Travel softball for Park Ridge girls, ages 8 to 18. One of the longest-running travel softball programs in Chicagoland. More than 30 years, nine teams, and a roster built from one town.
Who we are
Pistol: an energetic or enterprising person.
We are a B level program, which is a statement about where our players come from rather than how we play. Our teams meet A level programs in bracket play and hold their own.
We are Park Ridge's official travel softball program. The Pistols are the only travel program affiliated with the Park Ridge Park District, which is why our teams train and play on Park Ridge fields and in the Park Ridge Baseball & Softball facility.
We don't openly recruit from other communities. The majority of our players live in Park Ridge. Girls from elsewhere can try out, but preference goes to Park Ridge players. The girl at second base for the 12U Pistols is the same girl your daughter sees at school.
We're a dedicated travel program. We don't mix travel with house league play, and we're not a "bring your own team" program. One roster, one schedule, one coaching staff.
We want multi-sport athletes. In the fall and winter, softball is expected to be secondary to whatever sport is in season, and a practice missed for that sport is excused. From April through July it reverses: softball comes first. A player can still play another sport in those months, but it has to come after Pistols.
How the program works
Mission
Park Ridge Pistols is a travel softball program for girls 8 to 18 within the Park Ridge Baseball Softball organization, that strives to develop highly competitive softball players who are committed to rising to the next level. We balance the drive for winning with having fun, building friendships and demonstrating good sportsmanship.
Players will grow into strong, confident, and resilient women through the game of softball. We help players make the step up from our premier leagues into the world of competitive travel softball, preparing them to play in high school and college.
Why Pistols
If a coach leaves, the program isn't folding. The Pistols operate under Park Ridge Baseball & Softball, a 75-year-old nonprofit with audited, public financial statements, and we've been running for more than 30 years.
Eight to ten teams and 100 to 120 players in a typical year.
Dedicated fields, a private 6,500 sq ft indoor practice facility, and exclusive access to Oakton Sports Complex, the Maine South field house and Maine South fields.
Outside pitching, hitting and fielding coaches who competed at the highest levels of the sport.
40 to 50 games a year and five to eight tournaments for 10U and up, with a season fee under $1,000.
Local, regional and national championships, and dozens of alumni who went on to play in college.
Our tournament
Every Memorial Day weekend the Pistols host their own tournament here in Park Ridge, for 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U. It is a Class B tournament, and the 18th annual runs May 28 to 30, 2027.
It's named for Paige Dougherty, a Pistols player we lost in 2009, and it carries her number, 34. Play hard, then go get ice cream. That was always the idea.
About the tournament| When | May 28 to 30, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Divisions | 8U · 10U · 12U · 14U |
| Level | B |
| Entry | $650, 4-game guarantee |
Straight talk
Playing time is not guaranteed. It's at the coach's discretion. From April through July, softball is expected to be the priority over other sports. Most teams play 40 to 50 games. We say all of that up front, because families who know what they're signing up for have a much better year, and so do their daughters.
Game highlights, tournament results, and team news. Follow along on Instagram.
Tryouts are held in late June and early July for the following season. Dates are posted each spring. Check the tryouts page or follow us on Instagram so you don't miss them.