wny travel softball teams

Season: 2023-2024 2022-2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019 2017-2018 2016-2017

Our Training Facility:

USSSA NY Pride Girls Softball

A Huge Congratulations to the girls from, USSSA New York Pride blue, for winning the USSSA Great Lakes Nationals in Michigan. Finishing the Tournament 8-1!

We are National Champions!!!

July 9, 2023

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Blue 14u team for winning the championship at the Big Red Blast in Mentor Ohio! Going 6-0 on the weekend! Excellent job Ladies and Coaches!

Congratulations to the sizzling red hot USSSA NY Pride Green 14u team on capturing another championship today, winning Lou Gehrig Gold 14u division in their summer classic. Excellent representation and class as always. Excellent job ladies and coaches!

Congratulations to 14U Blue on winning the Lancaster Coca Cola classic Gold Division Championship!!Great job Ladies and Coaches !!!

Congratulations to Jessie Eagan , 18u Teal ,on her commitment to NCCC. Well done Jessie!

Congratulations to Megan Galbraith , 18u Teal, on her commitment to Buffalo State College. Great job Megan!

Congratulations to Alexis Glemb on her commitment to NCCC. Good luck Alexis we are all proud of you!

Congratulations to 12u Maroon on an impressive Sahlen's second session. Congratulations Girls and Coaches!

Congratulations 12u Navy on an impressive Sahlen's second session. Nice job girls and coaches!

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Teal 18u for double dipping Pride style and winning two tournaments in one weekend. It is truly a pleasure watching this team year to year succeed and get stronger and stronger. Nice job again Ladies and Coaches!!

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Teal 18u on capturing the Cabin Fever II tournament in Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania, late last night. Excellent job Ladies and Coaches.

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Navy 12u on winning the Winter Thaw tournament in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Excellent job girls and coaches!

Congratulations to USSSA Pride Green for capturing First place in the New years bash at the Wyoming valley sports dome in Pa. Congratulations to USSSA Pride Blue on first place at New years blast at Thiel College. Finally Congrats to USSSA Pride Magenta on capturing second place in the New years bash 16u. Great Pride weekend of softball. Excellent job girls and coaches.

Congratulations Tatiana!! Go get 'em!!

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Green for winning the 14u Monster Mash in Sandusky, Ohio. Awesome job Girls and Coaches.

Congratulations  to 12u Pride Maroon for winning the Orchard Park tournament Gold Division . Great job girls!

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Teal 18u for winning the USA Showcase in Lancaster, Pa. Great job ladies and coaches!!

Congratulations to USSSA Pride Blue - Clark  on

first place in New Years Blast at Thiel College. Playing up at 16u!

Congratulations to USSSA Pride Green - Adamo

for capturing First place in the

New years bash at the Wyoming valley sports dome in Pa.

Congratulations to USSSA Pride Magenta - McCune

on capturing second place in the New years bash 16u.

Thank You!! to everyone that participated in our Fall Frenzy 2021

Summer tournaments to be announced soon

2021/2022 Tryouts are completed, please contact us for any private tryouts

Tryouts Link on left

Attending 1st day of tryouts, Aug 9th, is recommended. Attending more than 1 date is optional.

August 9th - August 14th

Levels: 7/8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 18U, and Open

Sports Performance Park (Eastern Hills Mall) 4545 Transit Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221

Tryouts for the 2021-2022 season will be Aug 9th - August 13th at SPP from 6:00-8:30pm (registration will be at 5:30pm) for all levels.  There will also be a tryout on Saturday, August 14th.  Saturday's registration will be at 9:00am with tryouts starting at 9:30.  Please use the link on left sidebar to register your daughter(s).  If your daughter is a current player with Pride, click the appropriate link and follow the directions.  Best of luck to all the girls trying out.

For an individual tryout, at any age level, please contact Scott Zak, Program Director, at (716) 864-8009 or by email to [email protected]; [email protected] .

Congratulations to USSSA NY Pride Teal - Eagan, for winning the USSSA Great Lakes National Championships!

Congratulations Brionna Russell, from NY Pride Yellow - 18u Alguire, on your commitment to Hilbert College!!

Congratulations Alexis Alguire, from NY Pride Yellow - 18u Alguire, on your commitment to Medaille College!!

Congratulations Gabby Rodriguez, from NY Pride White - 18u Graczyk, on your commitment to Niagara University!!

Congratulations Rachel Scharf, from NY Pride Yellow - 18u Alguire, on your commitment to Houghton College!!

Register today, link on the menu bar under  Tournaments

Congratulations aubrie swaenepoel,from ny pride white - 18u graczyk, on your commitment to fairmont state university, in west virginia, congratulations ally beardi, from ny pride white -18u graczyk, on your commitment to d'youville college, congratulations sophia graczyk, from ny pride white -18u graczyk, on your commitment to buffalo state college, congratulations samantha dzierba, from ny pride crimson -16u stewart, on your commitment to allegheny college, congratulations abbey roeser, from ny pride red -open zak, on your commitment to canisius college, congratulations emily przybysz, from ny pride white -18u graczyk, on your commitment to d'youville college, congratulations ella susi, from ny pride white -18u graczyk, on your commitment to buffalo state college, congratulations gianna adamo on your commitment to d'youville college, a huge congratulations goes out to 18u red zak, for winning the 2020 usssa eastern national championships .

They went 8-0 for the Tournament! Avi Peterson was presented the Offensive MVP! Taylor Albert was presented the Defensive MVP! Madi Balk was presented the Pitching MVP, as well as, the overall tournament MVP!  A special congratulations goes out to Coach Scott Zak and Coach Brian Smith.  And to the 3 Original Pride girls, Athena Zak, Avi Peterson and Taryn Smith. Great job Pride! You make us all proud!

Congratulations Alexia Rose on your commitment to Medaille College!!

