ST. LOUIS, July 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapsodo, the sports data company known for helping athletes analyze real-time metrics to perfect their game, today announced its plans to bring its technology, data and expertise to the inaugural 16U & 18U Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS), which kicks off Saturday July 24th with the Players Experience and runs through Sunday, August 1st in Oklahoma City, OK. Rapsodo has been named Proud Player Evaluation partner for the series’ All-Star Game next Tuesday, July 27th. Player data captured on Rapsodo devices from previous days will be featured throughout the game. Handpicked by a national committee spearheaded by Derek Allister and OnDeck Softball, the top-ranked All-Star team players from across the country will come together on one field to showcase their talents on the American or National team. The first ever game, powered by Under Armour, will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 8:00PM CST from USA Softball's Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Rapsodo’s HITTING 2.0 device will be used during the July 24th Players Experience, including the Easton & Rawlings Home Run Derby event and will play a crucial role in identifying areas of individual performance, as a great number of amateur players rely on the equipment’s data for instant feedback. The connected sports company will continue to conduct certified assessments for players throughout the week using both HITTING 2.0 and PITCHING 2.0 units. The data captured during these days will be shared during the All-Star game’s live broadcast through ESPNU.
“These first-time events held during the AFCS will be an honor to be a part of; we’re thrilled to bring our tech and insights to the softball community to highlight these talented young players,” said Art Chou, General Manager of Rapsodo North America. “We’ve had the pleasure of working alongside college athletes that turned into professionals, such as Carley Hoover, and hope that we’ll be able to work with some of the athletes on the field today in the years to come.”
Membership into The Alliance Fastpitch starts at the team level as teams register to play in one of the six ‘Member Leagues’ of the Alliance. Member Leagues are organized into six regions across the country including the Pacific Coast Fastpitch League, Heart of America Fastpitch League, Northeast Fastpitch League, Rocky Mountain Fastpitch League, Southeastern Fastpitch League and the Texas Fastpitch League. The AFCS is the culminating event for the top players in each Member League, priding itself on being a true National Championship Series designed to mimic the NCAA Post Season and name a National Champion at each age, level and tier.
The Alliance has a vision for enhanced competition and providing value to regional play, which sparked the creation of these youth leagues. Just last year, youth coaches and event coordinators that make up the leagues worked together to build the AFCS for purposeful play and empowered player development on a national level.
“We are excited to have a leading sports company like Rapsodo join our efforts in bringing more consistency, accountability and structure to these young players through technology,” explained Jami Lobpries, Executive Director of the Alliance. “With data analytics from Rapsodo, we’re able to really showcase and measure progress in a unique way during the series, while also engaging fans with this insight. We think this is the start of something special in amateur softball and are excited to lead the way with Rapsodo.”
For more information on Rapsodo and its sports technology products, visit: rapsodo.com. For more information on The Alliance Fastpitch, visit: thealliancefastpitch.com.
About Rapsodo:
Rapsodo develops data-driven sports technologies designed to empower athletes and coaches to cost-effectively analyze and improve their game, which is used by thousands of professional and collegiate teams, including all 30 MLB teams. Founded in 2010, the company developed the first affordable golf personal launch monitor, distributed in the USA under SkyTrak. The company continues to focus on delivering a variety of sport training and simulation technologies that allow users to better understand performance through reliable statistics. This ultimately translates into Rapsodo's motto of "Measure to Master." To learn more, visit Rapsodo.com.
About The Alliance:
The Alliance Fastpitch was officially founded in the Summer of 2020, but the story began as a shared desire for change amongst leaders in youth fastpitch two years prior. The vision for collaboration, enhanced competition, and athlete-centric decision fueled the idea of The Alliance Fastpitch. Sparked by circumstances attributed to the global pandemic, a model for regionalized play started in Texas and soon scaled throughout the country. The Alliance Fastpitch is the bridge that connects everyone nationally and serves as a unified network that empowers each individual voice and fuels connectivity. The shared goal is to unite the fastpitch community and drive player-centric programming and events that enhance the competitive landscape of fastpitch softball.
Media Contact:
Chloe Blair
Uproar PR for Rapsodo
cblair@uproarpr.com
615-517-5116