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Bengal Fastpitch Tryout Information for 2024

Corryn Anderson

Operations Manager

Phone: 763-413-3555

James Saulsbury

Traveling Fastpitch Director

Phone: 612-408-0411

JamieLynn Sparre

Assistant Fastpitch Director

Phone: 612-803-4823

Traveling Fastpitch Tryouts and Registration Information for A and B and C level teams

2024 Summer Ball…ALL registrations will take place this fall, even for C level ball.  There will be NO registrations this spring for 10U-18U summer ball.

The tryouts for Traveling Fastpitch softball teams for 10U-18U A and B level teams for the 2024 season will be held on September 30 at Ham Lake City Park. 

9:00    14U+
11:00  12U
1:00    10U

Be at tryouts 1/2 hour before your scheduled time to check in and get warmed up.

If the whole day on September 30th is rained out, October 7 will be the make-up date.

For 10U and 12U there will also be C level teams and players do not have to attend this tryout if they know they want to play on a C level team, but you WILL need to register this fall.

14U-HS we only have A and B level teams, no C teams.  If your player is in 14U-HS then they must attend the tryout.

Every player MUST try out at the age group they are officially in.  Players will only be allowed to play in a higher age group if it is necessary to fill a team.  If your child would play at a higher age group please let Corryn know that when you register.  More information about "Playing Up" is below on this page.

Expectations for teams:
When your child plays on a team  be aware that teams will play in multiple weekend tournaments throughout the season.  The Qualifier and State tournaments are late June/July and your coach will present other tournaments to the team that will be required as part of being on that team and will most likely be played in May and/or June.  The Qualifier and State tournaments are paid for by Traveling Fastpitch as well as 2 additional tournaments chosen by the coach. If a team decides to play in additional tournaments beyond they 4 paid for by Fastpitch (Qualifier, State and 2 additional) the other tournament costs will be split out to be paid amongst the team.

THIS YEAR:  You will register and pay for your player for 2024 Summer Ball in September.  This will also hold you a spot at try-outs.  Deadline to sign up for Summer Ball 2024 tryouts will be September 23.  There is no fee to attend the tryout.

Cost to play: the $435.75 registration fee is paid in September and $150 of that is refundable to you during the season by fundraising and volunteering.  There will also be a uniform cost (price to be determined) and your team may have additional tournament fees.  There is also a $300 volunteer fee check that is written before the season starts but that check is never cashed if you volunteer one time for 4 hours doing field work at a summer fastpitch tournament.

Parents will be notified what team their player is on by TBD

REFUNDS: A request for a refund may be given of 50% of the registration fee up until February 1, 2024.  No refunds will be given after February 1st.

When the season starts these are the nights of the week each age group will most likely play (there is a possibility for changes):

10U-T/Th
12U-M/W
14U-T/Th
HS-M/W
 

 

Coaching for 2024

If you are interested in coaching a team for the 2024 season, please let James Saulsbury and Corryn Anderson know that by sending an email to jasaulsbury@gmail.com and operations@sodervilleblaine.org.

 

Team Formation

SBAA Traveling Fastpitch teams are formed based on ASA age regulations:

August 31, 2023 for the age determining date (i.e. if your daughter played 8U this summer but they will be 9 before August 31, 2023 then they will play 10U for summer ball).    Age Calculator | Minnesota Softball (mnsoftball.com)

  8U - Girls 8 years of age or younger on August 31 of the previous year
10U - Girls 10 years of age or younger on August 31 of the previous year
12U - Girls 12 years of age or younger on August 31  of the previous year
14U - Girls 14 years of age or younger on August 31  of the previous year
HS - Girls 18 years of age or younger on August 31  of the previous year

COACHING OBLIGATIONS AND SELECTION

SBAA believes development of players, particularly at the younger age levels, is valued over a winning record. The goal of every coach should be to create an environment where every girl on the team can reach her fullest potential in a challenging, but rewarding, atmosphere.

Coaches will be required to teach and develop all players and support the entire SBAA Fastpitch Program. SBAA provides support to the traveling fastpitch coaches through clinics and other training opportunities intended to improve their skills as a coach.

Head Coaches will be selected from a pool of volunteers, selected by the SBAA Traveling Fastpitch Director. Final selections will be approved by the SBAA Traveling Fastpitch Committee.

