Congratulations to Balls of Fury for being the top team in earnings for the 2011 Batathon!

The runners-up were:
Jane Hammond Events DAISIES
Berkeley Childrens Dentistry Purple Poison
Doomsday Machine Green-Eyed Girls
On The Beam Sapphire Sharks
Alliance Graphics Thunder Waves
Arkin Tilt Blue Magic
Prins Chiropractic Icebreakers
Red Oak Realty Firecrackers
Strategic Economics Flaming Blueberries

All these teams earned $40 toward their end of season parties (ice cream or not...your choice!)

Unfortunately, no team earned a trip to Discovery Kingdom. There's always next year!

And, just for statistics, here are the top hitters:

Older Div:
Lila Simpson 185 ft
Claire Kaneko 180 ft
Miya Keilin 175 ft

Middle Div:
Gretta Kirkby 160 ft
Zinnia Thewlis 153 ft
and quite a number of girls hit 140 ft

Younger Div:
Daisy Paige 120 ft
Madeline Shean 120 ft
Mia Syren 120 ft
Gillian Monahan-Miller 120 ft

Micro Div:
Cigan Valentine 100 ft
Kylie Bartel 100 ft
Abigail Kaneko 100 ft

Congratulations and Thank You for supporting ABGSL!  Have Fun!

Lori Klumb
Bat-A-Que Coordinator

ABGSL Families:

This is reminder that we will be conducting tryouts for the ABGSL Sting 10U and 12U Summer and Fall teams on Sunday, May 1st at Fielding Field.

The ABGSL Sting program is a great experience for any girl who loves being part of a fun and competitive team. Our Sting teams play fast paced, unforgettable games and learn advanced skills from experienced coaches—typically current and former women’s college softball players. Most of all, our Sting players and their families build friendships and have the times of their lives. ABGSL sponsors Summer and Fall Sting teams for girls who played in the ABGSL recreational spring 2011 season and ASA-registered recreational players that played interleague with ABGSL this spring. ABGSL invites all of our Recreational players to try out for ABGSL's Summer (June and July) and Fall (September and October) Sting teams. Depending on the number of players, we plan to offer at least one 10U (players who were age 10 or under on 12/31/2010) team and one 12U (players who were age 12 or under on 12/31/2010) team.

TRYOUTS
The Sting tryout is required for any girl who wishes to play Sting, either this Summer or in the Fall. The tryout is in itself a fun experience, and open to all eligible players. This year the tryouts will be supervised by former Sting coaches Katie Vickers and Carrie Arth, and held on….

Sunday May 1, 2011 At Fielding Field (Fifth and Harrison in Berkeley)

10U: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (players who were age 10 or under on 12/31/2010)
12U: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (players who were age 12 or under on 12/31/2010)

Players: Come dressed appropriately –- cleats, sliding gear, visor, glove, bat, helmet and water bottle. Most importantly, arrive ON TIME with enthusiasm and hustle!

Parents: Please bring your daughter on time for registration. You'll need your calendar with your vacation schedule and player availability. Please review and complete the Sting guidelines, medical release and applications available on the Sting portion of the ABGSL website prior to upon your arrival at the tryout.

ABOUT STING
The Summer season begins with Sting tryouts in early May and usually ends on the last weekend in July. During the ABGSL Recreational season, practices are on Sundays. When the Recreational season ends, there are two weekday practices and one weekend practice or tournament per week. The Fall season will have one weekday and one weekend practice with one to two tournaments per month between the first week in September and the first week in November. At the time of the Sting tryouts, each player must indicate for which season she will be available to play. Summer players who wish to continue in the Fall have first priority for Fall team positions; any Fall team positions not filled by summer players will be filled first by other players who attended the Sting tryouts in May.

STING REGISTRATION FORMS
Sting registration forms need to be completed prior to the Sting tryouts. These forms and instructions are now available on the ABGSL website. We also ask that you review the Sting Guidelines and provide a signed copy of the Acknowledgement of Sting Guidelines. The Sting Guidelines provide detailed information about the Sting program and will allow you to fully understand all that is expected of you and your daughter. These Sting forms can be submitted at the Sting tryouts but having them to us in advance speeds the check in process and allows us to ensure the enrollment forms are complete prior to the tryouts.