Congratulations mckenna smith on her commitment to hilbert college, big congratulations to 18u red zak for their second place finish at usssa nationals in east hartford, ct. way to represent us ladies #prideproud, congratulations to 14u red stewart on their 4th place finish at usssa nationals east in salisbury , md . the team also won the team sportsmanship award., congratulations to 14u red stewart on winning the west seneca magic tournament.

Congratulations to 14u Red Dobosh on winning the Cayuga Fall Frenzy Gold Championship!!

Congratulations to 16u Red Johnson on their second place finish at Hamburg NSA's

Congratulations to 14u red stewart on their second place finish at usssa flower city invitational.

Congratulations to 14u Red Stewart on their Evans tournament 2019 Championship!

Congratulations to 12u red Dobosh on winning the shine by the shore tournament in Erie, PA

Saluting the Pride O.G.'s that have been around since DAY 1  , Thank you Athena Zak, Jessi Clark, Taryn Smith, Avianna Peterson, & Rachel Makowski for helping build Pride to the Powerhouse it is today!!

Congratulations to 18u red for finishing second in the gold bracket in usssa go for the glory in ashburn, virginia, congratulations to 12u red dobosh on their second place finish at usssa flower city invitational.

Congratulations to 18u red Zak on back to back second place finishes in Love the game 1 and 3 in Wilkes Barre, Pa

Congratulations to both 18u Red Zak and 18u White Frappa on both winning Championships in Hits for the heart 1 and 3 respectively in Wilkes- Barre, Pa !!!!

Congratulations to 18u red zak on a double tournament win weekend taking both the winter whiteout 1 & 2 at wilkes- barre, pa, congratulations to 14u blue eagan on winning the winter smash event at pinnacle dome in rochester, congratulations to 14u blue eagan on winning the indoor blast tournament in wilkes- barre pa, congratulations 14u red stewart and 14u blue stewart who finished 1st and 2nd respectively at pinnacle's fastpitch frenzy, congratulations 18u red zak for going 7-0 to take the usssa ohio fastpitch fall finale in columbus ohio.

welcome to WESTERN NEW YORK'S

PREMIER SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION 

Who Are We?

Home of Western New York’s premier softball teams. Our program provides the most comprehensive training, development and recruiting for college bound athletes. 

New York Diamond Girls Softball incorporates the "best of the best" in amateur softball in Western New York and Southern Ontario. 

Training Facilities

Members have access to:

• 485 Cayuga Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14225
• 2049 George Urban Blvd, Depew NY, 14043
• Training & Development Programs

Development / Recruiting

New York Diamond Girls Softball provides the best opportunities for advancement to the next level of amateur softball under one roof.

• Instructional Camps & Clinics
• Interactive Recruiting Website 
• Recruiting Program and Profile Development
• College Showcase Tournaments
• Gold Team Opportunities

THANK YOU TO OUR Tier 1 Sponsors

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Welcome to the Wildfire!

Our mission

Player information, parent/guardian information, let’s work together.

• [email protected]
• (716) 799-2084

WNY’s Elite

Youth travel baseball softball programs.

Our goal at Athletics Baseball/Softball is to provide a clean, positive environment for kids to excel in. We provide the best off season program in western New York giving our athletes the best opportunity to succeed on the field. 

The only thing that’s better than a home run is a grand slam!

Western New York's all-inclusive Premier Travel organizations.

Take your game to the next level with out small class size clinics

At 16 Athletics we believe the only way to take your game to the next level is to be trained by the very best in Western New York. Our Staff is all College coaches or have played pro ball.

If you are ready to take your game to the next level, were here to help. Fill out our private and confidential tryout form today.

Stay in the game with the latest Athletics baseball/softball gear

It’s not how you win the game, it’s how you make memories.

Our Mission at Athletics Travel baseball/softball is to provide a safe, clean and positive environment for the kids to work in. We want our kids to learn and develop the skills it takes to be successful on the baseball/softball field, the classroom and in life. Our mission is to teach the benefits of competitive sports and allow our teams to play at a high level.

Register to play for Athletics travel baseball/softball

The only thing that stands between us and victory is ourselves..

Join Wester New York’s Elite travel organizations. We are a private all-inclusive program

Come see our state-of-the-art facilities. We believe that’s what sets us apart from every other program in Western New York. With the best trainers available to you in our area there’s no need to go any where else.  

It’s not about how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving.

716-799-2084

Join Our Family

Fill out the form to to start your baseball/softball journey

Elevate Your Game with 16 Athletics!

Get in touch.

• 2010 Connecticut Ave Niagara Falls, NY 14305
• 16 Athletics
• Training Package
• Tournaments

• 23rd Annual Coca-Cola Classic Tournament
• Calendar of Events
• Report Your Results
• Walk of Fame
• Ponytail Scholarship Award
• Meeting Schedule
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• League Manual 2018
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• Order Heat Apparel
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• Heat Travel Softball

Do you LOVE SOFTBALL?

Would you like to play competitive Travel Fast-Pitch softball more than 2 months per year?

Are you interested in playing in 5 or more softball tournaments each year and league play with other Travel teams from Western New York?

Do you want to further develop your skill as a fast-pitch softball player?

Come join us for Travel Team Try-Outs for the Lancaster-Depew Ponytails HEAT

Try-out Dates

Monday, August 7 th  12U Try-outs

Tuesday, August 8 th  14U Try-outs

Wednesday, August 9 th 16U & 18U Try-outs

Thursday, August 10 th  10U Try-outs

Friday, August 11 th  12U & 14U Try-outs

Monday, August 14 th  16U & 18U Try-outs

Tuesday, August 15 th  12U & 14U Try-outs

Wednesday, August 16 th  10U Try-outs

Come to Walden Ponds Park Diamonds on East Side of Park

Order your Heat gear here!

