National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) announced today that the 2005 National Tryout would be held on Saturday, December 4, 2004 from 9 a.m-2 p.m. PDT at Desert Bloom Field (8405 S. Maryland Parkway) in Las Vegas, Nev.
Team representatives from all eight NPF teams will be on hand searching for the best fastpitch talent to invite to spring training in May. The tryout will again be held in conjunction with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) national convention, which will also host the 2005 NPF Senior Draft, Sunday, December 5 at 6:00 p.m.
All interested women’s fastpitch players who are at least 21 years of age (no later than 5/1/05), and have completed their collegiate fastpitch softball eligibility at a four-year college or university are encouraged to register for the invitation only tryouts. Tryout registrants will be reviewed based on their application materials and an invitation to participate will be sent to only those athletes who qualify.
Players must be prepared to demonstrate a wide variety of skills including, but not limited to, hitting, fielding and base running. All equipment, with the exception of a personal glove, bat, cleats and catcher’s gear, will be provided.
All tryout materials, including the $60 pre-registration fee, must be received in the NPF office no later than November 19, 2004. On-site registration will not be allowed at this year’s tryout.
NPF athletes are gifted athletes who possess great softball skills and present a resume of outstanding softball accomplishments including, but not limited to the following: collegiate All-American, conference MVP, leader in one or more NCAA statistical categories, U.S. National Team or Olympian.
Most NPF players have the educational background to pursue other careers in the off-season or after their playing days are over. That education also allows for a certain level of sophistication and judgment that serves them well in negotiating endorsement deals, interacting with fans and dealing with the media.
Current NCAA athletes should keep in mind that if they participate in a professional tryout, even if unsuccessful, they risk the loss of amateur status and the loss of current or future collegiate softball scholarship opportunities.
To find additional information about NPF players, the game, the season, spectators & media, team staff, etc. visit the FAQ section of the NPF website.
Please read all of the forms completely! If you are having difficulty downloading the registration materials in PDF, the materials can be mailed or faxed to you by emailing a request to Danielle Cox at daniellec@profastpitch.com.
NPF, the world’s premier professional fastpitch softball league for women, consists of six teams located throughout the United States and features former USA Softball Women’s National Team members, collegiate All-Americans and all-conference selections. The 2004 season featured the inaugural NPF All-Star Game, the first-ever NPF Championship Semifinal and the first NPF Championship Game.
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Denver, and has been in operation since 1997 under the names Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL).
