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NO WINNER at the 2012 NPF Championships: A Disappointing Finish

posted by stephaniemp, a Women Talk Sports blogger
Monday, August 27, 2012 at 12:03pm EDT

About stephaniemp:

Media pro; @womentalksports podcasts co-host; National Champ steeplechase runner; fun haver....more

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I can read it now. The record books will say, "The winner of the 2012 NPF Championship Series winner is... NO ONE." After 3.10 days of National Professional Fastpitch Championship competition the end result was zilch. We have no winner. And it doesn't look like we'll ever get one.

Here's some background for those who may not have been following the tournament. There were potentially two games set for day #4 (finals). The first game of the day (USSSA Pride vs. Chicago Bandits) would have been the final if the Bandits won. If the USSSA Pride would have won, another game would have been played later in the evening to determine the championship winner. Now, I'm not an expert at tournament management, but this seemed wacky. Thinking as an athlete and then as a spectator, I would like to know what I'm playing/paying for. But, in any regard, that's how this tournament play was set up.


This first game was supposed to start at 2:30. A rain delay, and I believe some influence from ESPN for recording purposes, pushed the game off to 3:30 pm. It was then pushed off again until finally it was set for a 6 pm start. At 6:12 pm, about 4 minutes after Abbott threw the first pitch, the game was called for a rain delay that was expected to last until 7 pm. At 6:45 pm the big news hit: "The game has been canceled and there are no plans to have a make up game. Refer to the NPF website for more details."


These are just a few of the thoughts that ran through my head at that moment:

-Could there really be no make-up game?

-Are they really going to leave things hanging?

-A no-win tournament? Unheard of!

-Can't wait what the papers are going to say about this one?

-This is a huge bummer for women's sport.

-Wait, will the Bandits win because their record is the highest?

-Lord, what about the fans?

-Are they getting their money back?

-Shit, did this really just happen?!

As I drove home, I continually checked my inbox waiting for a press release to fill me in on the missing information here. It never arrived. Even this morning (Monday, August 27, 2012), I have nothing to report. All I can do is speculate. So instead of giving you the details straight from the NPF, I will give you thoughts straight from my head.


This whole weekend made me question things about the women's sports culture. It really felt like women's sports fans and, apparently some who run women's sporting events, have forgotten that sports is a business. It cannot sustain itself just on discussion of present inequalities or the hope that a league will survive. Although discussing issues relating to women's sports is vital for the overall culture to become positive, if we don't have butts in the seats and money in the league, there will be no culture to talk about or change.


Throughout the tournament I heard athletes allude to possibly not having a league around next year. I heard announcers point out that these athletes have to work other jobs throughout the year because playing in the NPF doesn't pay them enough to survive. I hear numerous announcements that foul balls must be returned (because the cost of losing them is too great). Everything points to the fragility of the NPF and, let's face it, most women's sports leagues.


A lot of talk within the women's sports world (myself very much included!) is about how unfortunate and unfair it is that women athletes don't get paid well, that there are so few teams in the league, that there aren't enough sponsors, that we don't get enough respect from the general public/traditional sports news, etc. But this weekend, I started to question these thoughts. This weekend proved that we as a group of women's sports fans could be doing much more to fix these problems. (I must mention the fans that were in attendance were fantastic!! However, there were plenty of open seats available).


I love women's sports. I love hardcore women's sports fans, many of which hop on this site to get their news (thank you). Unfortunately, I don't think many of us (myself included until this weekend) really understand how much business plays role in keeping women's sports alive. It is essential. It is something we sports fans need to make a priority.


The biggest problem for women's leagues is getting people to attend games.That's what makes the canceling of the championship game sting. They had people in the stands when the canceled it. Those fans paid for their ticket. They bought their popcorn and soda. They were there, financially helping the league survive. And, the NPF just sent them home.


