The HammerZone Softball Academies are a comprehensive training system designed to develop complete softball players through skill-specific instruction, mechanical development, and athletic performance training. Led by experienced coaches with collegiate and competitive backgrounds, each academy session incorporates targeted drill work across hitting, pitching, catching, and fielding — with progressive programming built around the fundamentals that translate directly to game performance. Athletes develop swing mechanics, pitch command, positional footwork, and the power and mobility needed to perform at their best, leaving every session more confident, more capable, and better prepared to compete at the next level.

Maddy Bates is a former collegiate softball pitcher with NCAA experience at Randolph-Macon College and Division I Saint Francis University. A Bishop O’Connell High School alum and multiple state championship winner, she brings elite-level competitive experience to her instruction, focusing on pitching mechanics, infield development, and the fundamentals athletes need to compete at the next level.
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Grace Chavez is the Head Varsity Coach at James Madison High School and a former Division I softball player at Virginia Tech, where she competed for five seasons as a catcher and designated hitter. Known for her power at the plate, Chavez finished her collegiate career with 24 home runs and a .642 slugging percentage, establishing herself as a consistent offensive threat in the ACC. As an instructor, she specializes in developing hitting power, swing mechanics, and offensive confidence in athletes of all ages — helping hitters generate power efficiently while building repeatable mechanics that translate directly into game performance.
