Caribou Xtreme take Championship in 12U tournament!

Last week, the Caribou Xtreme 12U softball team won the Chubbuck League championship after an amazing season.  They joined the 3rd place 14U Caribou Xtreme in representing Caribou County at a high level in Southeast Idaho.

As the 4th inning drew to the midpoint, and the hour and 15 minutes allotted ticked down, the energy on the sidelines at Capell Park in Chubbuck became palpable.  When it was all said and done, Caribou Xtreme were the 10-2 game winners, and the league champs. 

Youth sports in Caribou County have been looking for footing as the new recreation department gets up and running, and high school sports are seeing some changeover in staffing.  This championship is a great validation of the talent and adult support that exists for the kids who more than anything want to play. 

We spoke with Shantae Skinner, who along with Felisha Batterton, Kendra Schwulst and Holly Smith coached the team to its amazing finish.  The team was made of Myka Hayden, Paisely Smith, Breleigh Herron, Sophia Bendtsen, Ashlynn Hennefer, Oaklee Davis, Remy Davis, Lexi Inskeep, Paelynn Smith, Annie Dodge, Ariana Avila, Dakota Johnson, and Rhya Peterson.

Skinner started coaching softball four years ago.  She started with the 10U team, then jumped to 12U because the program needed a coach and some more players.  She and her husband Shane coached the team, which included her daughter, and they won the Preston League in 2024.  Skinner served as the high school assistant softball coach this year, which she credits with helping her grow as a coach and giving her the ability to create a great softball atmosphere, with high school girls helping to teach and work with the younger players.

As far as this year’s team, Skinner said, “We had a variety of girls on the team this year. We had girls who had been playing softball since they were old enough to hold a bat and we had a few girls that had never touched a softball before this summer. It was amazing to watch their personal growth all at different levels. Their growth, their strength, and their ability to be a supportive teammate was clear in all the girls. Some of the more experienced girls were reaching out to the new players and offering to help them outside of practices and games. They really are an amazing group of girls!”

“This season has been one for the BOOKS,” she said. “It’s definitely been my favorite season so far.”  Skinner explained the frustration of being a coach and witnessing the roller coaster of the girls winning and losing, all the while knowing that their potential was sky high.  “Trying to coach and guide these kids through that was not always easy but worth it,” Skinner said.  And it was all due to the tireless efforts of the girls, their coaches, and the supportive families.

“The Chubbuck League ended the way it did because they never stopped, never stopped believing, never stopped fighting and they finally saw themselves through all of our wonderful FANS / COACHES eyes,” Skinner said. “Xtreme was also very blessed to have the supportive parents/ family that we did. It truly didn’t matter how many games I squeezed in, in one week the parents and family members all showed up and cheered loud and proud for every individual.  Parents also stepped up to help sponsor uniforms, gear, equipment, athlete of the week gifts, and prizes/ awards for goals set per game. I truly just have a great team/ support system that believes in the journey and that makes all the difference. And as exciting as it is, we aren’t even done yet.”

 In fact, play starts up again very soon.  “We are taking a 2 week break and then jumping into an Idaho Falls League in August- September. We ended the Chubbuck League with a championship and we are excited to continue the season on with an extra league. We are currently sitting at 14 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie. As I’ve told my girls from the start, the record doesn’t matter Reps, Reps and Reps is where we see true growth and leading into the last 5 games of Chubbuck league is where all the puzzles found its place.”

Over the course of the season, Skinner has seen the skills of her players dramatically improve.  “The stats speak for themselves. In our first game, we only had 3 hits. But in one of our tournament games in the Chubbuck league, we had 20 hits in one game! We’ve been able to have five different pitchers pitch in games this year and they are all developing and growing their skills. One big move this year was rotating girls in all different positions and giving them an opportunity to advance their skills and find the niche on the field. For the season, we have 271 runs scored, 365 stolen bases!!(we spent a lot of time focusing on smart base running), 3 home runs,  almost 2500 pitches thrown, 115 strikeouts and 31 runners caught stealing. Their growth speaks loud and clear in their stats.” 

“As coaches and parents/family watching, we could see in the tournament that the switch had been flipped and we had a more focused team.  Players were stepping up into leadership roles, communication was consistent, and they never stopped cheering EVER!  You could also feel the energy and they ALL were fighting together to win and get to the championship.” 

“In the Championship game we had some nerves we had to work through, but they left everything they had on the field. We had players willing to risk and rise more than ever to make different plays that were out of our comfort zone but was something I pushed us as a team to do.  Errors didn’t rattle them—they each showed up for themselves and each other and it was truly amazing to witness them have that FIRE to win and they won it.” 

For all the success of the season, it hasn’t all been easy and there are still issues that need to be worked out.

“I’ve coached my daughter’s age group in volleyball, basketball, and softball and I can tell you as an athlete myself and trying to figure out the coaching world, it’s not easy and very easily overlooked, underappreciated, and can easily be taken for granted. It is very unfortunate that we have had some really GREAT coaches that have come through the system that no longer coach because of all the other stuff that comes with it.”

In addition to the stress on the staff, Skinner discussed the somewhat unresolved place within the city’s sports program for this kind of play.  “I feel like what’s failing youth sports in this generation is the lack of commitment from the City,” she said. “They’ve demolished the recreation department for years and have done zero to rebuild it. When the city rec director left this year, the city wanted to put a “hold” on the season until they could hire a new director. Knowing that would mean another failing season for the city program, as a member of the Soda Springs Youth Sports Foundation, we went to the city and asked how we could help the program. We stepped up and were able to bring 55 girls out to play softball between 10U-14U softball. When it came down to the day to facilitate the program, the city backed out and left us to pick up all of the program. This was concerning because this resulted in no insurance coverage for players who may not have personal health insurance. 

We had volunteers scrambling to get the jerseys, umps, and other items needed at the last minute and to collect fees from parents. Their personal funds paid for the league while funds were collected. The city provided a donation to the foundation to help cover the costs of umps but we were very disappointed because more than anything, we just wanted the support from city council.  The city parks department were very supportive in prepping fields and lending us equipment if we were short. We appreciate the help from Justin Hansen, Jessica and the rest of the Parks and Rec department. I hope that the community and the city leadership sees what a great program we can have with some support. Our community is yearning for these programs to be successful and we have had some really great parents and leaders in the community that have jumped in to support these youth programs and make them successful. I hope that our city can get behind all these parents and provide the support and resources and acknowledge the efforts that have led to this success.”

Looking forward, Skinner says, “I’m excited for next season I have a bunch of great athletes that are wanting more and more so I’m developing a 14U & a 12U team and going to chase fields for reps. Having two teams next year will allow more girls the opportunity to fall in love with softball. I want to keep all the girls engaged and as passionate about softball as I am. That comes with building their confidence and advancing their abilities.” 

 Congratulations, Caribou Xtreme!