NATCHEZ — Belinda Brashier’s children might have outgrown the Natchez-Adams Girls Softball League, but she didn’t.

The president of the league said her love for all the girls that participate in youth softball is what’s kept her involved for so many years.

“We have a great program. I’ve been doing this for 26 years. My children left and I’ve stayed because I love these kids,” Brashier said.

“We still have a ways to go, but our pitching’s gotten better, and it’s a great place to learn the basics of the game. A lot of the players for these local high school teams came through here when they were younger.”

And the league presents a laid-back atmosphere where the girls can learn to show good sportsmanship no matter the outcome.

“This is for everyone to have a good time. Winning’s fun, and the girls are always competitive, but winning isn’t everything. You have to learn how to show good sportsmanship, win or lose,” Brashier said.

“This league is for everyone. Not everyone is going to be able to make the school’s team, but everyone can come out here and play.”

In recent years, the league has moved away from slowpitch and more towards fastpitch. League secretary Bridget Wactor said the move was so the girls would be better prepared for what they’ll see in high school.

“The main reason we went into fastpitch is because all the schools are doing it,” Wactor said.

“Last year, we didn’t have any tournament teams, but if we have one this year, fastpitch is our only option in that regard. We would have loved to keep playing slowpitch, but we have to go with the flow of what everyone else is doing.”

Brashier said more girls have become part of the league in recent years, and more sponsors have come along with them. Wactor credited that growth to the hard work of the league’s board members

“There’s so much out here that parents don’t realize what goes into starting and maintaining a season,” Wactor said.

“Just about everyone works, and this is practically a second job to them. And there are no benefits, other than seeing the girls have fun.”

Wactor also said the league serves to keep girls involved in softball as they get older.

“It keeps kids interested in sports and away from the possibility of getting in trouble,” Wactor said.

“You don’t really have P.E. in the schools hardly anymore, and this is a great way to keep them involved.”