2017 heat travel teams.

NEW!!  Click the button above to view, cancel or schedule your concession spot.

YONKERS BLAZE TRAVEL SOFTBALL

yonkers blaze

ELITE TRAVEL softball team OF WESTCHESTER

IGNITING THE BLAZE

Founded in 2016, The Blaze is a highly competitive travel softball team built to fill a need for Yonkers—the  third largest city in New York State and the surrounding Westchester area.

We field 8U, 10U, and 12U travel teams, selecting girls from across Westchster and sending them on to win tournaments throughout New York.

Our mission is heavily focused on building softball fundamentals, leadership, and integrity.  We have a team-centered philosophy, while we have fun and challenge everyone. 

Upon joining the team, each player's abilities are assessed i n order to  individually enhance their defensive and offensive skills, helping them reach their highest potential.

FIELDING westchester Area Girls 8U 10u 12U 

"Yonkers Blaze focuses on the fundamentals with great hitting training. My daughter now hits a fast ball with confidence!"

"Coach Madison is great with the parents and a terrific role model to the kids."

THIS SATURDAY! Spring tryouts for travel & tournament teams

Seeking and empowering talented girls ages 6-14 for 8U, 10U & 12U squads

Saturday, March 9, 7:30-9:00AM. If you cannot make this date, please contact us .

A Game Sports, an indoor sports facility at 856 Main Street in Rochelle, New York, 10801.

Tryouts are free!

What's Next

This is a spring - summer 2024 season commitment from April - July. 

Join a fun, competitive, and exceptionally well-coached team! Bring home the medals while developing offensive and defensive skills, increasing endurance, and improving overall physical fitness.

The Blaze on fire

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• Tournaments
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Softball is a complex sport, standing on the mound facing your opponent and you're thinking who is her coach? Does she have one? Inside or Outside? High or Low? What is going through the batter's mind? Is she focused? Are her mechanics correct? Is that fence looking closer and closer every game? 

If you want to improve you need to work hard and work smart.  But who is out there and how do they stack up?  We are not here to post recruiting videos or promise you a D1 scholarship. We are here to locate a WNY coach for you, you need to do the rest.  If you have had a great experience or a rough one let everyone know.

Stop by again right now the cranes are humming and we are busy constructing the site.

The Ultimate Parent’s Guide to Travel Softball Teams | Everything You Need to Know

March 14, 2023

48 min read

If your young daughter plays fastpitch, at some point you’ll hear the debate around travel softball. 

Certain parents will tell you that your child should start playing travel ball as soon as possible. Others will tell you to avoid it completely. 

The decision to join a club softball team is a big one for your daughter and for the rest of your family, with many factors to consider. 

If you have questions about travel ball, you’ll find answers in this comprehensive guide, which covers:

•  How travel ball differs from recreational softball
• How travel ball works
• The pros and cons of both travel and recreational softball
• What to consider when making the switch
• How to find and tryout for a fastpitch travel team
• How much does travel softball really cost?

# How Does Rec Ball Differ from Travel Softball?

Fastpitch softball competition is split between recreational leagues and travel ball. 

Recreational, commonly referred to as “rec ball” is usually run by Little League Softball or other local organizations. 

The focus of rec ball is on having fun and teaching players the fundamentals of the game. 

The tryouts in rec ball are to ensure that talent is as evenly distributed amongst the league’s teams as possible in the name of fairness – and everyone makes a team if they register for the league. 

The rec season runs in the spring, from March to May, and games take place locally at a predetermined set of fields during the regular season.  

As a parent, you can usually expect a commitment of two games per week and maybe one or two practices. 

Typically, the cost is around $100, and teams are organized around age-based divisions for players ranging from 4 to 16 years old. 

# Travel Softball

Travel softball differs from rec ball in a few important ways. 

A big one is that club teams hold pass-fail tryouts, selecting and organizing players based on skill. Players without the requisite skills will not be offered a spot on the team. 

Such teams usually also travel to other cities or out of state to compete, hence the name “travel ball.” 

Organizations like the USSSA, the American Softball Association (ASA), Triple Crown, and the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) host tournaments all across the country for travel ball teams year-round. 

While not every team plays all year long, travel ball still lets your child play a lot more softball than they would in rec ball. 

Club softball costs significantly more than rec ball as well, ranging from $500 to $5000 for yearly player fees. 

# How Travel Softball Teams Work

The structure of a travel softball season differs quite a bit from rec ball. 

In rec ball, you play against the same teams throughout the season, at the same local parks, often practice 1-2 days per week, and play a single game on the weekend. 

In addition to being year-round, travel softball includes tournaments, more weekly practices, possible expectations that they’ll procure weekly 1:1 training sessions, along with attending weekend friendlies, scrimmages, or league play. 

Let’s break a few of these things down individually.

# Fastpitch Travel Tournaments

Fastpitch travel teams usually play in tournaments, as many as every weekend in the summer. Some teams play in fall and spring tournaments as well. 

Weekend tournaments guarantee between 5-10 games total, depending on how well your team performs. 

They start either Friday night or Saturday morning with “seed” play or pool play. After 3-4 games of seed play to determine your rank, bracket play starts. 

Most tournaments are double-elimination in bracket play. 

And winners of the tournament usually get a prize like small trophies or medals – but they can also earn teams so-called “berths” to compete in larger national championship tournaments. 

Berths are like special invitation tickets that grant travel softball teams admission to the biggest and most competitive stages in the game. 

That said, instead of weekend affairs, some tournaments are weeklong onslaughts with 1-5 games per day. 

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# Practices and Training Sessions for Travel Softball

Travel softball requires more time both on and off the field. 

Your daughter will play in more games, but she’ll also spend more time at practices and might even be expected to have individual private lessons, group clinics, or training sessions. 

If she’s playing at an elite level, then putting in extra work will feel essential to keep up with her teammates and competition. 

