REGISTRATION DETAILS FOR 2024 SPRING SEASON
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON JAN.31, 2024
Registration fee includes jersey, umpire fees, team equipment, mandatory insurance, league fees, preseason training, website fees, end-of-season team party/banquet, winner's trophies and the GAA required $50 per-player turf replacement fee that is paid by all GAA participants regardless of turf use.
Each player must have their own glove, helmet, bat and protective face mask.
(Team bats are available for those that need them)
Grades 1-2: $125 registration fee
Grades 3-4: $150 registration fee
Grades 5-8: $175 registration fee
$25 discount will be applied when you register a 2nd child, $50 discount for each additional child.
We never want costs to be a deterrent for youth sports. Financial support is available.
Please contact Tracey Hartford to confidentially discuss your needs.
LEAGUE DETAILS
GAA Softball participates in the Essex County Woman's Softball League (ECWSL). https://www.essexcountywsl.org
The league is comprised of teams from a variety of towns across the North Shore. The league philosophy is a recreational and development, however the older grades get increasingly more competitive. The league is organized by grade as follows:
Instructional Division (students entering grades 1 and 2 in September of 2023)
The Instructional Division is a level of play designed to introduce players to the game of softball, develop individual skills, and most importantly....have a lot of fun. The level has an emphasis on introducing the players to throwing, batting and fielding. The 2024 season will introduce games against neighboring towns. Season practices will start the 1st Sunday of May and run through mid-June. Practices will be on Sunday’s 9:30am to 11am at the Penn Brook Softball field.
Farm Division (students entering grades 3 & 4 in September of 2023)
The Farm Division is a level of play designed to help players make the transition from coach-pitched games to player-pitched games. This level has an emphasis on developing pitchers and basic game techniques in the infield. Players also must develop a comfort level with batting against player pitching. This is a developmental/ instructional league and coaches strive to have players play multiple positions during a season. At this level, the ball is an 11" inch hard softball. Pitchers pitch from a 35' foot pitching distance. Bases are 50' feet apart. There is no stealing or bunting. The Farm season is 10 games in length and runs the 1st week of May through mid-June. Practices will be on Sunday’s 11am to 12:30pm at the Penn Brook Softball field.
Junior Division (students entering grades 5 & 6 in September of 2023 **)
The Junior Division is the first level of competitive play within ECWSL. Players do all the pitching. Players entering the Junior Division should be able to: Throw and catch a ball from across the diamond (i.e. from 3rd base to 1st base), Independently demonstrate proper batting mechanics. At this level, the ball is a 12" inch hard softball. Pitchers pitch from a 40' foot pitching distance. Bases are 60' feet apart. Limited stealing of second and third base is allowed (baserunner may leave when ball crosses plate). Due to the expected size of this division, we will host player evaluations in the month of February. Participants will have a few date options to select from for their evaluation day. Practices will be on Sunday’s 12:30pm to 2:30pm at the Penn Brook Softball field.
Senior Division (students entering grades 7 & 8 in September of 2023 **)
The Senior Division is the most competitive level of play for softball within our league. At this level, the ball is a 12" inch hard softball. Pitchers pitch from a 43' foot pitching distance. Bases are 60' feet apart. Full stealing of second, third and home (baserunner may leave when ball leaves pitcher's hand). Maximum of 6 runs can be scored per inning, inning ends when the 6th run crosses the plate. Six run rule is lifted in the 7th inning for Seniors. 15 Run Mercy rule after 5 innings. (Please note that students playing for Georgetown Middle/High School Junior Varsity or Varsity teams are not eligible to play.) Practices will be on Sunday afternoons - TBD at the Penn Brook Softball field.
** Please note that younger players may be moved up a division based on skill set. For those that believe they may qualify, please reach out to Tracey Hartford to be a part of our team evaluations in February 2024.
Additional Info for the Juniors and Seniors Divisions:
For the 2024 season, the Juniors & Seniors, the season is 10 games in length, running from the last week of April through mid-June. Games are Monday-Friday, 5:30-7:30pm, with one home and one away game per week. Weekend practices are all scheduled for Sunday’s.
Junior and Senior Divisions have playoffs at the end of the regular season. For the 2024 season all teams will make the playoffs and there were A and B brackets for the Divisions and the League Championships.
Historically the Division Finals and League Championship games are played on Father’s Day weekend. Please keep that in mind and let your coach know as soon as possible if you are not available that weekend.
The Regular season starts the week of April 24th, with final regular season games the first week in June. The following two weeks will be reserved for Playoffs with the final games scheduled for Father’s Day weekend.
WINTER CLINIC INFORMATION
For All Grade Divisions: The March winter clinics are included in the registration fee and are entirely optional. More details will be included in an email sent to all registrants once we determine the dates and times for each grade.
For Junior and Senior Divisions Only: additional winter training options will be offered, some will be at an added cost, but kept minimal. All additional training will be optional for players. More details will be sent to those requested to attend. (Will run January, February and March)
QUESTIONS:
Please contact Tracey Hartford, GAA Girls Softball Director, via email with your questions: [email protected].