Hey Everyone,
The Woolmarket Youth Baseball & Softball would like to thank everyone for registering for the 2021 Woolmarket League Team Tournament. We have 30 league teams scheduled to participate. That’s just an awesome number and I’m so excited to see so many young players getting a chance to participate. Over 90% of youth players will never get to participate in a tournament format or a high school game. So it’s definitely a new experience for most of these girls.Attached are the brackets for this weekend. The format is straight double elimination. We had to eliminate pool play due to the number of teams wanting to participate. It was either that or play on Sunday. We know most folks wouldn’t want that either. All of our If Necessary Games are scheduled before 10pm. Hopefully we’ll be able to keep on schedule. The confirmation email did say the cost is $100 per team. That was an error in the email. After two years of not doing this, I forgot to update it in the email. The cost is $70 per team. Tournament director is Chris Mosley. Tournament UIC is Roger Smith.Please let your parents know this is a fund raiser for Woolmarket Youth Sports. The entry fee is really low for this event to encourage teams to come play. But there will also be a gate fee. Parents are $7, kids ages 7-12 are $5, ages 6 & below are free. Players will enter free and each team will be allow 3 coaches to enter free. Please remind them the tournament is being hosted completely by volunteers and 100% of the money raised goes to Woolmarket girls. We’ve even waived the USA Softball sanctioning for this event. This is all about providing a wonderful experience for the kids.
Here’s a few things to keep in mind:
- This is a league team tournament with no pickups. This means you are playing with your league team as selected during your league draft. No pickup players including from even within your league. If you’re wear blue jerseys and there are two girls with red jerseys, folks are going to wonder where they come from.
- As these are league teams, we are playing by our interleague rules. I’ve attached them here. One exception due to being a tournament. If time has expired and you’re down by more than 7 runs, the game is over. We’re not playing it out. If there is a tie at the end of regulation, we will go to the International Tie-Break. We will play another inning. Each half inning will start with the last batted out on 2nd base no outs, then play out the inning. If still tied, we will repeat.
- 10U rules: No drop 3rd strike. Runners can only steal one base per pitch; no matter what else happens.
- Every player present will be listed in the batting order. So all players are in the game. There is free substitution on defense because all players will be batting. They must also play approximately half the game in the field.
- All divisions will play 3 outs or 7 runs per one half inning. This goes for the first inning to the last.
- There are no coaches agreements. That means when head coaches get to home plate, coaches will not suggest alternations to the league rules as provided.
I’m just going to mention this. We’ve gone nearly two years without a tournament and not many league games. Everyone is having extreme problems finding umpires. It was troublesome before Covid, it’s nearly impossible now as so many have left the sport. Roger Smith is doing the best he can to provide competent umpires for us. Some of these folks are inexperienced. We are allowing them to keep a copy of the league rules on the fields. I’m begging you to please be patient with them. If there is a discrepancy in a rules interpretation, Smitty and I will both be there to assist in clarifying them. Let’s be the best role model possible for these young softball players. If you know of someone available to call games, please call Smitty at 228-217-0992.I’m not saying don’t ask questions. But I am saying let’s behave like adults. Let’s talk to each other in a reasonable tone of voice. Show these young ladies how grown ups settle disagreements. We’re all here to get it right. But we’re all humans.Thanks you so much for Playing USA Softball!!! Been too long since I’ve said that. Here’s to a great day of softball…Thanks,,,Tom