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Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected] and also [email protected].
Here’s our TLI for Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 …
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NPF CANCELLED FOR 2021 SEASON
If people thought by simply flipping the calendar into 2021, that we could leave the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic behind, then they were sorely mistaken.
After major college preseason tournaments like the 2021 St. Pete/Clearwater Invitational and Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic were cancelled, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League announced on Thursday that its entire season was over before it started. Before 2021 even started.
The league based in Nashville, Tennessee listed the problems with facilities and logistical operations, including reduced attendance requirements, as well as the difficulties anticipated of foreign teams and players coming and going.
Here’s the complete NPF statement as released on its website:
Confronted with multiple COVID-related problems, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) has decided to suspend games for the 2021 season, making this the second consecutive year the league has done so.
NPF home venues either are not available, or are available only with restrictive conditions on attendance and COVID protocols, making individual team operations difficult. A season already curtailed by the one-year delay of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, is expected to be abbreviated further by quarantine requirements imposed on the international teams participating in NPF.
Those Olympic teams of Australia (Aussie Peppers), Canada (Canadian Wild), and Mexico (Cleveland Comets) would be hindered with entrance and exit requirements that would inevitably include practice and training-limiting quarantines, along with general Issues of player health and safety. Planning for a 2022 season will commence once the issues of safety for fans, players, and staff, have been resolved.
BE THERE FOR YOUR TEAMMATES
Oregon OF Haley Cruse has one of the best Twitter feeds on the planet. She’s funny, interesting and insightful. The other day she had a great Tweet about being a teammate.
Being jealous of your friends is so wack. Celebrate their success and elevate each other!!! Never let the insecurity of others dull your shine
— Haley Cruse (@haley_crusee) December 3, 2020
The same day TLI came across this Tweet by Impact Gold National-Smith P/1B Ella Kate Smith hyping up her teammates, 2026 SS/3B Ali Rios.
Rios is simply the best short stop ever! She deserves to be recognized. Love playing ball with her💪🏼💙💛🥎@Ali_Rios23 @07_impact @BrenttEads @Los_Stuff https://t.co/YIg3XJzSz4
— Ella Kate Smith (@eksoftball2026) December 2, 2020
These are the kind of softballers TLI loves.
Scroll down to see more great plays, players and verbal commits…