Thinking about trying out for Thunder Fastpitch softball?
💭 Why Thunder Fastpitch?
Choosing the right travel program is an important decision. If your family is looking for a 100-game season with constant travel across the country, we might not be the best fit. At Thunder, it’s not about quantity — it’s about quality.
We focus on long-term player development, strong fundamentals, and creating a balanced, positive experience that extends beyond the field. We care just as much about building character and confidence as we do about winning tournaments.
Our Family-first culture is what sets us apart. Older players mentor younger ones, teams support one another, and we host fun, off-field events to build lasting friendships. If this sounds like the environment you’re looking for, we’d love for you to be part of the Thunder Family.
If this resonates with you, we invite you to explore more about us. We invite you to visit our
Instagram page to see what we’re all about and get a glimpse into the Thunder Fastpitch experience.
📍 Where Are Practices and Games Held?
We play and train throughout Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Rolling Meadows, and Wheeling, ensuring convenient access for families across the region.
We also recently opened our brand new indoor training facility affectionately known as the Thunder Dome, in Arlington Heights near Rand and Palatine Roads. It includes batting cages, pitching tunnels, and open turf space — available to players at no cost through an easy-to-use online booking system.
🤸 Do You Support Multi-Sport Athletes?
Absolutely. We encourage players to pursue other sports and activities like basketball, dance, soccer, or volleyball. Our coaches work with families to minimize conflicts, especially during the offseason. Winter training is flexible, and players with schedule conflicts can train with other Thunder teams when needed.
🧒 What Is the Junior Thunder Program?
Junior Thunder is a developmental program for younger players (not yet in travel) looking to sharpen their skills ahead of house league season. Led by Thunder coaches (many of whom are former collegiate players) and supported by older “Thunder Sisters,” this winter program includes high-quality training — and even opportunities to participate in our House All-Star Team for select travel tournaments.
🧑🏫 Do You Work with Outside Instructors?
Yes! We have relationships with expert instructors in hitting, pitching, catching, and defense — many of whom played college or professional softball. We also collaborate with local high school coaches to align on training and ensure players are ready to succeed at the next level. Fun fact:
100% of eligible Thunder players have made their high school teams.🏟️ Where Is Indoor Training Held?
All winter training takes place at our Thunder Dome indoor facility in Arlington Heights. Players have access to cages and turf space, which can be reserved at no cost via an online app.
🧢 How Can I Get Involved in Coaching?
We’re always looking for passionate coaches to join our team! Whether you’re a former player, parent, or aspiring coach, we’d love to hear from you. Thunder is committed to coach development and provides a fun, collaborative environment to grow. Email
boom@ahthunder.com to start the conversation.
💰 What Is the Fee Structure?
Fees vary by team and season based on schedule and coaching structure. We offer flexible payment plans to help make Thunder accessible to all players who are offered a spot.
📝 How Do Tryouts Work?
Tryouts are held each July. Players are evaluated on skill, coachability, and attitude. Selection is competitive, but we value potential and a willingness to learn just as much as current ability.
🏆 What’s the Team’s Success Rate?
All eligible Thunder players have made their high school teams — many as freshmen or sophomores on varsity. We aim for teams to play near or slightly above .500 records to ensure they’re being challenged at the right level. Success is measured not just by wins, but by steady growth and preparation for the next level.
🏆 What Equipment Do Players Need?
Players should bring a glove, cleats, bat, fielding mask, and proper practice gear. Thunder provides batting helmets, gear bags, and other essentials. Catchers will need to supply their own gear.
🚌 How Far Do You Travel for Games?
Most games are played within a 1-hour radius. Some tournaments involve light travel to places like Lake Geneva, the Wisconsin Dells, Indianapolis, or Michigan — but all travel is team-approved and discussed in advance.
🥎 How Is the Schedule Different from House League?
Each coaching staff will assess their team’s overall talent level so that we can build a schedule that is competitive and appropriate based on the team composition. First year teams generally play more in the fall to help adjust to the increased game speed and build training plans for the winter whereas returning teams may use the fall to refine skillsets and play a few tournaments.
Our fall season runs from mid-August through the end of October, highlighted by our fall event Thunderstorm (for teams 14u and younger). Games usually end by Halloween but with our new indoor facility players will have access to year-round training.
We do understand that winter sports will take priority from November through March, but training is offered to give players the opportunity to improve during the offseason. Some teams will play indoor events over the winter, but that generally depends on how many players are participating in winter sports that will create conflicts.
Games and tournaments will resume in April and run through late June / early July. In total, most teams play 50 - 60 games per season.
The main difference between travel and house league scheduling is tournament weekends, where you might have 4 – 5 games packed into a weekend (which wouldn’t happen in house league). Practices are held once or twice a week, with additional training sessions during the offseason. Games are typically on weekends, and there are around 4 - 5 tournaments per season, some of which may require travel.
