Some of you might be wondering why you have never heard of the Moorhead Crush. Simply put, it is a new league in Moorhead that is gearing up for its first official season this summer.

The Crush is for girls between the ages of 8 and 18 and is “dedicated to teaching an amazing sport while learning leadership, camaraderie, sportsmanship, teamwork, and self- empowerment on and off the field.”

One of the organizers and driving forces behind the Moorhead Crush is James Van Raden. After searching for a place for his daughter Emily to work and train year round, Van Raden realized that there weren’t many options in the area. “To be truly proficient in softball, like other sports, it takes effort outside of just a couple weeks to help develop the girls’ on-field skills,” he explained. “We cannot expect the girls to walk onto the field in the spring and be proficient throughout the season.” Along with his fellow board members, the group saw an opportunity to, as Van Raden says, “engage in the development of a true softball program.”

For Van Raden, the sport of fastpitch softball is much more than just an athletic competition. “Fastpitch is a sport that these girls will not only be able to enjoy in their childhood years, butalso through their high school years and into their collegiate years and beyond as adults,” he explained. “I’m still connected with the childhood athletes that I spent many hours with and girls that become involved in fastpitch also maintain some solid, long-lasting friendships and bonds not only on the field but off.”

So far, the response Van Raden and the rest of the Moorhead Crush have received has surpassed their initial expectations. According to Van Raden, the association has a budgetary goal of 100 players, but they are hoping to exceed that number and reach 120-130. Only half-way through their initial registration period, the Crush have reached 60% of their budgetary goal. As more people in the area become aware of the association and all it has to offer, Van Raden hopes to see that number continually climb.

One of the primary goals of the Moorhead Crush is to offer expanded training and skill development opportunities. To that end, they recently held their first skills clinic. The response was more than encouraging. After initially hoping for 30 participants, the clinic brought in over 60. “The final tally was 66 girls with smiles on their faces and fire in their souls,” Van Raden said. “It was a number we totally did not expect but welcomed with open arms and excitement.”

The association plans to conduct more clinics, both during the winter and spring seasons. “A true grasp and understanding of the fundamentals is one of the most important things for us. We want the girls to first and foremost understand the fundamentals of the game,” Van Raden explained. “By building on those fundamentals, the rest of the puzzle pieces will fall into place.”

The summer season for the MoorheadCrush will kick off on May 1st with a community event that will bring players, families, and sponsors together. “It will be a chance for the girls to grow as friends as well as teammates,” Van Raden said. The anticipated summer season will run from May to August. Complete schedules and field locations are currently being finalized. Van Raden is projecting to have ten teams participate within the league. “Our primary goal is to develop the teams so that the girls that are on the teams are playing and not sitting on the bench,” he said. “If they are not afforded the opportunity to play, they do not grow as players and/or individuals.”

The association is broken up into four age groups: 10u, 12u, 14u, and 18u. “Depending on how things develop, we may break that down and include a 16u level at some point in time depending on demand,” Van Raden explained. “The way the age brackets aredetermined is by the age of the girls on December 31st of the year prior to the start of the season.”

Van Raden and the other board members would like to make sure that every girl that wants to participate is given the opportunity, regardless of financial ability. “At the present time, our sponsorship levels have not afforded an opportunity to set up an endowment fund for providing scholarships to underprivileged girls,” he began. “We’d love it if a sponsor would step up and provide this opportunity for girls that do not have the financial capacity to pay.” There are obvious operating expenses as well. Start-up costs for the league, including new equipment for each team, will be approximately $10,000. However, the return on investment, as they say, will be priceless.

More information about the Moorhead Crush, including registration and sponsorship information can be obtained at www.moorheadcrush.org. Additional information can be obtained via the Moorhead Crush Facebook and Twitter pages.