USSSA Play has been an evolution for our leadership team. This tournament and league series model is a product of our company, Upper Deck Club, LLC which exists to model our softball experience and vision for young athletes aiming to perform, be, and feel their best on the field where it all comes together and matters the most. We all first came together in January 2019 as our founder had launched a new, non-profit volunteer softball club, the Colorado Royals. The fierce demand for individual training drove us to create the Upper Deck Club. Our club tournament experiences in Northern Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Florida drove us to create the USSSA Play Experience & Royals Crown Series to expand the experience we’ve created to all Colorado and Wyoming teams that want something above and beyond. Legacy.

Dave Darby
President / Founder / Coach

Dave is a 12-year veteran softball coach, husband of 29 years, father of 5 (4 softball-playing young ladies), a behavioral scientist/ entrepreneur from PIQ Mentoring, a global mentoring company he founded in 2003, and a philanthropist leading to give back to his community. His specialty is building bridges through creative teaching methods and solutions and, in the realm of softball, his passion is hitting and all that it entails physically and mentally. If you have an hour, ask him for a story. You won’t likely be disappointed.

Richie White
Operations Manager / Coach

Richie is a 7-year veteran softball coach, husband of 18 years, father to 2 softball-playing young ladies, and a GSE Supervisor for Frontier Airlines. Richie is the guy you want when the sheet hits the fan. He’s calm under pressure and never rests when there is a problem to solve. He’s one of the most loved coaches around and players never forget him or his lessons: “We win as a team, and we lose as a team.” He’s also the guy who knows a guy so if he can’t do it or doesn’t have access to it, wait an hour. When he’s not working or volunteering his leadership, he loves to run the smoker like a true pit boss.