Practices can become fewer during tournament season, but training ramps up in the winter season. 

To be a high-level competitor in travel ball, most parents and coaches these days would lament the reality that there's no real break from the game. 

# Travel ball League Play

Finally, your travel team might sign up for a league. 

Essentially, some large cities host weeknight games or double-headers for club teams in the area to compete in. 

These leagues differ from rec softball because the teams are more competitive. They’re also more common in large urban centers where more teams are likely to be based. 

If your club team is from a small town, then you may not play in one of these leagues. Or you might travel further to play in one. 

To be clear, these league games are usually in addition to the weekend tournaments previously explained. 

# What Are You Committing To with Travel Softball?

One of the biggest differences between rec ball and travel ball is the time commitment. 

You and your daughter should be ready to spend a great deal of your time on softball once you sign up for a travel team. 

As you can see by now, travel ball encompasses more than just some tournaments. When people say it’s a lifestyle, you should take them at their word. 

Not condoning or condemning here – these are just the current realities on the ground. 

And if she’s serious about playing softball and dreams of competing in college ball, these are sacrifices she’ll almost inevitably be expected to make. 

Travel softball teams also bring a financial burden. 

If you’re spending more money on fees, equipment, uniforms, travel, or other softball-related expenses, that’s less you can spend on your daughter’s other activities. 

It might also mean less material things like video games, new smartphones, or new street clothes. 

So unless you are very well-off, both you and your daughter must be willing to accept some trade-offs to play club softball at an elite level. 

Of course, these realities can affect the financial decisions of your entire family. 

Let’s detail the pros and cons of both rec and travel softball, so you can more easily make an informed decision about signing your daughter up for club ball or not.

# The Pros and Cons of Rec Softball

• Emphasis on learning – With Little League/recreational leagues, everyone who signs up gets to play on a team. The focus is on learning the game and developing values like sportsmanship and leadership. Coaches will also let girls play at different positions so they can figure out what they’re good at and what they like best. 
• Stay local – If your daughter plays on a rec team, you won’t have to travel more than 30 miles from your town. Even in small cities, they try to organize leagues so that travel is minimal.  If you’d rather allocate your budget to family vacations than to transportation and hotels for softball, then rec ball may be more suited to your family.
• Less expensive – Rec ball is significantly less expensive than club softball. Although fees vary by region, the average is around $100 for a season, which includes a uniform.  Sometimes, coaches will even provide all the necessary equipment for their players.  In most cases, though, you might have to buy your child the right softball gear, which will increase the yearly spend to between $100-500 – depending on exactly what you decide to buy and how well her equipment held up the year before.
• Lower competition – Since anyone that wants to is allowed to play, there’s no filter for competition. Coaches and umpires are usually volunteers, who may have little experience within the game. Many players who want to improve and hone their softball skills to an elite level won’t be able to do so if they continue playing rec ball into high school.
• Less organization – Although not the case for all recreational leagues, some tend to be poorly organized. The entire league might be run by volunteers or city employees with no background administering youth sports. Poor organization can lead to fewer opportunities for your daughter to play, like if games get double-booked or canceled unexpectedly.
• Fewer games – You play fewer games in a season of rec softball than with a club team. The total is about 20 games, not counting weather cancellations. Fewer games mean less exposure and slower rates of skill development. If your kid loves softball and wants to play as much as possible, it might be time to move up to the more involved club teams. 

# The Pros and Cons of Travel Softball

• Better competition – For players who want to improve to an elite level, challenge themselves, and be part of a hard-working team, travel ball may be the way to go. With travel ball, kids learn the importance of bettering oneself for the sake of greater team success. They also face other elite players, making them more prepared to play at the collegiate level.
• More games – If your child can’t get enough of softball, then travel ball might be perfect for her. Travel softball affords many more opportunities to play and develop, even if you have to sit on the bench sometimes. And for the amount of money you invest in club softball, you can expect a decent number of games.
• Opportunity to travel – Some might view the travel aspect as a hindrance, but it can also be an opportunity. For some kids, the chance to venture outside their city or state could be a great way for them to become inspired. 
• Costly – We’ll get into the details of these costs below, but after reading this.  Suffice it to say, you will want to make sure that both you and your daughter clearly understand the commitment you’re making to playing travel softball.
• Missing out – In addition to costing money, travel will cost you valuable time. Your kid could miss out on social or school events. You, too, could miss out on work or extended family events by spending all your free time driving your daughter to tournaments and practices.  Many of the parents who can cover the financial curveballs that travel softball hurls at them, will be tempted to breeze past this warning. But it is worth serious consideration. 
• Difficulty level – Although your child might want to play travel ball, you should be realistic about her current skill level.  Travel softball teams are full of elite, competitive players who are often targeting college softball and its scholarships.  If your kid doesn’t have the same abilities but ends up on a highly competitive team, she may quickly fall behind, see less playing time, and become discouraged with the sport.  But the good news is that within travel ball, there is an entire spectrum of teams with varying levels of skill and expectations.  So part of the team or organizational selection on your end is being realistic as to where your daughter is now, while creating a plan and setting goals to help get her where she wants to be in a year, 2 years, or 5 years from now.  

# A Middle Ground Between Rec Ball and Elite Travel Ball

It’s worth mentioning that travel softball teams are split up into categories based on both age and skill level. 

For age brackets, there’s 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U. 

Additionally, there are often “A,” “B,” and “C” levels for each age group. The “A” teams are the most competitive, the “C” teams are playing more for fun, and “B” teams fall somewhere in the middle.

So it’s possible for your daughter to play travel ball without facing steep levels of competition. Many “B” and “C” teams form to give kids a chance to play more softball than they would with a rec league. 

These teams focus less on college recruiting outreach and chasing softball scholarships and more on building character. 