The young girls in the stands left me hopeful, however. These girls had a glow about them because they knew they were just steps away from their idols. I remember that feeling. I felt hopeful that someday I could be in their shoes. These girls have similar goals. Unfortunately, the ending of this championship series does not make me confident for their sporting future.

The young girls in the stands this weekend probably don't know about Title IX or what goes on with the business of sports. All they know is that they got to come to the NPF Championships, the sporting-highlight of their summer (since there was no fastpitch in London) and that someday they want to be out there on the field rocking a Bandits, Akron, Diamonds or Pride jersey.


Their oblivion to the challenges faced by women's sports is a wonderful thing, in my opinion. I'd rather not let them know right now that there are no guarantees in women's sports. I'd rather not let them know that there's a chance the league won't be around long enough for them to play in it. I'd rather not let them know at this age that there's no guarantee they can make a decent living as a professional female athlete when they grow up. I'd rather they stay hopeful. Their norm now is to go to women's sports events and imagine their future in sports. That's why they were in the stands. If the norm for these young girls is to attend women's sporting events and imagine themselves in Abbot or Mendoza's spot, we shouldn't be doing anything to stop them.


Unfortunately, I think we put up a roadblock there. The canceling of this championship game sent these girls that very message. There are no guarantees.

Now, I don't think these girls are in deep analysis over the meaning of the canceled game. I do think, however, that the parents who brought their daughters (and sons) to these games are probably discussing it on the way home. I'm sure they are pissed that they spend money to go to a game and didn't get anything out of it, except a soaked tee and some disappointed kids. Without a doubt, these kids picked up on the conversation. And they knew it wasn't good.


I am truly truly sad that things had to end this way. I am so disappointmented for not only the fans but the athletes, who sacrifice to play the game. These athletes aren't getting big bucks to play in the league. Most probably have to take side jobs rather than establish a full-time, year-round career off of the field. Many athletes mentioned throughout the weekend that they are there because they love the sport.  All of you reading who call yourself an athlete or a former athlete  can probably empathize with what these athletes are going through right now, especially those that won't return in 2013. For some, it was their last time on the field, and they didn't even get to play to win! They don't have a period at the end of their career bio. They have a "...," or a question mark. Can things really end this way? Unfortunately, this has proven that anything is possible.


On a happier note, I'd like to congratulate the players of the NPF. You made my weekend great one to watch and report on. I hope to see many of you next year for the 2013 NPF Championships.


Finally, I have a plea for women's sports fans. This weekend was an eye opener. I saw these women so thankful to play. I saw them unsure of their future and disappointed about it. So, I urge sports fans to go and buy tickets to women's games (soccer, basketball, volleyball, rugby, track and field, baseball, roller derby, etc.). If we want things to survive it is going to cost us more than our time. If you can't attend a game, follow the it and donate money to help sustain them. Let's make it happen. Let's keep opportunities open for the next generation and eliminate the "no guarantee" women's sports philosophy.

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There are 3 comments on this post. Join the discussion!

Crimson says:

This is a great post. I disagree with most of what you put up here, but I think you hit this one squarely.

It totally sucks that the NPF championship series ended up how it did for all of the reasons you call out. As we've seen in prior posts by others here and on ESPNW, the league is already struggling mightily to succeed financially and this certainly doesn't help.

You are also totally right that if women's pro team sports are going to succeed people need to care enough to buy tickets. It's that simple. Many men's and women's pro sports have failed over the years and they will continue to fail in the future for this simple reason. In general I think that's how it should be.

I'm more concerned about the collateral damage to the athletes who delay entry into the real job market in their respective specialities based upon some hope that pro sports will somehow take them where they need to go in life. This idea that the ultimate success for the college athletes is to "go pro" is not only misleading to the athletes, in general it's damaging to 95% of the athletes that just aren't good enough to be paid to play. It's particularly a problem in women's pro team sports due to the low salaries.

