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Dear Fellow Softball Enthusiasts,
I hope everyone is doing well. We’ve certainly had our challenges over the last year. Hopefully, we can get the kids back on the diamond and provide some much needed normalcy to their lives. Ready or not, softball season is on the way!
Registrations are underway and folks are getting organized. We’re all figuring out what softball looks like in the era of Covid. Some of us will have restrictions on games and practices. Others will see their schedules pushed back. The most important lesson that softball teaches is resiliency and how not to give up. We’ll fight through whatever challenges are put in front of us.
The District Meeting will be on Thursday, Feb 18th, 2021 at 6:00 PM. It will be held at the Donal Snyder Community Center at 2520 Pass Road in Biloxi. We’ll be upstairs… everyone must wear a mask as you enter the building and go upstairs. We will be able to remove them once we get settled in.
This meeting is open to everyone. League Presidents should plan to attend the meeting; whether you’ve sanctioned with USA Softball in the past or not. We are all stronger when we work together. Please pass along this invite to any new board members that would like to attend. It helps all of us to have people knowledgeable and ready to step in and help. I’d also appreciate if everyone would please let me know if there are any changes in your organization.
We have so many things to discuss going into this season that we need to discuss. The governance of USA Softball of South Mississippi is done by consensus of the member leagues. Here’s some things on my mind:
- Partnering and inter-league play will become more important than ever.
- Registrations look to be down and we’ll need each other so we can have a
- Developing safe protocols for ensuring the safety and health of our players and families
- Future of tournament trail and league-sponsored tournaments
USA Softball has many important responsibilities as the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States. A very important distinction between USA Softball and other athletic organizations. USA Softball is not a tournament organization. Recreational play and invitational tournaments are left to individuals, groups or organization to administer. The proceeds for these efforts remain with the hosts to support their organizations. USA Softball provides support to those entities to enhance and enable their efforts. As the National Governing Body, USA Softball conducts Championship Play events leading to the crowning of Local Association and National Champions.
I also encourage everyone to Like the USA Softball of South MS Facebook page. It’s the best way to stay in touch with the latest information. The URL to the group is below:
https://www.facebook.com/USASoftballSouthMS/
Please RSVP if you plan to attend the meeting. If you don’t, I’ll probably be calling you. My cell number is 228-365-2301 if you need anything. Email is always good also at tstanley@cableone.net.
Thanks,,,
Tom
District Commissioner
USA Softball of South Mississippi
https://usasoftballsouthms.com/
Dear Fellow Softball Enthusiasts,
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Ready or not, softball season is on the way! Opening Day will be here before we know it. Everyone should be preparing for registration and getting those fields back into playing shape.
The District Meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb 19th, 2020 at 6:00 PM. It will be held at the Donal Snyder Community Center at 2520 Pass Road in Biloxi. League Presidents should plan to attend the meeting. Please pass along this invite to any new board members that would like to attend. Anyone else interested is also free to attend. It helps all of us to have people knowledgeable and ready to step in and help. I’d also appreciate if everyone would please let me know if there are any changes in your organization.
The governance of USA Softball of South Mississippi is done by consensus of the member leagues. We will discuss topics relevant to our upcoming league season, new initiatives and set the tournament schedule. I’ve got some ideas for this season and I welcome any any ideas you have to help improve our program.
USA Softball, formerly the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball, a volunteer driven, not-for-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, OK, was founded in 1933 and has evolved into the strongest softball organization in the country. USA Softball has many important responsibilities as the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States which includes:
- Promoting amateur softball for all persons regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry
- Establishing uniform softball rules and regulations
- Providing it with proper safeguards in accordance with the spirit of true sportsmanship and establish principles for ethical behavior and matters relating to conflict of interest as provided by the USA Softball Council and Board of Directors
- Encouraging the union of all eligible teams, organizations or groups into such separate associations with active membership in the USA Softball as may from time to time be deemed best adapted to advance the cause of amateur softball
- Establishing and maintaining by allied membership, alliances with non-profit associations or organizations devoted wholly or partially to the promotion and development of the game of softball on a state, regional or national level
- Promoting and conducting annual amateur softball championships
- Educating and training in the proper skills of amateur softball play and rules of the game through promoting, organizing, and conducting clinics, seminars and training courses.
