… Vienna Stars 2002? Many coaches we’ve talked to seem to think so as we continue to do research for the FAB 50 12U Club Rankings which will be released in the next week or two.

The Vienna, Virginia-based team, comprised of in-state as well as Maryland players, is returning most of the girls that took 3rd at Pony Nationals last year and finished first in all five of their 12U tournaments, including the Jenny Finch Invitational, NSA States, and USSSA Winter World Series.

The Stars 2002 team never lost a 12U elimination game (only losing two pool games all fall) and finished as the runner-up in its only 14U tournament.

Full Count Softball got together with Head Coach Dylan Sacadura and asked about his team and the organization overall… here are his answers:

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FullCountSoftball.com: When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
Dylan Sacadura: The Vienna Stars organization has been around for a couple of decades, but really had a renaissance under Tony and Cathy Rollins a little over a dozen years ago. As parents with a girl in the organization they saw the need to try and elevate the talent level and competition they faced to help the girls’ chances of getting noticed by the top programs. Along with the “Godfather” of Vienna softball, Walt Brady, they turned the program around and into one that is able to compete on a national stage with teams at multiple age divisions.

FCS.com: Where are you based? Where do your athletes come from?
DS: The Stars organization is part of the Vienna Girls Softball League located in Northern Virginia. As the Stars organization has grown, girls have started coming from further away to play, especially at the older age levels. The 2002 team currently pulls in from a radius of about 50 miles with girls from all around the DC Metro area.

FCS.com: What was the purpose of creating the team, was it to showcase players, win titles, develop skills or other reasons?
DS: The purpose of this team is to play at the highest level along with competing against the best competition. We work hard on fundamentals and developing their skills and a lot of the girls are looking forward to showcasing their talents in front of college coaches next year. The team started taking shape a few years ago at the 10U level with Rich Levin who has been a long time 10U coach in the Stars organization.

FCS.com: What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
DS: We had a very successful fall and won all five of the 12U tournaments we entered and were runner up at the 14U level. Highlights include winning NSA Fall States and travelling to North Carolina to win the USSSA Winter World Series.One of the most memorable moments for the girls was getting a championship trophy from Jenny Finch at her tournament in New Jersey.

FCS.com: What makes the organization unique?
DS: The organization is unique in that they have been able to field multiple competitive teams at all levels from 10U through 18U year after year. This is definitely a tribute to the work by people like Tony and Cathy, Walt and Rich. So many organizations in our area have one or two good age groups, but have years where they can’t even field an age group. Although Cathy and Tony have stepped aside handling the day-to-day operations, they still take an active role in helping with recruiting and outreach. Dennis Wince is now leading the 18U team and has been with the organization for many years, so keeping it going on a consistent basis is something to be proud of and a

FCS.com: What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
DS: I started coaching four years ago at the travel level where I coached for two seasons. I took a couple years off and learned a lot by watching and learning from other coaches. Having this solid group of players and committed parents, I couldn’t ask for a better coaching situation.

I can’t talk about our team success without mentioning our assistant coach, Abby Nelson. She is a top-notch softball player herself and, though young, Abby knows how to teach and enforce the important parts of the game. The girls are fortunate they have her to show them the right way to play and they respect and love having her around.

FCS.com: How many teams are there in the organization overall?
DS: Currently, the organization has seven teams.

FCS.com: Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history?
DS: For this specific team I think it was at the Jenny Finch Invitational in New Jersey. We faced a really good Team Long Island in pool play, giving us our first loss of the season 1-0. They responded well with a new “no room for error” determination and came out on Sunday with a “no fear” attitude. Winning the tournament that weekend, I got the feeling that this team was going to be something special.

FCS.com: What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
DS: This team has a lot of talented athletes and we want to keep them having fun and improving their craft. We have a team goal of earning a bid to PGF Nationals and making some noise nationwide. We couldn’t make it as far as we hope without the help of local sponsors like Aramis Construction, who have been very generous in supporting our girls. Next year, this team plans to put their talents on display at many showcase tournaments as well.

FCS.com: What do you think are the strengths of the team?
DS: The strength of this team is in our depth and overall athleticism. While we think we have a great hitting lineup, we pride ourselves on defense and trying to stop the other teams from scoring.

