Terry Burdette, a well-respected and highly-successful travel team coach, will assume the head coaching duties for the Hood softball team for the 2012 spring season. Burdette served as an assistant on the Blazer staff during the Fall 2011 semester under Kate Barrick, who stepped down after four seasons at the helm. She and her husband, Greg, are expecting their second child in February.

As the head coach of the 18U Heartbreakers Junior Olympic Travel Team, Burdette has racked up an extraordinary overall record of 634-319 since 1995. He was recognized at the 2010 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention for eclipsing the 600-win plateau. His Heartbreaker squads have racked up seven top 10 finishes in the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) and Protect Our Nation's Youth (PONY) Nationals, which included four top 3 finishes.

Burdette has mentored 65 players who went on to play at the collegiate level, including 33 at Division I programs. Among those outstanding student-athletes is current Blazer head coach, Kate Barrick, who in 2005 was lauded as the Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year while at Fordham University. Burdette also coached Iona College teammates Alison Higgs and Liz Hammel, who captured the 2004 and 2005 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) player of the year awards, respectively. In addition, Higgs went on to showcase her talents for one season in the National Pro Fastpitch League.

A native of Dickerson, Md., Burdette also serves as the camp director for the Heartbreakers Softball Camp, which he developed in 1996 with 13 attendees. Today, the camp has swelled to as many as 150 campers who wish to hone their skills in all areas of the game.

Burdette has also offered his expertise as a clinician at pitching, hitting and coaching clinics throughout the Central Atlantic region, including the 2009 Softball Bash in Richmond, Va.

Burdette's previous collegiate coaching experience includes a three-year stint at Mount St. Mary's University. During his first season in Emmitsburg in 2004, Burdette primarily worked with the Mountaineer pitching staff, but assumed a more comprehensive team role in 2005 and 2006.

On the high school level, Burdette served as an assistant softball coach at nearby Walkersville High School from 1999-2002 and 2008-11 and helped guide the Lions to the Maryland 2A state championship crown in 1999.

Burdette received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Elizabethtown College in 1978. He has been a member of the NFCA since 1995 and served on the executive board as the organization's National Travel Ball Representative from 2005-2010.

Burdette and his wife, Barbara, reside in Woodsboro. They have six children, Jennifer, Amy, Lisa, Tara, Jimmy and Bryan in addition to four grandchildren, Ashley, Tyler, Bethany and Lyla Susan.

Former Salisbury University pitcher Kelsey Mills joins the Hood softball staff as an assistant coach for the 2012 season.

Originally from Frederick and a product of Frederick High School, Mills earned three letters for the perennial power Sea Gulls from 2008-10. Her best season came in 2009 when she boasted a 0.91 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 131.1 innings. During that spring campaign, Mills earned numerous weekly accolades on the regional and national levels. She was heralded as the ECAC Division III South Region Pitcher of the Week, the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Week (twice) and the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week. She was also named to the CAC all-academic team as a junior.

In 48 appearances over her three seasons, Mills finished her career with a record of 21-5 and owned a 1.29 career earned-run average. She struck out 155 batters in 173.1 innings and tossed 15 complete games. From 2008-10, the Sea Gulls won three CAC crowns, made three NCAA appearances and registered a combined record of 108-18 overall and 35-1 in CAC games.

Mills has assisted head coach Terry Burdette as a counselor for the Heartbreakers Softball Camp since 2003. She has also worked the Nike Softball Camp in Salisbury and a recruiting camp in Hagerstown.

Mills earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Salisbury in 2011.

Charlie Toms begins his third season with the Hood softball coaching staff. Toms brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the Blazer staff.

From 1999-2009, he served as coach and manager of the Frederick Express women's fastpitch tournament team. He guided the squad to numerous national tournament appearances, which culminated in his squad capturing the 2001 ASA national title. He also spent eight years as the head coach and manager of the Frederick Express girls fastpitch tournament team. During his tenure, the team advanced to the national tournament five times.

In 1994, Toms joined the Middletown High School staff as an assistant softball coach before being promoted to head coach in 1999.

Toms got his start in the coaching arena in 1987 as coach and manager of the Wolfsville Ruritan youth softball team, which competes in the Frederick County Girls Softball League.

Brad W. Young, a well-respected and highly-successful local high school and travel ball coach, has joined the Hood softball coaching staff as an assistant for the 2011-12 season.

As the head coach of the Walkersville High School varsity softball team, Young turned around a program that had been 2-17 the year before his arrival. Young took the Lions to the state semifinals in 2009 after having won the 2-A western region. In his six years as head coach his record was 73-47. Young has coached tournament travel teams for the Heartbreakers, Maryland Stars and Maryland Express. Young got his start in softball coaching through the Glade Valley Athletic Association.

Young is a CFP® (Certified Financial Planner™) and a CTFA (Certified Trust and Financial Advisor). He holds a M.B.A. from Frostburg State University, a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park in economics and an A.A. from Frederick Community College in business. He has completed the National Graduate trust school at Northwestern University and the Trust school through Cannon Financial Institute.

An active member of the Frederick community, Young currently serves as President of the Board of Frederick County Public Schools. Also, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Universities at Shady Grove. Young is a past chairman of the Board of Trustees for Frederick Community College, past president of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, and Past-Chair of the Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors, (ACCT). Young also served on the Advisory Board for the Academy of Finance through the Career and Technology Center of Frederick County Public Schools for 10 years.

Young is on the adjunct faculty of Mount Saint Mary's University where he teaches corporate finance, personal finance and investments. He has been active with Junior Achievement and has been named an "Outstanding Alumni of the Year" at FCC. Young is President & CEO of Maryland Financial Planners, a local financial planning and investment management firm.

Young and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Walkersville. They have three children, Jessica, Brittany and Rachel.