Madison Fontana named NEFL Junior March Spotlight Athlete

The Northeast Fastpitch League (NEFL) is excited to spotlight Madison Fontana as the March Spotlight Athlete of the Month. Fontana is a 2027 shortstop on South Jersey Mystics 12u. The 2027 Northern Burlington Middle School and hails from Florence, NJ.

Through the first seven Games of the season, Madison has been off to a great start; batting .800 with 12 hits in her first 15 at Bats. She has an OBP of .833 and an OPS of 2.300. Madison is also leading the team with 11 RBIs.

“I have had the luxury of coaching Madison since she was 9 and watching her develop as a player and leader,” said head coach Joe Fontana. “Madison or “Maddie Font” as she’s often called on the field is a hard worker who is always looking to put in the extra work to get better. When Madison isn’t playing shortstop, she is also a very solid pitcher in our rotation. Due to a recent injury pitching has taken a back seat but she is working her way back into the rotation, and I expect her to eat up some innings in the near future. Maddie’s real love is at the plate where she has led the team in batting average the last 3 years. Madison has spent countless hours working with her hitting instructor John Sangillo to refine her craft. Coach John said “Madison moves very well for such a young player and possesses tremendous power. In the future, she will not only hit for power but be able to utilize the whole field while maintaining a high batting average”. Madison was recently selected to represent the NE region in the USA softball All American games where she will be able to showcase her talents by playing with and against the best players in her 2027 class. Her future is bright, and I look forward to watching her grow not only as a player but as a person.”

Madison Fontana’s softball story:
I started playing softball when I was 6 years old and instantly fell in love with the game. My sister, who is 2 years older than me, also plays softball. I remember going to her travel games and watching her team play and thinking “I want to play travel softball too.” I started playing travel softball when I was 8, playing up in 10U. Playing up challenged me, it taught me to always play hard, practice harder and work to prove myself. I try to always challenge myself, it’s something that motivates me, for example, I typically set three goals before a tournament to try to attain by the end of the tournament. I reflect on my goals and continue to work on being a better player. One of my favorite parts of the game is hitting. I’ve always loved hitting even from the very beginning. Hitting seems to come naturally to me, it’s where I feel most confident. I spend many hours a week working on the craft, both at practice and through private lessons. I love watching college softball, I think you can learn a lot from just watching the game at a higher level. I’m lucky to have parents that support me, a sister that motivates me, teammates that continue to challenge me and coaches that believe in me. My dream is to one day be playing in the college world series.

Madison Fontana’s Favorite softball memory:
I’ve had many favorite softball memories such as watching the Florida Gators play in Florida, being the top 11U team at nationals last year and hitting my first home run but my best softball memory would have to be being selected for the USA All American team to represent the Northeast region. I remember the day my dad received the phone call and came in to tell me I made it. I was so excited!!