Fort Lee Girls Softball: Fun, Competitive League

Scott Mittman has been the commissioner of the Fort Lee Girls Softball League for the past 12 years. Mittman understands the importance of youth sports in the area and loves being a part of the league.

"Youth sports enables all girls in town the opportunity to have fun and a place to develop athletic skills," Mittman said. "For many girls, just being able to have a place to go a few nights a week and be with friends is equally important." 

He also said the league's more advanced players get the opportunity to develop their skills and ultimately play at the high school level.

"We are very proud of what our girls have achieved in Coach Aughey’s high school program," Mittman said. 

The softball equivalent of a little league program is for girls from first to eighth grade. There are about 250 girls playing in what Mittman considers both a fun and unique league.

"We start with a teaching clinic for first and second grade girls," Mittman said. "Then [we] have a minor league from third to fifth grade with seven teams and a major league with grades six through eight with nine teams."

The league, which welcomes girls from Englewood Cliffs in addition to Fort Lee, also has two travel teams: a fith and sixth grade team and a seventh and eighth grade team.

The season begins in mid-April, and getting involved with the league is easy, even if you are a bit late.

"We have our drafting of the teams the end of March, start practicing in April and the season begins mid-April," Mittman said. "Our league is always open for girls to join, even during the season. We go through the second week of June with our league playoffs, and our travel teams continue another few weeks.”

All of the girls in the league are given the same trophy; organizers emphasize achievement more so than winning.

"I have run the first and second grade clinic, and I always tell the girls we are here for three reasons," Mittman said. "One, to have fun; two, to learn sportsmanship and how to be part of a team; and three, to learn as much softball as possible. I have never changed the order of importance.”