LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the Arkansas High School Fastpitch Coaches Association (AHSFCA) have partnered on a joint membership initiative, the NFCA announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The collaboration between the NFCA and Valley View High head coach Karen Sanders, an NFCA member since 2008 and the AHSFCA’s Executive Director, will allow coaches in the state of Arkansas to save time and money by making one payment to receive benefits from both associations. The goal of these partnerships is an ongoing NFCA effort to grow the sport.
“We're grateful to the NFCA and our NFCA High School Board representative, Kristi Williams, for paving the way and making this opportunity a reality for our organization,” Sanders said. “The AHSFCA is dedicated to growing the sport for both our coaches and players, and this partnership opens up abundant opportunities for everyone involved. We look forward to this new adventure.”
As part of the three-year arrangement between the two groups, participating coaches will get discounted access to a full array of NFCA online and in-person education, mentorship programs and awards, plus the opportunity to network with softball coaches of all membership groups. Coaches will also receive a one-time bonus of three NFCA educational courses — virtual NFCC course 401 (a $199 value) and the NFCA Pitching and Hitting Endorsement Bundles ($49 value each) — just for signing up.
"We welcome the Arkansas High School Fastpitch Coaches Association to our growing list of High School Joint Memberships!” NFCA Chief Executive Officer Carol Bruggeman said. “Thank you to one of our most invested members, Karen Sanders, for spearheading this collaborative initiative. With one annual payment, Arkansas coaches will receive both state and national educational, event and award opportunities. It's a 'win-win' for both coaches and student-athletes."
Two other state high school associations are currently participating in this innovative partnership program — Board rep Williams’ own Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association (MHSFCA) since 2022 and the Illinois Softball Coaches Association (ISCA) since 2023, thanks to Huntley High’s Mark Petryniec and Marengo Community High’s Dwain Nance. Collegiately, the NFCA has joint initiatives in place with the NJCAA, 3CFCA and NCSA.
State associations that would like to partner with the NFCA should email NFCA Director of Membership Paula Blumenschein at paula@nfca.org or NFCA High School Liaison Dave Hines at dave@nfca.org or call 502-409-4600 to discuss how an NFCA joint membership can be tailored to fit their group. Additional information is available online at https://nfca.org/joint-memberships.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded student-athlete awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of over 7,000 coaches today!
