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San Francisco Little League

Girls Softball Program

Girls' Softball Program - SPRING 2020

Welcome to Girls' Softball! The SFLL Softball Program focuses on Fundamental skill development, creating lasting Friendships, sportsmanship based Fun, and preparing players for a Future in Softball.

SFLL Girls’ Softball Spring 2020 season is adapting in response to registration trends of the past few years.

Middle School Age players - Majors(12U) program and Seniors(15U) program - will be fielding teams in the Marin Girls’ Softball (MGS) league.  The MGS league plays on Saturdays and weekday evenings. The SF teams will play a majority of games on Saturdays in Marin with a few possibly played on Friday evenings in the Presidio.  One practice a week will be scheduled, possibly on Fridays, location and time tbd depending on Rec & Park lottery. 

Older Elementary School Age players - Minors(10U): 4th & 5th graders with possible inclusion of older 3rd graders with softball/baseball experience - will likely have a group of 22-28 girls playing games on Sundays in the city, plus one weekday evening practice. 

If enough coaches and players register we may be able to accommodate an additional practice evening or location for flexibility.  A player would only be expected to attend one practice. If a surge of registrations come in for more than 40 players, along with additional coaching groups, the standard model of four competitive teams will again be possible with games played on Sunday plus a few Friday evening games.

Younger Elementary School Age players - Rookie(8U), Farm (coach pitch): 1st through 3rd graders with possible inclusion of a mature Kindergartener accompanied by a coach parent.  This age group needs at least one coach and a few parent helpers to get off the ground. A minimum of 15 players need to register and be willing to meet for a weekday afternoon practice and a weekend scrimmage game in the city.  

Gamedays and Softball Division Structure
 

SFLL Softball for the past ten years has scheduled games on Sunday to avoid conflicts with soccer.  That scheduling preference can be changed. If there is enough interest among coaches, parents and players, a group could meet on Saturdays.

The season length and games (dates shown in table below are approximate only) will be finalized once the number of teams for each division is determined.

Spring season softball ages are determined by the age your child is as of December 31, 2019.  

Birthdate Range Little League Age Typical Division Considerations
Jan 1, 2004 – Dec 31, 2006 13-15 Seniors (kid pitch) Competitive in the Marin Girls' Softball League (Saturdays)
Jan 1, 2007 – Dec 31, 2008 11-12 Majors (kid pitch) Competitive in the Marin Girls' Softball League (Saturdays); New 11-yr olds may play Minors in SF (Sundays)
Jan 1, 2009 – Dec 31, 2010 9-10 Minors (kid pitch) Competitive against SFLL teams only; Advanced 8-yr olds may play Minors
Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2011 6-8 Farm & Rookie (coach/kid pitch) Balance of coach-pitch vs kid-pitch will depend on age balance of registrations

Softball Levels of Play

Division Age Season Games Focus Type Opponents
Farm 6-7 3/07-5/17 10-12 Developmental Coach Pitch SFLL Only
Rookie (8U) 7-8 3/07-5/17 10-12 Intro Competitive Coach/kid pitch SFLL Only
Minors (10U) 9-10 3/07-5/21 12-14 Competitive Kid Pitch SFLL Only
Majors (12U**) 11-12 3/14-5/31 12-15 Competitive Kid Pitch SFLL Only
Seniors (15U) 13-15 3/14-5/31 12 Competitive Kid Pitch Marin

*Note: the ages above are general guidelines. Placements are also influenced by balance of division teams, team sizes, and coach availability. 

Player Placement
 
Skills Evaluation Sessions (SES) will be held in December (Majors and Seniors ages 11+) and January (Farm, Rookie, Minors ages 6-10).  While mandatory, the sessions are not “tryouts” as all players (not on the wait list) are placed on a team. The sessions are run by the division specific coaches. The sessions involve the players demonstrating their skills at various softball drills including hitting, fielding, throwing, running, pitching as well as overall attitude. The sessions are also the first opportunity for the players and coaches to meet.
 
Team Formation
 
Teams are formed mid-February at division drafts attended by all coaches in the division. Based on age and SES, players will be drafted into the most appropriate division and team. The goal of the team formation process is to create an equal distribution of skill level within the division helping to ensure the best overall playing experience. Once selected to a team, each player is making a commitment to attend scheduled weekly practices and games.  
 
Registration Fees
 
Fees for the 2020 Spring season are $175 for Farm (coach-pitch) softball and $200 for Kid-pitch softball. To complete your registration, you must register online and submit applicable fees. If you wish to pay by check, please mail to: SFLL, P.O. Box 193488, San Francisco, CA 94119-3488. Checks must be received by SFLL no later than 12/01/19. Please note: it is much more convenient for our registration team if you pay by credit card.
 
Refunds
 
You have until December 15, 2019 to withdraw and receive a refund, minus a $25.00 administration fee. There are absolutely no refunds given after that time. An email must be sent to the Registration Coordinator that states your intention to withdraw.
 

Fields

For all divisions, practice fields are in various San Francisco locations.  For Farm and Rookie, games will be played on fields in the city.  Minors Sunday games may be played in the city or at Ketcham Field on Treasure Island depending on field availability. Majors and Seniors can expect to play on Saturdays on Marin fields.
 
Clinics
 
Our plan is to hold a pre-season softball clinic for the players (TBD).  The clinic will focus on a variety of softball skills.  Additional skill clinics can be scheduled depending on volunteer availability (please speak up if interested in organizing skill clinics).   These clinics will be provided at no extra charge.
 
Coaches
 
The Softball Program is seeking dedicated parent and community volunteers interested in supporting the progression of girls’ softball in San Francisco. Prospective coaches should be eager to develop player skills, team unity, sportsmanlike attitude, and a love of the game in all players. Our coaches typically find the experience very enjoyable and rewarding and many return to coach again. When you are selected to coach and you have a kid playing in the League, you are guaranteed to have your kid on your team. A pre-season coaching clinic will be held for both new and returning coaches and all coaches will be required to attend a Positive Coaching Alliance clinic. If you are interested in applying as a head or assistant coach, please follow the link on the SFLL homepage to register online. 

To learn more about SFLL Softball Divisions and to Register

Just click on the appropriate link below:

For more information on the Girls' Softball Program, please contact:

Newt Jordan

Softball Commissioner and Softball VP of Player Agents

KC Carswell

Majors/Seniors Softball Player Agent