PLAYER AVAILABILTY
At the time of Sting tryouts parents must provide a calendar of the player's availability for the summer season. Players' calendar will be reconfirmed prior to the formation of the fall teams. Players will not be considered for team placement until the calendar is provided. Because teams are formed within a few days of tryouts, girls who are unable to provide a summer schedule at the time of tryouts are unlikely to be placed on a team. Players who are will miss more than one tournament and/or excessive amounts of practice time (more than one week in an 8-week season) are unlikely to be considered for the team. Every attempt will be made to have the tournament schedule available at the tryouts and before the teams are formed. However, the tournament schedule may change and players should be available to play and practice throughout the season.

TEAM FORMATION
Teams are formed based on the combination of girls that will make the best team. We need qualified girls in each position, and may choose a girl who fills a specific need over one who might be stronger in a particular skill, if we already have that skill covered. Unlike the Recreational season, girls usually play one or two positions in Sting and don't rotate through each position. Please be aware that it is possible that not all the players trying out will make a team. This is not meant to frighten any players but we want to be sure everyone understands how the selection works. Please know that we want every girl who wants to play to make a team, but aren't always able to make that happen while building the most competitive team, and this result is not a reflection on them as players. Team formation is handled by the Sting coaches, with oversight from the ABGSL President and Board.

FINANCIALS
Participating in Sting also requires a financial commitment, with separate registration fees and travel expenses. Sting fees for each player will be approximately $310 for the Summer season. There is an additional $25 fee for non-ABGSL players. This will cover the cost of hiring the head coach and 4 to 5 tournaments. Partial scholarships for registration fees only are available on an as-needed basis by contacting the ABGSL Registrar at registrar@abgsl.org. There is an additional cost for the uniform, between $50 and $160. Additional out-of-pocket costs will occur for travel to tournaments (meals, transportation, and lodging), additional tournaments, etc.

We look forward to seeing you at the tryouts. For more information please contact ABGSL Sting Commissioner Michael Lewis @ mobyrat@gmail.com.

Walt Gill
ABGSL President

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It's Time to Register for ABGSL Softball!!!

Dear Current and Potential ABGSL Families

Welcome to the 28th season of the Albany Berkeley Girls Softball League. Our parent volunteers have been hard at work during the off season to make this another fun and memorable season for you and your daughters. Registration for ABGSL's Spring season begins now, with Opening Day scheduled for Saturday, March 5th, so please enroll your daughters at the earliest possible date. Early Bird registration with reduced fees ends on December 31st and Registration closes on January 31, 2011.

WE WILL BE USING ONLINE REGISTRATION THIS YEAR

In our ongoing effort to contain costs and reduce waste, registration will be done on-line through an Oakland based company called Sportability. We think you will find this to be a convenient and efficient way to register your daughter for ABGSL, although it may require a little patience the first time through. It takes about 5 minutes. Sportability has been used by Albany Berkeley Soccer, Albany Little League and many other local leagues for a number of years so many parents are familiar and recommend this company. Online registration will improve data accuracy, save a lot of paper, and save our Registrar and a massive amount of data entry.

HERE'S HOW ONLINE REGISTRATION WORKS

To register your daughter for the Spring season, please follow these steps:

• 1. Find the Sportability link on the Registration tab of the ABGSL website, or locate the Sportability website
  directly at http://www.sportability.com/abgsl
• 2. In the "Find Your League" window, search for ABGSL.
• 3. Find your daughter's Division in the menu and complete one enrollment for each player.
• 4. Sportability allows the option to create a SportReg Account, which will make it quicker to register in future seasons.
• 5. Enter the player and other information as requested on the website.
• 6. Credit cards are the only online payment option. Payment by check can be accommodated but requires additional effort by our Registrar. If you wish to pay by check please send the proper registration fee to the ABGSL Registrar at 1700 Shattuck Avenue #28, Berkeley, CA 94709.
• 7. If direct entry of your Registration presents a problem, please send an email to registrar@abgsl.org or call the ABGSL Hotline at 869-4277.

PAYMENT OF REGISTRATION FEES

ABGSL's Registration fees will remain unchanged, as they have for the past few years. Sportability charges a transaction fee for their services but ABGSL will absorb these costs rather than pass them along to you by raising your Registration fees. Regular fees apply for all registrations received on and after January 1, 2011. As in past years, younger siblings of registered players receive a $20 discount, except in the Micro Division.

• Micro (1st Grade) $90 (Because Micro fees are lower there is no Early Bird discount)
• Younger (2nd and 3rd Grade) $165 until December 31st/ $185 on or after January 1st
• Middle (4th and 5th Grade) $180 until December 31st / $200 on or after January 1st
• Older (6th thru 9th Grade) $195 until December 31st / $215 on or after January 1st

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE

As in past years, scholarships are available and must be requested and finalized upon prior to completing the online registration. To request a scholarship, please send an email to registrar@abgsl.org or call the ABGSL Hotline at 869-4277.

CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO ABGSL

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to ABGSL when registering online as it benefits many girls whose families cannot afford the full fees. ABGSL is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) so donations are deductable as allowed by law. Our tax ID number is 94-2958214.

PRACTICES DAYS/ SCHEDULING CONFLICTS

On the website you will be asked to indicate which days of the week each girl can play. Micro players all play on Saturday on the same field. Younger, Middle and Older girls play either Monday, Wednesday and Saturday OR Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. By indicating that you can practice and play on ANY DAY you will increase the likelihood of receiving your friend request and makes it easier for us to balance the teams during the team formation process.

FRIEND REQUESTS (MAKE SURE THEY ARE RECIPROCAL) You may specify up to 3 friends you would like to have on your team. ABGSL will make every effort to accommodate requests, but cannot guarantee that requests will be honored. Be certain to check that friends are available on the same practice days and that a reciprocal request has been made on the friends' registration. Part of the fun of ABGSL is that girls get to play with their friends and that families need to organize car pools. Once you have identified which days of the week your girl(s) can play, you have the option of requesting up to 3 other girls that your daughter would prefer to be teamed with. Be certain to check that the girls you are requesting are available to play on the same days of the week. Please note that we cannot guarantee that this teaming will occur, but your request will be taken into account when teams are formed. The more flexibility you can provide regarding availability the more likely it will be that your request is fulfilled. We also know that many new friendships develop when girls play with different team members over time. A fundamental component of ABGSL is the mixing of teams from year to year, which presents a great opportunity to meet families from other schools and greatly adds to the fabric of our League.

ABGSL IS AN ALL PARENT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION

ABGSL runs entirely on volunteer labor, which means that every family in the League volunteers for both a Team Job and a League Job. Indicate on the volunteer portion of the registration website whether you wish to sign up for a specific League and Team Job, or whether you would like to be assigned both of your jobs at the Team Parent Meeting. If you do not sign up for a specific job, then you will sign up for both your team job and your league job at your team's parent meeting at the start of the season. Other than the Head and Assistant Coaches and Team Manager, ALL Team Jobs will be described and assigned at the parent team meeting at the start of the season.

Our Coaches and Managers are an essential component of our League. Without them we would not be able to field teams. Being a coach or team manager fulfills BOTH your Team and League job requirements. If you sign up to be a Coach or Manager, the League will contact you before the season starts. Being a coach is a tremendous amount of FUN! You will find the following volunteer jobs on the registration website:

• Head Coach
• Assistant Coach
• Team Parent Manager( not the Team Coach)
• Bat-A Que Coordination Team
• Equipment Management Team
• Field Maintenance Team
• Administrative Coordinator
• Photo Coordinator
• Sponsorship Coordinator
• Outreach/ Recruiting Coordinator
• ABGSL Hotline
• Trophy Coordinator
• Reporter Coordinator
• Coach/ Manager Appreciation BBQ
• Bat-A-Que BBQ/Staff

IMPORTANT DATES
The Spring calendar is posted on the ABGSL website and contains the following important dates. 

• 1/15- Mandatory Player Assessments 8:30-1:00pm
• 1/22- Mandatory Player Assessments 8:30-1:00pm
• 2/26- Coach/ Manager Orientation (9am to 12pm)
• 3/5- Opening Day
• 3/7-12- Practices begin for all Divisions
• 3/12- First Micro Practice/ Teams Announced
• 3/13- Field Lining/ Scorekeeping Clinics
• 3/26- ABGSL Parade/ Breakfast
• 4/30- Bat-a-Que
• 5/1- Sting Assessment
• 5/13- Coach/ Manager Appreciation BBQ
• 5/30-6/4- Last week of Games/ Team Parties

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU REGISTER

Players in Grades 2-9 must attend one of the Player Assessments on January 15th or January 22rd. These assessments are used to balance our teams and are NOT a tryout. You must be registered in order to participate in the Assessment Days. In mid-February, a Confirmation Packet is mailed to each player that is registered with more information about the season. Team assignment and practice schedules will be announced on Opening Day, Saturday March 5th at Fielding Field.

