By CHRIS SHOTTSports Editor

Some of the "slo-mo" will be removed from Apponaug Girls Softball next year.

The largest girls' softball league in Warwick and in Rhode Island — exclusively a slow-pitch organization for the past 23 years — has announced a milestone restructuring of its program for the 2004 season to include a fast-pitch division for 11-13-year-old players.

According to first-year president Gerry Iadeluca, a recent "unanimous vote" of the 14-person AGS Board of Directors created a Major Division for 11-13-year-old girls that will feature fast-pitch softball competition commencing next spring. The remainder of the AGS program — a total of three divisions for 5-10-year-olds plus a Senior Division for 14-18-year-olds — will retain their slow-pitch structures.

"It's a major undertaking for us," Iadeluca said in a telephone interview last week. "The Board [of Directors] felt that the league needs to provide fast-pitch skills for girls who will have the opportunity to play fast-pitch softball in high school."

Iadeluca said that AGS serviced over 500 girls of ages 5-18 years during its 2003 season on 38 teams in five playing divisions. He assumed command of the organization Oct. 1.

According to Iadeluca, the AGS's recent decision was based on reality. Once a staple of girls softball programs from coast to coast, slow-pitch has dramatically declined in interest in recent decades because of the influx of fast-pitch softball programs. Locally, all three Warwick public high schools — Pilgrim, Warwick Vets and Toll Gate — played slow-pitch softball a decade ago, but all three will field fast-pitch-only squads next spring in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. Pilgrim made the transition to fast-pitch several years ago and last spring captured its first-ever state RIIL championship in the sport. Vets switched from slow-pitch to fast-pitch for the 2003 campaign and Toll Gate will make the same change next spring.

"It's a trickle-down effect," Iadeluca said. "Colleges play fast-pitch, so high schools made the switch, and now youth leagues are doing the same and converting from slow-pitch to fast-pitch. There are two other fast-pitch girls' softball leagues in Warwick now [the West Side Little League and the Warwick Angels Babe Ruth Softball League], so we felt that this was the right time to make the move."

According to Iadeluca, the AGS opted to install fast-pitch for 11-13-year-olds only for 2004 for practical purposes.

"These girls are of pre-high school age and are generally the ones who have the most interest in switching to fast-pitch if they plan to play softball in high school," he said. "What we're planning to do with the Major Division is to prepare girls to play at the high school level."

Those preparations will be drastic in certain ways. Major Division pitchers next year will be required to convert from the arcing style of slow-pitch to the rapid-fire deliveries of fast-pitch, and batters will be facing projectiles thrown at them with much greater velocity than is found in slow-pitch competition. Additionally, bunting, base stealing and advancing on wild pitches and passed balls — all presently prohibited in slow-pitch action — will be permitted in fast-pitch play.

To ease the transition from slow-pitch to fast-pitch for players, Iadeluca said that AGS sponsored a fall instructional program this year and will conduct indoor pitching clinics beginning in January 2004. Instructional clinics will also be conducted for Major Division coaching personnel to expand their knowledge of fast-pitch rules, fundamentals and strategies.

"We will try to acclimate players and coaches to fast-pitch as effectively as possible," Iadeluca said. "We'll use our own coaches to run the clinics and bring in other coaches and clinicians to help out."

Iadeluca said that AGS will remain affiliated with the American Softball Association (ASA) and will also affiliate next season for the first time with PONY Baseball/Softball. He added that the league will field teams in national slow-pitch and fast-pitch tournaments and will continue to host slow-pitch tournaments at its Winslow Park complex, with hopes of staging one or more fast-pitch events next year. Iadeluca said that AGS has no intentions of converting in the future to a totally fast-pitch organization.

"We're keeping the 14-18-year-olds in slow-pitch because we feel that's what they want to play," he said. "If the demand for fast-pitch at that level increases in the future, we will consider changing it. However, we will not consider fast-pitch for the younger girls [5-10 years]. We believe that slow-pitch softball develops their all-around playing skills better than fast-pitch softball would."

Despite the milestone changes planned for next season, Iadeluca stressed that the AGS's primary focus will remain unaltered.

"We're still going to be a recreational league that allows every girl who wants to play here a chance to play softball," he said. "We're keeping the core rules of the league in both slow-pitch and fast-pitch, including minimum playing time for every player in every game in the field and continuous batting orders."

AGS will hold a registration session for the 2004 season on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Warwick Police Department. Girls 5-18 years old as of Jan. 1, 2004, are eligible to register for $60 per player or $100 per family of two or more players. According to Iadeluca, no residency restrictions are placed on AGS players.

A "late" registration session will be conducted Saturday, Jan. 10 at the same times and at the same locations. Registrants at the late session will be assessed a $70 enrollment fee per player (or a maximum of $120 per family).

Iadeluca said that player enrollments will also be accepted by mail by accessing the league's website at www.eteamz.com/ags. Player registration forms can be downloaded through the website, and completed forms can be returned to the league.

All questions concerning AGS should be directed to Iadeluca at 738-1170.