TRY-OUT PROCESS

SBAA strives to make the try-out process as impartial as possible. During try-outs, two or three judges evaluate each player in the areas of bunting & hitting, fielding, base running, and pitching & catching. Judges will not evaluate their own daughters.

The try-out process will be closed to all but the players and evaluators.   Tryouts follow a blind, closed door process .  No one will be allowed in the tryout area except the players and evaluators. Tryout evaluators have fastpitch softball experience and do not have a daughter playing at the age level they evaluate. . This approach is necessary to make the try-outs as impartial as possible and to avoid conflicts during the try-out and team formation process. Your cooperation with this policy is appreciated.

After player evaluations are completed, a Team Selection Committee will be formed by the Traveling Fastpitch Director and the Traveling Fastpitch Committee. The Team Selection Committee will strive to place all players that try out for traveling fastpitch. In situations where there are an insufficient or excess number of eligible players for teams, there may need to be some adjustments of teams between tiers and age groups. All teams will have a goal to consist of a 12-player roster.  Teams are selected based on blind score results in a fair and unbiased manner.

The highest tier level team at each age level will include the top eight position players based on tryout evaluation, participation in Soderville Fastpitch clinics & training, age, and years of experience. The remaining 4 players (for a 12-person roster) shall be selected by the team coach from the remaining pool of eligible players.  Each age level will have an upper team to the extent tryout scores show a clear competitive level differentiation between players, and the remaining players will be assigned to tiered  teams  based on tryout results.

10U
Players will be selected for A, B, or C level  based on tryout evaluation, participation in Soderville Fastpitch clinics & training, age, and years of experience.   Final decisions will be made by the Team Selection Committee. Appropriate level of play is essential for each girl to compete and learn as much as possible at the U10 age level.  

12U
Players will be selected for A, B, or C level based on tryout evaluation, participation in Soderville Fastpitch clinics & training, age, and years of experience.  Final decisions will be made by the Team Selection Committee. Appropriate level of play is essential for each girl to compete and learn as much as possible at the U12 age level. 

14U and HS (High School)
SBAA recognizes that it has an obligation to our players and to our opponents to form teams with skill levels commensurate to age and competitive ability. Therefore, different tiered teams at these age levels will be formed on the basis of  tryout evaluation, participation in Soderville Fastpitch clinics & training, age, and years of experience.   Final decisions will be made by the Team Selection Committee

Players may request to play down to a lower tier team, subject to approval by the Traveling Fastpitch and Team Selection Committees. Specifically, this allows a pitcher or catcher not rated high enough to play on the higher level team an opportunity to play down in order to pitch/catch on a lower tier team.

Try-outs may be waived if enrollment at a particular level is less than or equal to the number of players needed to form a team.

 


PLAYING UP
ASA generally dictates age groupings. The association exists to provide opportunities for girls to perform at the best of their ability and the board recognizes that there may be athletes with exceptional ability who are best served by playing at a more competitive level. A player may play at a level above her specified playing age if she makes the top tryout team at the higher age level based on the results of the tryout for that age group. The player can not be a coach's selection player.

No other player may play up if it causes another player to be cut from playing on a traveling fastpitch team.

The Traveling Fastpitch Committee must approve all exceptions. The Traveling Fastpitch Committee also reserves the right to request a player to move up to a higher age level to fill out rosters in order to maintain the best interests of the program.

Team Selection Committee consists of Fastpitch Director, Fastpitch Assistant Director, and Operations Manager.  When necessary, they will request and take into account feedback and recommendations from coaches for team formation.


TRYOUT ATTENDANCE
Players are required to attend the full tryout process. Illness, injury, or extraordinary personal circumstances may cause players to request an exemption from tryouts. Requests to miss try-outs must be made prior to the start of try-outs unless an injury or illness occurs during the try-outs. Submission of supporting documents, including doctors reports, etc. are highly recommended and should be submitted prior to the end of try-outs for anyone requesting a waiver from try-outs.

The Traveling Fastpitch Committee will review the request for exemption and determine the appropriate course of action based on the best interest of the program. Anyone choosing not to participate in try-outs will be placed on rosters at the discretion of the Team Selection Committee and in the best interests of the program.