A very important distinction between USA Softball and other athletic organizations. USA Softball is not a tournament organization. Recreational play and invitational tournaments are left to individuals, groups or organization to administer. The proceeds for these efforts remain with the hosts to support their organizations. USA Softball provides support to those entities to enhance and enable their efforts. As the National Governing Body, USA Softball conducts Championship Play events leading to the crowning of Local Association and National Champions.
I also encourage everyone to Like the USA Softball of South MS Facebook page. It’s the best way to stay in touch with the latest information. The URL to the group is below:
https://www.facebook.com/USASoftballSouthMS/
Please RSVP if you plan to attend the meeting. If you don’t, I’ll probably be calling you. My cell number is 228-365-2301 if you need anything. Email is always good also at tstanley@cableone.net.
Thanks,,,
Tom
District Commissioner
USA Softball of South Mississippi
https://usasoftballsouthms.com/
The Gulfport Youth Sports Association would like to invite everyone to come play their Second Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fall Tournament. Proceeds from this tournament will benefit support to breast cancer awareness and research. So we hope everyone will come out and support this worthy cause. The tournament will be held on Saturday, October 19th, 2019. It will be held at the Bayou View Sports Complex at 4300 Hewes Av, Gulfport, MS 39507. We try to make these one-day tournaments. We won’t play Friday night, but Sunday will be reserved in case of inclement weather. Normally we do everything we can to finish in one day.
Please register early as it will help the tournament organizers prepare for this weekend.
Online registration for this weekend’s tournament is available at this address:
GYSA Breast Cancer Awareness Fall Invitational Entry Form
Teams registered for this weekend can be viewed using this link:
GYSA Breast Cancer Awareness Fall Invitational Teams Registered
Proof of insurance is required to participate in this tournament. Teams may provide an insurance certificate as proof of insurance or players may be USA Softball Individually Registered. Players may be registered online at USA Softball Individual Registration. The spring registration carries through Dec 31st. So many player will already be registered. Individual Registration sanctions the player with USA Softball and provides supplemental medical / general liability protection for the players, field owners and tournament hosts.
Thank you for Playing USA Softball!
The Gulf Coast Vipers softball organizational would like to invite everyone to their fall invitational tournament this weekend. The tournament will be held on Saturday, October 12th, 2019. The tournament will be held at the St Martin Sports Complex at 11098 Kippie Cutoff, Ocean Springs, MS 39564. USA Softball of South Mississippi invitational tournaments are fundraisers for the tournament hosts. All proceeds from this weekend’s tournament will benefit the girls of the Gulf Coast Vipers. They are looking forward to having a great weekend and would greatly appreciate your support. We try to make these one-day tournaments. We won’t play Friday night, but Sunday will be reserved in case of inclement weather.
Please register early as it will help the tournament organizers prepare for this weekend.
Online registration for this weekend’s tournament is available at this address:
Gulf Coast Vipers Fall Invitational Entry Form
Teams registered for this weekend can be viewed using this link:
Gulf Coast Vipers Fall Invitational Teams Registered
These invitational tournaments are fundraisers for our tournament hosts. All the proceeds go to help pay for players and teams to participate in tournaments. Registration is open for all tournaments. The full schedule including registration links for USA Softball of South Mississippi Fall Tournament Trail can be viewed using this link:
Fall Tournament Schedule
Proof of insurance is required to participate in this tournament. Teams may provide an insurance certificate as proof of insurance or players may be USA Softball Individually Registered. Players may be registered online at USA Softball Individual Registration. The spring registration carries through Dec 31st. So many player will already be registered. Individual Registration sanctions the player with USA Softball and provides supplemental medical / general liability protection for the players, field owners and tournament hosts.
Thank you for Playing USA Softball!
Registration is open for all the 2019 Fall Tournaments. All of our fall tournaments are hosted by local organizations with 100% of the money going to those organizations. There aren’t many local teams this fall, so we just have three tournaments. So we hope you’ll support the local organizations and help them raise money for their girls. All tournaments are struggling this fall, so register early to help draw out teams. As always, registration is open until Thursday noon, the week of the tournament. You can also withdraw with no cancellation by Thursday noon.
