Our Story

     The story behind 5G Prime is a unique story filled with accomplishments, tragedy, hope, sadness, joy, and proud situations all piled into it. It all started in 2022 when Coach Jeff Moon was giving baseball and softball lessons in Spartanburg, SC at Upward Start Center.  One night while giving lessons, an old high school friend came into the facility for rec ball practice with his daughter.  He noticed Coach Jeff and went over and started talking with him. He told Jeff that he was going to build a sports facility in Spartanburg and wonder if Jeff would be interested in giving lessons there.  At the time Coach Jeff had a good thing going on at Upward but told him that if anything changed, that he would definitely let him know. 

     A few months later, there was an acquisition of some soft, and Upward came to Coach Jeff and told him that during this acquisition that unfortunately nobody was able to give lessons at the facility. So Coach Jeff reached out to his friend who early mentioned building his own facility. Once Jeff spoke to him and the phone, he told Jeff that it was perfect timing, and he could start giving lessons because they were about to open up.  The facility was called 5G Sports.

     So Coach Jeff started giving lessons at 5G Sports and things were going well.  Jeff also was coaching under another organization and had a team of his own, but there were some questions and concerns about how the organization was handling money, and it was upsetting to Coach Jeff.  So the owner of 5G Sports noticed that Jeff was upset and asked what was going on.  Coach Jeff told him, and the owner volunteered and say, well how about you do a team out of 5G.  Well Jeff thought that might be a good idea, but he wanted to know what 5G ment first because he always wondered.  He thought it might have to do something with the 5G wireless signal or something.  The owner of 5G said, oh no, I have 5 daughters so the 5G stats for 5 girls. That made sense then to Coach Jeff.  The owner then started saying how much he loved Deion Sanders growing up, so if the team wanted to be called 5G Prime or 5G Prime Time that would be great.  Jeff liked the idea of 5G Prime and that’s how it came into fruition.

      The start of the season 5G Prime hit the ground running.  They won like 10 tournaments in a row, and playing some amazing baseball and starting to make a name for themselves.  People in the area knew who 5G Prime was. Later on in the season is when tragedy struck. Coach Jeff says he will never forget this. He was coaching third base during a championship game and his phone keeping ringing, and ringing. He ignored it a few times, but then finally answered because the caller kept calling.  It was one of his other friends on the line. The friend told Jeff when he answered, “Hey did you hear about the owner of 5G?” Jeff replied, “No, what happened?”. The friend then said “He took his own life in the facility.”   That hit Coach Jeff hard. It was tough news to here and it couldn’t believe it. It was horrible news.  How could this be?  The owner was battling depression and it finally won the battle, and was so heartbreaking to so many people. 

     Coach Jeff when to visit the owners wife and 5 daughters and gave them his condolences.  The wife was appreciative.  Jeff didn’t know the future of 5G Prime and thought that it was pretty much over with but the wife told him this.  She said “Jeff, he loved you so much, and he loved what you were doing.  I want you to make 5G Prime as big as you can make it.”  Jeff took that to heart and he made it a mission to build 5G Prime up.  He wanted to do it for them and for the owner.  He wanted to make this organization not hold a successful travel ball organization for the youth in the area, but he wanted to have a purpose of spreading Mental Health Awareness.  So he decided to build it, and do as much work as he could to spread the word.  Every team associated with 5G Prime (payers and coaches) carry the Mental Health Ribbon on their sleeve at every game. Their goal is to not only show joy, dedication, and determination on the ball field, but hope that being huge advocates of mental health awareness that it can change someones life by just seeing them.  Jeff has always said that if by our players or coaches being on the field can change just one person from having those suicidal thoughts or struggling with mental issues can be saved by us, then it’s all worth it. Then are purpose is valid. 

      To this day, 5G Prime is one of the largest non-profit travel ball organizations in the state of South Carolina with over 21 teams for softball and baseball.  They have National teams that travel all throughout the south, competing and spreading awareness for mental health. The goal is to continue to grow the organization and produce excellent individuals in athletics but also in being great members of the community, and great people in general. That is the story behind 5G Prime.