Nucleus Pitching Academy

Zella has been working with me consistently for over six years! During those first few years, our focus was on mastering the fundamentals. Speed came naturally to Zella, but accuracy did not. Notice I said years—because fundamentals aren't developed in one lesson or even one season. As a pitcher grows, their body gets stronger and more powerful, and the mind-body connection improves, allowing those movements to become second nature. Even now, we continue to make adjustments when needed, most recently transitioning to internal rotation.

Lately, Zella's growth as a pitcher has been most evident in her ability to generate movement on the ball. Her curveball has become a dominant, go-to pitch—the one she throws with the greatest confidence. After two years of dedicated practice, she now has a reliable screwball that runs hard in on right-handed hitters. But it was her newest pitch, the riseball, that truly shined a week ago in Iowa! Zella used her full arsenal—including her change-up—to keep hitters off balance, consistently inducing contact that her defense eagerly gobbled up.

Yesterday, Zella—who walks to lessons during the summer—carried her (very heavy!) trophy to show me what she had earned. She was named the USSSA National Championships Most Outstanding Pitcher! True to her character, she was quick to give much of the credit to her defense, saying they were rock-solid all weekend. That team-first mentality helped Extreme capture the gold medal at the USSSA 16U Nationals while competing as a 14U team. Zella also finished second in the Fastest Pitcher Competition, beating out 95 other pitchers!

Of course, I'm incredibly proud of what Zella has accomplished on the softball field, but truly getting to know the person within the pitcher, has been even more meaningful. Over the years, she's gone from wanting to audition for The Voice (yes, we'd practice auditions during lessons!) to dreaming of becoming a culinary scientist. She joined her middle school track and field team and went to state in the high jump. She worked her way up to becoming a choreographer for her high school's color guard. She loves getting buff in the weight room and has her sights set on becoming an astrophysicist. Zella is a young woman with a vast array of talents and curiosity.

Tomorrow, she heads to the University of Pennsylvania to attend a two week engineering program through the National Student Leadership Conference—an opportunity available only to students nominated by a teacher. I'm grateful to know I'm not the only one who recognizes just how special and well-rounded Zella is.

After lessons, she'll walk home, sometimes stopping at A&W or Kwik Trip along the way. Once she's home, she tackles her chores, works on her summer school class, and then heads off to team softball practice. Don't let her sweet, girl-next-door personality fool you. Step into the batter's box against her, and you'll quickly realize you've made a very big mistake!

If anyone is looking to donate items to help those in need after yesterday's tornado, here is a good opportunity to do so! Want to save a trip to Appleton? I will gladly accept your donation at Nucleus Pitching Academy and make sure it gets to Expert Real Estate Partners, this week! Thank you! 👊

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful summer! ☀️

It's been a while, and with so many new faces at Nucleus, I thought this would be a great time to remind everyone that when I'm not teaching lessons, I'm also a licensed REALTOR®!

You have all been so amazing about referring new pitchers to me, and it truly means the world. I was hoping I could ask for that same support with my real estate business.

If you—or someone you know—is thinking about buying or selling a home, I'd be so grateful if you'd connect us. I'd love the opportunity to work with you outside of the basement. 😜

Thank you so much for supporting both of my small businesses! It means more than you know. ❤️ If someone comes to mind who might be making a move, please feel free to tag them, share this post, or send them my way!

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