By Kyle Koso

When Sophia Carroll was a little girl, basketball was her sport of choice. She dreamed one day of being a WNBA star, and nothing could sway her.

According to vibe-ologists, when friends make you a playlist it makes your day better. So that's what we did.

The 18U Power Pool division is going to be a dog fight with elite clubs from all over the nation vying for the coveted Colorado 4th of July Championship July 1-7 LIVE on FloSoftball.

The softball world is on the brink of invading Colorado and one of the best places to be is at Triple Crown's Colorado 4th of July tournament.

Jenna Johnson will do just about anything to help her team win, even if it means putting herself at great physical risk. Her parents and coaches hold their breath every time she slides headfirst into a base on a steal or attempting to beat out a grounder. Even temporary fencing is no match for the 5-foot-7 right-handed-hitting outfielder. Many batters have gone back to the dugout in utter disbelief after Johnson vaulted over the fence to rob them of a home run.

By the early 1990s, Triple Crown’s ability to connect with thousands of slow-pitch softball athletes began to reverberate in another sport, that of youth fast-pitch. The Fireworks tournament had begun in Arvada back in the early 1970s but by then had moved to Boulder. The steady success of the fast-pitch series plan led to a critical development in 2002, with the advent of the Sparkler.

Every once in a while, DeMarini Aces 16U coach Ryan Taylor has to pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming. It’s a rare luxury to have a pair of identical twins on the same team who both possess top-level talent. Since forming the Aces in 2010, Taylor has coached three sets of identical twins, with the first two going on to Division I schools.

Never miss a moment. 

Austin Wasserman is the Founder of Wasserman Strength, LLC and High Level Throwing, with locations in New Hampshire and Florida. He’s a Strength Coach, Performance Coach and Author from Brooklyn, New York. He’s the Author of the High Level Throwing® Series E-Books!