You can find a complete list of tournaments and registration links using this link: 2019 Fall Tournament Trail. Or just look under Tournaments/Youth/2019/2019 USA Softball of South Mississippi Fall Tournament Trail
The first tournament is this upcoming weekend with the Biloxi Fall Invitation on October 5th. The Gulf Coast Vipers will host on October 12th. Then we will wrap up with the Gulfport Youth Sports Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament on October 19th. Direct registration link to register for the Biloxi Fall Invitation is at https://usasoftballsouthms.com/?page_id=3599.
Thank you for Playing USA Softball!
I hope everyone has enjoyed a little break from between softball seasons. Although the 95+ degree weather doesn’t make it feel much like fall, there has been a lot of fall softball tryout notices. Now that kids are back in school, we can start figuring out the fall invitational tournament season.
Does your team need a good fundraiser? I’ve yet to see a team that didn’t need money. USA Softball doesn’t host tournaments; our tournaments are hosted by teams and organizations. Proceeds from all USA Softball of South Mississippi tournaments go to help raise money for softball players along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
A great way for your team to raise money for team’s activities to host one of our Fall Tournaments. We will help registrations and getting the word out. We also help lining umpires; even help with brackets if you need it. The host collects the entry and gate fees; pays the umpires; buys the trophies; and prepares the fields. So it’s a way your team can raise money playing the game they love.
The Fall Meeting will be at the upstairs meeting room at the Donal Snyder Center on Thursday, September 12th, 2019 at 6:00 PM. The address is 2520 Pass Road, Biloxi, MS 39531. Meeting is open to anyone interested in hosting or playing in one of the fall tournaments. USA Softball is an open organization and anyone can join.
Please RSVP if you plan to attend the meeting to tstanley@cableone.net. Also if you have team, please let me know what age group your team is planning to participate. Facebook is ok also. The URL is https://www.facebook.com/USASoftballSouthMS/.
Thanks for Playing USA Softball!
Below are brackets this weekend’s Gulf Coast Championships. We have 32 teams. The tournament will be held at the A.J. Holloway Biloxi Sportsplex. The address to the field is 765 Wells Dr, Biloxi. At the request of some of the teams, we added more times between games for the younger girls. With 10 teams in tee ball and coach pitch, it’s a really hard day for those older players. As as result, coach pitch and 10u will finish on Sunday. Only the top 4 teams in each bracket will have to play though. So overall, we’re hoping for a more player friendly schedule.
Biloxi does have a curfew of 11 PM. So if we run into any schedule issues on Saturday, we might have to push more to Sunday. Hopefully not as the forecast looks good for this weekend. So please be sure to have your player start hydrating on Friday night.
Rosters
Also below is a Roster and Waiver Form. This weekend is a little different. Each team will need to complete the roster and turn it in at Check-in. The parent signatures do not have to be completed… Once a roster has been turned in… that’s the eligible players for this tournament. There will be no pickup players once the team starts their first game.
State Championships
Below is a link to the State Tournaments. If you want to play in a State Tournament, please register online.. If you need pay to by check or cash, please let us know this weekend. We can collect your entry fee and get you entered. Here’s the link to the state tournament listing and registration page:
https://www.usasoftballms.com/2019-usa-softball-of-mississippi-tournaments/
For more information on getting ready for Championship Play, please refer to https://usasoftballsouthms.com/?p=3567.
We appreciate everyone coming to play this weekend. Proceeds from this tournament will go to the Biloxi Girls Softball League as the host of this week’s tournament.
Thanks for Playing USA Softball!
It’s Championship Play Time…. Winning an Invitational Tournament sure is fun, but being a State Champion is really something special. So we hope everyone comes out to play in the USA Softball of Mississippi State Championships. USA Softball is an open organization. Anyone is welcome to register and come play.
The deadline for registering is fast approaching Tuesday, June 18th, 2019. So please register as soon as possible so we can plan the event. Registering early always help draw out more teams. The purpose of this post/email is to outline the steps you have to go through to get registered. Don’t worry, we’ll help you get through it. Please let me know if you need anything.
REGISTER NOW WHILE YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT IT.
Here’s a link to full list of USA Softball of Mississippi State Tournament are listed below:
USA Softball of Mississippi Championship Tournaments
For teams wanting to compete in the 10U or 12U Class C South or North State, they must meet the following guidelines:
— All players must come from the same league.
— All players must have been on a league roster before the season was half over.
— A player on a C team roster cannot be on any other USA Softball roster.
