Local organizers knocked a home run in luring the National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series to Kimberly in 2007.The club apparently made about $30,000 in 2007. While there was a feeling that there would be a chance to make money again in 2009, the risk was to great.
But this year, they swung and missed.
That's the assessment of Cardinal Youth Softball Inc. president Chad Mix, who said the three-day event will not be making a return visit despite an initial three-year agreement that was to keep it at Sunset Park through '09.
NPF is a six-team women's professional softball league filled with many of the nation's top players and dotted with the sport's most recognizable names, like Jennie Finch, Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman.
The championship series is a double-elimination postseason tournament comprised of the top four teams as determined by regular season play, with the winner earning the league title.
"It was our decision," Mix said. "We had to back out."
Mix estimated Cardinal Youth Softball Inc. — the non-profit club is based in Kimberly — lost $30,000 in staging the August tourney.
Why were crowds down last year? There was this thing...in China...big, goofy looking guy won eight gold medals in the pool...USA fielded a team in softball, too...But, that was only part of it.
[NPF president and commissioner Cheri] Kempf admitted the 2008 Summer Olympics, which robbed the league of some of its star power, was partially to blame for the attendance woes. But she also felt more could have been done at the local level to spread the word.There was a thing about sponsorship dollars being down, too.
"When we asked what was going on, so many people in Kimberly said they didn't know about the series," Kempf said. "They didn't see it advertised. They weren't aware of it. We kind of felt we stepped up on our end, but there are ways we can be better, too."
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