Welcome to MVSA Softball
MVSA Storm Coaches
The MVSA Storm program is lucky to have a tremendous amount of coaching experience. At every level in the Storm program, the coaches bring a level of experience that provides the teams with outstanding instruction and development. Coaches have played and coached at all levels, including college. Information on our 14U, 16U, and both 18U coaching staffs can be found below. Also the top-quality clinic instructors who are involved with MVSA Softball are discussed on this page.
Storm 14U - Team Burge
Rick Burge, Manager/Head Coach
Storm 16U - Team Smith
Ellen Smith, Head Coach
Ellen has played fastpitch softball for 13 years, 4 of those years with the MVSA Storm program. She graduated from Damascus High school in 2007, where she played 3 years of varsity volleyball, 2 years of JV Basketball, and 4 years of Varsity Softball. During her time playing softball for the Damascus High Hornets, she was named the team MVP three out of her four years. She also received many other awards and recognitions during that time. Some of the honors received were: Montgomery Gazette 1st team All County (2004, 2006, & 2007), Frederick Post 1st Team All County (2004, 2006, & 2007), Montgomery Journal 1st team All County (2004 & 2007), and The Washington Examiner 1st Team All County (2006 & 2007). In addition, her senior year, she was selected to play in the Baseliners ASA Gold College Showcase All-Star Game, the Montgomery County Senior All-Star Game, and the Maryland State Old Line Classic All Star game. During her time with the 18U Storm Team Jacobs, she was one of the top hitters on the team, known throughout the region for her hitting and fielding. Ellen was a power hitter who could hit to all fields. She played the game with tremendous drive and determination, leaving everything on the field each game. Over the course of her career Ellen received six individual game awards by opposing teams for her play in numerous PONY Tournaments. Ellen is currently a junior at James Madison University majoring in Nursing and working on a minor in Family Studies. At JMU, Ellen is the starting shortstop and bats third in the lineup for the school's club team.
Throughout Ellen's softball career, she has been coached by three Fastpitch Softball Hall of Famers as well as Crystal Bustos and Laura Berg, both from the USA Softball Team. Through this impressive list of coaches, Ellen has acquired an extensive and notable knowledge of the game of softball. This past season, Ellen continued her softball career as a player, but also as an assistant coach for the Storm 14U team. The team was able to rack up one championship, two championship appearances, and one semi-final appearance.
Storm 18U - Team Alexander
Duane Alexander, Head Coach
Bob Shamburek, Assistant Coach
Storm 18U - Team Jacobs
David Jacobs, Manager/Head Coach
David Jacobs enters his 12th season coaching MVSA Storm select softball, the last 7 at the 18U “A” level. His teams have compiled a record of 332 – 164 -18 (240 of those wins at the 18U “A” level). The last five seasons, his 18U teams have had more than 30 wins each year and his teams have qualified and played in the PONY National tournament for ten straight years, including a 9th place finish in 2004 and 17th place finishes in 2007 and 2009. Over 30 of his players have gone on to play college softball, several on scholarship at the Division I and II levels. David played college baseball and football as well as semi-pro baseball after college, eventually moving to men's fastpitch softball in 1982 where he played at the A and B levels for several years. He has Regional and National Tournament experience as a player and as a coach.
David is married and has two daughters, Rachel (23) and Rebecca (21). Both were pitchers in the Storm program. Rachel currently holds the record for most career wins at 89. Rebecca went on to pitch and catch on scholarship at Division II Shepherd University. Rebecca has returned to help coach the 18U team. David runs the MVSA Storm catching and advanced pitching clinic during the winter months with fellow fastpitch player and instructor Jim Kibbe and daughter Rebecca. Kibbe also serves as a co-coach on the 18U team. The clinic is now in its 9th season and has produced most of the top high school and college pitchers in Montgomery and surrounding counties. To contact David you can send an email to jacobsdr@comcast.net.
Jim Kibbe, Assistant Coach
Jim Kibbe, who was inducted into the Greater Washington Fastpitch Softball Hall of Fame in 2006, has been involved in fastpitch softball for over 30 years. Jim started playing fastpitch softball in 1976 when he founded the Ashton “A’s” softball team to play in the Wheaton Church Men’s Fastpitch Softball League. He brought his skills from 10 years of competitive baseball to third base, where he learned the game of fastpitch softball. He has competed at the ASA Regional and National level, winning two ASA Regional titles in 1994 and 1995. In addition, Jim has coached girls at the high school, recreational, and select levels. After retiring from competitive travel softball in 1996, he moved on to coach in the Damascus Hurricanes Select Girls Fastpitch organization for five years before joining long time friend and former teammate Dave Jacobs at the 18U Montgomery Village Storm as an assistant in 2004, where he remains today. He also helps Dave Jacobs at a highly successful pitching clinic that Dave founded and has run for many years.
Teams Jim has coached at the select level have achieved:
- 18 National Qualifications (ASA, NSA, PONY, USFA, USSSA)
- 6 Girls PONY National Appearances
- 2 Girls NSA National Appearances
- 1 2nd Place USSSA State Championship 2005
- 3rd Place NSA State 2002
- 4 ASA A Regional Qualifications
- Numerous Tournament Championships
Jim coached at Holy Cross High School for four years as an assistant and head coach. He was an assistant varsity coach at Gaithersburg High School for four years.
He currently works with the 18U Storm pitchers and has coached fourteen All County, All Region, All WCAC Conference and All Metropolitan pitchers, including the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 All-Gazette Players of the Year. His pitchers have taken their schools to State Semi-Finals, one State Final, and have won numerous High School Regional titles. Many have advanced to pitch at the college level, where some have won All-Conference Honors.
Jim is married to his wife, Ranta, for 26 years with two daughters, Amanda (20) and Lexi (18). Amanda was a standout at both the select and high school levels. She played in the Storm program for four years at the 18U level. She received All-County Gazette and Examiner honors all four years and All-Met honors her last two years of high school. She was recruited to play softball in college at Millersville University. She has since returned to help coach the Storm with Dave Jacobs and former teammate Becca Jacobs, also an All-County honored player, and the rest of the coaching staff.