— Once a league all-star team is picked, the team can play in tournaments BUT the players cannot play in tournaments with any other team
— **Class C teams MUST come from a registered USA Softball registered league.
REGISTRATION IS COMPLETED ONLINE FOR ALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY EVENTS. PAYMENT CAN BE DONE ONLINE ALSO. BUT PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU NEED TO PAY BY CHECK OR CASH.
Below is a checklist of items necessary for Championship Play:
- Online Tournament Registration. Registering for a Tournament is very easy. Just click the list of Championship Play events. Then find the tournament your team wants to play in. Click the link out beside it. Provide the information, select the payment method, then hit submit.
- Tournament Entry Fee. The tournament entry fee must be submitted with the Tournament Entry Form. Online payment is available. But a check can also be mailed to cover the entry fee. Fast Pitch is $350.00. The State Tournament will either be two pool to double elimination or a three game guarantee. Coach Pitch South State is straight double elimination and the Tournament Entry Fee is $200.00. There is also a $10 convenience fee for paying online to cover the credit card transaction fees.
- Championship Roster. You will need to complete a Championship Roster will all your players listed and parent’s signatures. The completed roster including parent signatures will be submitted at the tournament check-in. Here’s a link to the Official USA Softball Roster & Waiver Form:
Official Roster and Waiver Form
- USA Softball Individual Registration. All players participating in USA Softball Championship Play must be Individually Registered. This is a national requirement. Most of your players should are already Individually Registered. The cost is $15 per player. The preferred method of submitting the Individual Registration including payment is online at this URL:
https://www.usasoftballsouthms.com/?page_id=1532
- ACE Certification. At least one Coach must be ACE Certified. I highly recommend the ACE training. You get the training, background check, liability insurance and identification card with proof of the background check. The certification can be completed online at http://www.registerusasoftball.com/. It’s $25 for Level 1 and $20 for Levels 2-4. You only need one level per year. You also have to renew it every year. As the National Governing Body of Softball and member of the United States Olympic Committee, we are now required to comply with SafeSport training. SafeSport’s mission to enable all athletes to participate in sports free from sexual harrassment and bullyingin sports free from bullying, hazing, sexual misconduct or any form of emotional or physical abuse. The ACE Certification process will require going through the SafeSport Online Training Program.
- Background Checks: Every person in the dugout must have a background check. You can do just the background check at http://registerusasoftball.com/. It’s included with the ACE Training above which I firmly believe is a better deal.
- Birth Certificates. You must present a birth certificate for each player at the tournament. Copies are fine. If you don’t have a birth certificate, one of the following forms of birth verification or proof of age must be available to the Tournament Director: Birth Certificate, hospital certificate, baptismal certificate, driver’s license, or a valid passport. Photocopies of any of the above are acceptable for J.O. identification.
- Recent Photo. You must have a recent photo for each player with the birth certificate.
- Notebook. It’s best to keep a notebook with all your players birth certificates, photos and Individual Registration Cards. I keep a binder with everything for a player in a single sheet protector. It also helps if your Tournament Director if they are in the same order as on the roster.
- Nationals. If you want to play in a National Tournament, please tell you State Tournament Director at the tournament.
Thank you for Playing USA Softball!
The Gulf Coast Championships will be held this weekend at the A.J. Holloway (Biloxi) Sportsplex during June 14 – 16, 2019. The address to the fields is 765 Wells Dr, Biloxi, MS 39532. My dear friend, Coach Allen Marsland, passed away last week. Coach Allen over the years coached baseball, football and, when his kids aged out, coached softball for the last 20+ years. He was on the BGSL Board of Directors for most of that time, but he also sponsored high school girls fastpitch teams across the coast. He was a grouchy old cuss, but had a heart of gold for his kids. I ask everyone to say a prayer for his family during this time due to their loss.
We will look at the schedule to determine which days we will play. Two weeks ago, we had excruciating heat. Then rain all last week. We’ll try to evaluate the conditions. So why no one likes playing on Sunday, we might for the good of the players. I normally work it that if you start on Friday, then you’ll finish on Saturday. But if you start Saturday, then you might finish on Sunday. So you’ll only be out there for two days; not three.
