Opening Season Tournament May 3-5, 2013

The weather is set and so are the BRACKETS for the Opening Tournament for the Humboldt Fastpitch 2013 season, scheduled for May 3-5, 2013.  Tournament brackets with game times can be downloaded from this website.  A big shout out to all of the VOLUNTEERS that are helping to make this event possible for your  girls, with folks like Kelly, Ageana, Frank, Shanna, and the rest of the Board, Association Officers,  and Regional Rec Program Reps working tirelessly this season.  Please take a moment to thank them! 

Also, we are desperately needing parents to volunteer to work at the Snack Shacks at the various fields (particularly Bartow and Newburg) that the girls will be playing on this weekend and during the rest of the season.  Please talk to your coach, send us an email, or just walk up to the Snack Shack and offer to fill a time slot between your daughter's games or the following day.  Better yet, offer to manage one of the Snack Shacks for the season, either as an individual or as a group of volunteer parents!  PLEASE STEP UP AND CONTRIBUTE!   This is a critical source of funding for your  program to help cover the costs of fields, umpires, and equipment and we need your help to make it run smoothly.  Please stayed tuned for more information and get ready to PLAY BALL!    

2013 Game Schedules Released

We know that many of you have been eagerly awaiting the 2013 Softball Recreational Schedule, and we appreciate your patience as we've sorted through the 300 registrants, ordered necessary equipment to safely outfit so many kids, finalized team placements, developed and calendared practice schedules, rummaged through the various organizations' uniforms, and worked diligently to acquire fields, insurance, and assemble game schedules. The logistics of our county-wide program presents many challenges that takes time to coordinate among the volunteers that help run your rapidly expanding ASA softball program. 

That said, we are pleased to release the game schedules for the 2013 season, which can be downloaded off this blog in the panel to the right titled "2013 Game Schedules".  Thank you to the many volunteers and coaches that provided feedback and necessary corrections to the schedule.

Please note that players will start the season with a collection of uniforms provided by the various organizations who have merged together to create Humboldt Fastpitch. However, our organizations' players will be debuting BRAND NEW HUMBOLDT FASTPITCH UNIFORMS that will be distributed and worn for our first tournament scheduled for May 3-6. These uniforms were made possible by welcomed and generous sponsorships from local organizations, including the Kiwanis of Fortuna, the Melvin F. & Grace McLean Foundation, the Soroptimist International of Eel River Valley, and the generosity of the Merv George Benefit Concert! 

If you have any questions as the season progresses, please don't hesitate to ask. We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable season.  NOW LETS PLAY BALL!

The Mad River-Humboldt Fastpitch Board
                          &
Recreation Division Executive Committee

Return of Sunday Pitching Clinics!

Exciting news! We have put Sunday pitching clinics back on the calendar!  Starting next Sunday, April 21, pitching clinics will be in full swing on the north and south ends of the county.  Clinics are open to all players registered with Humboldt Fastpitch for a $5 clinic fee and to all other interested fastpitch players for a $10 clinic fee.  Pitching hosts for North County will be Miranda Hansen, a high school softball pitcher from McKinleyville, and for the South County participants, Morgan Harwood and Courtney Christensen, pitchers from Fortuna High School. These one-hour sessions are designed to assist beginning and returning pitchers in developing a consistent warm up routine that will aid in proper pitching mechanics and improve speed and accuracy.  During these weekly 1-hour sessions, pitchers will brush-up on their current pitching routines as well as work to identify weaknesses in their motion. The development of new pitches may also be considered depending on the strength of pitcher technique, speed, and accuracy.  Details are as follows:

For North County Participants:  Pitching clinics will take place at Arcata High School starting with a 1:15 pm check-in for all players participating in the 8u and 10u divisions. Check-in time will be at 2:15 p.m for pitchers in the 12u and 14u age brackets. Sunday sessions will run 1-hour for each age group.  

For South County Participants:  Pitching clinics will take place at Newburg Park Field #2 starting at 11 a.m. check-in for all players participating in any age division. Sunday session will run 1-hour.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!  Pitching clinics will be available EVERY SUNDAY, unless otherwise notified!

