SO, you wanna play softball …
Fairfax Adult Softball (FAS)
is excited about your interest in our program and we welcome your
participation. FAS promotes
and administers established softball teams in an adult slowpitch softball
program within
If you are an individual
looking to play on an established team, visit our “Join A
Team” message board from the FAS home page: www.fairfaxadultsoftball.com/joinboard.htm.
To form your own team,
which
is the best way to guarantee playing softball, we have some
suggestions:
Ø
First, you must
find interested and committed individuals.
Ask family members, co-workers, friends, and neighbors, but be sure they
will be 18 years of age by December 31. FAS
receives numerous calls daily from individuals interested in joining a team, so
we started a “Join a Team” message board that can be found on the FAS home page
to assist managers in recruiting players.
FAS requires a minimum of 12 persons on a team
with a maximum of 30 (you need to make sure you have a sub list of rostered
players for those nights when your “regulars” are unable to play.)
o In recruiting your players, please keep in mind that
your team roster must be comprised of at least 2/3 Fairfax County/City
residents (or active military and reserve personnel and their immediate family
members) and no more than a total of 8 non-county residents. You can let them
know that their season will last about 11 weeks and that you are scheduled a
double-header, one night a week (makeup games are generally played on
Saturdays.) Game times for night play
begin at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday play begins at 9:50 a.m. Fields are located throughout
Ø
Second, you
select a manager and assistant manager who will be responsible for the
administration of the team and to act as a liaison between the team and
FAS. These are the two persons FAS will
communicate with on all aspects of your season.
Please note that the manager and assistant manager are administrative
positions and not necessarily who you may select to coach or manage your team
on the field.
Ø
Third, you must
determine how your newly formed team is going to pay the fees required to
register your team. Teams may use any
one of the following or any combination of them: 1) self-sponsored where the
cost is split between each member of the team; 2) team fund raisers like car
washes, bake sales, candy bar sales; or 3) obtain a sponsor to partially or
fully pay your team’s fees.
·
In
addition to the franchise fee listed on the application, your team will have
extra expenses to incorporate into your total financial need for a season.
o
There
is a $20 non-county fee required with roster submission which is payable per
person/per team/per sport/per season and the season is defined as spring (FAS
early open), summer (FAS late open and mini seasons), and fall (FAS fall
season.)
o Softballs may be
purchased from FAS or another choice. To
purchase from FAS, please check the appropriate boxes on the Application or
visit the FAS office after March 15. Your
team will supply and hit its own approved softballs. The approved softballs for
FAS play will be those approved by ASA for each division of play and stamped by
ASA, ISA, NSA, SSAA or USSSA.
·
Men in any
division of play must hit a 12-inch, .440 max COR, 375.0 lbs compression
softball.
·
Women in any
division of play must hit an 11-inch, .440 max COR,
375.0 lbs max compression softball.
o Uniforms are not
required, however, most teams, at the minimum, do wear matching t-shirts or
jerseys. The FAS home page has several
sponsors listed who can making ordering your uniforms easy if you choose to
purchase.
o Bats can be an expensive
item. Generally players have their own
bats, but many teams do purchase one or two community team bats. A list of approved bats is listed on the FAS
homepage under Rules. Please be sure to
visit this list BEFORE purchasing any bat: http://downloads.asasoftball.com/about/pdf/05_Non_ASA_Approved_Bats_w_pics.pdf.
o Players are responsible for their own gloves,
approved footwear (no metal cleats), and gear.
FAS provides bases and officials for each game.
·
The majority of
FAS teams have some sort of sponsorship. It can be
difficult obtaining funding but perseverance and commitment will pay off and FAS
has some hints to help you. A large
majority of sponsors are local restaurants and bars that you or your players
patronize, or that you and your players promise to frequent as part of your
team-game experience. Consider asking you
or your player’s employers who quite frequently consider this a fringe
benefit. A retail business that sells
sporting goods or promotes sports is an excellent choice. Real estate agents quite often lend their
support for the publicity.
o The key to obtaining a sponsor is to sell your value
to them. Sponsorship is an inexpensive
method of advertising and an excellent exposure venue. A sponsor has their name displayed on
uniforms, on the FAS website in the standings pages which is frequented
thousands of times each season, in the FAS newspaper “Full Count” which is
published quarterly for over 10,000 players to read, and said over and over
again by players discussing their games with their friends, neighbors,
co-workers, etc. A team sponsorship is
not a charitable tax deduction, however it certainly
is an advertising tax expense credit.
Ø
Fourth, you must
register your team by February 10th. Registering
your team with FAS is easy. Simply
download the application from the FAS home page (or you may stop by the office
or call to request an application be mailed or faxed to you), complete the
application in its entirety, and submit BOTH the application and franchise
fees to the FAS office in person or by US postal service, email or fax by February
10th. (Note: Faxed and emailed versions
of the application are accepted ONLY if paying by credit card.)
Ø
Fifth, you or a
representative of your team must attend the mandatory Organizational Meeting the first part of March at
Ø Sixth, before beginning play, and no
less then 2 business days prior to your first game, you must submit an official roster (roster forms available under “Forms” on the FAS home page http://www.fairfaxadultsoftball.com/Roster2.xls) This roster must contain complete information
on all players and substitutes for your team and may not exceed 30
players. Non-county payments are due
with your roster submission.
Ø Seventh, familiarize yourself
completely and thoroughly with the RULES, both FAS and ASA. Inform your players of all rules, especially
those regarding conduct. Rule books will
be distributed at the March Organizational Meeting, but you can view them
online as well from the FAS home page under “Rules”: http://www.fairfaxadultsoftball.com/rules.htm.
Ø Last, begin play and enjoy the
camaraderie and fun that can only be found by participating in the Fairfax
Adult Softball program!
Oops, I missed the deadline!?!
If the deadline has passed,
FAS will continue to accept applications until the league is filled or play has
begun. Submit your application as soon
as possible. If the league is filled, we
will put you on a waiting list and should a current registered team not be able
to participate, than you can fill that vacated position. Additionally, FAS may be able to take teams
from the waiting list and form a new division to play on a day determined by
FAS.