Upper Perk Girls Softball League Inc.

     Welcome to the official site of the Upper Perkiomen Girls Softball League. We want to thank the community for its support as we continue to provide an environment where our girls have fun learning the game of softball.   The softball league is geared toward providing an outlet for healthy activity in an atmosphere of wholesome community participation, and is designed to enrich the lives of the girls and to aid them in becoming responsible and successful adults.

     The Upper Perkiomen Girls Softball League is a volunteer organization made up of parents, coaches, and fans of the sport of fast pitch softball. 

     The dream of having a league for girls fastpitch softball in our Upper Perkiomen Valley began with a group of parents.  In the beginning we offered only a Spring Season.  To promote additional playing opportunities and increase the level of competition for our girls, we reached out to the neighboring communities of Boyertown; and later Quakertown, to allow for inter-league play.  

    We found that as our players grew older, our numbers in the upper age group tended to dwindle down to one or two teams per age group.  So for our older players age 13 and older, we joined forces with neighboring communities to create the Valley Inter Community Girls Softball League.  VIGS allows these girls the opportunity to continue to play competitive softball by setting up a league against teams from Quakertown to Ambler.  We also found that by working in unison with our High School Varsity coaches, we are now able to to help (or feed) our Middle School and High School softball programs with experienced players.

     As our numbers grew, our commitment from parents and players also grew.  In the hope of promoting additional learning opportunities during the offseason, two of our coaches introduced our Fall Ball Program.  Since Fall 2007, the Fall Ball program has provided a "back to the basics" softball philosophy.  By teaching all the players, grouped by age division, all the same skills in a one-team environment, we instill the same skills while also promoting the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship.  Game nights allow for the players to split into teams and practice their new skills in a friendly game environment.  This program has continued to evolve and now offers playing opportunities to all of our divisions of play.  In 2012 we began working with the North Penn Girls Softall League based in Lansdale to offer a more competitive approach to our Fall season.

     In 2008, the league made the decision to join the Sunday Select Program.  The Select Program was an off-shoot of our VIGS program.  The Select is similar to an All-Star Program.  It allows players who are looking for a higher level of competition a chance to play additional "Sunday" games and tournaments against neighboring communities All-Star or Select teams.  Tryouts were held in August of 2008 to allow our coaches and players the ability to participate in winter gym practices.  In 2009, we were able to field our first U12 Select team known as the Bulldogs.  Although the team name changed to "the Tribe" to show support of our community, this program continues to grow and we now offer a U10 and U12 team as participation permits. 

    In  2009, another of our coaches worked to create our Summer Camp Program.  The Summer Camp offers players of all ages a brief opportunity to test the "softball waters".  Incorporating summer fun such as water games, balloon tosses, and slip and slides, our coaches also teach basic softball skills.  This program offers girls who have never played softball, a chance to see if they enjoy the sport; for girls with experience, it gives them a chance to hone their skills and have some fun.

   In 2009, the UPGSL began the necessary steps to become a 501c3 organization.  With the help of Mullaney Law Offices, the league became incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania in December 2009.  The following year with the help of Dunlap & Associates, PC, the league became a non-profit 501c3 corporation.  With these steps, donations to the league is now tax-deductible.  This also enables the UPGSL to offer affordable softball to our community and players.  Payment plans and scholarships are now available to assist families.

   2011 was no exception to change.  Since many of our teen players began to look toward travel programs for the extra commitment and competition, UP made the decsion to start a U12 mini-travel known as the UP U12 TRIBE and a U16 tournament travel team known as the UP SCREAM U16.  Our U12 team will play in a more competitive league environment and participate in several tournaments in our area.  The U16 team is an independent tournament team which will compete in six to eight summer tournaments in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

    2012 brought us the new UP U14 Blaze Tournament team.  This team is an independent tournament team which will compete in fall league and tournament play as well as 6 - 8 spring and summer tournaments in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.  After completing it's rookie season in travel, the UP Scream U16 travel team continued on for another season, improving its record as the players continued to build skill and confidence.