Teams like these might play only in summer tournaments instead of year-round. And since they play fewer games, they require less time commitment, and there are fewer associated fees. 

Although these lower-tier teams are still considered “travel” softball teams, they might only or mostly play in local tournaments. 

Less serious club teams are a great middle-ground for girls who want more competition and playing time than rec ball offers, but who don’t want to commit to continuing to play in college softball. 

They’re also ideal for parents who’d rather invest less time and money in their child’s softball – so your daughter and your family can focus on other meaningful endeavors – but want more organized structure than rec ball.

# Should You Switch from Rec Ball to Travel Ball?

Whether or not you switch from rec ball to travel ball is up to you and your daughter. 

It’s truly an entire family decision. No blanket solution exists to suit everyone. And there’s also no particular best age for switching. 

The smartest thing you can do is continue on the path of research that led you to this article. 

Reading other parents’ experiences with travel ball versus rec ball on message boards and forums can be particularly enlightening. Their impressions might give you an insight into the sport you hadn’t thought of. 

Another great way to research travel softball is by word-of-mouth. 

Are there teams in your area? Can you get in contact with that team’s parents and ask them for advice? 

Sometimes the decision to try out for a club team is based on availability. 

If there are no travel teams in your area, you could join one out of town. This practice is actually much more common than you might think. 

For example, many elite, Hawaii-residing softball players will fly in and play for travel teams in places like California or Texas during tournament season. But, for most, doing so means driving or flying long distances for both practices and tournaments. 

Indeed, many softball parents will tell you that their decision about travel ball is based on circumstances. The location, budget, and presence of teams will all be factors in this decision-calculus. 

The most important factor, however, is your daughter’s interest in playing travel ball. 

If she’s willing to set aside other parts of her life for softball and wants a challenging environment to improve her game, then she should play some form of travel ball. 

Make sure both you and your daughter understand the time and effort that go into travel softball. Go over the pros and cons of club ball together, so you’re both informed. 

Once you and your child are clear about what you want, then you can make an informed decision.

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# how to find a fastpitch softball travel team.

Say you’ve weighed your options and discussed it with your child. You’ve both decided she should play travel ball. 

Now how do you go about finding a team? 

And what things should you look for in a travel softball team?

# Where to Look for Travel Softball Organizations

As mentioned, word-of-mouth is a great way to start your search for teams. Ask parents you know about travel teams in your area. 

If you live somewhere with a high concentration of softball clubs, like southern California, personal recommendations can come especially in handy. 

If you don’t know anyone involved in travel softball, then you can look online. Big organizations in your area will likely come up in a search engine, and this is a great way to find teams. 

But not every team has a website – or one that’s really optimized for search – so many won’t show up in search results. 

However, all teams that play in USSSA, ASA, Triple Crown, and NAFA must register with the organization. As a result, these websites might have directories of teams in your area. 

USSSA is a particularly great resource for this. You can use these online searches as a jumping-off point for finding a team, especially if there are a lot of them in your area. 

For cities and towns less inundated with travel teams, joining Facebook groups dedicated to travel softball is a great way to find recommendations. 

You could also search for a given team or travel organization’s Facebook page or Instagram profile, as nearly all will have these updated regularly even if they don’t have an official website. 

And social media posts from such accounts will often have the most accurate and real-time information about tryouts and team openings – such as, “Looking for a 2025 catcher”.

A final resource worth checking out is HeyBucket . There you will find tryout postings for most of the travel softball organizations around the country, along with a robust forum filled with parents and coaches discussing all things travel ball.

# Travel Softball Team Tryouts

If you want to join a travel softball team, you can expect to go through tryouts first. For teams that want to play in summer tournaments, tryouts can be held as early as the preceding August. 

At this time of the year, players are still fresh from their summer season, so ideally, they’ll perform their best at tryouts. Fall tryouts also give teams a chance to work out over the winter and coordinate fundraising efforts. 

# What Can You Expect at Travel Softball Tryouts

At tryouts, you can expect a 2-4 hour session similar to a practice. The coaches will introduce themselves and ask your daughter to do so as well. 

Travel coaches do this partly because they want to gauge your daughter’s confidence and maturity levels. 

This is especially important for teams focused on college recruiting, because these experienced coaches know that these same traits can make a player more or less attractive to college scouts. 

And their job as competitive travel coaches, aside from guiding her performance development, is convincing such scouts – who will eventually interact with your daughter – that she’s a great fit for their program.  

After introductions, the athletes will go through static stretches, movement-prep drills, and throw. 

Next, they’ll either start with offensive or defensive drills or live situations. 

Coaches will also want to assess your daughter’s baserunning. If she’s a pitcher or catcher, she will be asked to showcase these skills. 

Typically, tryouts are structured as stations, with girls moving from one station to the another. 

Encourage your daughter to always do her best at tryouts and hustle continuously without pause. 

Coaches at these tryouts are evaluating her attitude and work ethic as much as her softball abilities. If she makes a mistake, tell her – beforehand, not during – to just shrug it off and move on to the next rep.

# Warning to Parents During Fastpitch Travel Tryouts

You might have caught that less-than-subtle recommendation not to call out to your daughter in any way during a travel ball tryout. 

That’s because the truth is that for competitive travel ball teams, you as parents are also trying out in a way. Again, this is most true for college recruitment-age teams.

Coaches are always on the lookout for red flags from parents. 

Professional coaches also notice if your daughter looks to you in the stands directly after making a mistake during a tryout.

To them, this bad habit hints at both a lack of confidence on her part and a potentially toxic sports parent relationship, where she’s only doing this to please you and not because she herself loves the sport. 

For many travel ball coaches, such observed behaviors can lead to your daughter not making the team. 

In the interest of blunt honesty, if your daughter truly has top-percentile talent, such parent red flags may be willfully ignored at the younger levels of travel ball play. 

