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Play Softball with PALS!
We are now completely sold out for the Summer/Fall 2024 Season! Please email kelly@phillypals.com to be added to the waitlist for this season or to be notified when registration opens for next season!
Registration for the Spring/Summer 2025 Season will open in January. Look forward to seeing you on the field and having you as a part of PALS!
ANNOUNCING CHANGE UP SPORTS
We are thrilled to share the formation of our non-profit charitable arm!
Big news! After many years of planning and preparation, we are incredibly happy to announce the creation of Change Up Sports, the non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Philadelphia Adult League Softball! Officially incorporated on February 1, 2023, Change Up will enable us to continue all of our community initiatives and partnerships but allow us to expand what we do and to move forward in a more strategic and sustainable way.
The mission of Change Up is to work with partners and communities around the world to expand access to softball and baseball for young people and adults, and our programs emphasize inclusion and fun while promoting gender equity, youth development, and social justice. We focus on long-term partnerships that engage and support individuals often marginalized in sports and our current initiatives are in Philadelphia, Belize, and Sierra Leone. You can learn more and get involved at letschangeupsports.org!
ABOUT US
We founded Philadelphia Adult League Softball in 2012 because--as avid softball players--we wanted to be a part of a league that not only provided an excellent playing experience and a welcoming, inclusive environment but also gave back to the community.
Today, we offer four mixed-gender slow-pitch softball leagues in West Philadelphia that provide a fun and competitive atmosphere and personalized service for all of our players while supporting a range of non-profits engaged in meaningful, high-impact work. In 2019, we also began offering international softball service trips, with trips to Belize and Sierra Leone to date, to expand our impact and partnerships even further. In addition, we host group volunteer opportunities for players, charity slowpitch softball tournaments, and free youth softball and baseball clinics in the summer throughout Philadelphia. In 2023, we incorporated our non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable arm Change Up Sports to take these initiatives to the next level and do even more, meaning that when you play in the league you are directly helping to increase access to the game for young people! We look forward to seeing you on the field and having you as a part of PALS!
WHAT WE OFFER
At PALS, we focus on the reasons you love to play the game.
Competition
PALS only focuses on softball--no other sports--and we understand what players are looking for in a league. We provide USA Softball trained and registered umpires for all games as well as access to equipment (including wooden bats for men and composite bats for women/non-binary players). All teams also receive 15 t-shirts and a score book at the start of the season. The season’s League Champions receive long sleeve championship t-shirts and a trophy. We also host All Star games at the end of each season.
Camaraderie
At PALS, teams are encouraged to socialize both on and off the field and we promote a welcoming atmosphere of inclusion, good sportsmanship, and fair play at all times. We offer end of the season celebrations and awards, and teams are welcome and encouraged to spend time at the field before and after games. Our group volunteer outings and international softball service trips also offer the opportunity for players from different teams to get to know one another off of the field.
Community
PALS supports a range of non-profit organizations committed to local and international causes through monetary donations, in-kind contributions, and volunteer efforts. A portion of league fees are donated each season and we also collect additional monetary and in-kind donations from our very generous players at the field and at our end of the season parties. We also host group volunteer outings at least twice a year. In 2019, we started offering international softball service trips and have partnerships in Belize and Sierra Leone. In 2023, we incorporated our non-profit charitable arm Change Up Sports to expand our community partnerships and inititatives to increase access to softball and baseball and you can learn more here!
LEAGUE INFO
Teams + Players
The league is mixed-gender and all players must be 18 years of age or older. Each team must have at least four women or non-binary players on the team roster and on the field during play. 15 t-shirts will be provided per team.
PALS sees you for you and is an inclusive space. We welcome and encourage you to participate in the league as the gender with which you identify.
Field Location
All games are held at Mill Creek Playground in West Philadelphia (48th and Brown). There is ample free street parking.
Seasons + Game Times
We currently offer leagues on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in the evenings between 6pm and 10pm and on Sundays during the day between 10am and 4pm. These leagues offer two ten-game seasons per year, with the first season starting at the beginning of April each year and the second season starting in July of each year.
Key Rules
Men are welcome to use wooden softball bats. Men are not permitted to use any aluminum, metal, or composite bats. Baseball bats are also not permitted.
