Many parents have a belief that their daughter shouldn’t play fastpitch softball because they are not good enough or think that the pitching will be too fast for their daughter to hit.  That is far from the truth.  Fastpitch is no different for girls to play than it is for boys playing baseball.  Not many parents hesitate to start their son playing baseball at an early age and that should be the same for girls playing fastpitch. 

Don’t be afraid of the name “fastpitch”.   Girls do not need to have experience playing softball and we encourage anyone to give fastpitch a try.  They will learn the game and develop their skills as the season progresses.  Fastpitch is basically a faster paced version of slowpitch softball, with the main difference being pitchers use the “windmill” motion to pitch the ball and there is no required arc to the pitch like in slowpitch.  Girls start pitching in games at the 10U level and most of them are still learning how to pitch which means they are typically not throwing too hard.  Granted, there are some girls that have some speed to their pitch but there are not many at the 10U level.  Pitchers progressively get faster as they get more experience and it really starts to show at 12U and up.  The 8U level is much different and it’s more about learning the fundamentals of the game and getting ready for the 10U level.  Instead of players pitching, a mechanical pitching machine is used in all games.  Pitches are much more consistent with the machine which allows the girls to make more contact at the plate and in turn, helps the players in the field develop their defense skills.  Coaches from both teams are on the field during games to help instruct the girls on what to do as the game goes on.  8U is all about building player confidence and learning how to play. 

Another big difference between slowpitch and fastpitch is that players are allowed to bunt, lead off bases and steal, which makes for a much faster paced game.  None of this is allowed at the 8U level, but starts at 10U.   

NPGFA is committed to teaching the fundamentals of competitive fastpitch softball. We encourage girls of all skill levels to join at any level of play.  It doesn’t matter how old your daughter is and if she has never played any type of softball before.  Most girls who try fastpitch love it and continue playing year after year. 
 

8U Level

8U is an introduction to fastpitch softball for girls age 6-8 (6 year old girls must be in first grade)  At this level, girls will learn and work on the fundamentals of softball, including throwing, fielding, hitting and learning the rules of the game.  Players DO NOT pitch at 8U, instead the Louisville Slugger Blue Flame Pitching Machine is used.  Click HERE for a quick video.  The pitching machine allows for accurate and consistent pitches, which allows the girls to work on their hitting skills much easier than live pitching.  This also allows players out in the field to get plenty of balls hit to them to work on fielding, throwing and catching during live game situations.  During games, coaches from both teams can be out on the field to give the players guidance on what to do while running the bases and on defense.  Since 8U is a introductory level, there is no bunting, leading off base or stealing.  Those aspects of the game are introduced at the 10U level.