    2014 took our path down to Lansdale and the North Penn Girls Softball League for the Fall Season.  Joining their Fall Program allows us to expose the players to different communities, different coaches -- AND more competition.  Although the drive is long, the results have been most positive.   The NP Fall league gives our players age 6 to 12 a laid back, yet competitive season; giving those that want to continue to build skills throughout the year and those that just want a taste of softball to see if they like it, a short yet skill building season to learn.

     In 2017 the UPGSL's desire to give its players at the U12 level more competition led us to the new ICGRL League.  For the past several years the participation at this level has allowed 1 to 2 teams for UP and for Boyertown.  Realizing that the girls wanted more, we took up the offer to join the league for Spring 2017.  (This league is very similar to the VIGS league for our U15 and U18 players in that we are now traveling to different communities and playing at a more competitive level.)  As with our league, it offers an All-Star Game, Playoffs and Championships. 

      The path to 2018 has us looking again to get a travel program started here in Upper Perk.  With the success of the UPHS Lady Indians in the newly formed Frontier Division of the PAC 10 and the majority of their players, many of whom started with the UPGSL Community League, in travel programs around the area AND with many of our players in the U10, U12, U15 divisions starting to look at travel for its competitiveness, the UPGSL will hold tryouts in August 2017 of starting its own U12 team Travel - the Upper Perk Battlecats.  This is just the start; we hope that some day soon we will be able to give the opportunity to girls of every age group.

    2019 brought to us the continuation of the now U14 Battlecats and newly formed U12 Battlecats - these travel teams are allowing players in the UP and surrounding communited the opportunity to play travel softball - more reps, more competition and a huge growth in skills.  Our Rec League continued to extend into the East Penn League with surrounding communites of Emmaus, Upper Milford, Southern Lehigh, and Quakertown. 

     2020 brought with it the many challenges of COVID.  Our spring season was cancelled and our fall season had many rules regarding masks, reporting, and just the chaos that the pandemic created.  Our U14 Battlecats had it's 2nd season at U14 Travel with the majority of the same players and coaches continuing with the program.  Due to the pandemic we were unable to offer any indoor gym training for pitching and/or skills. 

     2021 was a rebuilding year for all of our programs.  The Battlecats disbanded as some of the players aged out and the team was unable to recruit additional players.   

     2022 brought us a new crop of parents who wanted to create a travel team for the players in the U10 and U12 age group.  These new teams - now under the name "Upper Perk Tribe" held tryouts and began their journey into travel, tournaments and round robins starting Fall 2022 into Summer 2023.

    2023 Continuing on the skills learned from the 2022-2023 season, the U10 Upper Perk Tribe once again held tryouts to continue on for another travel season.  With only a few players aging out of their team, the team had enough interest and talent to once again field a team for the 2023-2024 travel season.

   Thank you for your interest in the Upper Perk Girls Softball League.

     The Upper Perk Girls Softball League recognizes that girls on our teams are in their formative and impressionable years. Our goal is through good leadership and training, our coaches and members continue to teach our players the values of teamwork, leadership, loyalty, and discipline.

     We know that there are girls and parents who are not interested in playing in a highly competitive environment at an early age, and we believe our program responds appropriately to these desires. Please understand that while winning and losing are part of the game, we do not promote winning at all cost, and especially at the expense of a girl's self esteem. After all, it is only a game.

   For those players and families looking for a more competitive game of play, the UPGSL is now offering a Travel / Tournament Program.

     We will adhere to the specific rules of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and intend to run a program with a “keep it simple and make it fun” philosophy. Your daughter's participation in the Upper Perk Girls Softball League is intended to be a positive one.  Our objective is to provide healthy activity while promoting an appreciation for good sportsmanship, teamwork, and discipline.