18u COACHING STAFF

AARON KIMURA

Aaron started his coaching career when his oldest was playing softball in 10u Rec, back in 2010. He has coached All-Star teams from Districts through Nationals. When Aaron decided to coach in Travelball, he helped his team earn 3rd place in the TCS World Series in 2015. Most recently his 18u team took the Championship title in the 2018 18u Open Division of the Colorado Sparkler.

He believes in teaching proper techniques as well as honing the basics (no matter what age division).

Aaron is currently in his 7th year with the Los Alamitos High School softball program. He has found a home with the Firecrackers organization and is constantly learning and honing his craft.

URBAN ADAMS

Urban has coached youth sports for nearly 17 years, starting with basketball, soccer and later softball in 2009 when one of his daughters began playing. Urban has coached Recreation, All-Star and Travel softball at age levels from 10u to 18u, and has coached at the high school level since 2014.

Urban is also the College Recruiting Coordinator for Firecrackers-Kimura.

GARY CALLISON

Gary started coaching in 2014 as an assistant coach at Downey Ponytail. He served as an assistant for 1 year then moved on to head coach in 2015. He has coached All-Star teams from Districts through Nationals for 14u and placed 9th. He made the jump to coaching travel ball the past 2 seasons for 14u and 16u. He is always learning new ways to better himself as a coach and likes to be able to relate to the players. This past season his team ended the season taking 3rd place in the TCS World Series Silver Bracket. He is very passionate about softball and still plays to this day. His main goal is to make each player better than when he met them and ultimately get them to the next level.

MARCO IBARRA

Marco started coaching in 2012 as an assistant coach for bell gardens girls softball 8u. In 2013 became a head coach for the 10u all star team. 2015 was an assistant at Downeyponytail 2016 head coach and an assistant on the 12u all star team. In 2017 head coach for Downey ponytail’s 12u all star team. Made the move to travel ball in 2018-19 as an assistant coach for Callison 14u & 16u. Marco’s main goal is to help the players get better, and continue with there softball aspirations.

14u COACHING STAFF

JIMMY ADAME

Jimmy started his coaching career in 2012 at Long Beach Heartwell. In 2015, he coached their All-Star team and continued to coach at the recreational level until he transitioned to travel ball as an assistant/pitching coach in 2018. After taking a short break as a head coach, he jumped back in to Travel Softball as head coach in 2019. Jimmy’s goal is to encourage these young student athletes to be better both on and off the field.

ROBERT MIRANDA

I started coaching as an assistant in 2018 for my daughter's 12U rec team. I have also been an assistant coach for her select and all star teams both years for 12U. I was also asked to help coach both 12U teams she was on that competed in the 2018 and 2019 Babe Ruth Softball World Series in Florida. We made the jump to travel ball for 14U and I was asked by Coach Jimmy to jump on board with him as a coach. My goal as a coach is to help the girls grow as players and to work hard on and off the field!

ART FARIAS

Art started coaching as an assistant coach at South Gate High School from 1995-2001, where he attended school as a student. The South Gate Rams softball team won one city title at U.C.L.A. going 14-2 in 1997, they lost the second time playing at U.C.L.A. for the city title in 1998.
Art then took a break from playing softball and coaching to raise two beautiful kids.
Art then helped as an assistant coach at North Downey Little League for two years where his son played. Art was a 15U assistant coach winning the (T.O.C) tournament of champions in 2016 and All-Stars as well.
Art then started coaching at Downey Ponytail from Fall of 2016 to Fall of 2019 where his daughter played. Art was a Head coach as well as for two years as a 12U All-Stars Gold assistant coach.
In the winter of 2019, Art's daughter made the jump to softball travel ball. Art has been an assistant coach for a Lakewood Hustlers team under Jimmy Adame and is now an assistant coach with Jimmy Adame for the Firecrackers - Kimura/Adame.
Art believes in working hard, in always believing in yourself first, and never giving up on your team. If you work hard you get what you deserve, not what you want in life...

