Our family has a deep passion for fastpitch softball. It all started in 2001 when my then 6 year old DD (darling daughter) wanted to sign up for T-ball. She played that year, but wasn't very pleased having to play co-ed with the boys. The following season, she sat out, because rookie ball (8u) at that time in our town's rec program was also co-ed. In 2003, she started playing the first of her 3 years in 10u ball.

It was evident at the time that she did not have that natural talent. Nor did several other girls on the team. Having played many years of baseball, I felt I could perhaps offer my assistance to the coach. I began by assisting at practices, and somewhere along the line during that season I wound up in the dugout, and coaching first base.  I also assisted her head coach the following season, and by 2005, I was coaching my own 10u team. I then enlisted my wife as our official scorekeeper.

By this time, my DD and my wife were hooked on fastpitch, and I was too. She made the all-star team that year, playing right field, and I also coached that team. It was at that all-star tournament, in a more competitve environment, that I really began to understand that this game is a lot different than baseball. Did I mention that I was hooked?

In September of that year, my DD began her first year playing in a County Fall Ball League. She also started taking pitching lessons after hounding me for months. I did not think she had the ability to be a pitcher, but I relented, figuring I would appease her curiosity for a few weeks, and that would be the end of it. 

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Walton)

Boy, was I wrong. The few weeks of lessons, initially hitting 28MPH on the radar gun turned into months, and it became very clear that she had found her niche in the game. By age 11, she was hitting 55MPH and her pitching school proclaimed her one of the fastest progressing students they've ever had among their 3000 past and present students. In 2006, we moved up to 12u. My DD started pitching for us, and in the beginning, it was ugly to say the least. Oh, they weren't hitting her much. But she was hitting them. She either struck them out or knocked them out. But after a few games, she began to settle down, and by mid-season, she threw her first complete game no-hit shutout with only three walks. It was at this point that I knew we were in this for the long haul. I did mention that we're hooked, didn't I?

Fast foward to present.   Getting hooked can have it's consequences. My DD is now 16, and pitches for an 18u travel team that I coach. She is our workhorse in the circle, and is an extremely accomplished pitcher. As for me, I have given up my duties as the director of our town rec baseball and softball program, assistant district commissioner for Babe Ruth League, and the president of our County Babe Ruth Rec program. I now strictly devote my time to coaching our 18u team and getting our girls ready for college. My wife's days as a scorekeeper are over. She has been promoted to Chief Organizer of all our softball related pursuits, which keeps her really busy during the softball season. But the term "Softball Season" is a misnomer in our world. For our family, softball has become a year round affair.  It is our passion, and that passion is the reason we started this site. We wanted to create a consistent source for "Everything Softball" and a gathering place for softball parents to share their experiences. We are looking forward to meeting youth fastpitch junkies from all over the country.

We are very excited about SoftballPickles.Com. My DD came up with the name, and also created Softball Sally, our site mascot. In the near future, we will offer forums by state, and SoftballPickles.com will also be promoting and organizing tournaments in our home state of New Jersey; a great way for us to get out and meet some of you from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. We welcome you to our site and we are seeking your assistance in making it better with your ideas and suggestions.

So yeah, we're hooked on softball. And it has it's consequences. But we wouldn't have it any other way. How about you?