North Providence Girls Fastpitch Softball: League News

NORTH PROVIDENCE - Major leagues haven't even reported to Florida or Arizona for spring training yet, but training in the North Providence Girls Softball Association has already begun.

It's part of a new, expanding program, and it's drawing a lot of interest.

Every Friday night at the Marieville Elementary School, girls are learning their craft as fast-pitch softball pitchers.

"We've had to double the number of sessions that we had planned because so many girls wanted to be part of it," said new League President Kevin Doorley. "We've got them as young as 8 out there practicing."

Doorley and Vice President Todd Kent said the goal is to eventually have at least one quality pitcher on every team, making the program more competitive. That won't be an easy task, because the program plans to expand the amount of teams it has.

Last season was the first time that the local league transformed from a slow-pitch to a fast-pitch program. In previous seasons, the local league played slow-pitch, although there were travel fast-pitch teams.

"There was a misconception that girls, especially the younger ones, would be afraid if the program became fast pitch, but just the opposite was true," said Doorley. "More girls wanted the challenge of fast-pitch."

Last season, the program had 186 girls on 14 teams participating in four programs: instructional Tee ball for those 5 and 6 years of age; a coach-pitch program for those 7 and 8 and fast-pitch leagues for 12 and under and 17 and under girls. The previous season, 140 North Providence girls participated.

This year, league officials are hoping to add at least three teams to the program at various age levels. They intend to trim rosters from 15 or 16 to 12 or less to give each child additional playing time.

The league has seven new board members this year, and in addition to offering the early pitching clinics, other major changes are already taking shape.

Ralph Macari, field maintenance coordinator, has already begun working on the fields at Stephen Olney Park which houses the league.

"We've been working with Mayor (Charles A. Lombardi), and have gotten permission to upgrade the fields," said Doorley. "We've also obtained permission to play some games on the softball field at Governor Notte Park."

By changing the configuration at the Olney Park fields, three fields will be created and the league members will be doing most of the work themselves. They've also obtained permission to hang sponsor signs in the park.

Both with young daughters involved in softball, Kent and Doorley pointed out that North Providence had the only Little League World Series champion that Rhode Island has ever produced, the 1979 girls softball team.

"North Providence was once at the forefront of fast pitch softball in this state and then got away from it for a while," said Kent. "We'd like to return the program to that status it once had."

Doorley concurred, and said it will be up to the adults running the program to build the program foundation and give the local girls an opportunity to excel.

The league officials said they will be looking for input and volunteerism by parents, who can make those intentions known when the league has its registration on Saturdays, Feb. 27 and March 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Wednesday, March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the North Providence Union Free Library on Mineral Spring Avenue.

The league also plans to do a lot of fund-raising this year to acquire the funding required to make even more field and other improvements. Already planned are a macaroni supper, a car wash and arrangements are being made with local businesses that will donate 15 percent of receipts on certain products to the league.

The softball program in North Providence is not affiliated with Little League Baseball and instead is hooked into the American Softball Association program. This year, North Providence will be hosting at least two tournaments, one for girls 16 and under in June an the other for girls 8 and under in July.

"What we're trying to do is create an environment where the softball fields are a place where kids and parents want to go and be a part of even if they don't have a game that night," said Doorley. "We want it to be someplace where families can go, socialize, watch games and just have fun."

The league is also planning to introduce an equipment exchange program to help keep costs to families down, and makes its purchases from town businesses whenever possible.

Registration cost is $80 per child, and $70 for the instructional program. Cost for two children is $130 and there is a $150 family maximum.

For more information about the league, contact the president by e-mail at door49@verizon.net

If you would like to join are 16 u Travel team please contact Coach Steve at npaftershock@hotmail.com

We could use all the help we can gather for both tournaments please register with Kevin Doorley at door49@verizon.net

If you are a team looking for more info please contact door49@cox.net