Core Values:

Affordability: Keeping costs low to make sports accessible for all families.
Localized Scheduling: Games in the greater St. Louis and St. Charles areas to minimize travel.
Transparency and Integrity: Building trust through transparency, accountability, and integrity in all operations.
Holistic Development: Nurturing skills, character, teamwork, and lifelong relationships.
Quality Coaching: Investing in experienced staff for top-tier guidance.

Board of Directors:

Our volunteer board serves without compensation, focusing solely on player and community growth.

Amanda Stegeman - Director
Melissa Fox - Co-Director, Social Media Coordinator
Maria McFarland - Treasurer, Website Coordinator
Jim Politte - Coaching Coordinator
Denise Montgomery - Secretary
Cheryl Bates - Fundraising Co-Coordinator
Chris Bates - Fundraising Co-Coordinator
Josh Fox - High School Head Coach

High school Head Coach - Josh Fox

I’m Coach Josh Fox. I grew up playing baseball. I played throughout high school and also played college baseball for St. Louis Christian College. I have coached baseball and fast pitch softball each for two years. I have also played slow pitch softball for the last 30 years including coaching the past 20. I have had two careers working with teenagers as a youth pastor for 3 years and then a classroom teacher for 15 years.

Middle school Head Coach - tom hodge

A dedicated US Armed Forces veteran guided by my faith, I am passionate about developing young players of high character through the game of baseball. My mission for this Middle School season is to prepare players for high school athletics by building strong fundamentals, instilling a relentless work ethic, and fostering continuous personal and athletic growth. I am a lifelong fan of the game, and I have played baseball since age 4. I have also umpired for 6 years. I am currently Department of Homeland Security Explosives

Our Story

Our organization was founded by Amanda Stegeman and Melissa Fox, two homeschooling moms with a vision: to provide an affordable and encouraging environment for their children to play sports, while also challenging them to develop as athletes and members of the community. Unfortunately, many sports organizations still use outdated coaching methods that are often harmful to participants and reduce their athletic performance and confidence, and Amanda and Missy wanted to provide something different. Amanda had 11 years' experience working with public schools as part of MSHSAA, and both moms had lifelong experiences with sports, teams, and coaches. Within two months, an Executive Board was formed, we created our Mission Statement, and the St. Louis Lightning Sports Association was born. We became a Missouri nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and a MSHSAA Homeschool Association. Six months later, our first homeschool baseball teams took the field and won their first games.