Non-Profit Organization Fury Softball Finds Success On National Stage

By Nicole Matheson

In a small city such as Lake Havasu, it can feel like some opportunities are out of reach or reserved for larger metropolitan areas. That is why volunteer-led, nonprofit organizations like Fury Softball are important for the community to come together and support.

Fury is more than just traveling softball teams for young girls, it is a collaborative effort to make a difference in the lives of these kids and their families.

“We keep them out of trouble, they learn a little bit about adversity, they learn about teamwork — we try to make each one be a leader,” said Brandon Blum, one of Fury’s coaches and secretary on the board. “Really, we’re just trying to build character.”

“Fury is bigger than softball and we are here for the community,” Fury president and coach, Travis Tweten shared. “We want to do great things in the softball world, but we’re just as intentional about who our girls become in the process. And we absolutely do not slack on either.”

Three years ago, Tweten and his wife Persie moved to Lake Havasu and immediately saw a need for competitive fast pitch opportunities for girls.

“At the time, travel softball was nonexistent in Havasu,” Tweten recalled. “Persie and I came from very competitive baseball and softball backgrounds in Southern California. We know the commitment this sport requires and how much it can give back. My own coaches and mentors had a lasting influence on my life and I wanted to pass that on.”

But the Twetens were new to the area and didn’t have connections in Havasu. Tweten said, “Getting the word out and helping families understand what we were building took time. There was also everything involved in making it work financially and practically; equipment and tournament fees, along with insurance and field costs. Everyone involved in running Fury is a volunteer, so the commitment happens alongside jobs and family responsibilities. Thankfully, we made some amazing and supportive friends through coaching our first spring recreational season, and we all came together and pitched in to make this happen.”

“We’ve been doing this for three years and all of our girls have gotten better from day one, just kind of molding them into good people,” Blum reflected.

Fury is a Christian faith-based organization with the belief in God and Jesus’ teachings being at the forefront of their philosophy. Tweten told RiverScene, “The most challenging part has been running Fury faithfully to the values we teach while holding the high standards we’re responsible for. We have to live what we ask of our girls. Not just the coaches, but the families as well. Nobody comes to Fury and stays the same, and I believe that’s by divine design.”

This summer, Fury began earning wins on the national stage. What was different? Tweten said that, “The foundation started to show. The core values we’ve fought to instill and uphold, and the way we as a team were tested in so many areas this year, yet persevered.”

Blum stated that the teams meet for practice three to five times a week for two to three hours at a time. Tweten said that, “Our girls train year-round. We prioritize the fundamentals, and we never outgrow them. We aim to be good by process, not good by luck.”

The 2026 National Tournament for the 10U and 12U teams took place June 9 through 14, in St. George, Utah. “That was where we finally, as an organization, stepped on the national stage from Havasu and played nationally recognized teams, earned a few wins, at a level that I don’t think has ever been done by a Lake Havasu hometown team in softball,” Tweten explained.

Each of Fury’s age divided teams had a different story to tell at nationals as well as the final tournament of the season for all divisions in Prescott, Arizona on August 29th and 30th.

“For our 10U girls, they showed that they have it in them to compete at some of the highest levels,” Tweten said. “To watch them work together to pull those wins off on a national stage this summer, and then to close it out with a final tournament win, was a beautiful and gratifying milestone in their careers.

“And for their parents and families to share that with them, the way it all happened, getting rained out Saturday with all the families staying together watching the most insane thunder and lightning storm most of us had ever seen. Only for the rain to clear on Sunday, tournament directors scrambling to prep and change fields to keep the tournament alive just long enough to run a full elimination/bracket day championship. And to go the distance…it was almost like it was written in a book.”

Weather wasn’t the only bit of adversity that Fury faced in their travels. Tweten elaborated, “For our 12U girls, it was a moment of vindication. Two weeks before that final tournament, they went undefeated, took the top seed, and then lost the semifinal on a missed call on our tying run in the bottom of the last inning. Our chance to keep playing for a spot in the championship ended there. And the team that beat us just simply didn’t win well in their conduct, but that’s the nature of competitive softball.

“My girls were heartbroken. But I asked them, ‘What would God have us do?’ And they answered with the wisdom we’d been sowing into them all year: ‘Stay quiet, stay humble. Come back and take it out of the umpires’ hands next time.’

“Two weeks later, there we were again. In the semifinals, with teams from as far away as Texas, we drew that same team we lost to two weeks prior. What are the odds?

“They yelled at us, they screamed at us, but my girls didn’t say a negative word in response. They just encouraged their teammates to keep going. So did our coaches and parents. Before the final inning of the game I could see in my girls that they needed something more. I don’t know how else to explain it other than it felt like a divinely appointed moment to stop everything and look up.

“We huddled up right there and I asked God to touch those girls, to relieve this tension I could see in them, to give them peace.

“We all felt it. For the rest of the game there was no fear, only peace. And we won. And there was joy on a level that we hadn’t experienced yet as a team before. You had to be there…”

Challenges in the games aside, Fury also faces the financial struggles of operating a nonprofit organization. And how can people of the community help?

Tweten answered, “People first. Tell your friends and family about the opportunity we have for girls in this town. And if you can help coach, it’ll be one of the most rewarding undertakings you’ll ever be a part of.

“Then, consistent financial support through sponsorships and donations would help us the most. Fury is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and nobody gets paid. Support goes straight to the cost of providing the program. Because we’re a 501(c)(3), donations are tax-deductible. They also help us provide confidential scholarships when a family is going through a difficult season.

“Businesses or individuals who want to help can reach us through the Fury Softball Facebook page or at lakehavasufury@gmail.com. If you believe in what we’re doing and you’ve been blessed with the means to help, you’ll know exactly where your money goes. No gimmicks.”