However, no matter how much potential your daughter possesses, these issues will become more of a problem at the older, recruitable 14U-18U ages, for reasons alluded to earlier. 

After asking about your daughter’s Rapsodo analytics metrics, GPA, SAT, and attitude tendencies, the very next question that all college coaches will ask your travel coach is “How are the parents?”

The travel ball coach has to tell the whole truth at this moment or risk losing their trusted reputation earned by years of hard work and relationship-building. 

Travel coaches know the truth will come out eventually – college coaches are often even more conscious, observant, and disqualifying in response to the red flags we listed – and not many travel coaches are going to be willing to lose face by lying.  

If your daughter is still within that 8U to 12U age range, this section is still worth heeding early. Stop bad habits on both your parts before they start. 

# How to Choose the Right Travel Softball Team for Your Daughter

There are eight major things you should keep in mind during your travel ball team selection:

# 1. Coaching style

How does the coach relate to the players and parents? Does the coach have experience playing or coaching softball, and at what level?

Do the coaches emphasize instruction, winning, or a combination of both?

The coaching style will have a big impact on your daughter’s experience with a travel ball team, so choose wisely.

As we’ve already discussed, cost is an unignorable factor in travel softball. Ask about a breakdown of fees up front.

Coaches should know how much everything on their side will cost before the season starts, so you’ll have a good idea of what you’re paying.

Look at what you get for your money – are uniforms and equipment or additional training opportunities included? Are tournament fees extra?

Keep in mind also that you’ll have to pay your own travel expenses in addition to whatever fees the team requires.

# 3. Structure

How is their season structured? Does the team play tournaments year-round or only in the summer? Which tournaments will the team play in?

At younger ages, staying closer to home for tournaments is ideal – your daughter can still learn and compete and you can save your money for when she’s more serious about softball, closer to college-age.

Traveling long distances to the most elite travel ball tournaments in the country will eventually be necessary if she’s interested in playing D1, though.

When thinking about the organization of the team you should also look into their practice schedule and winter workouts.

Off-season training sessions are when your daughter will build upon her skills the most, so these practices are vital for her improvement.

# 4. Skill level

How good is the team? Do they finish each tournament by losing their first two bracket games in a row?

Competing, improving, and having fun can be more important than winning. But losing badly every weekend also isn’t much fun and it doesn’t facilitate skill improvement or confidence.

# 5. Playing time

When it comes to younger teams, players should be moving around positions and getting as much experience on the field as possible.

During tournament pool play, everyone should have about equal playing time. Once bracket play starts, though, the emphasis is often on competing at the highest level possible.

As players get older, their positions will become more fixed, and playing time should be based on performance.

Most elite travel ball coaches won’t give you a straight guarantee on your daughter’s playing time. Their priority will be putting together the best team that can compete at the level they’re playing at.

# 6. College

You shouldn’t worry too much about college recruiting until your daughter’s freshman year of high school.

But second-year 14U team coaches and up should know the rules around recruiting and work to educate you and your player on those rules.

They should also have contacts in college programs and be a proponent for your daughter in these programs.

# 7. Personal development

You should look for teams that foster character building in your kid. Improvement in the sport and college ball preparation is important, but you and their coaches should keep an eye on the bigger picture.

What kinds of values does this team instill in its players? Do they encourage a strong work ethic, respect for teammates, and good sportsmanship?

These are the types of skills players should learn in youth sports because they translate to adult and professional life.

Above all, the experience should be fun. Your daughter should enjoy playing on this club team and everything it involves. If it’s clear the other girls on the team aren’t having any fun, that’s a bad sign.

Travel ball players and coaches are a serious bunch, but they shouldn’t be so tightly wound that they make the experience miserable for everyone else.

# Wrapping Up on What You Need to Know

Deciding to join a travel softball team is, as you can see, a big decision. 

You and your daughter have many factors to consider which will significantly impact her experience playing softball. 

You want your child to do activities she finds rewarding and enjoyable, which promote her personal development. 

Travel softball can achieve all of these things for her. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. 

We did our best to not make this about how things should, could, or used to be in our game. This wasn’t an opinion piece. 

Instead, we sought to make a super practical and unfiltered guide for moms, dads, and up-and-coming athletes trying to make a major life choice today – in the current year.

Hopefully, after reading this guide, you have the information you need about travel softball to make the right decision for you and your daughter.

# Bonus Material: How Much Does Travel Softball Really Cost?

Below are some rough approximations of expenses. 

We do not recommend focusing too hard on the numbers listed.

And not just because we don’t want you to have a heart attack.

It’s mainly because this is mostly an exercise to inform you more about the different types of costs incurred in a given year of travel softball. 

This is by no means exhaustive, but it does give you a good place to start when considering this decision from a financial perspective. 

So, without further ado. 

# Gate Fees and Concessions for Travelball

Most complexes that host travel tournaments charge parents and other adult supporters, like your relatives or friends, who want to attend the games a gate fee. 

This gate fee is usually between $5-10 per person per day though some charge by the weekend or week. 

Also, you and your family will get hungry and thirsty, and most athletic complexes do not allow outside food on the premises. 

Gate Cost: $300-800 yearly

# Travel Expenses for Club Softball

At the younger ages of 8U-12U, there is less distance traveled, as teams mostly compete within their local state or even county. 

However, they usually play more tournaments in total, as there is no so-called “dark period” for these younger athletes. 

The dark period is the time that high school-aged softball players cannot play travel ball because it is high school season, and the regulations do not allow them to play both at the same time. This period is enforced in almost every US state. 

Besides the travel to actual games, you must consider the travel to practices, which occur 2-4 times per week – depending on the team and organization. 

And for all this travel you and your family will need to get some food and drinks, at least some of the time. 

Moreover, there is the wear and tear on your vehicle and its maintenance to consider. 