The Gulf Coast Championships reflects a more regional significance. It’s a title which signifies the importance of the Gulf Coast to USA Softball of Mississippi and the strength of fast pitch softball in the region. We do limit the participation to a teams based in South Mississippi or having played in one of our invitational tournaments. USA Softball, as the National Governing Body of Softball, is an open organization where all teams and player are free to participate. Even if you’ve been playing in one of the alphabet softball organizations, you’re most likely eligible to play this weekend. So we hope everyone will come play this weekend. This tournament, as with all of tournaments, will help raise money to support the softball programs of the tournament host. The beneficiary this weekend will be girls of the Biloxi Girls Softball League.
We will host all age groups: Tee Ball, Coach Pitch, 10u All-Star, 10u Open, 12u All-Star, 12u Open, 14u & 16u. We would like to keep the All-Star and Open brackets separate, but we need enough participation to keep them separate. I’ve also had a lot of people ask if they “have” to play in the Gulf Coast Championships to play in the State Tournament. Well the short answer is no. But we’re trying to create a really special tournament. This is where we crown the Gulf Coast Champion. We are doing rings this weekend. I’m not big on rings because I think it promotes trophy hunting. But this is a special tournament and they are really popular with the girls. So we’re doing them.
One final thought, all of us adults must lower the level of animosity for each other during this events. That includes coaches, parents, fans, spectators and yes… even umpires. If you watch any of the NCAA Men’s baseball games on TV, you’ll notice those umpires aren’t perfect. Most people would say a lot of them are really, really bad. Well those folks have been college games for a long, long time… they are the best at way they do. And they aren’t perfect. So how do expect someone calling a “league all-star” game in Biloxi to be perfect. Well it’s just not going to happen; we are all imperfect creatures. We need to conduct ourselves more appropriately to provide a better example around these kids.
So a few adjustments for this weekend:
1) In fast pitch, only one coach will be allowed to sit at the edge of the dugout on defense to call pitches. Otherwise coaches will only be permitted on the fields at the District Tournament Rules allow.
2) Any discussions about a call will go through the umpire that made the call.. the other reason that should happen is to question a rule or request an appeal. Coaches should “walk” to the umpire and speak in a normal tone of voice. Running or yelling at umpire will get you a short walk to the parking lot.
3) Coaches should refrain from talking or yelling at another coach about a controversial call. In my experience over 25+ years, there is nothing you can say to another coach to make it all better. So just don’t do it. All it’s going to do is make the situation worst.
4) Fans should be fans. They should cheer their team on. They should refrain from derogatory comments about the other team or an official… Sure, the normal Oooh and Ahhh is expected when we don’t agree with a call. But name calling and berating will not be tolerated.
Please register early as it will help the tournament organizers prepare for this weekend. It also helps bring out other teams. So please register early.
Communications will be via email. Registration will close Thursday at noon. We have a lot of planning and activities to get ready. The brackets will be posted before Thursday at 5:00pm. I’ll email them out to first. Then I’ll post the brackets on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/USASoftballSouthMS/ and at https://usasoftballsouthms.com/.
Please do not call, email or text looking for brackets. It will just distract me from actually getting them done. If you don’t see them, I haven’t finished them yet. Please tell you parents not to call also. There are a lot more of them than there are of me. I just can’t possibly return all the phone and text messages that I’ll get.
Please REGISTER ONLINE & EARLY.
Online registration is available using the link below:
Gulf Coast Championships Entry Form
Here’s a link to the Teams Registered page:
Gulf Coast Championships Teams Registered
ROSTERS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS WEEKEND:
You will be required to submit a roster. For this tournament, I just need a listing of players and birthdays….. it does not have to be signed by the parents. Please complete the roster using the link below and turn it in at the GCC check-in:
USA Softball Roster Form
USA Softball, as the National Governing Body of Softball, is an open organization that is open to all teams and players. To be eligible to participate, all players participating must either be USA Softball Individually Registered or pay a $25 Individual Tournament Sanction/Insurance fee. Players may be registered online at USA Softball Individual Registration. Individual Registration sanctions the player with USA Softball and provides supplemental medical / general liability protection for the players, field owners and tournament hosts. Just so you know, to play in the State Tournament, all players must be USA Softball Individually Registered. This is a National requirement.. so you might just want to go ahead and individually register your players.
I’ll send out information on the State Tournaments this week. State Tournament Registration is available online at the USA Softball of Mississippi website. I’ll put everything you need to do in one email.
Good Luck! Get out there and play!
Thanks for Playing USA Softball!
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