~ The Mad River-Humboldt Fastpitch Softball Board ~

2013 Season Update & News!!!

Our Mad River-Humboldt Fastpitch Softball Organization hosted its annual coaches meeting on Tuesday night, March 26th. The turnout from coaches from across the wide geographic region covered by Humboldt Fastpitch was excellent! THANK YOU COACHES! Placement of players and coaches to teams were distributed and all players/parents should be receiving a phone call from their assigned coach within the next couple of days. In addition, we'vee asked all coaches to hold a Team parent meeting to facilitate exchange of information regarding the upcoming season. We encourage ALL parents to attend this important meeting with your respective coaches. And the great news is...  fields are in excellent condition and practices will start very soon!

We want to remind returning parents and players and encourage those new to our organization that the Mad River - Humboldt Fastpitch Organization does much of our communication via email and facebook. If you are not already a facebook friend, consider becoming one at:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/HumboldtFastpitchSoftball/.  If you are not receiving emails from Humboldtfastpitch@gmail.com, its either because our emails are being redirected to your spam folder, we have an incorrect email address for you, or you have yet to be added to our email list.  Please check your spam folder for Humboldt Fastpitch emails and if found, unblock us.  Otherwise, send us an email at the address above and we will add you to our communications list - and please specify if your interest is in the Recreation or Travel Program or both!  

Want to be "STYLIN"  on the field this season while at the same time supporting girls fastpitch in our local communities?  We have some exciting new spirit wear that reflect the change that is occurring within the Mad River - Humboldt Fastpitch Organization!  Use these links to download the PRE-ORDER FORMS for the Humbolt Fastpitch Sweatshirt pictured below and a Humboldt Fastpitch earwarmer...  a very handy item for our chilly Humboldt County climate! Completed order forms can be turned in to any coach, regional rep, or board member. We would like to collect orders by April 15th, 2013.

Also we are IN NEED AND ACTIVELY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS to take leadership roles in various capacities, including running the different snack bars, managing and maintaining equipment, field prep, and more! If any of you are interested in helping, PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP!

We also want to remind players that Fortuna High School is hosting a Softball Clinic April 1st-April 4th, 2013. Please note that all players are welcome! Hopefully ride-share options are available for our Northern and Eastern players who would like to attend!

Have a great day and get ready to PLAY BALL!

The Mad River-Humboldt Fastpitch Softball Board

Welcome to Mad River-Humboldt Fastpitch Girls Softball! 

Thank you for registering your players with our program. The upcoming season is rapidly approaching so if you have yet to register....  please do so ASAP!   NOTE that we will also welcome registration on assessment days, which are scheduled for:

• Sunday, March 3rd, at Fortuna High School, 
• Sunday, March 10th, at Arcata High School.

IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR PLAYER TO ATTEND ONE OF THE ASSESSMENTS!  Also note that 8-year olds and under DO NOT need to attend assessments UNLESS that 8-year old wishes to petition to play up in the 10u division!

The assessment process will begin this Sunday at Fortuna with check-ins and warm-up for the 10 and under age group at 9 a.m., with on-the-field assessments commencing at 9:30 a.m.  Specific times for field assessments for each age group are as follows:

• Age 10 and under at 9:30
• Age 12 and under at 10:30
• Age 14 through 18 and under at 11:30.

Players are encouraged to arrive at least 1/2 hour PRIOR to their specific field assessment to allow time to check in and warm up!  

Note that the MAD RIVER-HUMBOLDT FASTPITCH SOFTBALL RECREATION PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL PLAYERS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES IN THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY AREA...  with players already registered from Trinidad, Blue Lake, McKinleyville,  Hoopa, Oreleans, Arcata, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Garberville, Redway, etc., etc.  
 

Also WE NEED YOUR HELP in spreading the word about upcoming assessments! If you know of anyone who is interested in playing and has yet to sign up, they are welcome to sign up ON THE DAY of assessments! This includes any Kinder Play and 8u players! We look forward to meeting you during our 2013 RECREATIONAL softball season!

 The Mad River-Humboldt Fastpitch Softball Board

Recreation League Sign-ups!!!

