The Program
Travel softball for girls 8 to 18, inside a 75-year-old community organization, with the coaching and facilities to back it up.
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.
Players will also learn to be part of a team, communicate and problem solve with their peers, learn respect for their teammates, coaches, opponents and umpires; and build leadership skills. We encourage and support our girls to excel on the field as well as in school and the community.
Philosophy
The Pistols play at the B level. That's a deliberate choice about where our players come from, not a ceiling on how hard we compete. Our teams are drawn against A level programs throughout the season, and they beat them often.
Pistols is a B-level program, meaning we do not openly recruit players from other communities. The majority of our players live in Park Ridge. Players from other communities can try out, but preference is given to players from Park Ridge.
The label describes where our players come from. It does not describe the level we play at.
We're a dedicated travel program. We don't mix travel play with house league play, and we don't make team decisions based on friend groups. We are not a "bring your own team" program.
Many Pistols teams stay together for years, but we will move players between teams when it's in their best interest for development.
Most teams practice and play some games in the fall. Through the fall and winter, softball is expected to be secondary to any sport that's in season, and a practice missed for that sport is an excused absence, with no penalty and no explanation needed.
From April through July, when softball is in season, we ask that softball be the priority. Excessive non-injury absences can cost a player her spot.
Time commitment
| 8U | 10U and up | |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Limited | Practices and 10 to 15 games; softball secondary to any in-season sport |
| Pitchers & catchers | Train from October, about 3 weekends a month, until April | 3 to 4 times a month, October through March, Saturday mornings |
| Winter (Jan to Mar) | Once a week | 1 to 2 times a week |
| In season | Practice twice a week, April 1 to mid-July | Practice twice a week, April through July |
| Games | 1 to 2 a week | 1 to 2 a week; 40 to 50 games per season |
| Tournaments | 3 | 5 to 8 |
Teams for the following year are formed in July. Tournament schedules usually aren't known until the week before. Fall and winter practices missed for another in-season sport are excused. Once softball is in season from April through July, excessive absences that aren't injury-related can result in a player losing her spot on a team.
Affiliation
The Pistols are the only travel softball program affiliated with the Park Ridge Park District, through Park Ridge Baseball & Softball.
That affiliation is what gives our teams access to Park Ridge fields, to the Park Ridge Baseball & Softball indoor facility in Mt. Prospect, and to the Maine South field house and varsity fields. It is also what places the program under a volunteer board, with published finances and a code of conduct every family signs.
Other teams sometimes carry the Park Ridge name without that affiliation. If you are weighing options, ask any program directly whether it is affiliated with the Park District, and where its teams actually practice and play.
Playing time
Playing time decisions are entirely at the discretion of the coach, and as a competitive travel program, playing time is not guaranteed.
Every player has the right to know what she can work on to increase her playing time. Parents have that right too, but we believe there's real value in empowering players to ask the tough questions and have the honest conversations themselves.
For younger teams (8U, 10U, and the first year of 12U) we focus on development and distributed playing time during friendly games and tournament pool play. During elimination play on tournament Sundays, we will have our best nine on the field at every level except 8U.
Coaching & training
Alongside our own coaching staff, the Pistols bring in outside pitching, hitting and fielding instructors.
Over the years that has included players who competed at the Division I level, for national teams, and professionally. Who we work with changes from season to season, chosen around what our players need that year.
Pitchers and catchers start their instruction in October. Everyone else joins the offseason program in January.
Facilities
Park Ridge Baseball & Softball indoor practice facility. The organization's own building in Mt. Prospect, opened in January 2023. Over 6,000 square feet with three pitching and hitting tunnels, an exercise area, and a meeting room with A/V.
Oakton Sports Complex. Exclusive access for Pistols training.
Maine South High School. Field house for indoor work, plus the varsity fields.
Centennial 4D. Where tryouts are held. Games and outdoor practices also use Northwest 13 and Brickton Park.
Cost
| First year, 8U | $850, including 2 uniforms, helmet and bag |
|---|---|
| First year, 10U and up | Roughly $1,100, including uniforms, helmet and bag |
| After the first year | $700 to $900 on average |
| Tryout fee | $15, applied toward the annual fee if she's offered a spot |
First-year families purchase a helmet, bat bag, two jerseys, two pants, two pairs of socks and a belt. Teams typically get new uniforms every two to three years, and there's an opportunity each year to try on sizes and order additional items.
Figures are typical and vary by age group and season. Confirm current fees with the program before committing.
Our parent organization
The Pistols are the travel softball program of Park Ridge Baseball & Softball, a volunteer-run nonprofit that has served Park Ridge kids for over 75 years, with audited public financial statements, in partnership with the Park Ridge Park District.
Its stated purpose: “to teach the boys and girls the correct way to play baseball/softball; provide role models; teach sportsmanship and other life lessons, which will benefit them in their lives.” That's the standard we coach to.
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.