On This Day: Women’s Pro Fastpitch Announces a New Professional Era

On October 8, 1996, a major new chapter in softball history was announced: Women’s Pro Fastpitch was officially coming to the field.

After nearly eight years of research, exhibition tours and planning, WPF announced that it would begin league play in 1997. AT&T Wireless Services joined the project as its title sponsor, providing important corporate backing for the new professional league.

The vision began in 1989 with former Utah State pitcher Jane Cowles and her collegiate coach, John Horan. Their idea gradually developed from market research and small exhibition series into a national organization designed to provide elite softball players with professional opportunities.

WPF played its first games on May 30, 1997, launching with six teams:

• Carolina Diamonds

• Durham Dragons

• Georgia Pride

• Orlando Wahoos

• Tampa Bay FireStix

• Virginia Roadsters

The Virginia Roadsters recorded the first victory in league history, defeating the Durham Dragons 2–1. The Orlando Wahoos later captured the inaugural championship by defeating Virginia three games to one, with legendary pitcher Debbie Doom earning Championship Series MVP honours.

The league was later renamed the Women’s Pro Softball League and became an important part of the professional lineage that eventually included National Pro Fastpitch.

Why It Matters

At the time, the world’s best players had very few opportunities to continue competing after college or international softball. The October 8 announcement reopened a professional pathway and gave young athletes another level of the game to dream about reaching.

Professional softball has continued to evolve through different leagues, teams and formats, but the players and organizers behind Women’s Pro Fastpitch helped prove that the sport belonged on the professional stage.

On this day in 1996, Women’s Pro Fastpitch announced it was officially coming to the field—helping launch a new professional era for the game.