Women and non-binary players are welcome to use USA (formerly ASA) approved bats. Composite bats with a 2000 or higher ASA/USA stamp are allowed. Please reach out to us to check if your bat is legal or to have us confirm that a bat is approved before you make a purchase. Please note that metal cleats are not permitted. Plastic/molded cleats are permitted.
The league standings will be updated within 48 hours of the last game’s completion.
For a complete list of rules, click here. For a link to the USA Softball 2024 Official Rules of Softball Participant Manual, click here.
Registration + Pricing
The cost for teams is $865 per season (plus $20 a game for ump fees before each game, paid at the field). Registration includes at least 10 regular season games and a single-elimination playoff tournament, culminating in an overall League Championship game. All teams are guaranteed at least one playoff game. When available, the cost for free agents (individuals signing up without a team) is $80 per person (plus $20 a game paid by each free agent team at the field for ump fees). Please note that there are no refunds once you have registered.
We are now completely sold out for the Summer/Fall 2024 Season! Please email kelly@phillypals.com to be added to the waitlist for this season or to be notified when registration opens for next season. Registration for the Spring/Summer 2025 Season will open in January.
Charitable Arm
In February 2023, we were thrilled to officially incorporate our non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable arm Change Up Sports to expand our community partnerships and initiatives in Sierra Leone, Belize, and Philly. Click here to learn more!
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Since 2012, we have supported a range of non-profits and initiatives engaged in vital, life-changing work in the local community and beyond. Our players have also gone above and beyond to contribute to these organizations and partnerships. While we have now started our own non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable arm Change Up Sports as of Februay 2023, see below for everything that we have done and continue to do through the league! You can learn more about Change Up Sports here.
Belize City Softball Association
In July of 2019, we hosted our first ever softball service trip to Belize to support local efforts to expand access to softball and baseball for youth and adults in partnership with the Belize City Softball Association (BSCA). A team of 19 representatives from PALS facilitated youth softball clinics for over 100 young people and--through team fundraising efforts and partnerships--donated 1,200 pounds of equipment to enable the start of softball programs at ten primary schools and the youth detention center in Belize City. In 2021, we returned to facilitate USA Quickball clinics in coordination with four community sports clubs for over 100 young people on the southside of Belize City and donated over 600 pounds of equipment.
Sierra Leone Softball Partnership
In June of 2022, a team of 19 from PALS–including three members of the leadership of the Belize City Softball Association–traveled to Freetown, Sierra Leone to work with five youth soccer clubs, including our key partner Vintage Academy, to facilitate a four-day USA Quickball softball and baseball skills camp for 170 young people. We also hosted trainings with the adult soccer coaches and–through group fundraising efforts and equipment collections–donated 27 bags of softball gear to enable the clubs to start the first softball program in the country. In addition, we collaborated with the Sierra Leone Cricket Association to host a one-evening USA Quickball training for 290 young people and provided them with equipment.
West Philly Softball Camps + Clinics
In August of 2021, we were thrilled to partner with the Tommie C. Howell T-Ball Program, Men of Mill Creek, and USA Quickball to offer our first ever weeklong Baseball + Softball Skills Camp at the PALS field for children ages 6 to 15. 41 young people participated, and--thanks to our generous donors and in-kind partners--the camp was completely free for participants and every child received dinner and a new glove! In summer of 2022, we partnered with the Mill Creek Rec Center to offer weekly USA Quickball clinics for youth participants in Philadelphia Park and Recreation's six-week day camp hosted at the PALS field.
Mill Creek Recreation Center Programs
Our weekly games take place at the Mill Creek Recreation Center and, since 2012, we have supported a range of youth programming run by the Center as well as the neighborhood organization Men of Mill Creek, including the after-school Bravo Hood program and the Tommie C. Howell T-Ball Camp. We also sponsor the trophies and t-shirts for the Tommie C. Howell summer basketball camp and Norman Pennock mini basketball camp, run by Men of Mill Creek. In 2021, we purchased and donated a new infrared thermometer for the newly-opened Lucien E. Blackwell Center next to the field as well as 72 new schoolbags that were distributed at the Mill Creek 9/11 Community Event.