Registration forms for the 2013 RECREATIONAL season (download here), are due by February 28th, 2013. Completed forms can be mailed in or dropped off at any one of our registration locations on the dates specified below. Registration dates for participation in the 2013 Recreational Program season are:

• Feb. 10th, 10 AM to 3 PM

• Feb. 24th, 10 AM to 3 PM

Registration Locations are:

• Arcata, Arcata Community Center
• Eureka, Big 5 Sporting Goods
• Fortuna, Sport & Cycle
• McKinleyville, Ray’s Food Place

• Hoopa applications can be given to Rowdy Robbins or Wendy George

• Garberville/Redway applications can be given to Rick Todd

RECREATION DIVISION softball skill assessments are scheduled for Sunday, March 3rd at Fortuna High School and Sunday, March 10th at Arcata High School and will run from 9 am to 1 pm.  Please note players 8 years old and under do not need to attend. If an 8-year old wishes to play up, however, they must attend one of the skills assessments. Specific times for assessments for each age group are as follows:  Age 10 and under at 9:30, Age 12 and under at 10:30, and Age 14/18 and under at 11:30.  Please plan to arrive prior to your specific assessment time to allow time to warm up!  We need to stress the importance of player attendance at assessments as player evaluations will allow effective distribution of players to teams

We are also receiving many questions about the MAD River Girls Fastpitch Softball - Humboldt Fastpitch RECREATION Program, mostly relating to confusion with our Travel Division and/or merger with local Little League Organizations. For an overview of the Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association - Humboldt Fastpitch and its RECREATION and TRAVEL Divisions, check out our fact sheet posted on this blog and browse our facebook site!  Here's a few of the more common Q & A's we have received recently!

Question: “I know of Little League, mostly from kids baseball, but what is ASA?”
Answer: ASA in an acronym for the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), which is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit organization founded in 1933 that has evolved into the strongest softball organization in our country. The growth and development of the association led the United States Olympic Committee to name ASA as “the National Governing Body of Softball”, pursuant to the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. The ASA youth program, also known as the Junior Olympic Program, is among the largest youth sports organizations in the United States, hosting over 80,000 teams, 1.3 million players and 300,000 coaches annually.

Question: “My daughter just wants to play softball locally for fun, not on competitive travel team… Isn’t that what ASA offers?”
Answer: There is a misconception that ASA is an exclusive “competitive travel softball” organization. It is not. ASA hosts recreation and travel programs, both of which are offered under separate divisions of the Mad River - Humboldt Fastpitch Organization. Our Recreation Program is indeed local… local youth playing on local fields in our local communities.

Question: “Why are Little League organizations in Humboldt and Trinity Counties going Little League for baseball and ASA for softball? What does ASA offer that Little League does not?”
Answer: ASA is not limited to geographic boundaries and more importantly, ASA fastpitch rules and regulations are aligned with those of NCAA college and High School softball and are consistent between locations, whereas Little League softball rules and regulations are not.  Here are a few examples:

• ASA players can participate in multiple games in a single day so in the case of tournaments, players can play 2-3 games in a single day.
• ASA pitching rules are consistent with NCAA and High School whereas in Little League, they are not. For example, ASA does not require rest periods based on innings pitched, does require that both feet must be touching the pitchers plate when starting the pitch, and no step back is allowed - all of which are consistent with NCAA and High School play but not of Little League.

Question: “How long ago was the ASA option for girls softball considered?”
Answer:  The Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association was founded in Arcata in 2005. In fall 2011, the Board of Directors for the Organization turned over entirely, with a goal of establishing a TRAVEL DIVISION and to build momentum in the Association’s existing RECREATION DIVISION. At the same time, Little League softball registrations were down and discussions began among ASA and Little League organization leaders to join together rather than compete with each other for players... that collaboration would provide a better playing experience for our youth because more players means more teams, which minimizes teams having to play each other over and over during the season. Feedback from parents and players indicated that Mad River’s 2012 RECREATION season was a great success, which we attribute to the enthusiasm of the young players, the input and involvement of parents, and a strong group of volunteer coaches.

Question: “Little League offered an All Stars competition at the end of the regular season. Is this possible in ASA?"
Answer: Following the regular Recreation Program season, ASA does offer post-season (B-level recreation tournament play) that can advance to competitive tournaments outside our local area, similar to Little League “All Stars”. In fact, ASA offers whatever level of competition is desired, ranging from local recreational league play, to B level local and tournament play (akin to LL All Stars) to A level travel ball (our Travel Division's Mad River Mist), to the premier Gold Level National Competition Teams.

Question: “Will there be a tournament at the end of the season like last year?  That was fun!"
Answer:  Absolutely!!! In the 2012 season finale tournament, all teams had the opportunity to play 4-6 games in a single weekend! This year’s event will be even more exciting with more teams in each age bracket.  Also, we're going to provide our umpires with special awards to hand out during each of the games to acknowledge "great sportsmanship", "awesome plays", and "team players"!