The WNBA, which is obviously the best of the current women's pro sports leagues has a scale minimum $37,260 for years 0 to 2 of balling in the league. Remember that this is for the "Best of the Best" women's ballers in the states all of whom most likely went to a DI school on a full ride scholarship. Why would a bright recent college grad of either sex sign up for this type of a deal? For reference I've got a business relationship with a 23 year old woman who was a college scholarship softball player. She graduated with a BS in Nursing and as an RN just knocked down a great job for $55K per year. I have no doubt her participation in sports and her scholarship contributed to her success in landing this great job, but she "got" that playing pro softball wasn't a decision that would position her for future success.

I hope women's pro team sports succeed if they can stand on their own as a sport and a business. On a personal level the sooner a man or woman figures out they aren't "pro material" the sooner they can move on to the real world, get a professional position in their major of study and position themselves for success in the future.

It would be cool if people would realize that the real value of the athletic experience is understanding that you have to work hard, deal with temporary failure, get yourself up and go back after your goals no matter what. That is how athletes add value to society and carve a personal career out in today's economy.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 1:03pm EDT

stephaniemp says:

From the sounds of it, Crimson, it looks like you agree (you can say it... don't be shy!).

Getting a full ride scholarship to college, so that you can go on and make money in a different career, is always ideal for women-athletes. For the NPF women, however, they are good enough to go pro (which is why they are playing in the league). They understood when they signed up that they weren't going to be rolling in the dough like most male baseball players are. The point is that it doesn't have to be like that. Who knows what will happen in 50 years if people start showing up to games. Maybe women will be able to make a decent living playing their sport.

In regards to the girls sitting in the stand, I don't doubt that many of them hope to play pro ball. Right now they don't understand this whole "gotta pay the bills thing," but they'll soon learn that they won't be able to do so by playing a summer of softball (at least not now). Further, once you're developed and see what competition is out there, many of them, just like male athletes, will realize their hopes of going pro are not a reality.

Most women accept that the most valuable thing they will get out of sports is a college education, which will enable them to make a decent living. As a former collegiate athlete, I have a feeling that if the option was out there for women to continue with their sport and make money, some (maybe 5%) would take it or would be pro for longer if they had the talent. For many, that isn't an option.

From your frequency of posting, I assume that you real most of the posts on this site. So I am surprised that you would say that "it would be cool if people would realize that the real value of the athletic experience is that you have to work hard, deal with temporary failure, get yourself up and go back after your goals no matter what." What makes you think people don't realize that? LOL Women athletes and those in the business, in my opinion, realize this far more than any other group because there is less of a future beyond college, so we take the skills we get and use them elsewhere. But, hoping to get paid for making this activity a career isn't a bad thing nor is it a denial all the benefits that sports gives a person.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 1:28pm EDT

Crimson says:

Regardless of the athlete's gender most of us have dreamed about going pro at some point. As you note it's an impractical dream for almost every athlete. As far as the women playing in the NPF if they want to do it for $15K per year that's on them. Point being to the extent they bounce around in the NPF for multiple years they are that much removed from the currency of their degree and an understanding of the real job market.

Most people would agree that the first decade after a person graduates from school is the most important as far as setting a foundation for their career. To the extent a pro sports pipe dream delays this it is not a good thing. This isn't just a woman thing. I was a college scholarship baller myself and had several buddies that were good enough that they tried to hang around in semi-pro, development leagues and Euro ball throughout their 20's in hopes of "hitting it". All that ended up happening for them was that they ended up in their early 30's with an almost ten year old degree, no professional experience in their major and feeling old and behind the current graduates coming out of school. All of them were totally broke to top it off. It was tough on them and some still haven't gotten their acts together.

I think many visitors to this site totally understand what I said earlier about the value of athletics. I also believe another significant group here isn't really interested in what it does for individuals and is much more focused on sports as a vehicle to move society in one direction or another. I have no problem with the former and as you know a significant problem with the latter as they could care less about any athlete as an individual, male or female.

In any case hopefully NPF will make a go of it. Time will tell.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 2:55pm EDT

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