Fury Platinum New England Unites with Alliance Fastpitch

The Alliance is a national organization uniting nine regional leagues across the U.S. to create a consistent, athlete-first pathway in competitive fastpitch softball. Formed in 2020, it connects local teams through a shared rating system, structured competition, and national recognition. Member teams compete for spots in the prestigious Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) held in Indianapolis each summer, which is modeled like a college postseason tournament. With both Super and Champions level divisions, plus the developmental Futures League for younger athletes, the Alliance emphasizes both competition and growth. Its mission: to elevate the game by connecting players, coaches, and leagues nationwide under one collaborative standard.

Joining The Alliance Fastpitch, and specifically the Northeast Fastpitch League (NEFL) gives Fury Platinum New England athletes a direct pathway to national-level competition, rankings, and recognition through a unified, college-style postseason format. It connects our teams to elite events, player leaderboards, and development resources while maintaining regional competition. This partnership elevates exposure, competition quality, growth within a nationally respected structure.

Northeast Fastpitch League

The Northeast Fastpitch League (NEFL) serves the northeastern United States, representing all six New England States, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia.

The league covers age divisions from 10U through 18U, enabling teams to compete in a structured “collegiate-type” event format with standings, points, and national exposure. Teams earn points in Alliance-endorsed tournaments, games must be scored via the AthletesGoLive (AGL) system, and top performers can qualify for the national championship series under The Alliance.

By competing in the NEFL, teams get access to a highly competitive regional platform with clear metrics (points, standings, stats) and a pathway to national play while staying within the northeastern region. For players and teams, it means more exposure, structured competition, and consistent development opportunities within The Alliance’s national framework.

For the older divisions (16U and 18U), it adds an extra layer of meaningful competition and seasonal excitement layered into the traditional showcase schedule.

Having FPNE Director Joe Roumelis on the Northeast Fastpitch League (NEFL) Leadership Committee gives Fury Platinum New England a direct voice in shaping the region’s competitive and developmental landscape. His role ensures that our athletes and teams stay at the forefront of league decisions, event planning, and strategic initiatives within The Alliance Fastpitch framework. This connection provides early insight into competitive structures, qualification paths, and national opportunities, giving our players enhanced visibility and a greater platform for college exposure and advancement.

If you would like to join the NEFL or simply have questions on our experience within the league, reach out to jroumelis.furyplatinum@gmail.com.

If you’re a new team interested in competing within the Alliance under the Fury Platinum brand, we can help you get started!

QUICK FACTS

What is THE ALLIANCE

  • Alliance Fastpitch is a national organizing body for youth travel fastpitch softball in the United States. It encompasses nine regional member leagues whose combined structure spans all 50 states.

  • The organization was officially formed in 2020

Mission & Vision

  • The mission: to unite the fastpitch community and deliver value to athletes and coaches via a clear competitive pathway and collaborative resources.

  • The vision: to provide a developmental and competition structure from entry-level athletes up through high levels of play, enabling progression and success.

  • Core values include: putting the athlete first, focusing on player development, coach development, collaboration across leagues/teams, and supporting the broader softball ecosystem.

How it works: Structure & Pathway

  • Teams participate within their regional “Member Leagues” (one of the nine) and via tournaments within those leagues.

  • Within each league and nationally, there is a points/ratings system (often referred to as the “Alliance Rating System”) that tracks team performance, strength of schedule, etc. This system plays a role in national seeding and qualification.

  • The AFP divides team competition into two divisions (for certain age groups): Super Division (for the highest competitive level) and Champions Division. This is intended to strike a balance between competition and provide more recognition and opportunities across multiple tiers.

Key Offerings & Events

  • The flagship national event is the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS). It is the national championship for youths, featuring regional brackets feeding into national competition. This event is held in the Indianapolis (IN) area.

    • Teams must earn their berths to the AFCS via league play, tournament performance, and points.

    • The format emulates college softball postseason structure (e.g., regional, super-regional, national bracket) to help prepare athletes for higher levels.

  • Its sister national event is the Alliance  Fastpitch Open Nationals (AFON). It is a highly competitive national championship event open to all Alliance member teams, held in Chattanooga, TN.

  • The organization provides membership benefits for teams, coaches, and athletes, including access to resources, instructional materials, leadership development, recognition (leaderboards, awards), and network/community support.

  • Incoming partnerships and technology focus: for example, a partnership with the communications system PitchCom to bring advanced tech into youth fastpitch competition.

Why Alliance Matters / Differentiators

  • It aims to collaborate across what otherwise might be competing regional leagues, bringing them under one “umbrella” so that teams across the country have a consistent pathway and recognition framework.

  • It supports both competition and development, meaning it isn't just about high‐end elite tournaments, but also building up younger athletes and coaches.

  • It creates a clear progression path: local/regional tournaments → league standings/points → national championship opportunity in AFCS.

  • By aligning tournaments from existing event providers under its scheduling/policy/points framework, it attempts to add value (via standings, national recognition) without requiring teams to change their existing tournament schedules completely.

Key Facts at a Glance

  • Founded: 2020

  • Structure: 9 regional Member Leagues covering all US states

  • Age range: Teams from 10U up to 18U (and instructional younger via Futures)

  • Divisions: Super and Champions (for 12U-18U in certain tiers)

  • Championships: AFCS (national tournament), AFON (open national tournament), REGIONALS (league championship events)

  • Membership: Athletes, coaches, and teams register; benefits include access to educational resources, a national network, discounts, team insurance, and so much more.

Things to Consider For Teams

  • Teams need to join a Member League in their geographic region, and participate in qualifying tournaments to earn points and earn berths for national events.

  • If you’re joining for the first time, understanding the two-division structure (Super vs Champions) is important: e.g., if your team aims for national competition, the Super Division is likely the track. If you would like more of an education-based membership with resources to help your coaches and players, the Champions Division is the best bet.

  • Membership comes with obligations (registration, following league rules) but also benefits (access to national network, resources, stats/leaderboards, team insurance coverage).

  • For younger athletes (6U-12U), the Futures League affiliate model offers a more development-centric option rather than purely competitive travel ball.

  • Because the AFP works through existing regional tournaments/events, teams often continue their regular schedule but can gain additional national recognition via AFP’s points/qualifiers system.