball pitchers! 🐯 We had with a diverse group—ranging from 8U to 12U—including some who were brand-new to pitching and those with experience, looking to improve their fundamentals.
Over the last month, we:
✅ Built a solid foundation of fundamentals from the ground up.
✅ Created angles through rotation of the hips and upper body.
✅ Learned how acceleration works, by creating a strong front side.
These girls were eager to learn, and the progress has been so satisfying to see! A huge thank you to Ripon Travel Softball for the opportunity to work with your dedicated players and parents.
🔥 Ready to keep the momentum going?
If your pitcher is excited to keep learning, I am offering follow-up lessons at my facility in Oshkosh!
📩 Grab a spot on the calendar at www.nucleuspitching.com

Isla was all smiles when her last pitch of the lesson hit 40!

After working together for over a year, Isla has steadily been improving her fundamentals, trying to lock down consistency in her release point and follow through. Several months back, we had attempted to lengthen out her stride but her body wasn't ready, it rejected the new aggressive style and totally messed her up. So, we took it down a notch and opted for a more comfortable stride, keeping her fundamentals intact.

However, last night, her mom and I both felt it was time to try again. With my trusty little orange cone, we marked off the distance she was able to leap out to without having a ball in her hand. I've found that often times, pitching a ball limits the pitcher's mental ability to focus solely and internally on themselves, as there is always the distraction of needing to be accurate. When we take away the ball, pitchers often achieve perfection in their fundamentals and their effort level soars to 100%.

After giving her the ball back, Isla pushed hard with both feet, driving her out and away from the mound, landing about 12" farther than her usual stride! On her next pitch she surpassed the cone by two more inches, and yet another inch on her third pitch!

We decided to check her new aggressive style with the radar gun, to see if there was improvement in speed. Typically, her speed ranged between 36-37, with a previous personal best of 38. I told her she had five pitches to hit 39. Not wasting any time, she fired a 39 mph strike into the zone! But she didn't stop there, three more 39's in a row. With one ball left in the bucket, she gathered her energy, loaded up, and threw the most perfect, fundamentally sound, accurate fastball ever, 40!!! She jumped up excitedly with a huge smile on her face, and went over to her mom to share the joy.

What a cool moment to have witnessed. Her mom and I both took a picture of her big smile, and luckily, I had her favorite treat, a mint ice cream sandwich, for her to enjoy.

So often I am greeted at the door with no words at all, yawns, and complaints about their day. (Admittedly, my mom might say the same about me somedays when I arrive.) But, within the course of 40 minutes those silent girls turn into chatter boxes, full of energy, smiling and saying "Thank You" on their way out the door. Sometimes, I wonder if they are thanking me for the tips on pitching, or for the mood boosting time they had. There is just something about being in that basement, figuring things out together, in a safe space to fail, experiment, and try again, that truly lifts the spirits and energizes the soul.

Isla, congratulations on digging deep and finding that extra effort inside of you, because of you we all have something to smile about! 😁

Meet Allison and Leighton. These girls had consecutive lessons the other day. Leighton, a nine year old from Michicot, started working with me in September. She has made excellent progress in a few short months, and loves to come to lessons! She and her dad both learn something new each lesson and then work on it during the week. The focus of this last lesson was pushing off the mound and extending her stride a bit farther. I had her lay on her back with her heels touching the front of the mound, then I marked her height with a little orange cone. Her goal: stride her height. Well, sure enough, Leighton immediately leaped out PAST the cone and delivered an accurate and faster pitch than ever before! She was very proud and kept working on being aggressive, peeking at the cone each time to see how she had done. On her way out the door, after each lesson, she looks back and says "See you next week!"

Allison, a junior from Marathon City (Central Wisconsin) had the next lesson. Two weeks prior, I had asked Allison if she wouldn't mind if Leighton watched her pitch, knowing that their lessons were often back-to-back. She of course said yes, so when she came downstairs, Leighton was eagerly waiting-- while eating her ice cream sandwich! 😋 Allison got right to work, warming up with the same drills Leighton uses. As Leighton stood next to me, I pointed out several things to keep an eye out for--glove arm to reach toward her target, internal rotation with a long-arm, palm-down follow through, and a powerful push off the ground. Her impressive leap, out PAST the purple tape, was a highlight for Leighton to see! After watching Allison pitch a bucket off the mound I asked Leighton if she'd like to show Allison her skills. She excitedly said "Yes!". Without a shy bone in her body she proceeded to throw several strikes, impressing Allison, who said "Wow!'" several times. 😁

It was a really neat thing to witness, seeing a four year student of mine demonstrating all she has learned to a youngster who has been working with me for four months. While there were many similarities, each girl has their own unique personality and way of pitching--two things which I truly value and encourage as a coach. Girls, your dedication to mastering the art of pitching truly shows! Your coachability and eagerness to learn is top notch, as is your confidence and work ethic. Great things lie ahead!

For the past few months, I’ve been working toward a personal goal, and I’m excited to share that I’m now a licensed real estate agent with Expert Real Estate Partners.

Real estate has always been part of my story. I grew up in the construction industry, helping my dad build houses, and more recently took on my own venture flipping homes. Becoming a REALTOR® felt like the natural next step, and I’m thrilled to officially be doing this work.

If you, or anyone you know, are looking to buy or sell, I’d love the opportunity to earn your business and be a trusted resource throughout the process.

[email protected]
920-280-7980

--NUCLEUS NEWS--
📅 2026 Scheduling Update
There are still plenty of openings available on the Nucleus calendar for 2026. Feel free to book sessions at your convenience.

❄️ Winter Reminder
With the snow, please have your daughter wear a separate pair of shoes into the house (different from the ones she’ll be pitching in). You’re also welcome to park on the right side of the driveway instead of on the road.

💙 Thank You
Thank you all for your past and present business. I am incredibly proud of each of my pitchers and truly cherish the relationships I’ve built with so many families over the years.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
— Linnea