ORGANIZATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: TOP GUN FASTPITCH

Bob Turner is the national program director of Top Gun Fastpitch’s National teams and head coach of Top Gun National 18U and 14U. Midwest-based Top Gun Fastpitch has developed into one of the top club softball organizations in the country.

*****

LINE DRIVE SOFTBALL: What’s your athletics background and how did you get to the point of leading the team/organization?

BOB TURNER: I was a multi-sport kid growing up, but my ultimate love was basketball. I finished my basketball career at Avila University in 2000 where I was elected to the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. My wife (Melissa Turner) was a softball player (Melissa Vasko) at Avila University and was elected to the Athletics Hall of Fame the same year. Our daughter (Logan Turner) fell in love with softball and we began coaching her together at the age of 7 (years old). Our team was a very successful independent team (KC Storm) and Robb Behymer brought us together with six other very successful independent teams to form Top Gun Academy. Over the years, we have transformed into what is now Top Gun Fastpitch where I oversee the national program.

Club Organization Spotlight: Birmingham Thunderbolts (Sept. 14, 2024)

Club Organization Spotlight: Beverly Bandits (Sept. 7, 2024)

LD SOFTBALL: When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?

BT: Top Gun was founded in 2016 with six independent teams, all of whom were very successful independently in the greater Kansas City area. We were all mutually looking to change the game in the Kansas City area and form a truly national-level program in the Midwest that could compete at the very highest levels of the game.

LD SOFTBALL: Where are you based? Where do your athletes come from (all locally, some out of state?)

BT: The organization is based out of Kansas City, but our players come from a variety of different states, such as New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Alabama, Virginia and Georgia.

LD SOFTBALL: What was the purpose of creating the team (showcase players, win titles, develop skills, etc.)?

BT: The purpose of creating the national program here at Top Gun was to bring outstanding athletes together with a focus on competing at the absolute highest level, providing all of our athletes an elite recruiting platform with effective support and creating a culture and environment in which young women feel empowered and where they could grow as people and in the game of softball.

Of course we want to win championships (and we have, most recently the 18U Sparkler National Power Pool), but we believe by focusing on foundational aspects of our program, the end result will be something we can be proud of year in and year out, including major event titles.

LD SOFTBALL: How many teams are there in the organization overall?

BT: We presently have 28 teams in our organization.

LD SOFTBALL: What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?

BT: Reflecting upon the last two years alone, we have had some fantastic results. For example, at 18U: 2023 — 2nd place Scenic City Top 25, 5th place Colorado Sparkler Power Pool, 3rd place at Triple Crown National Championships and ranked 3rd in the US Club Rankings (highest ranked team in the Midwest);

2024 — 2nd place at PGF Show Me the Money, 5th place at Top Gun Invitational, 1st place at Colorado Sparkler 18U National Power Pool, 9th place at Triple Crown National Championships and 13th Place at PGF Premier National Championships (The US Club Rankings won’t be finalized until late October or November, but based upon our finishes, we expect another Top 3 finish in 2024 (2nd consecutive year being the top program in the Midwest))

LD SOFTBALL: What makes the organization unique?

BT: It sounds very cliche, but it truly is the culture of the organization. From our organizational President (Joe Sciara), down to the youngest coaches in our org, we have a group of leaders that focus on creating an environment in which our kids can play the game fearlessly, but also play the game together in an environment that breeds a team-oriented focus. One of the mottos of the organization is, “Great people 1st, great player 2nd.” If you’re not a great teammate or person, it really doesn’t matter how great a player you are.

LD SOFTBALL: Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history?

BT: I would say the summer of 2020. This was the first year for our national program and it came during the middle of the pandemic. While the world seemed to be standing still, we were quickly evolving what we did and how we did it. We built a great schedule, adapted on the fly to changing environments and requirements and created an outstanding online recruiting experience through video of live games and virtual organizational workouts. A lot of things changed that summer, but we found a way to connect our athletes to coaches and programs very effectively through the use of virtual tools and resources. When we had to adapt, we did. Now we consistently look for ways to create a new and better experience for our players, their families and college coaches.

LD SOFTBALL: What is your primary focus or goal with this team/organization?

BT: For Top Gun 18 National, we want to get the recruiting addressed for our student-athletes, teach them how to truly compete with and against the best and build a foundation of skills that will help them be successful at the next level, physically and mentally preparing them to be successful on and off the field once they head off to school.

LD SOFTBALL: What do you think are the strengths of the team/organization>

BT: In terms of the organization, the strength is in providing a culture in which our kids feel empowered to compete without fear. We believe it provides them an opportunity to be the best versions of themselves on the field, while also promoting an outstanding dugout environment in which they all enjoy being a part of.

In terms of Top Gun 18 National, our strength with this year’s team will be elite pitching, along with a nice blend of speed and power. We have had tremendous power the last three years; this team will be built a little different offensively, but we expect them to be an elite offensive group by putting pressure on the defense with the speed and with as many as 7-8 kids with double digit home run potential.

LD SOFTBALL: If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?

BT: There are a lot of incredible clubs across the country that do things very well. While we don’t know all the things other clubs do within their programs, we believe one of the very neat things about (our) organization is the lifelong friendships our kids have after they graduate out of our program. Our kids genuinely care about one another and many of them make trips to see one another in their offseason.

In addition, I’d offer that another key to our success has been the ability to bring together a balance of outstanding on-field performance with tremendous recruiting success for our student athletes, all the while bringing kids together from various parts of the country, who graduate out from the organization with life long friendships.

LD SOFTBALL: Was there a former coach, player or person in the organization who has passed that has left a major impression on your team/organization and why?

BT: Sam Ramirez was the coach of our 18 Gold team when the organization was initially formed. Sam unfortunately passed away in 2020, but a lot of his ideas about the future of the organization are in place today, and we know that he’d be proud of how the organization has grown. We have a scholarship in his name that we award annually to a deserving senior, so his legacy lives on within the Top Gun organization.

— Carlos Arias, Line Drive Media (Follow Carlos on Twitter @los_stuff)