November 18, 2024
In many respects, the Triple Crown Fastpitch City of Lights event in Las Vegas earns its success in almost scientific fashion.
Create enough mass, and pretty soon the right elements will start orbiting.
With a dedicated group of student-athletes coming to one location (Majestic Park) and working urgently in their showcase games and assorted workouts, dozens of college coaches head that direction and circle the fields, making the City of Lights gathering in November a prized opportunity to solve recruiting concerns. There’s a loyal batch of coaches from the arena of the NCAA D-II, D-III, NAIA and JUCO ranks who make sure this showcase moment gets carved into their calendar.
“The benefit of coming to City of Lights is getting in front of so many different kids,” said Eli Espinosa, assistant coach at D-II Oklahoma Christian. “I usually recruit around our area, so coming out here allows me to see players that I would never have the opportunity to see in the Oklahoma and Texas areas. I get to see kids I wouldn’t ever had the opportunity to see otherwise, and it provides OCU an opportunity to get them down on campus, which has been very beneficial to our program.”
“I used to work for Triple Crown, so I've worked this event and the Sparkler multiple times. So it's kind of home for me. I love coming here,” said Brianna Benoit, head coach at Southwestern Oregon Community College. “Right now I'm looking at 2025s and starting 2026s and just being able to start those relationships and meet a bunch of young athletes that are looking to play at the next level.
“It's great because they ask all the good questions, and you're learning more about these athletes and these students at this age and seeing what kind of students are out there and what they want at the next level. It helps me grow as a young coach as well, talking to them and learning from them.”
As one might expect, the Las Vegas City of Lights event draws a player pool from the western third of the country, flexing the kind of talent that will pull college coaches from other time zones. But it’s not just the talent of the athletes that can affect a program – their mindset can also alter results on the field.
"I have been attending Triple Crown events for over a decade, and this is my sixth or seventh trip to City of Lights. It's completely transformed our program,” said Cris Lucas, head coach at D-III Dominican University in Illinois. “We are more than 50 percent West Coast kids now. Bringing kids in from the warmer climates, they're used to having a longer season … these kids are used to playing longer and so they tend to do a lot more work during the offseason when we shut down at the end of our fall ball.
“It has led to an overhaul in the culture of our program and the work ethic, and we've been breaking all of our school records the last couple years, so it's been fun.”
College coaches crave the efficient use of their time, the valuing of their travel demands and the chance to share notes and war stories with their peers – it’s yet another reason why the route to the City of Lights in Las Vegas will remain heavily traveled for years to come.
“This is my third year attending Triple Crown events – I have also been going to the Sparkler every year as well,” said Bobby Verdugo, assistant coach at Arizona Western JUCO. “I really enjoy working with (Triple Crown college coach coordinator) Autumn Anderson. She makes things streamlined, making things easier (for coaches), so she makes the experience very smooth.
“For us, especially in the area that we're in, there's a lot of softball but when it's so scattered, it is hard to catch every single player at once. When they all come together it makes our lives a little easier. Another cool part about the event is that all the other coaches get to come together, so our staff gets to hang out with our other coaching friends throughout the weekend.”
Want more details on how to make City of Lights impact your softball career as a player or coach? Reach out to Taylor Lewis (taylor@triplecrownsports.com) or Alyson Carter (alyson@triplecrownsports.com)
