USA Elite Training, LLC - PROFESSIONAL SOFTBALL TRAINING

Meet the USA Elite Training Pros

Proud to Have the Highest Caliber Coaching Staff in the Industry

Jennifer Hapanowicz - CEO/Founder

Coach Jennifer Hapanowicz – owner and founder of USA Elite Training LLC – has been instructing youth softball players of all ages throughout the New England region ( including CT, NH, NY. NJ. ME, RI) for the past 20 years. A highly accomplished collegiate player herself, Hapanowicz attended the University Of Rhode Island on a full athletic scholarship as a pitcher and first baseman. Utilizing over 20 years of experience in the softball and recruiting industry, Coach Hapanowicz has assisted in placing her clients in leading college athletic programs across the country including LSU, UMass, UConn, Stanford, UNC - Chapel Hill, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Bryant Univ., Cornell Univ., Univ. of Central Florida, to name a few.
Coach Hapanowicz Gets Results:
- An amazing 90% of her students go on to play at the collegiate level
- Numerous players under USA Elite’s tutelage have gone on to play on TOP 25 Collegiate Softball teams and have helped to lead their teams to NCAA Regionals.
- Coach Hapanowicz has trained CT Gatorade Player of the Year Award Winners ( 2003,2005,2007 - 2009,2012-2015)
- Her student have dominated the Connecticut State top ranks:
- Coach Hapanowicz has sent pitchers to the prestigious Gold Coast FL Hurricanes Junior Olympic Travel Team
- Coach Hapanowicz is a top level consultant

Kim Gwydir - Hitting Director

Coach Gwydir was Head Softball Coach at Florida International University for 10 years. In that time, she took the Golden Panthers to several National Top 25 rankings and a regional appearance. Coach Gwydir’s students have progressed to playing on the US and Canadian National Teams, including a USA Gold Medal winner. Coach Gwydir is VSA’s Director and will coach all aspects of the game. She also works extensively with USA Elite Training as a private instructor and Showcase Director for the past five years.
Coaching Results
- Over 440 College Victories
- 1998 Trans Conference Coach of the Year
- 2003 Sunbelt Coach of the Year
- Coached players on USA and Canadian National Teams
- Coached Gold Coast FL Hurricanes Junior Olympic Travel Team (2007- 2009)ASA National Champions 2008, Runner Up 2009
- Trained numerous All State and All League Players in multiple states including CT, NY, MA, and FL
- Trained the winning FL State Championship pitchers (2007 - 2014)
Industry Accomplishment
- Atlanata Award for Best New Collegiate Program 1998
- 2003 Sunbelt Coach of the Year
- 1998 Trans America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
- Inducted into Suffolk County (NY) Sports Hall of Fame
- Featured Speaker at FHSAA High School Coaches State Convention 2001-2007
- Featured speaker at the 2010 CT High School Coaches Association’s Coaches Clinic
- Featured speaker at the 2011-2014 World Softball Coaches Convention at Mohegan Sun Convention Center
- Featured Speaker at the 2012 -2014 North East Regional Little League Coaches’ Clinic

Lauren Person-Operations Coordinator

Coach Lauren is a Senior Instructor and has worked with USA Elite Training for over 7 years. She was an All-State Pitcher at Rockville High School in Connecticut. Coach Lauren continued her collegiate career at Nichols College in Massachusetts, where she was a 4 year Starting Pitcher leading her team to the TCCC League Championship. Coach Lauren received many collegiate honors, including team MVP in 2005 & 2007, and she was named Team Captain in 2007 & 2008. Coach Lauren has coached the CT Eliminators Gold Travel team for 4 years and has been instrumental in her players’ recruitment to collegiate softball. Coach Lauren teaches all aspects of the game at Virtual Softball Academy and works extensively with USA Elite Training, USA Elite Summer Camps, and USA Elite Showcase Events.

Sam Keltos

Coach Sam Keltos has multiple years of coaching experience at the travel ball and collegiate level. She played four years at Lauralton Hall winning their first state championship as the game MVP. She continued her journey at the collegiate level as a four year starter at CCSU earning captain status her senior year. She currently is a manager at a corporate fitness center where she is certified as a Personal Trainer and Weight & Lifestyle Management Coach. She has a background in teaching classes of all levels and holds additional certifications in SPINNING, Pilates and Yoga as well as trainings in TRX, Zumba, ZumbAtomics, and Zumba Gold. Sam will teaching all aspects of the game of softball including pitching, hitting, and strength training at USA Elite Training.

