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Q) Which Association do I play fastpitch for?
The Minnesota Sports Federation (MSF) regulates fastpitch in the state of Minnesota. You must have a high school, to have a fastpitch association. The draw area for fastpitch is the high school’s attendance area. If your address puts you in what would be Andover High School attendance area you have to play for Andover Fastpitch. If you are opened enrolled in a school, you have the choice to play for either the association that draws from your school or the association that would draw from your address. If your high school attendance area does not have a fastpitch association you then have a choice to play where ever you want. If your association does not have enough girls to field a team, or you are not selected to play on a team, you may play anywhere. The only age level that is open is 18U, at this level you can play for any association you wish. These are general rules; however, and vary some by age. Contact the fastpitch director if you have specific questions on where you would be able to play.
Q) What are the costs?
For Summer teams registration is:
For Fall teams registration is $115 for age levels 10U to 16U and $50 for 8U.
Other costs to consider are general equipment your daughter may need (cleats, batting helmet, field mask, glove, bat), softball pants and the potential expenses if your team qualifies for Nationals (which are elective).
Q) How often do I play?
At the 8U level, the teams typically will play one day a week and practice one night, and will play in at least one weekend tournament and the state tournament. Historically game and practice nights have been Monday and Wednesday for 8U. All league games and tournaments for 8U are in Andover or neighboring cities, reducing the travel time for this age group.
At the 10U level they usually play double headers 1 day a week and practice one day, you will also play up to 5 weekend tournaments which includes three weekend tournaments, the state qualifier and the state tournament if your team qualifies. Historically game and practice nights have been Tuesday and Thursday for 10U. We expect this to remain the same for the upcoming season but please be aware this is determined by the league, not our association. We are also working to add a third night that would vary each week to allow more practice times for teams, especially through June when both league nights can be filled with games.
At the 12U level they usually play double headers two days a week, you will also play up to five weekend tournaments which includes, three weekend tournaments, the state qualifier and the state tournament if your team qualifies. Historically games and practices have been on Monday and Wednesday at the 12U level. We expect this to remain the same for the upcoming season but please be aware this is determined by the league, not our association. We are also working to add a third night that would vary each week to allow more practice times for teams, especially through June when both league nights can be filled with games.
At the 14U and 16U levels the girls could play double headers from two to four days a week; you will also play up to five weekend tournaments which includes three weekend tournaments, the state qualifier and the state tournament if your team qualifies. Historically games and practices have been on Tuesday and Thursday for the 14U level and on Monday and Wednesday for the 16U level. We expect this to remain the same for the upcoming season but please be aware this is determined by the league, not our association. We are also working to add a third night that would vary each week to allow more practice times for teams, especially through June when both league nights can be filled with games.
At the 18U level we will determine the intensity of the schedule based on the experience and commitment of the players registered. One the competitive end the girls could play double headers from two to four day a week and play five to six weekend tournaments which includes three to four weekend tournaments, the state qualifier and the state tournament if your team qualifies. This competitive level may also play at the Gold level and could be playing two of your tournaments out of state. If we have a team of less experience and/or less committed players (i.e. they have other priorities such as other sports, jobs, etc) we may elect to simply have this age level participate in league games with 1-2 in state tournaments.
For all ages, leagues games are double headers against the same team.
In addition to the previously mentioned games and tournaments, there is an additional National Tournament, that can cap the season. Nationals are for 10U and older ages, and require securing a bid through winning one of the tournaments. Nationals are held within the metro area, but do come with additional expenses beyond the registration fee for the regular season and anticipated tournaments.
Q) Where do we play games and how far do we travel?
Home games will be at either the Fastpitch fields behind Andover High School or at Sunshine Park. Away games for 10U through 18U could be played anywhere from Anoka to Zimmerman as the Big West League makes up the game schedules for the season. They usually create geographic divisions to keep travel as close as possible which allows us to typically play teams like Anoka, Soderville (Blaine), Champlin Park, etc, for league games.
If for some reason there are not enough teams at an age level to create a 6 to 12 team division you could possibly play teams further away. There is really no way to tell for sure until the teams have registered with the Big West League. Your tournaments are up to coaches, parents, and the Association. You may play in the metro, out of the metro, or in “out of state” tournament’s.
The 8U level attempts to reduce the amount of travel involved. This may result in partnering with other area programs to develop a rough equivalent of an in-house program.
Q) How often do I practice?
Practices are set by the coaches, and will depend on the availability of the fields. It is anticipated that all levels will have at least one weekly practice, with additional practices being possible with older age groups. It is anticipated that practices will start indoors after teams have been selected, and move outside when weather and field conditions allow.
Q) When does the season start and end?
8U, 10U, 12U and 14U usually starts the 1st week of May. State Qualifier and the State Tournament is usually scheduled a week or two after the 4th of July.
16U and 18U does not usually start until school is out. State qualifier and the State tournament is usually scheduled a week or two after the 4th of July.
If teams win bids to Nationals and decides to play, there is an additional tournament (either located within the metro or out of town, depending on the teams choice), that occurs in mid to late July.
Q) How are the age levels determined?
The age levels for play are determined by the Minnesota Sports Federation. Age levels are 8 and under (8U), 10 and under (10U), 14 and under (14U) 16 and under (16U), and 18 and under (18U).
