What Is The Alliance?
The Alliance Fastpitch was officially founded in the Summer of 2020, but the story began as a shared desire for change amongst leaders in youth fastpitch two years prior. The vision for collaboration, enhanced competition, and athlete-centric decision fueled the idea of The Alliance Fastpitch.
The Alliance Fastpitch is a national co-opetition of fastpitch teams and stakeholders working together to grow our sport. Alliance Fastpitch represents the voice of the team and puts the athlete first in our decision making. The leaders of the Alliance Fastpitch saw a need for change in the softball industry and believed the key to change was to merge our efforts in athlete development and programming. Rivals and competitors decided to cooperate as business partners to achieve the same goals, challenge current trends, and create more equality. The result is a united effort to put the athlete first and a regionalized play structure and community.
The Alliance Fastpitch is a membership-based organization. Our membership includes Regional Leagues, teams, coaches and athletes. Our leagues embody the spirit of collaboration and competition, where ‘rival’ clubs work together to meet the needs of their region and act as spokesmen for their region on a National level.
Alliance Member Leagues create a clear pathway to national championships for member teams through our Alliance Rating System and National Championship Qualification. All Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) berths must be earned through Member League play. Our Qualification Process levels the playing field allowing all teams the same opportunity to qualify for the AFCS.
Off the field, the Alliance Fastpitch provides individual members -- athletes and coaches -- with exclusive benefits, access, and discounts with our partners. The Alliance Fastpitch acts on behalf of our members to bring the best resources and expertise needed in their competitive journey. We level the playing field for our members by giving access to all individuals despite the team she plays on or the region she is from. By bringing the teams together under one umbrella, the Alliance Fastpitch has the unique ability to leverage our volume for sponsors and brands looking to invest in softball. We created an ecosystem of athletes, coaches, and teams in fastpitch softball.
Our community recognizes players and coaches for their regional and national achievements both on the field and off the field. It is important for us to spotlight our athletes as much as we can and create engagement off the field. The Alliance Fastpitch and our partners leverage our resources to create year-round educational and engagement opportunities for our members.
Alliance Fastpitch Membership Model:
- On Field = Organized point system and clear pathway to National Championships
- Off Field = Membership benefits of access, recognition, community, and engagement
Mission
The Alliance Fastpitch’s mission is to unite the fastpitch community and deliver value to our fastpitch athletes and coaches through the collaboration of resources on and off the field.
Vision
Our vision is to be the unified voice for athletes and coaches and to show the fastpitch community how competitors on the field can work together off the field to make our sport better and more attractive for participants.
Our Core Values
What We Believe. What We Live By.
We put the athlete first in our decision making.
We focus on player development and player recognition.
We understand a key to player development is coach development and we strive to create a community of learning amongst coaches.
We encourage collaboration and cooperation between member leagues, teams, and athletes to develop events in the best interest of the players and the game.
We promote a holistic approach to the athlete, coach and parent experience by providing first-class educational resources to promote individual development.
Our membership encourages lifelong relationships between players and the game and encompasses the complete life cycle of an athlete.
The Alliance is a loyal supporter of professional softball and the USA National Team Program and will work with all associations for the betterment of the sport.
A Vision For The Future: Regional Member Leagues
Membership into The Alliance Fastpitch starts at the team level as teams register to play in one of the eight ‘Member Leagues’ of the Alliance.
Club directors, coaches, and event coordinators worked together to build the League platform to create purposeful play regionally. These regional youth leagues then came together under the umbrella of The Alliance Fastpitch to bring more consistency, accountability and nationwide structure. Our Member Leagues embody the spirit of collaboration and competition, where ‘rival’ clubs work together to meet the needs of their region and act as spokesmen for their region on a National level.
Alliance Member Leagues create a clear pathway to national championships for member teams through the Alliance Rating System and National Championship Qualification. All Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) berths must be earned through Member League play
Current member Leagues
Member Leagues organize eight regions across the country including the Atlantic Coast Fastpitch League, Heart of America Fastpitch League, Northeast Fastpitch League, Northwest Fastpitch League, Pacific Coast Fastpitch League, Rocky Mountain Fastpitch League, Southeastern Fastpitch League, and the Texas Fastpitch League.
The organized infrastructure allows for
Meaingful and organized competition across the region & nation
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Equal opportunites on and off the field
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A community for fastpitch athletes and coaches to share, learn and grow together
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An ecosystem for our sport to work together and grow resources
Alliance Fastpitch Individual Memberships
Once a coach registers his or her team for an Alliance Member League, then he or she will invite all athletes and coaches on their roster to 'Join the Alliance'.
Alliance Membership is required for all athletes and coaches participating in League Qualifiers and National Events including the Super Cup Series, AFCS, and Open Nationals. Alliance Membership is required for all Player Recognition honors including Player of the Month, All Tournament Teams, and individual awards.
Alliance Members receive exclusive discounts and access to our partners. They are invited to Members Only events and provided early access or discounted pricing.
See below for all Alliance Member Benefits for athletes and coaches.
Athlete Membership
The Alliance Athlete Membership brings together generations of athletes through our membership program that will provide our current youth athletes with access to exclusive content on the Famer App, resources, virtual and live events, and much more.
Coach Membership
The Alliance Coach Membership is an active network of youth softball coaches. All coaches (head coaches & assistant coaches) who coach for teams in Member Leagues will become an Alliance Member annually. This membership provides individual insurance, background checks, SafeSport education, exclusive access to Coach content on the Famer App, and a cohesive network of youth coaches who want to help each other along their coaching journey.