TEAM FORMATION
Teams are formed by our Division Commissioners. Coaches and Managers do not play a role in selecting their teams, although they will always coach their own daughter. Team assignments are announced on Opening Day and are not available before then. ABGSL has learned over the years that the best softball experience for our girls occurs when our teams start the season generally balanced by skill level within age groups. Consequently, we hold assessments in January that allow us to determine each girl's relative skill and to make sure the teams are balanced. These assessments are mandatory, and are not try-outs. Everyone who registers by the deadline will be placed on a team. Our goal is that all teams win half of their games and lose the other half. We want all girls to improve their softball skills while participating in a really fun activity.

EQUIPMENT
Included in the Registration fee is an ABGSL visor or hat, and team Tee shirt with the sponsor's name and each players number. All girls must provide their own cleats and glove. Micros can wear tennis shoes, but cleats are strongly recommended. Additionally, all girls in Middle and Older Division must have sliding shorts and sliding pads. Some girls prefer the long sliding pads, and some prefer the shorter ones. The League has a large stock of donated equipment from prior years, and we will be accepting donations at our assessment days and Opening Day, and making the equipment available to families on those same days. Click -> Equipment Guidelines to download our handout which has more details on required equipment and recommendations.

Families of Kindergarteners

We have registered a few Kindergarteners in the League in the Micro Division in years past, and expect to continue to do so on a limited basis. There are certain things we think families should understand when they register their Kindergartener. The Micro Division is structured to work for the developmental level of 1st-graders. We know that some Kindergarteners are particularly mature, and that they have the necessary ability to focus to begin learning softball skills, while others are more distractible. Families have the best ability to evaluate whether their child is ready to participate for the two hours of practice and game on Saturday mornings. Our skilled coaches can also help assess your daughter's readiness to play. Girls with older siblings who have played softball or baseball tend to do better than those who have not seen the game in action. (This is also true of 1st graders, but tends to be more important with Kindergarten girls.) All 1st graders play in the Micro Division, so if your daughter plays Micro in Kindergarten, she will remain in the Micro Division in 1st grade. This works great for some girls, and others find two years of Micro to be less challenging than they would prefer. Kindergarteners will be registered on a space-available basis. If we have more 1st-graders than can be accommodated on our Micro teams, we will have to ask Kindergarteners to wait until next year, when they will be first on our list for registration. If you have any questions about our Micro Division please feel free to contact me at president@abgsl.org, or our Micro Division Commissioner, Jane Hammond at jane@jhevents.com.

We are looking forward to another great season of girls softball. For questions or more information, please feel free to email our Registrar Lucy Kuntz at registrar@abgsl.org or me at president@abgsl.org , by visiting our web site at www.ABGSL.org. or by leaving a message on the ABGSL Hotline at 510- 869-4277.

Walt Gill
 ABGSL President

UPCOMING Fall Clinic - Sunday November 7th - CANCELLED due to rain - To be rescheduled.....

If you don't have plans for Sunday afternoon, why not bring your daughter(s) out to play at beautiful Codornices Park. Our clinics are FREE and are open to all ABGSL players from last season and any interested girls in grades 1-9. These clinics are a great way to introduce your friends to ABGSL and girls softball, so please invite a friend to join you.

Clinic times by grade are:
1 - 2 pm: 1st graders (New Micros)
2 - 3 pm: 2nd and 3rd graders (Younger)
3 - 4 pm: 4th thru 9th graders (Middle and Older)
4 - 4:30pm Beginning Pitchers (New pitchers who have never qualified)
4:30 - 5pm Experienced Pitchers (Qualified pitchers)

**Pitching clinic attendees MUST bring their own catcher***

Players should come to the clinic for the division you're going to be in next Spring, not the division you were in last year.

Please call the ABGSL hotline at 869-4277 that morning for field status updates as there is a chance of rain.

Hope to see you at the clinic

12U Sting Team Wins Fremont Tournament!


ABGSL Families:

Congratulations are due to ABGSL's 12U Sting team (Older Division players) that won the tournament championship yesterday afternoon in Fremont. This game was won in dramatic fashion against a very good team, the Campbell Crush. In the bottom of the final inning with the Campbell Crush ahead by a score of 4 to 2, Cielo Franco was at bat with the bases loaded and 2 outs. With the count 3 and 2, Cielo ripped a double to score 2 runs and tie the game 4 to 4. Bonnie Coulman was at bat next with 2 runners on and 2 outs. Facing a 1-2 count, Bonnie ripped a single to right field to win the game 5-4. Imani Hiller-Bateau was the winning pitcher.

Congratulations to head coach Carrie Arth, assistant coaches Shannon Thomas and Rick Salas, and most of all the players.

Walt Gill
ABGSL President