The date of eligibility for the regular season is based on the players age on January 1 of the calendar year played. So, if your daughter is 8 or younger on January 1, she would be eligible to play at the 8U level. If she were 9, she would have to play at the 10U level. With this requirement, it is possible to have girls with spring birthday playing at a level that is less than their actual age.
For fall ball, the girls would play at the age level for the following regular season. This allows for a transitional period for girls that are playing up the following season.
Q) Can my daughter play up a level?
Girls will be allowed to play up age levels with the approval of the board. The age waiver can be found under the "Forms" tab of the site. Players will not be bumped to allow a younger girls to play up. Ability to play up will be determined by the board with input from coaches and parents, but ultimately the decision will be made based on what's best for the entire association. A player that has been approved to play up an age level will not have any restrictions on which team they can be placed on (A, B or C) and will be placed based on try out results for that age group.
Playing down an age level is not allowed.
Q) I have two daughters, one is eligible to play 10U and one for 12U, can my daughter who plays on 10U play up a level so they can be on the same team?
Siblings will potentially be allowed to play up a level, if the number of girls playing at both age levels involved will allow it. An age waiver would still need to submitted to the board (which can be found under the "Forms tab). The player moving up will also have to prove that her playing ability will allow them to move up a level. You may never move down an age level. If a parent volunteers to coach a team, and has two daughters that are no more than one age level apart they may be allowed to move up on of the players.
Q) If there are enough girls at an age level to have more than one team, how will the teams be decided?
It is a goal of the association to have enough participants to host multiple teams each level.
All players other than 8U will be required to go through evaluations, which will be used to establish player’s basic abilities to catch, throw, hit, and run. Evaluations will be held following registration, typically in mid-September (for the following Summer season). These evaluations will be used to rank the players, and establish teams by skill level into A, B, or C levels. Depending on the number of participants and the range of skills, teams may be set to have multiple levels, or balance them at the same level. The association does not accept requests to play with specific players other than at the 8U level.
Team placement is also potentially influenced by commitment to the sport. Players that will not be available for games or tournaments may be placed together to ensure that the other girls will be able to play. It has happened in the past that teams have had to forfeit or be unable to play at state or nationals because of a shortage of players. This situation is not fair to the girls that are able to play, and will be avoided to the extent possible.
Q) What if there are too many girls for one team, but not enough for two?
The ideal team size is 11 to 12 girls. More than that and play becomes limited, and fewer than that runs the risk of playing short or forfeiture. Teams will be balanced based on the number of participants. Consideration of allowing girls to play up will also be considered if it helps to balance the number of players on a team. At the 8U level, it is expected that all players that register will have a spot on the roster. This is unique to this level, as it is a learning level, and is less burdened by less than ideal team sizes. For all other ages, there is the potential that players will not make a team. This has historically been a rare event, but has occurred. It is the goal of the organization to find a place for all registrants to play.
Q) Who are the coaches?
The majority of our coaches are volunteers, and are usually a parent of one of the players on the team. If we cannot find someone to coach, we will not have a team. The association will pay for anyone who is interested in coaching to attend preselected coaching clinics. The association will also work with coaches unfamiliar with the sport, particularly at the 8U level, to ensure that the rules and requirements of the sport are understood.
Persons interested in coaching will be required to submit an application at the time of registration. Coaches will be selected by a selection committee through an interview process.
Q) Are there assistant coaches?
Teams will have three approved assistant coach positions, one of which may be used for a team manager. All "named" assistant coaches/team managers must complete our Trusted Coaches concussion training and background checks.
Persons interested in assistant coaching/team managing will not be required to submit an application at the time of registration. Assistant coaches will be selected either by head coaches, the director, or through a selection committee.
For all teams there will be opportunities for parents and volunteers to assist the teams with practices, scheduling, field maintenance, carpooling, etc.
Q) What are the Andover fastpitch playing goals/rules?
The 8U level is expected to be for learning and development. All girls will hit, and be given the opportunity to try all positions that they are interested in.
The 10U level is also about learning and development, but players will start to specialize as pitchers and catchers, and generally start to progress towards areas where they may have more interest and ability. All players will hit, and will have a mixture of infield and outfield positions. Not all players will pitch and catch. Batting line-ups will be determined by the coaches.
Our 12U level will be girls playing 1 or 2 of there better positions as their ability grows. 14U, 16U and 18U levels will have the girls playing their best positions. As age increases, the batting order becomes limited, and not all girls will bat in every game.
Above all, safety comes first! If a coach feels a girl cannot play a position for safety reasons, she will not be played at that position.
Q) What are the volunteer requirements for families?
As we look to expand and improve our program and to host local tournaments, volunteers are critical to our success.
For the Summer season each family is required to volunteer for 8 hours over the season. Families are assessed a volunteer fee for $200 that is charged at the end of the season if the 8 hours aren't completed. The 8 hour commitment is per family, so if a family has multiple players the volunteer requirement is still 8 hours.
For the Fall season, the volunteer commitment is 4 hours per family and a $100 volunteer check must be turned in at the beginning of the season. If the 4 hours are completed then the check will not be cashed. Same rules apply for families with multiple players in the program.
Q) What equipment do I have to supply for my daughter to play?
Andover Fastpitch will provide jerseys, but players provide their own pants and sliders as players have typically wanted flexibility in style and fit in their softball pants. The only requirement is that pants are black.
All players will need their own glove and batting helmet and other items can be considered, but are not required include bats, cleats, compression sliding shorts, equipment bags and fielding facemasks. It is strongly suggested that you discuss items with your coaches before purchase.