CYstarters Spotlight: A 14-part series highlighting student entrepreneurs pursuing their business ventures as part of the CYstarters 2025 summer cohort. Through this program, students have the unique opportunity to prioritize the development of their own startup or business idea. Each individual receives $6,500 and access to resources such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational sessions on entrepreneurship and business startup.
Pitching with Purpose: Madison Green’s Journey from Player to Coach
Madison Green has always been drawn to entrepreneurship. Long before college pitch competitions and summer accelerators, she was the kid selling paper fortune tellers and undercutting bottled water prices near her hometown music festival in Sioux City, Iowa. There weren’t any entrepreneurs in her life at the time. This drive to create and sell was simply part of who she was. So, when it came time to choose a college, she knew Iowa State was the right fit the moment she toured campus. The strong entrepreneurship program sealed the deal.
Now double majoring in supply chain management and entrepreneurship in the Ivy College of Business and on track to graduate in May 2026, Madison is already running her own business: Perfect Motion. The idea started taking shape after years of playing softball, specifically as a pitcher, which was all she ever wanted to do on the field. Since fourth grade, she focused solely on pitching, guided and inspired by a coach she credits with shaping her love for the sport. By her senior year in high school, she was helping him lead lessons, coaching young players side by side. Last summer, she spent time back home doing more of the same and realized that not only did she love coaching, but she could build a business around it.
With Perfect Motion, Madison offers softball pitching lessons both in-person and virtually. Her goal is to help young athletes grow in skill and confidence while also giving parents back a little time in their day. She works with individual students, small groups, even entire teams, and has coached more than 30 girls to date, roughly 10 of them consistently. Her approach goes beyond mechanics; she teaches pitchers how to develop mental toughness, focus under pressure, and bounce back from setbacks. “Confidence is the foundation of great pitching,” Madison said. “When your mind is strong, your body follows.” She emphasizes biomechanically efficient movements, internal rotation, and purposeful adjustments tailored to each athlete. “Pitching is like its own sport,” she added. “A lot of people don’t realize how much detail and discipline go into it.”
The virtual component of her business was born out of necessity. After returning to Ames last fall, she wanted to continue working with the students she had coached back home while also expanding her client base locally. Creating high-quality, personalized virtual lessons was a challenge. Figuring out lighting, microphones, filming space, and how to make the content feel just as valuable as an in-person session took time. She now uses a space in the Student Innovation Center to record her lessons and continues to refine her process. “I want to make sure the girls are actually learning, not just getting basic videos that anyone could find online,” she said.
Madison had already started working on the business idea in one of her entrepreneurship classes, where a paper she wrote helped her realize the full potential of what she was building. That validation continued when she was selected as the team leader for the next project in the course. And her early traction didn’t stop there. She pitched the idea in both the Pappajohn Center’s College-by-College Pitch Off and the Fall Startup Pitch Competition, placing first and third, respectively, in the preliminary rounds. But one of her proudest moments so far came outside of competitions, when a parent reached out to her via word of mouth. “That was a big moment for me,” she said.
For Madison, joining CYstarters this summer felt like a dream come true. “I learned about CYstarters when I was applying to Iowa State, and it was something I immediately wanted to do,” she said. “It’s always been a dream for me—to have an idea I cared about enough to pursue in that way.” During the 11-week accelerator, Madison tackled a long list of SMART goals. She earned her official coaching certificate through Pauly Girl Fastpitch, completed her website and branding with the help of fellow CYstarter Kailey Stevens of Bolded K Studio, and launched a social media strategy that included 25 posts across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. She also emailed 20 coaches outside of Ames, half of them from outside Iowa, and handed out business cards to dozens of parents at local games. With that momentum, she’s now accepting bookings for fall and hopes to have two nights a week fully scheduled with lessons, and maybe even host a clinic for local softball players.
Being surrounded by a cohort of driven peers pushed her to work harder than ever. “It shocks me to see just how much even people our age are working—how late they’re staying up, how much they’re putting into their businesses,” she said. One moment that stood out during the program was a session with muralist and CYstarters alum Lauren Gifford. Madison, who never thought of herself as particularly creative, was challenged to think differently. “I’m not that creative in comparison to these graphic designers and artists,” she recalled, “but Lauren said, ‘No, you are!’ That really stuck with me.” She also credited CYstarters Program Director Megan Sweere for her constant encouragement and support, saying, “Megan always gives the best advice.”
Looking ahead, Madison knows running a business while balancing two majors won’t be easy, but she’s ready for it. Her advice to fellow entrepreneurs is simple and direct: “Work hard. If you don’t want to work hard, then you don’t want to be an entrepreneur.” As she continues building Perfect Motion, she’s focused on creating lessons that are not only effective but meaningful, tailored to each girl she coaches. “I just love getting to know all the different girls. They’re so fun and have their own personalities,” she said. “It’s rewarding to be part of their journey and see them grow.”
If you know a young softball player looking to level up their pitching, or a parent who could use an extra hand in helping their child succeed, Perfect Motion is ready. Madison Green has the experience, the passion, and now the platform to help them thrive. Check out her website, www.perfectmotionsports.com, or follow along with her social media pages (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) to stay up to date on her offerings!
Check out our video interview with Madison Green below!