Lastly, you or your significant other may need unpaid time off in order to attend various games and tournaments throughout the year.

Travel Cost for younger ages: $700-3,000 yearly

At the older ages, 14U to 18U, the travel cost varies greatly. 

It depends on the competitiveness of the team and whether they are focused at the regional level or if they are chasing D1 scholarships at the national level. 

Travel Cost for older ages: $2,000-10,000

# Gear and Travel Team Events

You’ll also need to at least consider purchasing your daughter’s bats, cleats, batting gloves, extra uniforms, extra socks, athletic tape, eye-black, hair accessories, and sliding shorts. 

Some of these items may be included in your monthly or yearly dues to the travel organization or team that your daughter plays under. 

And you will be expected to contribute financially – usually in the form of bringing snacks or drinks or buying tickets – and time-wise to various team fundraisers and bonding events throughout the year. 

Gear and Special Event Costs: $500-1,500 yearly

# Additional Expenses for Elite Softball

Most travel softball players get private lessons or participate in group clinics for hitting, pitching, catching, or fielding. 

Some travel softball athletes also get additional training or help keep them optimized physically from strength and conditioning coaches, PT’s, and/or chiropractors. 

Additional Training Cost: $500-4,000

Once athletes are recruiting age – technically 8th grade to 12th grade, but here we mean high school – they may want to attend college softball clinics and camps to get additional exposure to particular college coaches, and help their chances of getting recruited. 

College Camps/Clinics Cost: $500-2,000 yearly

# Travelball Expense Totals

So, the approximate price range, depending on a ton of different variables – which is why the price gap is so massive – for participating in travel softball each year is between:

 $2,000* and $23,300.

To be honest, both of these numbers represent extremes on the low and the high sides of the spectrum. 

But we included this expense exercise to help parents like yourself begin to think about how serious a financial investment travel softball is. 

The only way to make decisions that are best for your daughter and for the rest of your family is to be informed about what such decisions might entail. 

Finally, it should be mentioned that the majority of softball athletes begin travel ball at the 10U or 12U level – between 9 and 12 years old. 

If your daughter competes in travel all the way until the 18U level at 17 to 18 years old, you can now get a rough idea, from these yearly approximations above, toward what an entire competitive career in travel softball might cost.

We’ll let you do that career-length extrapolation on your own though – this no-nonsense guide has likely stressed you out enough by this point. 

That said, hopefully this guide was a tiny brick on you and your daughter’s long road through this wonderful game that we call softball.  

*On the lower number, we did not include the “Additional Expenses” categories, because they might not be needed depending on the age and competitiveness-level.

About the Author

Courtney Withrow

Professional Writer

Originally from the U.S., Courtney is a Brussels-based freelance writer with a Master’s degree in International Relations. She grew up playing softball and still loves the game.

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The town of Pskov is one of the oldest towns in Russia. It has numerous churches, chapels and monasteries. Some of them look like small fortresses as the town had to fight many invaders during its long history.

Pskov History

Pskov was first mentioned in the chronicles in 903. According to the legend Prince Igor , the son of the great Prince Ryurik, met his future wife Princess Olga on the banks of the river Velikaya. They founded a settlement there and since then the city of Pskov started to develop. It served as a far post to protect the western borders of Russia.

Pskov kingdom together with Novgorod kingdom fought against Livonian Knights and Swedes, who tried to conquer this land many times. A lot of battles took place in the 13th century. The most famous ones were the battle on Lake Chudskoye (Lake Peipsi) in 1242 and the battle of 1299 near the fortress of Pskov.

Later in the 14th century, Pskov kingdom became an independent state and they invited their own prince to rule. In 1510, Pskov kingdom joined Moscow state and became a part of Muscovite Russia.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible , Pskov was sieged by the troops of the Polish king and Grand Duke of Lithuania Stephan Báthory . The citizens of the town courageously defended the fortress for many days.

In the 18th century, as the result of the successful war against Sweden, Russian borders were moved to the West. The fortress of Pskov lost its defensive significance and Pskov became just an ordinary provincial town.

Pskov was among the first Soviet towns occupied by the Germans in 1941, to be liberated only in 1944.

Today Pskov is the centre of Pskov region. The population of the city is about 200 000 people. It is an important railway and motorway junction in the north-western part of Russia. The main branches of industry are machine-building, textile and food industries as well as production of construction materials.

Request a private tour, tailor-made for individuals and small groups to meet your needs and preferences.

The beautiful Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery was founded in the 15 th Century.

The village of Izborsk was first mentioned in the chronicles in 682, according to which three Varangian knights - Rurik, Sineus and Truvor came to Russia to rule. Truvor established the settlement in Izborsk.

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Pskov Oblast

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Pskov Oblast is in Northwestern Russia , which borders Latvia to the west, Estonia to the northwest, Leningrad Oblast to the north, Novgorod Oblast to the northeast, Tver Oblast to the east, Smolensk Oblast to the southeast, and Belarus to the south.

• 57.816667 28.333333 1 Pskov — the ancient capital is not well prepared for tourism, but is rich in sites; its Krom (medieval citadel) is very impressive, it is circled by monasteries — including one which is Russia's oldest, and the city is full of small, old churches

Other destinations

• 57.016667 28.916667 1 Pushkinskie Gory (Pushkin Hills) - a former Pushkin's mansion and its surroundings converted into a large open-air museum with breathtaking scenery and traditional Russian ethnic elements. An excellent weekend destination.

Despite the proximity of the border with Latvia , Estonia and Belarus , in socio-economic terms, the Pskov Oblast is the most underdeveloped among all the Oblasts of Russia (only among the Oblasts), and the most backward region of Central Russia. There is practically no industry here, and agriculture is poorly developed.

