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Our History
2004
the beginning
The story of the Beaufort Bombers began with a simple question.
In the early 2000s, founder Doug Plank noticed his daughter wasn't throwing at full speed while practicing with her recreational league teammates. When he asked why, she explained that she was afraid of hurting the beginner she had been paired with. At that moment, Coach Plank realized his daughter had outgrown the level of competition available to her and needed an opportunity to develop alongside players with similar skill and dedication.
A few years later, he found himself making multiple trips each week to Charleston so his daughter could play travel softball. During one of those long rides home, she asked a question that would change softball in Beaufort forever:
"Why can't Beaufort have this?"
As Coach Plank considered his answer, he realized she was right. There was no reason talented young athletes from Beaufort should have to leave their hometown to find higher-level competition and development opportunities.
That conversation planted the seed for what would become the Beaufort Bombers Softball Organization.
In 2004, Doug Plank founded the Beaufort Bombers as a 501(c)(3) non-profit travel softball organization, creating Beaufort's first travel softball program. His vision was simple: provide local athletes with the opportunity to compete at a higher level, develop their skills, and pursue their softball dreams without having to travel outside the community for every opportunity.
More than two decades later, the Beaufort Bombers continue to build on that vision—developing young athletes, fostering teamwork and sportsmanship, and providing competitive opportunities for players throughout the Lowcountry.
What started with one father's desire to help his daughter reach her potential has grown into an organization that has impacted hundreds of athletes and families throughout Beaufort and beyond
2005-2009
The golden years....
Building a Legacy in South Carolina Softball
As the Beaufort Bombers took the field across South Carolina, the program quickly earned a reputation for hard work, competitiveness, and player development. Competing in tournaments throughout the state, Bombers Fast Pitch Travel Softball made a name for itself as a respected and growing organization in the travel softball community.
With each season, the Beaufort Bombers continued to expand opportunities for local athletes by providing a higher level of training, coaching, and competition for girls in the Beaufort area. What began as one team with a vision grew into a program dedicated to developing skilled players, strong teammates, and confident young women both on and off the field.
Through commitment, community support, and a passion for the game, the Beaufort Bombers became more than just a travel softball team — they became a cornerstone of competitive softball in the Lowcountry.
2010-2023
Softball... Baseball....
2010–2023: A New Chapter
As the years progressed, the organization's focus gradually shifted toward baseball. From 2010 through 2023, much of the Bombers' growth and participation centered around developing youth baseball programs throughout the Beaufort area.
While softball remained an important part of the organization's history, the baseball program flourished during this period, providing countless young athletes opportunities to compete at a higher level, travel throughout the region, and develop their skills both on and off the field. Bombers teams became a familiar sight at tournaments across South Carolina and beyond, continuing the organization's tradition of competitive play and player development.
The values established by founder Doug Plank—hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship, and providing local athletes access to elite competition—remained at the heart of the organization. Through baseball, the Bombers continued to positively impact Beaufort-area families and build a reputation for developing well-rounded athletes.
Although the organization's primary focus had shifted, the foundation laid by the original Beaufort Bombers softball program continued to influence its mission and culture. The commitment to creating opportunities for local youth athletes remained unchanged.
By 2023, the Bombers had spent nearly two decades serving the Beaufort community, leaving a lasting impact on generations of players who proudly wore the Bombers name.
2024-present
Now and the Future
2024–Present: Returning to Our Roots
In 2024, a major shift brought the Bombers organization back to where it all began—fast pitch softball.
While the Bombers baseball organization continued to flourish and provide outstanding opportunities for young athletes throughout the Lowcountry, it had become clear that local Beaufort girls were once again facing the same challenge that inspired the creation of the Bombers two decades earlier: a lack of local opportunities to compete and develop at a high level in travel softball.
Recognizing this need, Chad Bearden and Phil Mansker came together to re-establish the softball side of the Bombers legacy. Together, they formed a dedicated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused exclusively on fast pitch softball while proudly continuing the Bombers name, tradition, and values that had been established in 2004.
Their vision was simple: provide Beaufort-area girls with the same opportunities for advanced training, competitive tournament play, and athlete development that had once made the Bombers a cornerstone of youth softball in the community.
By returning the Bombers name to its softball roots, Bearden and Mansker reignited a legacy that began with a simple question—"Why can't Beaufort have this?"—and renewed the organization's commitment to serving the next generation of athletes.
Today, the Beaufort Bombers Fast Pitch Softball Organization continues to grow, building on more than twenty years of history while creating new opportunities for young women throughout Beaufort and the surrounding Lowcountry. The mission remains unchanged: develop athletes, build character, foster teamwork, and provide a place where players can compete, grow, and proudly represent their community.
The Bombers story has come full circle—honoring its past while building its future.