Animal Welfare Organizations
We have supported animal welfare organizations and shelters throughout Philadelphia and beyond through league fees and player donations. In February 2019, we hosted a group volunteer outing at ACCT Philly, the City's only open intake animal shelter, and in August 2020, we hosted a group volunteer outing at Diamonds in the Ruff Dog Rescue. While in Belize in 2019, we volunteered with and donated funds to several organizations including the Cayo Animal Welfare Society (CAWS), the Caye Caulker Animal Shelter, the SAGA Humane Society, and the Belize Raptor Center. In addition, while in Sierra Leone in 2022, we donated 470 pounds of supplies and medication as well as funds to the Sierra Leone Animal Welfare Society (SLAWS), LEAD-SL, and Compassionate Paws.
Pitch In For Baseball + Softball
In October 2021 and 2022, we hosted the Philly Cheesesteak Classic charity softball tournament at Pennypack on the Delaware benefitting Pitch In For Baseball + Softball! After two years, this two-day, six-game guaranteed, mixed-gender charity slow-pitch softball tournament raised a total of $5,207 to support PIFBS's mission of eliminating barriers to baseball and softball by providing equipment directly to leagues, schools, and organizations around the world who are most in need. PIFBS has provided equipment grants to our initiatives in Belize and Sierra Leone and we are honored to be able to return the support!
Black Lives Matter
We believe that Black Lives Matter and stand in support of and in solidarity with those who protest, fight back against, and are harmed by systemic, structural racism and white supremacy--both in and out of the criminal justice system. In turn, we have donated to the Philadelphia Bail Fund, Morris Home (the first residential recovery program to offer comprehensive services specifically for trans and gender non-conforming individuals which has also been a steady home for BIPOC trans and GNC people), the Innocence Project, Black Lives Matter, and Philadelphia Auto and Parole.
Kicking Out Transphobia Tournament
Since 2021, we have been honored to sponsor a team in the past three Kicking Out Transphobia Soccer Tournaments to show our support for trans rights and trans inclusion in sports. The tournament has benefited the non-profits Morris Home, PA Rainbow Room, Attic Youth Center, and Galaei, and we were so happy to have players from the City of Brotherly Love Softball League and the Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League join PALS players as part of the PALS team in past tournaments.
Pride In The Park LGBTQ+ Field Day
In June 2024, we joined the Fairmount Park Conservancy and 12 other inclusive and/or LGBTQ+ sports leagues for the first-ever Pride in the Park LGBTQ+ Field Day in Fairmount Park! The event offered a fun-filled day of friendly competition while promoting camaraderie and community in a safe and welcoming space. It was awesome to partner with our friends at Fairmount Park Women’s+ Softball League and City of Brotherly Love Softball League as well as our team of volunteers to host the softball activities including a dunk tank, throwing station, hitting station, and an info table giving out free healthy snacks.
Community + Field Cleanups
Every year in March, we host a field cleanup day at the Mill Creek Recreation Center--where we play--to kick off the season. We clean up trash on the field as well as the surrounding streets and the basketball court and pool, cut down weeds and remove dead growth, prepare the infield, and more. In January 2022, for MLK Day of Service, we also volunteered as a group with Kensington Soccer Club for their community cleanup day and spent several hours cleaning up a section of Kensington by their headquarters.
Camden County NJ Miracle League
In June 2023, we participated in a group volunteer outing with the Camden County NJ Miracle League (CCNJML) at Boundless Field in Cherry Hill. The Miracle League, a program of the non-profit Build Jake's Place, provides the opportunity for both children and adults with disabilities to play baseball, and we spent the morning being buddies of the participating players on the field. We helped out with two games–one for players 12 and under and one for players 13 and up–and could not have had more fun. This was our second outing with the CCNJML, having previously volunteered with them in 2017.
Gateway Horseworks
In April 2023, we took part in a group volunteer outing with Gateway Horseworks, a non-profit located in Malvern that incorporates horses into mental health treatement for people. We helped with spring cleaning projects around the farm and had the chance to learn more about their approach to equine-assisted therapy. We also got the chance to meet four horses, a pony, and a barn cat named Boots.
