Meet our All-Star Line Up

of Professional Fastpitch Softball Instructors

Ashley Condon – Fastpitch Softball Pitching Instruction

Coach Condon is currently the Sophomore Head Softball Coach for Plainfield East High School.  She was a four-year starter at Glenbard South High School and as a standout Pitcher, Condon earned All-Conference honors along with numerous Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune "Player of the Week" awards. She was also selected team captain and earned team MVP honors her senior season. Coach Condon continued her stellar pitching career as a four-year starter at Division I Eastern Illinois University. She completed her schooling with a degree in Education which has allowed her to become a successful instructor for players of all ages.

Cathy Smith – Softball Pitching, Hitting & Slapping Instruction

Coach Smith, a 1991 graduate and four-year starter at Schaumburg High School, pitched her team to the 1990 Regional Championship while contributing as a good hitter and team leader.  Cathy went on to play at Grand Valley State University in Michigan for two seasons while earning her degree.  Coach Smith has become a very successful coach drawing the best out of players over the past 9 seasons as the Varsity Softball Coach at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates.  She has guided the program to two Regional Championships and three 20-plus win seasons.  In addition to pitching and hitting, Coach Smith has taught the art of slapping to many of her players.  The Conant program has graduated 11 players that have gone on to play at the collegiate level, four of those playing at the Division I level. 

 

Lauren Wydra – Fastpitch Softball Pitching Private Instruction

Coach Wydra is a 2008 graduate and four-year pitching starter from Bartlett High School.  She earned unanimous All-Conference and All-Area honors 2006, 2007 & 2008.  As a key member of the Bartlett team making a run at the State Title in 2007, she earned All-State honors and was names the Elgin Courier Pitcher of the Year.  In addition to being Bartlett High School Varsity MVP in 2006, 2007 and 2008 she was named the Daily Herald All-Star Game MVP.  Coach Wydra holds numerous Bartlett High School pitching records including, lowest ERA, Season and Career Strikeouts (with more than 800 Varsity Strikeouts) and Most Career Shutouts.  Currently a Junior attending Northern Illinois University, Coach Wydra elected not to play in college in order to focus on her studies and work as a pitching instructor during the school year and summer breaks.

Chris Wilmot - Catching & Hitting Instruction

Coach Wilmot is a 2000 graduate of Conant High School in Hoffman Estates. He was a catcher, outfielder, and 1st baseman for the Cougars during his varsity years. Chris was a member of the 1999 MSL Champion team that also set the school record for wins in a season and was awarded the Unsung Hero Award for the 99’ season.  Chris holds a degree in Fire Science Technology and is currently a Lombard Firefighter/Paramedic. While in college, Chris played semi-professional baseball with the Chicago Lugnuts for two seasons.  In 2005, he was asked to attend an open tryout as a catcher with the Schaumburg Flyers.  Coach Wilmot spent two seasons with the Flyers including their playoff run in 2006. While catching in the Northern League, Chris worked with various levels of pitchers from former major leaguers, AA/AAA level pitchers and players right out of college.  Coach Wilmot is an experienced hitting and catching instructor for both baseball and softball of all levels and is available for private and group instruction.

Mike Mook – Fastpitch Softball Pitching & Hitting Instruction (Currently unavailable for private lessons)

Coach Mook is currently an Assistant Coach at Augustana College in South Dakota.  He has also worked in the past as an Assistant Coach at The University of Illinois-Chicago after being recruited by former Olympic Softball Gold Medalist and current Head Coach, Michelle Venturella.  Coach Mook brings a wealth of experience as a fastpitch softball pitcher and outstanding hitting instructor to his sessions and employs a unique video program to help break down a player's swing or pitching delivery to more quickly identify area for improvement.  Having directed a number of high school softball programs in his home state of Minnesota, Mike excels at assisting players develop better fundamentals using his video tools to create a personal lesson plan approach that targets improved mechanics and delivering better results for each player.

Chuck Abate – Softball and Baseball Hitting & Fielding Instruction

Coach Abate was a four-year baseball starter at Stevenson High School in Vernon Hills.  He then starred in the exclusive Marylander semi-pro softball league in Baltimore, Md.  Holding two coaching certifications (IHSA and NFCA-National Fastpitch Coaches Association), he is uniquely qualified to teach and coach all aspects of Baseball and Softball.  Coach Abate holds a patent and has a trademark registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office for STRIDE THEN DECIDE- “a method for teaching the hitting of pitched baseballs and softballs.”  He has made a lifetime bringing innovative and effective teaching and coaching methods to players from 10 yrs old to college players.  Coach Abate successfully bridges the gap between fundamental skills training theory and actual game performance.  He has been known to get out to his students’ games to monitor their performance and adjust their training regime.  Coach Abate’s practices are legendary- he has conducted seminars and coaching clinics and is available to train teams and instruct coaches on practice organization with specific practice plans and drills.  He is a current softball coach at St Charles East High School, a St Charles Knights Travel Baseball coach, and a board member of the St Charles Park District Softball program.

Danielle Schmidt – Fastpitch Softball Pitching Instruction (Will be returning to Minnesota for the summer)

Coach Schmidt is currently pitching at Wheaton College where she threw a no-hitter in her 2nd start of the year in 2010.  She has been a standout pitcher throughout her travel career having played in Nationals in every year since she was 12 years old.  Coach Schmidt was a major contributor to teams including 12u State Champions and Summer National Champions, 14u State Runner-ups before beginning her high school career in Minnesota playing under Coach Mook.  She was a four-year Varsity starter and earned All-Conference honors in each year. Her high school team appeared in four straight State Championships, winning back-to-back titles her junior and senior years.  She holds school records for the most strikeouts in a season and career and also two state records for the most no hitters in the state tournament and most strikeouts in one game.  She appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" feature and enjoys sharing the technical and mental aspects of fastpitch pitching she has learned.

Please Note:  Lessons booked with The Hitting Zone are not guaranteed with a specific instructor.  We will make every effort possible to provide consistency, but are not obligated to due to the fact our instructors are independent contractors and not employees of The Hitting Zone.  No refunds will be granted for any unused portions of a lesson package.