Little League International

According to Kevin Fountain, senior director of communications for Little League International, girls have been playing softball, usually fast-pitch, under the Little League banner since 1974. In the last 52 years, participation has grown by leaps and bounds.
“The program today has more than 25,000 softball teams and 300,000 participants in more than 25 countries worldwide,” says Fountain. “Little League Softball is available for girls ages 4-16.”

“As a community-based nonprofit, the Little League Softball program shows its strengths in various areas all around the country and is currently seeing even larger international growth, including teams from Brazil and Japan participating in the Little League Softball World Series for the first time in history in 2025,” he says.

PONY Baseball & Softball

PONY Baseball & Softball president and CEO Abe Key and his associates are busy with the 50th year of PONY Softball. Fast-pitch softball under the PONY umbrella has showcased annual growth since the company first started a softball program in Fort Worth, TX, back in 1976.

“Fast-pitch softball is an important part of our organizational planning throughout the year,” says Key. “We are seeing strong, continued growth for fast-pitch softball by girls here in the U.S. and overseas.
“There’s a passion for fast-pitch softball,” Key adds. “You’re seeing more collegiate fast-pitch games on television. The opportunity to see these games on TV and attend events like the Women’s College World Series inspires young girls to play the game which fuels the sport’s robust growth.”

Babe Ruth League, Inc.

The organization’s fast-pitch softball program caters to roughly 100,000 girls between ages 4-18. “Babe Ruth Softball currently serves approximately 90,000 to 100,000 girls nationwide who participate in our fast-pitch softball divisions each season,” says Babe Ruth League president and CEO Steven Tellefsen.

The Babe Ruth Softball brand is especially strong east of the Mississippi River. “Strong participation in (our) girls’ fast-pitch softball can be found throughout the country, but particularly in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, New England and parts of the Southwest,” points out Tellefsen. “States such as New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, California, Alabama, Missouri and Texas have traditionally shown very strong participation and competitive play in Babe Ruth Softball.”