Books Through Bars
In January 2023, as part of MLK Day of Service, we participated in a group volunteer outing with Books Through Bars (BTB) to select and pack books from BTB's library in response to requests from people who are currently incarcerated. Books Through Bars is a volunteer-run non-profit based in West Philly that has been providing free books to people who are incarcerated in the six-state region (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) for over 30 years.
African Family Health Organization
In July of 2021, the PALS community came together at the Spring/Summer 2021 End of the Season Awards Party at Jet Wine Garden to raise $725 in cash and gift cards to support the families served by the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO) in West Philly. AFAHO provides culturally-sensitive health, human, and educational services to African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees in the greater Philadelphia area and we are so grateful to Jet Wine Garden for hosting and everyone who contributed.
MANNA
In November 2020, we participated in a fully-masked and socially-distanced group volunteer outing to MANNA to prepare 1,500 Thanksgiving week meals for their clients. MANNA uses nutrition to improve health for people with serious illnesses who need nourishment to heal by cooking and delivering nutritious meals and providing nutrition counseling to individuals who are battling life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, renal disease, and HIV/AIDS.
Nationalities Service Center
In January 2020, the PALS community contributed over 100 in-kind pantry items and toiletries as well as $425 in gift cards at our Summer/Fall End of the Season Awards Party at Lucky 13 Pub for the families served by the Nationalities Service Center (NSC). NSC provides comprehensive services to immigrants and refugees, including legal protections, community integration, access to health and wellness services, and opportunities to achieve English language proficiency and we are so thankful to everyone who donated as well as Lucky 13 Pub for hosting.
Muslims Serve at Hub of Hope
In January 2020, we participated in a group volunteer outing to provide dinner service to individuals experiencing homelessness through the non-profit Muslims Serve at Hub of Hope in Center City Philadelphia. Muslims Serve offers complimentary meal service five nights in coordination with Philabundance. Hub of Hope is an engagement center made possible through Project Home, the City of Philadelphia, and SEPTA, and the nightly meal service is one of the resources they provide.
Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House
Over the years, we have supported the children and families of the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House through player and league fee donations as well as wish list drives. In addition to providing donated food for the pantry and donated gift cards for families, this support established a Happy Fund to provide tickets to local attractions and bring in traveling exhibits, such as the Zoo on Wheels, and also allowed for the purchase of a Pop-A-Shot basketball game and assorted video games. Since 1974, the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House has supported families of seriously ill children by creating a community of comfort and hope.
Heifer International Sierra Leone
Heifer International Sierra Leone worked with vulnerable communities, especially with women and youth, to alleviate hunger and poverty. They helped impoverished families become self-reliant through the gift of farm animals and training in order to realize a shared vision of a country of peaceful communities with sustainable livelihoods for all co-existing in a healthy environment. Though Heifer has now concluded their work in Sierra Leone, previous league fees supported the construction of a rice mill in Kangama in rural Kailahun District.
SCHEDULE + STANDINGS
Click below to see the weekly schedules and standings!
PALS HALL OF FAME
We are proud to honor the following longtime players who exemplify the PALS spirit of competition, camaraderie, and community.
Olivia Phan
Kids Who Hit Good
Inducted 2019
Paul Kuhn
Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse
Inducted 2019
Adrian Jackson
Big Flies
Inducted 2020
John Gibney
Bat To The Future
Inducted 2021
Vicki Lenoci
Dickbat.com + Bad Pitches
Inducted 2021
Neil Yersak
Dickbat.com + Bad Pitches
Inducted 2021
Shavonne Hollinger
Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse + Band of Misfits
Inducted 2021
Mike Vasilikos
Kids Who Hit Good + Bad Pitches
Inducted 2021
John Wood
Bat To The Future + Bad Pitches
Inducted 2021
Jonnae' McClain
Big Flies
Inducted 2022
Caroline Tucker
Dickbat.com
Inducted 2022
Ken Hutchings
Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse
Inducted 2022
Jake Serota
Cavanaugh's Headhouse
Inducted 2022
Danni Johnson
Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse
Inducted 2022
Aaron Matzkin
Cavanaugh's AAA + Bad Pitches
Inducted 2023
Allen Troupe
Venomous Bearcats + Tropics
Inducted 2024
#PHILLYPALS
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