FCS.com: If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
DS: The thing that really separates us from other teams is the girls’ willingness to play any position and hit in the lineup where it most benefits the team. We have a roster full of girls that could be a No. 1 pitcher or SS and batting clean-up on a lot of other teams. Our girls and their parents feel that playing on a strong team and seeking out the best competition trumps playing a position that might not best suit them or one they might not be playing when they reach an elite showcase team or college. We have had girls decline trying out or accepts spots because they don’t want to bat down the lineup or play in the outfield, but we think our girls are learning to play real team ball and hopefully it gives them an edge in the future.  

FCS.com: Anything else to add about your team?
DS: We are really proud of the way our girls handle themselves on the field and off. While we root for them to win, it gives us even more pride when umpires, opposing coaches, and other parents complement our girls’ attitude and demeanor. Those are the kinds of things that really benefit them once their playing days are over.

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Here’s a player-by-player look at the Vienna Stars 2002 team with comments from Head Coach Dylan Sacadura…

— C/1B Malaka Belser (2021)
“Malaka has been with our organization for a couple of seasons and we love playing with her instead of against now! She has a very good arm and runners don’t challenge her too many times when she is behind the plate. She also hits with a lot of power and has better speed than just about any other catcher we’ve seen.”

— 1B/OF Jayci Chamberlain (2020)
“This is Jayci’s first season with the Stars. She has great size at 5-foot-7 and will be close to 6-foot by time she is done growing. She has a solid stick that produces a lot of RBI’s and is a nice target at 1st base but can play the OF or the other hot corner.”

— SS/OF Melody Coombs (2020)
“Mel is definitely developing as a true five tool player. When Mel is on base it is not ‘if’ she will steal it is ‘what pitch’ will she steal. Her combination of power and range in the field makes opposing coaches shake their heads in disbelief. A true ‘beast’ on the diamond, Mel is in her second year with the Stars.

— P/1B/OF Claire Davidson (2020)
“Claire has emerged as our ‘ace’ pitcher and you can count on her against the toughest lineups. She is in her second year with the Stars and her ability to hit her spots and good movement makes her a tough southpaw for other teams to face. She also bats for power and a high average. Claire has a great glove anywhere in the field. Claire is a true perfectionist and will succeed at the highest level.”

— IF/P Nicole Giery (2020)
“Nicole is our hardest working player as well as being the most coachable athlete. She is fearless at third and leads our team off hitting with a very consistent bat. Nicole has been with the Stars for almost four years. If I had one word to describe Nicole it would be ‘gamer.’”

— UT Catie Hopkins (2021)
“Catie is one of our 2003’s and is in her first year with the Stars. We are really happy to have her in the organization. She has the ability to play in the infield or outfield and is one of the tallest girls on the team at 11 years old. You can tell as she continues to gain strength and confidence she is going to be a standout talent. Catie gives 110 percent at all times.”

— OF/IF Anna Jacobson (2020)
“Anna is in her second year with the Stars and is a firecracker on the field. She puts so much heart into her game and doesn’t let her size deceive you. Anna will prowl the outfield for us this year. If there is a definition of a ‘true teammate’ Anna describes it.”

— P/IF Makayla Marbury (2022)
“Makayla has been playing with the Stars for almost three years and while she is the youngest player on the team, she is one of our best pitchers. She can throw a number of different pitches and has a change-up that will buckle opposing batters. If there is a better pitcher in the 2022 class I want to see it.”

— OF/IF Skyler Morgan (2020)
“Skyler is a slapper with great speed who always finds ways to get on base, but she has really developed into a triple threat. We can put her anywhere in the lineup and she can get a single or drive in runs if we need it. She has great range in the outfield which makes it tough for opposing hitters to get anything in play.”

— OF/C Kennedy Rhue (2021)
“Kennedy is another one of our 2003s, but opposing pitchers wouldn’t know that from how hard she hits. She is a ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ athlete and is harder on herself then a coach could ever ask Kennedy is in her second season with the Stars.”

— C/IF Meadow Sacadura (2020)
“Meadow has a real high softball IQ. She knows who should be where and is a true manager of the game. When Meadow is behind the dish she has a way of making catching look easy as well as being a good defensive catcher. She also hits for average and comes up clutch when the team needs it. This is Meadow’s third year with the Stars.”

— P/IF Jordyn Scott (2020)
“Jordan is in her first season with the Stars and has been a great addition. She has a knack for keeping her pitches low and in the zone and is very intimidating with great size along with letting nothing bother her. She hits with a lot of power at the plate too and we are excited to see more out of her this spring.”