LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The NFCA is pleased to announce the addition of Colorado’s popular F.A.N.-tastic Fall High School Tournament to its growing lineup of endorsed high school softball events.
The rebranded NFCA F.A.N.-tastic Fall High School Leadoff Classic will be held for the first time with the Association’s name added on Aug. 22-23 in Fort Collins, Colo. Like last year’s 17-team event, the tournament will continue to be contested at Fossil Ridge and Rocky Mountain High Schools and the Triple Crown Sports headquarters, which are all within minutes of each other in the city of Fort Collins.
“We are thrilled to add the F.A.N.-tastic Fall High School Leadoff Classic to our growing number of NFCA High School Leadoff Tournaments,” NFCA CEO Carol Bruggeman said. “The NFCA supports softball at the high school level through education, awards and events. Partnering with Patty Harsch is a no-brainer, as everything she invests her time and energy into turns into success. We are excited to join forces with her to grow and celebrate softball in the state of Colorado."
The Female Athlete Network (The F.A.N.) works tirelessly to support the mission of providing opportunities for girls and women in sport year-round through volunteering and fundraising. For the past 17 years, its concentration in the fall has been a high school softball tournament that its Board and volunteers run in their Northern Colorado community, led by Event Director and Board Treasurer Lisa McVicker. The event has the support of the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), the local school district and high schools, as well as longtime NFCA Official Sponsor Triple Crown Sports.
“This year, we are so proud to announce that we're partnered with the NFCA in running this premium tournament, as our request to become one of the prestigious NFCA High School Leadoff Classic events has been granted!” beamed Harsch, Board President, The Female Athlete Network. “We extend our sincere gratitude to the NFCA leadership for this opportunity.”
“NFCA CEO Carol Bruggeman and I have had the good fortune of working on several projects together through our lifetimes of love for the game of softball, and this joint effort between our organizations is yet another such occasion. I speak for each member of our F.A.N. Board of Directors when I say that we believe in the NFCA mission of supporting fastpitch softball coaches and advancing the sport, and that our NFCA F.A.N.-tastic Fall High School Leadoff Classic event is in perfect alignment with that mission.”
The NFCA F.A.N.-tastic Fall High School Leadoff Classic is now one of four Association-endorsed high school events, which includes the NFCA Texas High School Leadoff Classic on Feb. 13-15 in Bryan and College Station, Texas, the NFCA Nor Cal Leadoff Classic on April 24-26 in Tracy, Calif., and the NFCA Kaiti Williams Memorial Leadoff Classic on Sept. 5-6 in Papillion, Neb.
Among the requirements to be an endorsed tournament, is an event adding “NFCA” to its title and having head coaches who are active NFCA members across at least 75 percent of its tournament field. Head coaches who are joining the NFCA for the first time receive a 50 percent discount on their first year of membership.
Tournaments wishing to have their event endorsed by the Association can reach out to NFCA High School Liaison Dave Hines at dave@nfca.org or visit the NFCA Leadoff Classics page at NFCA.org for additional details and requirements.
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded coaches polls and All-America 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.
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