Tulsa Elite Coach ‘Blessed to Be Small Part’ of Players’ Development
By Bryce McKinnis
John Edmondson, head coach of Tulsa Elite’s 2027-28 15U National Team, guides his players according to a triad of core principles:
“One, God is always right there. Two, just waking up tomorrow alone is worth more than $10,000,000,” Edmondson said. “And three, be a coffee bean.”
A nod to Jon Gordon’s book, the coffee bean does not spoil when placed into boiling water but enhances its environment. When selecting players to join Tulsa Elite, one of the area’s most accomplished programs, Edmondson looks for coffee beans.
“I don’t know that I can put my finger on any particular moment that I am most proud of, but I would say the amount of times umpires have approached me after games and voiced how respectful our players are, how well they carry themselves on the field, and how they play the game the right way is what makes me most proud,” Edmondson said. “I know we have a team full of young ladies who know how to treat people on and off the field.”
Edmondson coached the same group to an 8U National Championship in his first season with Tulsa Elite in 2018 and has since won — literally — countless tournaments and championships. Of its 12 players, six from his current 15U group have played for the team since their 10U summer.
“Many coaches, teams, players and parents preach the phrase, ‘trust the process,’ but the truth is many do not practice it. Teams constantly cut good kids who just aren’t quite developed yet, and players/parents leave good coaches to go to the team that is winning right now,” Edmondson said. “I have been blessed with parents and players along the way who have bought into our process. So although it is a challenge, we have navigated those waters quite well and have been blessed with great players and families.”
Through instilling these values programmatically, Tulsa Elite has become synonymous with success. Coaches like Edmondson have helped hundreds of players receive college degrees, win tournaments and, most importantly, become stewards of the game of softball.
“I believe if you have a pure heart and confidence the rest will fall in line. Every winter in the offseason we have focused on team and individual activities that deal with overcoming, being positive, being confident, not giving up, etc,” Edmondson said. “All players get a copy of a book every year for Christmas, and we read/discuss the book together over our winter offseason. All of our players have received recognition at various times for their performance on the field, but I am most proud of our cumulative team 3.82 GPA.”
To this day, Tulsa Elite does not charge its players a dime to play. Families are only responsible for buying equipment and their portion of tournament fees. Under the leadership of owner Jeff Filali, the program has expanded with teams in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas, and hosts two annual camps, the Tulsa Elite Summer Invite in June and the Tulsa Elite Wilson Invite in July, each hosting over 60 college coaches.
“The unique thing about coaching these young ladies who can go on to play at the next level is that us coaches have our fingerprints on their development process, mental and physical. We are really blessed to be a small part of the maturation process of these tremendous young ladies,” Edmondson said. “I can’t help but feel that as life carries them through their journey, maybe some of the characteristics I helped instill along the way will be passed on by them to their kids or their teams if some go on to coach one day.”
