Coaches
Experienced, passionate, and dedicated to your success!!!
Meet Our Elite Coaching Staff
With a blend of college-level expertise and a personalized approach, our coaches are here to mentor and guide each player on their journey to excellence. Meet the talented professionals who will be working with your athlete to achieve their goals.
National Coaches
Claire Roll - Head - 18U National
Claire Roll brings a dynamic background in pitching, hitting and fielding to our academy. With a career spanning multiple divisions of collegiate levels (D1 to D3), Claire focuses on building strong relationships with her athletes to bring out the best in them. Using her energetic coaching style and attention to detail she breaks down mechanics into step-by-step pieces. This helps players refine their skills and reach their full potential. The mental side of the game and sports psychology is a cornerstone to all of her team practice sessions and clinics. Claire is the recruiting coordinator and CEO of the FPA program.
Quinn Ryan - 18U National
Loving father of three, Cassidy, Quinnlyn, and Tyler, Quinn spent many years playing semi-pro baseball until it was time to hang them up and start coaching. He fell in love with the game of softball and the bond it created with his daughters, their teammates, and the 100's of families he has meet along the way.
Quinn has been coaching at the club level for eight years and high level college softball for the last five seasons. Quinn spent three years coaching at Eastern Nazarene College winning back-to-back conference championships and most recently has been coaching at Tufts University for the last three seasons. The past season Tufts finished 5th in the country and earned a berth to the college world series. Quinn specializes in hitting and outfield skills and is known for his ability to develop young talent into top performers. Quinn's energy and love for the game is contagious and his dedication to player growth, both on and off the field, makes him an invaluable part of our team.
Scot Bennett - 18U National
Scot brings a wealth of experience to our coaching team. His playing and pitching career spans over four decades with many personal honors and championships, including five national fast-pitch tournament appearances and a spot on one of the all-tournament teams. Originally from Ontario, Canada he resides in Western New York, with his partner Lisa, where he continues as a private pitching coach with the majority of his players earning spots at the collegiate level. Scot has coached with Coach Claire on 18u Showcase teams in the past. His specialties include pitching, infield, and in-game management. He enjoys the psychological aspect of athletics and building relationships with coaches and players—assisting them in sifting through analytics so they can better respond as athletes and, even more importantly, as people of character.
Grace Forsythe - 18U National
Grace is an alumnae of the FPA program and is excited to be back on the field coaching and sharing her love of the game. She is a current college player at Roger Williams University. Her specialty is hitting and outfield.
Amelia Varela - 18U National
Amelia Varela brings Division I collegiate coaching experience to the program, with a focus on developing complete, fundamentally sound players. She specializes in both offensive and defensive instruction — refining hitters' approach and mechanics at the plate while building quick, confident defenders across the field. Known for her detail-oriented, player-first coaching style, Amelia is committed to helping every athlete sharpen their skills and elevate their game.
Regional / Showcase Coaches
Amber Hunt - Head - 10U Regional
Amber is the devoted mother of four children and a full-time pitching coach on the North Shore. She grew up playing softball in NC and is excited to share in building the next generation of softball players. Amber has had the pleasure of coaching club for over five years and has coached multiple age levels. She enjoys working with young female athletes and training them to be the strongest version of themselves.
Shelli Waetzig - Head - 12u Waetzig
Shelli has a wealth of experience on the diamond, both as a player and as a coach. She has played since she was young and developed a love of pitching, continuing on to play in college at Creighton University. Since then, she has coached many years recreationally and most recently at the competitive level. Shelli enjoys helping players develop their skills in all aspects of the game and encouraging players in their pursuits both on and off the field. She is excited to join the 12U team as an assistant coach this year.
Maraland New - Head - 14u New
Maraland New brings four years of travel softball experience to New England Fastpitch Academy. He is the former JV Head Coach at Malden Catholic High School and excels at building strong fundamentals in fielding and hitting. With coaching experience spanning multiple levels of travel softball (10U-16U), Maraland infuses enthusiasm, fun, and a keen eye for detail into every practice. Currently serving on the Wilmington Little League Softball Board of Directors, he also dedicates time to offseason softball clinics, nurturing the next generation both on and off the field.
Bridget Bernard - 12u/14U
Bridget Bernard is entering her third year of coaching and debuts this season as a coach at FPA, drawing on her experience as an alumna of Coach Claire’s 18U Showcase 2023 team. Now a collegiate athlete at the University of Hartford, she specializes in catching and infield, representing the Hawks in both positions. With a sharp focus on the mental side of the game and a joyful approach to practice, Bridget helps her players build technical skill, confidence, and a lifelong love for softball.
Jay Raschi - Head - 14u Prospects
Jay Raschi is a seasoned coach with a background in defensive strategy and infield training. His analytical approach and commitment to excellence have helped develop many young athletes into collegiate level players. Jay's emphasis on mental toughness and game intelligence sets his teams and players apart.
Will advance to 14u Regional for the 26-27 Season
Jason Capodanno - Head - 16U Capodanno
Jason is the Winchester youth softball league coordinator and head coach of the Winchester Varsity softball team. Jason is an expert in catching techniques and has a proven track record of success with the athletes he coaches. His comprehensive training programs are designed to enhance agility and hand-eye coordination for catchers behind the plate. Jason's passion for the game and player development shine through in every practice session.
Tessa Capodanno - 16U Capodanno
Tessa Bio Coming Soon!
Trinidad Poisson - Head - 16u Poisson
Trinidad Poisson brings nine years of travel softball coaching experience to New England Fastpitch Academy. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with athletes at the 14U, 16U, and 18U levels, helping players develop their skills while preparing them for the next level of competition. His coaching philosophy emphasizes strong fundamentals, game awareness, and creating a positive, competitive environment where athletes are challenged to reach their full potential. As the father of two daughters who have competed at the collegiate level, including one who is currently a senior playing NCAA Division III softball at Emmanuel College, Trinidad understands the dedication and commitment required to succeed both on and off the field. He combines a high softball IQ with an energetic, motivational coaching style, using every practice and game as an opportunity to teach not only the game of softball but also the life lessons that come with it. His goal is to develop confident, coachable athletes who are prepared for success wherever the game takes them.
Nick Pavlidis - 16u Poisson
Nick Pavlidis brings nearly a decade of softball coaching experience to New England Fastpitch Academy. He takes a very positive and motivational approach to coaching and looks to put each player in a position to succeed, both individually and for the team as a whole.
Mekayla Poisson - 16u Poisson
Mekayla is an alumnae of the Storm program and is excited to be back on the field coaching and sharing her love of the game. She is a current college player at Emmanuel College. Her specialty is pitching.
Practice Team Coaches
Emeline Gaunce - Head - Practice Team
Emeline Gaunce brings depth of experience to our coaching staff between her time playing at the collegiate level and coaching travel softball in Northern California since 2023. Her focus is developing the mental strengths of her players, emphasizing community and leadership at every level of the game. Emeline's coaching specializes in catching and infield mechanics and mentality. At Wellesley College, Emeline was awarded the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference accolade in all eligible years and the Academic All-District award during her two years of captaincy, reserved for those with high academic achievement and impact on their team.
Brian Kane - Practice Team - Roaming
I have been a part of club softball for ten years. The first five were as a coach for Westborough club teams. Recently I have had the privilege to witness Coach Claire shaping many young athletes into wonderful collegiate players and amazing young women, including my daughter Bryce. I love the game and I hope to share my passion of the sport with a new generation of young athletes and teach them the skills to become successful both on and off the field.