VICTOR DAVILLA

I have 25 years of experience coaching youth sports in general which includes 12 years of high school basketball two seasons with the boys an ten with girls varsity. I’ve been coaching ponytail at the city of Downey the past 6 years. Now I’m assisting at the travel ball level and have been for the past year. Also I’ve been a sports official for the same amount of time I’ve coached.

SOFIE ADAMS

Sofie started playing softball in 2009 in recreational leagues and transitioned to playing travel ball in 2014. She has played for the Knuckleheads (2014), Irvine Sting (2015-2017), and Firecrackers with Coach Aaron her junior and senior years of high school. Sofie was a 4-year varsity player for the Woodbridge softball team, and she graduated from Woodbridge High School in 2018. During her time with Coach Aaron on the 18U Firecrackers, she developed into a stronger player with more confidence, had been recruited, and was a member of the team who won the 2018 18U Open Division of the Colorado Sparkler championship. Through the recruiting process, Sofie found that she wanted a smaller school with a softball team, somewhere with all four seasons, and a program in order to study abroad. She found all of those criteria at St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York. Her academic and softball careers extended into the collegiate level at her new home in Canton, New York.
She is a rising junior at St. Lawrence University this Fall, but due to the circumstances, she will be home this Fall to complete her semester online. She is majoring in Statistics and minoring in Economics at SLU.

JUSTIN WHITE

Justin White has been a coach of elite athletes for 30 years. He began his coaching career in ice hockey. His ice hockey coaching resume includes a USA Hockey Level 4 Certification, the Youth Council Chair for 8 years for the California Amateur Hockey Association and the director of hockey for Glacial Gardens. During his coaching career he has taught 3 yr old to 83 yr olds and his high level teams have the following accomplishments; 3 time National Championship team participant, 3 Pacific District Championships and he has coached the USA Hockey Select Development Program.

After the birth of his 4 daughters the sport of choice changed. He has coached softball for 10 years including over managing 400 games. Justin has continued to develop his coaching skills including attendance at USA Softball coaching clinics, worked with the Positive Coaching Alliance and utilized the seminars and sessions of numerous NCFA conferences to develop his coaching focuses of fundamental skill development and nurturing a competitive mindset.

Justin raises his 7 children with his wife Michelle in Long Beach, when he does have spare time he is the radio play by play voice of the Long Beach Bombers Jr. Hockey team.

ADAM BURLESON

Adam started coaching when his son started playing youth baseball, in 2010. He made the jump to softball in 2016 to coach his daughter in 8U. He has coached Rec, Select and All-Star teams in 8U and 10U divisions. His All-Star teams have competed at the State, Regional and National level.

He, along with Coach Justin took a team to Florida for the Babe Ruth Softball World Series to represent the Pacific Southwest . He and Coach Justin loved the competitive level of play they experienced in Florida, they decided to make the jump to travel ball.

Adam prides himself on creating an environment on the field that ensures the highest level of social and athletic development and growth.

SHAYNA DAHLEN

A 2020 graduate from Idaho State University. She started her years at Idaho wanting to become a Business major until she shortly fell in love with the Communications and PR department. Shayna was Idaho's catcher for the four years she attended ISU. She had always dreamed of playing Division 1 softball ever since she was young.

Her dream had come to a stop when she stared to get very sick, the summer going into her freshman year of high school. After a week in the hospital, Shayna was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Taking some time off of softball to focus on her health was a drastic change and she thought her dream was over. She didn't want to leave home and go off on her own because she was scared. But, with her friends, family and coaches by her side she was able to get back into working out and playing the game she loves which led her to a four year varsity spot in high school. She had catching and hitting lessons weekly, along with her travel practices. Her junior tear she noticed everyone on her team getting recruited but herself, so she started doing more research in schools to get their attention. when she least expected it, November of her senior tear the Idaho State coach came up to the field she was playing at and loved the way she played the game. At the end of the tournament Shayna was verbally committed to Idaho State. Attending ISU in the fall of 2016 she then graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Communications with an emphasis in PR and minor in Journalism.