Triple Crown, Alliance Fastpitch form partnership for 2021 season and beyond

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — In an exciting evolution for the world of youth softball, The Alliance Fastpitch’s slate of national championship events in 2021 will include a 10u/12u event scheduled for late July to be produced by Triple Crown Sports, a longtime leader and visionary in the fastpitch arena.

The Alliance Fastpitch, formed in summer 2020, has established six regional leagues, where member teams accrue points toward qualifying for a championship run in age groups 10u through 18u in two tiers that are determined by competitive level. Triple Crown will execute multiple regional league events as well as the 10u/12u Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series, July 26-31, 2021, in the southern California area including Riverside, Chino Hills and West Covina. 10U/12U AFCS Event Page

Here is an in-progress list of tournaments Triple Crown will produce where teams can earn Alliance points (more events could be added in 2021):

Spring Stampede, May 8-9 (Northern Colorado, RMFL)

Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-31 (Northern Colorado, RMFL)

Zoom Into June, June 10-13 (Southern California, PCFL)

Mountain Magic, June 10-13 (Steamboat Springs, CO, RMFL)

Texas State Championships, June 11-13 (Dallas, TX, TFL)

Valley Invite, June 18-20 (Portland, OR, PCFL)

Additionally, Triple Crown will provide event and marketing support for the RMFL Super Regionals where top finishers in all ages will earn a berth to the AFCS.

The Alliance Fastpitch was established in the wake of 2020’s disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an eye to bringing together competitive teams in a regional setting, cutting down on travel while still providing growth opportunities for players and coaches. Two other national fastpitch event providers, USA Softball and USSSA, will produce certain regional league tournaments as well as national championship events in the other age groups.

The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series will rotate between the three event providers, with Triple Crown hosting the 14u finals in 2022 and the 16u/18u event in 2023, then back to 10u/12u in 2024, all on the West Coast.

“The Alliance Fastpitch was built upon the core values of purposeful play and collaboration in the industry,” said Alliance Fastpitch Executive Director Jami Lobpries. “We are honored and excited about this partnership with Triple Crown Sports as they bring a wealth of experience and professionalism in hosting great events throughout the country. This partnership exemplifies the desire to work together and leverage our best resources to provide a better experience for our athletes. We look forward to a long partnership at the league and national level.”

Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for nearly 40 years and has a coast-to-coast presence in youth softball. TCS runs the Colorado 4th of July event, which draws close to 900 teams in a typical year, as well as the TC Nationals, a highly competitive national championship tournament slated for July 2021 in southern California.

“This is the right time for fresh thinking about youth softball, and Triple Crown Sports is pleased to join Alliance Fastpitch in this effort to grow the sport and add value to each tournament,” said Triple Crown CEO Keri King. “With nearly 40 years of experience, we know our dedicated and talented staff will deliver for Alliance Fastpitch teams in both the regional and national arenas.”

About Triple Crown Sports

Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for more than 38 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017.  Triple Crown’s PV College Challenge features more than 10 of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. TC fastpitch tournaments (including the 900-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes.  TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 750-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 650 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.

Follow Triple Crown Sports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and visit our website www.triplecrownsports.com.

About Alliance Fastpitch

Founded in 2020, the Alliance Fastpitch is a cohesive network of regional softball leagues, teams, coaches, athletes and parents. The six Member Leagues within the Alliance Fastpitch include the Pacific Coast Fastpitch League, Heart of America Fastpitch League, Northeast Fastpitch League, Rocky Mountain Fastpitch League, Southeastern Fastpitch League and Texas Fastpitch League. These Leagues provide a purpose of play to existing events with a point structure and ranking system that seed teams into regional League Championships and creates a defined post-season pathway to the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series. Membership in the Alliance Fastpitch benefits athletes and coaches on and off the field with a goal of creating a community and delivering resources to enhance athlete and coach development on and off the field.

Follow The Alliance Fastpitch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube and visit our website www.thealliancefastpitch.com.