Question: “What’s with the Mad River – Humboldt Fastpitch name this year?”
Answer: Change is indeed happening within the Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association! Through a collaborative merger with former Little League Softball programs, Mad River’s RECREATIONAL DIVISION has expanded greatly. This merger brought with it a dramatic increase in players as well as a wealth of recreation program experience provided by the leadership of the Little League organizations that have joined with us. In addition, participants and interest in the Association’s TRAVEL DIVISION has also increased since its formation in summer 2011. To better reflect this expanded county-wide youth fastpitch softball program and its goal of “Bridging, Blending, and Building Softball Communities” within Humboldt County, we have initiated making a formal change in our organization’s name to HUMBOLDT FASTPITCH.

Please note that much of our communication is done electronically so please become familiar with our blog and facebook sites.  Thank you and we look forward to getting to know you and your players! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Board of Directors
MRGFSA—Humboldt Fastpitch
humboldtfastpitch@gmail.com

Season’s Greetings from Mad River Girls Softball!

On behalf of the Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association, we sincerely thank the players, parents, coaches, volunteers, and sponsors for their continued support and enthusiasm for our organization’s TRAVEL Division, the Mad River Mist, and it’s rapidly expanding RECREATIONAL Division. Yes it’s true, the RECREATIONAL Program is expanding exponentially through a merger with former Little League Softball programs of Humboldt County! This merger brings with it a dramatic increase in players to our RECREATION Division, as well as a wealth of rec-program knowledge and experience provided by the leadership of those organizations that have joined with us. Accompanying this merger will be a "formal" change in our organization’s name to

HUMBOLDT FASTPITCH

We feel Humboldt Fastpitch better reflects our organization’s goal of “Bridging, Blending, and Building Softball Communities” through the creation of a county-wide youth fastpitch softball program. Please look for updates on this expanded program on our Facebook Site.

Currently, leaders from each of the respective geographical areas are working together to finalize details for the 2013 softball seasons. These area leaders include:

• Frank Gonsalves, McKinleyville/Trinidad
• Kelly Helms/Steve Sarchett, Arcata
• Shanna McCracken, Eureka
• Bobby Dolcini, Ferndale
• Robb Foley, Fortuna
• Ageana Brett, Scotia/Rio Del
• Rick Todd, Garberville/Redway
• Rowdy Robbins, Hoopa/Willow Creek

 On this Blog you will find both the RECREATIONAL and TRAVEL registration forms for the 2013 softball season! For those players interested in playing TRAVEL softball, registration is rapidly approaching! Practices will begin on Sundays, starting on January 13th, 2013 and will run through the end of the month for assessment purposes. These Sunday TRAVEL sessions will be held at Fortuna High School and will run from 10 am to 1 pm. We are actively seeking players at all levels of TRAVEL play (16u to 10u) and highly encourage ALL interested players to come check it out! TRAVEL registration can happen on-site at these Sunday practices or can be mailed to the PO Box on the registration form. Additionally, for our 14u and 16u high school players, the Sunday practices are a great way to tune up prior to the high school softball season that starts in early February! The travel schedule is pending the release of the 2013 ASA softball tournament schedules, but generally consists of one away tournament each month starting in March. As soon as we are able to finalize a tentative schedule, we will send it out.

As for the RECREATIONAL program, registration forms for the 2013 season are due by February 28th, 2013. Applications can also be mailed in or dropped off at any one of our registration locations on the dates specified below.  Registration dates for participation in the 2013 Recreational Program season are:

• Jan. 27th, 10 AM to 3 PM
• Feb. 10th, 10 AM to 3 PM
• Feb. 24th, 10 AM to 3 PM

 Registration Locations are:

• Arcata, Arcata Community Center
• Eureka, Big 5 Sporting Goods
• Fortuna, Sport & Cycle
• McKinleyville, Ray’s Food Place
• Hoopa applications can be given to Rowdy Robbins
• Garberville/Redway applications can be given to Rick Todd

Assessments for the RECREATIONAL program will be MANDATORY and will happen on March 3rd at Fortuna High School for our southern participants and March 10th at Arcata High School for our northern participants. However, players may attend either session regardless of the geographic location in which they reside. More information to follow as the time for assessments nears!

If you have any questions, please contact us at: humboldtfastpitch@gmail.com!
We look forward to seeing you on the diamond for this exciting 2013 softball season!

Kelly Helms, President

Nick Hetrick, Vice President
Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association-Humboldt Fastpitch
PO Box 4361
Arcata, CA 95518
humboldtfastpitch@gmail.com
http://madrivergirlssoftball.blogspot.com