An ancient region of Russia which once constituted its own republic, Pskov Oblast is a great weekend trip or longer from Saint Petersburg . Tourist infrastructure is at best rudimentary, although one would expect this will change in the near future, but the region has lots to see for an adventurous traveler or a traveler with a good guide. Pskov, the capital, is without a doubt the principal attraction and likely the only stop for most travelers, but it might be a good plan to get out of the city and check out nearby Izborsk.

See Russian phrasebook .

Two daily buses depart for Pskov from Novgorod at 08:30 and 16:00.

Trains from Saint Petersburg are unfortunately very inconvenient — they leave around 03:00 and arrive in Pskov four hours later. A better option is to hop on a bus from Petersburg's Vitebsky Vokzal; there are 15 buses bound for Pskov daily and they take about 5 hours to get there.

There is a daily overnight train from Moscow which leaves around 20:00 and arrives in Pskov around 08:00.

Pskov Airport ( PKV   IATA ) from Moscow and Sochi.

Pskov is a common last stop in Russia for visitors traveling overland to the Baltic states .

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Governor of Pskov Oblast in Russia reports "unidentified object" over city of Pskov

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The sounds of explosions were heard again in the Russian city of Pskov. The region’s governor reported the sighting of an "unidentified object".

Source : Governor of the Pskov Oblast of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Vedernikov ; Russian Telegram channels

Quote from Vedernikov : "Observers at one of the air traffic control posts discovered an unidentified object in the sky near Krestov."

Details : The governor posted a video of the alleged "neutralisation" of the "target" in question.

Russian Telegram channels wrote of a new drone attack and possible air defence operation.

Background :

On 30 August, four Il-76 aircraft were damaged at a military airfield in Pskov as a result of a drone attack.

The first satellite images of an airfield after a night attack by Ukrainian drones on the Russian city of Pskov on 30 August have been released by the media.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter , support us, or become our patron !

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Pskov: Russia’s most underrated tourist destination

Even older than Moscow

Pskov was first mentioned in the chronicles in 903, more than a century before Moscow was founded. And throughout its rich history it had many turbulent times. 

Situated not far from the Estonian and Latvian borders, Pskov was a major trade center and an important point of defense for ancient Russia. Just like many other ancient cities, Pskov lost its powerful and strategic status in the early 18th century when St. Petersburg was founded. 

Karl Bryullov. Siege of Pskov by Polish king Stefan Batory

During World War II the city was for three years occupied by the Nazis who left most of the historical buildings in ruins and pillaged museum treasures. 

Pskov kremlin, Pskova River, Sovetskaya Embankement

Today, Pskov is a modern city where it’s nice to walk and dine. There are great embankments and restaurants in old boyar mansions - an unforgettable experience. And for sure you won’t regret sampling and experiencing the local culture. 

Impressive kremlin, a witness of past glory

The first place to visit is the local kremlin, aka Pskov Krom. It could be the perfect place for shooting Game of Thrones, especially the Winterfell scenes. The city’s oldest part, the kremlin, is situated high on the picturesque spit of two rivers: Pskova and Velikaya. 

Aerial view on Pskov kremlin

The most impressive feature in addition to its location and surroundings is certainly the citadel’s walls, up to eight meters high and to six meters wide. Up on the walls are passages where one can walk (and take stunning pics with the river view), and a restaurant right inside the wall. 

Kremlin walls and the 13th century ruins of the ancient settlements inside kremlin

Among the must-see sights inside the kremlin are the medieval ruins. In the 14th century Pskov was one of several independent republics in the lands of ancient Russia, and there was a place for a popular assembly, known in Russian as veche .  

Apollinary Vasnetsov. Pskov 'veche'

The white and most attractive building inside the citadel is the Trinity Cathedral, dating to the 17th century. It has one of the highest and largest iconostasis in the whole of Russia! 

The Trinity Cathedral inside Pskov kremlin

Ancient churches and sites saw turbulent times

Literally on every corner you’ll find ancient churches. In fact, there are so many that it’s impossible to visit all; you’ll even grow tired making pictures and trying to keep in mind which church has which name! 

Ten of Pskov’s ancient cathedrals, monasteries and architectural sites are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The oldest among them is the ensemble of the Mirozhsky Monastery dating to the 12th century. 

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior in the Mirozhsky Monastery

Other must-visit churches from the list are the Church of the Archangel Michael with a bell tower from the 14th century, and St. Basil the Great on the hill, dating to the 15th century.

Church of the Archangel Michael with a bell tower

St. Basil the Great on the hill

To the west of Pskov is the town and fortress of Izborsk. In the 13th century it withstood several attacks by the Livonian knights. But what is even more interesting is that the area is considered to be sacred. Not far from the fort’s walls, multiple springs flow from the hillside. Orthodox Christians believe the water is holy, and walk there to gather some. 

Isborsk fortress

Another great site to visit is the huge and impressive monument to Alexander Nevsky and the Battle on the Ice, which took place in 1242 on Lake Peipus (known in Russian as Pskovo-Chudskoye Lake), and which is located on the Russia-Estonian border. Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated the Livonian Order, and many enemy knights fell through the ice and perished. 

A monument to Alexander Nevsky and the Battle on the Ice

In the movie Alexander Nevsky the legendary Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein tried to recreate that battle,using stage sets instead of real ice, of course.

Pushkin Hills, a place where Russian literature was born

Almost 70 miles far from Pskov you will see true heaven on earth. Here, you will find three magnificent noble estates with parks and the Russian idyllic countryside.

Pushkin Hills - Trigorskoye estate

These places are connected with the life of the great poet Alexander Pushkin; Mikhaylovskoye was his family estate, while Petrovskoye and Trigorskoye were owned by his relatives and friends. In 1824, he was sent to exile here, and within two years wrote his best poems and works. 

Pushkin Hills - Petrovskoye estate

Read more about Pushkin Hills here . 

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