Jacqui Sheftz

From 2003 - 2014 Coach Sheftz was Head Softball Coach at Masuk HS with a .812 winning percentage and winning 3 state championships, 1 runner-up state championship, 6 Southwest Conference Tournament Championships and 8 Regular Season Colonial Division Championships. During Coach Sheftz' 16-year softball coaching career, 4 of her teams had undefeated regular seasons (2006, 2008, 2009, 2013) of which 2 remained undefeated for the entire season (2008, 2013) while also earning the prestigious Connecticut High School Coaches Association and United States Marine Corps Softball Team of the Year honor (2008 & 2013). Three of her teams finished #1 in the State of Connecticut's Final Softball Poll (2007, 2008, 2013) while the 2009 squad finish #9 in the National High School Coaches Association/USA Today Final National High School Softball Poll. Coach Sheftz was named the Class "L" Softball Coach of the year in 2013 & 2014, and "Outstanding Softball Coach of the Year for 2014" by the CT High School Coaches Association. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) named Coach Sheftz' and her valuable coaching staff, the 2008 & 2013 East Region High School Coaching Staff of the Year. Also, in 2013, Coach Sheftz and her staff earned the top and most prestigious honor from the association as they were named the "NFCA 'National' High School Coaching Staff of the Year

Coach Sheftz has coached 21 First Team "All-State", and five 1st or 2nd Team "All-Americans". Coach Sheftz has had the tremendous honor of coaching Connecticut's "Gatorade Softball Player of the Year" in four of the 16 years that the award has been given out. Coach Jacqui will be teaching hitting and catching and works with USA Elite Summer and Winter Camps as well as USA Elite Showcase Events

Jessica Biehl

Coach Jessica was a standout All-State Pitcher at Stratford High School in Connecticut. She was a 4 year starter and was chosen all 4 years for all conference SWC and CT Post All Area team. Coach Jessica continued her collegiate career at Southern Connecticut State University, where she was a 4 year Starting Pitcher. Coach Jessica received many collegiate honors including 1st Team All Conference in 2005, 2007 and 2008. She was picked to the NCAA 1st team All NE region in 2007 with a .94 ERA and was named Team Captain in 2008. As the 2008 Team Captain, she pitched 55.1 innings straight without giving up an earned run. Coach Jessica teaches all aspects of the game at Virtual Softball Academy and works extensively with USA Elite Training, USA Elite Summer Camps, andUSA Elite Showcase Events.

Bridget Gates

Coach Bridget Gates has been a part of the USA Elite family since she was 12 years old. A student of Jen Hapanowicz, Bridget was a four year Varsity starting Pitcher. In 2008, Bridget led the Lauralton Hall Crusaders to win the Class M State Championship as well as being honored with State Tournament MVP. Bridget was also leader on the team offensively hitting over .400 in high school. She earned All State status her Junior and Senior years along with being named to the New Haven Register and CT Post All-Area teams. Bridget then continued her education at Bucknell University where she played NCAA Division 1. As a Freshman, she continued her record setting ways as the first freshman starter since 1992 to obtain 10 wins in a season. Bridget helped Bucknell Softball to it's first Patriot League Championship title since 1997, as well as Bucknell's first ever NCAA Division 1 Regional appearance. She was recognized as the Bucknellian Female Athlete Rookie of the Year in 2010. Bridget ended her college career in the record books as she is listed in the top ten for appearances, wins, saves and strikeouts for Bucknell University. Bridget currently is a teaching professional specializing in working with Autistic children. Bridget will be instructing all skills at USA Elite Training LLC.

Megan godwin

Coach Megan Godwin, was an outstanding High School athlete at Manchester High School where she played softball and earned multiple All-Conference awards. She continued to excel as an athlete when she attended Eastern Connecticut State University where she was a four-year starter at multiple positions including shortstop and catcher. Many of her conference and regional awards were for being a utility player playing infield, outfield, and catching. Megan was a two-sport all-regional athlete in college. As a freshman for the ECSU softball team, she earned University rookie of the year honors, Rookie of the Year All-Conference LEC and the All-Region Team New England Honor. Also in her freshman year, the ECSU Softball team finished in 5th place at the NCAA DIII World Series. Her awards continued to flow throughout the rest of her college career; earning first-team utility honors for the variety of positions. Megan earned All-Conference, All-Regional, All-New England Honor and multiple Senior Awards for her leadership on and off the field. Megan has an array of experience working with children, as coordinator of Recreational Camps at Bristol Parks and Recreation, paraprofessional with autistic children in Avon Middle School, Head Varsity Softball Coach at Avon High School and as a Travel Softball Coach for the past two years. Coach Godwin will be teaching all skills at USA Elite Training LLC.

Joyce Harold - USA Elite Florida

Coach Joyce played collegiate softball at Florida A&M University for 4 years where she (i) was the team captain for 2 years (2009 & 2010), (ii) was awarded the Golden Glove (2007 & 2009), and (iii) MEAC Conference Champion (2009). Her primary positions were catcher and shortstop, where she excelled as one of the top hitters on her team.
Joyce is experienced at all aspects of fast pitch instruction, but concentrates her efforts on hitting, base running (quickness, agility, proper running technique) and Catching (blocking, framing, defensive strategies). Joyce is also a certified personal trainer with an emphasis on strength, speed and agility and coordinates the USA Elite Strength Training program at our Florida location. Joyce will teach all facets of the game but her primary focus will be hitting and beginning pitching.

Brittany Elliot - USA Elite Florida

Coach Brittany Elliot was a scholarship pitcher at Wallace College. Coach Elliot is the varisity softball coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School and has years of coaching experience. She will teach all facets of the game at the USA Elite - Florida location with her specilty being pitching instruction.