NPF suspends operations. New pro team formed in Florida.

[Shiloh]

Sad but probably inevitable given Covid.

NPF Suspends League Operations as of August 1, 2021 - FloSoftball

National Pro Fastpitch has announced the suspension of league operations, effective immediately, as of August 1, 2021.

www.flosoftball.com

But, glimmer of hope: new, independent team formed in Sarasota.

Florida Vibe Athletics Announces New Pro Team

The Florida Vibe Athletics Inc. has announced a new professional softball organization headquartered in Bradenton, Florida.

d1softball.com

One league gone bust but maybe another starting to form - ? Anyone know more?

 

[Gtrips07]

Until they come up with a way to make professional fastptich financially sustainable there will be no long term success.

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[JayW]

WNBA dependent on NBA. NWSL dependent on US Soccer. Probably need MLB subsidies to make professional softball viable.


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[CoachJD]

Until they come up with a way to make professional fastptich financially sustainable there will be no long term success.

Hiring competent people to run the business would be a good start.

 

[Hillhouse]

WNBA dependent on NBA. NWSL dependent on US Soccer. Probably need MLB subsidies to make professional softball viable.


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I don't know why MLB would do this. It's not their job or responsibility to promote female fastpitch softball. I don't know what the up-side for them would be in doing anything. Sponsoring the Olympic team is one thing, that's USA and everyone can get behind that. But, the NPF? I don't know.

 

[schwabach]

I don't know why MLB would do this. It's not their job or responsibility to promote female fastpitch softball. I don't know what the up-side for them would be in doing anything. Sponsoring the Olympic team is one thing, that's USA and everyone can get behind that. But, the NPF? I don't know.

Why does the NBA subsidize the WNBA?

I don't get the impression that the MLB is very good at promoting the sport of baseball. Maybe the NBA knows some things that MLB should learn.

 

[Gtrips07]

Why does the NBA subsidize the WNBA?

I don't get the impression that the MLB is very good at promoting the sport of baseball. Maybe the NBA knows some things that MLB should learn.

Like supporting communists regimes and slave labor?

Just how much financial support does the NBA provide?

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[Shiloh]

Hiring competent people to run the business would be a good start.

Please say more.

 

[Top_Notch]

Schwaback is right. The WNBA is propped up by the NBA. The NBA provides the majority of the money to keep that league functional.

Just how much financial support does the NBA provide?

 

[marriard]

Sad but probably inevitable given Covid.

NPF Suspends League Operations as of August 1, 2021 - FloSoftball

National Pro Fastpitch has announced the suspension of league operations, effective immediately, as of August 1, 2021.

www.flosoftball.com

But, glimmer of hope: new, independent team formed in Sarasota.

Florida Vibe Athletics Announces New Pro Team

The Florida Vibe Athletics Inc. has announced a new professional softball organization headquartered in Bradenton, Florida.

d1softball.com

One league gone bust but maybe another starting to form - ? Anyone know more?

So just for reference; the NBA probably subsidizes the WNBA by about $10M/year. Which frankly is nothing as they see it as continuing to build the NBA audience (both nationally and internationally), building brand awareness and continuing to build their whole social program. I am certain they see it as a good return on a fairly minimal investment. It gives them another place to get coaches, umpires, front office, etc, etc experience and has allowed them to solve getting more and more women involved in the NBA in all the non-player roles. David Stern and now Adam Silver know what they are doing and it is impressive.

Barring the MLB getting involved - and frankly, unlike the NBA they are terrible at even running MLB - there needs to be a major change in how a high-level beyond-college softball league would develop (note I took off the word professional there).

I've said this before:
- The NPF model is terrible and not sustainable out of the gate. This has been proven multiple times (not just in softball)
- You don't need a fully professional national league to start; or even to develop
- A regional league would work fine to start.. Even on a semi-pro basis.

The Japanese model is that their players work for their sponsor during the day (mostly 1/2 time during season and full time in off-season), so they are not fully professional in that sense, but they have found a good way to make a living. And they are willing to pay a few international stars (and Ueno) living salaries so they are truly full-time players who can make a living off the money.

The Australian model is that there are club leagues from age 4 to veterans (like 60+) and you can play until you can't. They have A-D level adult leagues locally - often several running at once - and leagues that play local clubs against each other. They then have state and national tournaments (stat v state) which then leads into international play. So at BEST semi-pro - some of the players go play in Japan or Europe, but most have full time jobs and practice around 2-3x a week. Maybe more if they want but it is not full time playing softball all the time. Some players have full time jobs for Softball Australia or their state Association. Again it isn't full professional player in terms of a living salary - but it is a place to play, sustainable. players live around the game and it works very well. Good enough that all the Australias in this Olympics under 30 will very likely be around for 2028. Very much a club sport environment.

If you found the sponsors or even the universities in a small area to run an organized 6 team league with supported job roles outside softball. It would be a better place to start. You can add regions over time, play against them once or twice a year and so on. Keeps expenses down, players salary comes from softball and a related job and starts to build a base to build from. Will it work? Who knows - but it would be a DIFFERENT approach instead of the failed attempts now.

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The Vibe is coming out of the Florida Gulf Coast College Summer League that has been successful so they are looking to find a way to go year-round/place for returning players to play. I am hopeful they could do something like the above - I am EXTREMELY big on starting locally for a 23+ league - it doesn't have to be a full-time/livelihood salary type league but it had to have a concentration of players and the Tampa/Orlando area should be big enough to support that. You can work full time on something else and on evenings/weekends you have a league. If it is good enough, it will grow over time.