Professional Sports         

The Future of Women's Professional Softball                 

DENVER, CO.   The Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL) has adopted an expansion plan to propel the league into six markets in 2002, with growth to 12 markets by 2004. The WPSL expansion plan takes into consideration the need to re-shape the current structure of the league to accommodate the addition of new strategic partners vital to future growth and success. Each market will be locally owned and operated by individuals or a group who also will own an equity stake in a league association which will determine the rules of play, establish player salaries, draft players, enforce the rules, and manage the other administrative aspects of the league.

To support the re-launch of the league, the WPSL will feature a nationwide "Tour of Fastpitch Champions" in the summer of 2001. The centerpiece of this year's tour will be two WPSL teams - the WPSL Gold Team featuring 2000 Sydney Olympians from the US and international teams and a WPSL All-Star team comprised of a selection of WPSL league-wide talent. From June through August these teams will tour through 12 to 14 cities targeted as WPSL expansion candidates to play head-to-head as the world's best fastpitch teams. Among these cities will be existing WPSL markets, Akron, Ohio and Plant City, Fla. Additionally, both WPSL teams will tentatively compete against international teams (we are now scheduling Japan, China, Australia and Canada) and the newly-formed USA National Teams. The WPSL teams will also make key appearances on behalf of our strategic partners. The WPSL will maintain a full schedule of televised games in support of the tour on ESPN and ESPN2.   At the same time, the WPSL will launch a major mother/daughter skills program at the grass roots level in conjunction with the ASA.

To transition to the new organizational plan for the 2001 season, the WPSL is suspending league play and closing down game operations in Plant City, Fla. and Akron, Ohio. The 2001 format will surely be a disappointment to many people including players, fans, Akron and Plant City officials, and league and team sponsors, but it is a necessary pathway to develop a long lasting, stable professional career opportunity for elite women fastpitch athletes. We trust everybody associated with, and interested in the success of women's pro fastpitch softball will support our efforts to re-launch the league with this dramatic change despite the short-term hardships.

Over the past four years, during which we have played over 700 games and run 66 telecasts, we have enjoyed the support of dozens of sponsors, hundreds of athletes, thousands of fans, and many influential people within communities in which we have had teams. The WPSL has developed particularly strong relationships with the best players in the country, softball coaches, companies and institutions like the ASA/USA Softball (with whom it has a joint venture), the ISF (International Softball Federation) and the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association). In addition, through trial and error the WPSL has improved operating methods both nationally and locally. In short, it has been a very expensive lesson to get to where we now believe we have the formula for success.

Our confidence in the future is buoyed by our recent advances with several key strategic partners, some of whom have already pledged their considerable support for our expansion plans. It is our firm intention that within the next few years, together with our strategic partners, we will create the greatest women's professional team sports league on the planet.

[Source: WPSL]