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OKLAHOMA CITY –– USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, is proud to announce its designation as a co-founder of WPF (Women’s Professional Fastpitch), a new professional softball league created to provide athletes with amplified opportunities to continue their playing careers after college.
"We are very excited about the launch of WPF," said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer, Craig Cress. "We are looking forward to encouraging athletes to compete both professionally and internationally in effort of providing women with more opportunities to continue their playing careers after college. With softball not being in the 2024 ParisOlympics, USA Softball recognizes the importance of keeping our athletes involved in high-level competition in order to be more prepared for future Olympic appearances, and we look forward to the WPF being an avenue in which that is possible.”
The combined leadership of USA Softball, USSSA and Smash It Sports highlights the activation of WPF with USA Softball and USSSA working diligently together to shape the future of professional and international softball. The newly formed professional fastpitch league serves as an avenue for aspiring professional, international and Olympic-hopefuls to continue their competitive training in the sport with a bonded community working to accomplish one goal – the continued growth and involvement of our sport.
Headquartered in Oklahoma City, WPF will kick off its inaugural season in June 2022 with University of Oklahoma alumni and former professional softball player, Lauren Chamberlain, at the helm as the league’s Commissioner. Though WPF will be officed in the Oklahoma City area, the league will look to be played nation-wide.
“I am deeply humbled and incredibly excited for my role as Commissioner of WPF," said Chamberlain. "I have worked hard to build good standing with existing softball athletes, people of influence in our sport, and those outside of our sport. I am confident that I can bridge the gap between all parties and create an exceptional professional level of softball, one that our sport and its athletes deserve."
For more information on WPF, please visit www.wprofastpitch.com.
About USA Softball
USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations. USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USAS umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.
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