2009 All-Stars!

We'd like to take a moment to congratulate our 2009 Mad River Girls ASA All-Stars for 2009. Players were selected by their teammates and coaches to participate in the All-Star exhibition games last Friday night. Congratulations to all of you for your success on and off the field in 2009!

10 & Under Division
Jenelle Bourgeois (Demons)
Sarah Bullaro (Demons)
Terra Clark (Fog)
Brittany Dawson (Fireballs)
Emily Denny (iGuanas)
Cassie Flint (Demons)
Taylor Goldston (Demons)
Angel Goodman (Demons)
Haley Hogan (Fog)
Brenna Killoran (Fireballs)
Daisy Nutter (Fog)
Cait Parker (Fog)
Hannah Pomerantz (iGuanas)
Maddie Pomerantz (iGuanas)
Mae Rosebrook (iGuanas)
Krista Scholz (Fireballs)
Terra Silva (Fog)
Sierra Smith (Fireballs)
Taylor Smith (Fireballs)

12 & Under Division
Lacey Anderson (No Names)
Dakota Carlson (Junkyard Dogs)
Alix Flint (No Names)
Allegra Flint (Junkyard Dogs)
Margo Karp (Ice)
Bella Ibarra (Ice)
Sophie LeFuel (Junkyard Dogs)
Morgan Mahan (Junkyard Dogs)
Paige Nickols (No Names)
Caitlyn Nieri (Ice)
Madelyn Nutter (Junkyard Dogs)
Mikayla Orlandi (Ice)
Karuna Purcell (Junkyard Dogs)
Kayla Reed (Ice)
Zoe Rossman (No Names)
Brittany Ward (No Names)
Courtney Wilson (Ice)

16 & Under Division
Kasey Aveggio (Bruisers)
Camille Flint (Bruisers)
Alex Harris (Bruisers)
Erin Haynes (Shasta)
Kona Orlandi (Bruisers)
Maricela Resendez (Bruisers)
Kelsey Spalding (Shasta)

Congratulations to our 2009 Division Champions!

Our softball season ended in grand style with the crowing of our 2009 season and tournament champions.

In the 12 & Under Division, Lori Reed's Ice, sponsored by the Borgie Churchwell Benefit Fund, defeated Willie Ward's No Names, sponsored by the Soroptimists, in the championship game. Congratulations to the Ice for also posting the best season record in the 12U division.

The 10 & Under Division crowned co-Champions this season. Coach Craig Parker's Fog, sponsored by Northern Redwood Federal Credit Union, took the regular season title. In the championship tournament, Jeff Denny's iGuanas, sponsored by Coast Central Credit Union, won the final game, forcing a share of the 2009 10U tourney title with the Fog.

And congratulations to all the great players, coaches and parents who helped make our 2009 season one of our best ever.

Thanks!

Championships and All-Stars. What a way to end a great season!

The Division Championships are set!

In the 12 & Under Division, the Borgie Churchwell team will face off against the Soroptimist squad on Tuesday night, June 9th at 6pm at the Arcata Sports Complex.

The 10 & Under title will be fought out between the Northern Redwood Federal Credit Union "Fog" and the Coast Central Credit Union "iGuanas" on Thursday evening, June 11th, also at 6pm in Arcata.

All-Star Extravaganza - Friday, June 12th at the Arcata Sports Complex

All three all-star games will be played on Friday, June 12th at the Arcata Sports Complex. Players from all Mad River teams will face off against players from the Cutten-Ridgewood program in exciting, season-ending matches.

The 12 & Under game begins at 5:30.

The 10 & Under match begins at 6:00.

And, the 16 & Under game will be played under the lights at 7:00.

Coaches eat free on All-Star Friday, our small token of thanks for all the hard work you've put into this season.

Updates for Thursday, June 4th

Due to schedule complications and player availability, the remainder of the 16 & Under tournament has been cancelled. The next stop for 16 & Under players will be the All-Star game, currently scheduled for Tuesday, June 9 at 6pm at the Arcata Sports Complex. Your coaches will be in contact with you shortly.

For updates on field availability today, please call the Mad River Softball hotline at 822-3575 after 3pm. Conditions at the Arcata Sports Complex, Hiller Park, and Winship school will be available there. (Your usually reliable webmaster has prior commitments and may not be near a computer later today.)

Rainy Wednesday tournament games have been rescheduled.

Dateline: Wednesday, June 3, 2009...

Tonight's Tournament games have been rescheduled due to our local thunderstorms.

The 10 & Under Tournament will stay intact with no changes to the existing schedule.

The 12 & Under and 16 & Under Tournaments have been rescheduled. Click on the links to the right for the updated schedules.

Thanks!

12 & Under ASA Travel Team Forming! Tryouts Saturday 5/30 and Sunday 5/31

Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association is forming a 12 & Under ASA Travel Team for the summer.

Tryouts for this team will be held on Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st from 10:00 to 11:30 am at the Arcata Sports Complex. Interested players need attend only one of the two days for skill assessments.

The player's age on December 31, 2008 determines their ASA eligibility.

The travel ball season will run from mid-June through mid-August with three practices per week.

Any local 12U player is eligible.

For more information, contact Dan at 822-3575.

Let the Games Begin: Championship Tournaments Begin on June 1st!

Schedules for our annual end-of-season tournaments are now online. (Check the links on the right.)

A double-elimination tournament for all teams in the 10U, 12U and 16U divisions begins on Monday, June 1st. Championship games for the 12U and 16U divisions will be held at Winship School on Saturday, June 6th. The 10U division plays their Championship game at the Arcata Sports Complex on Wednesday, June 10th in Arcata. All games begin at 6:00 pm.

Final seedings for the tournament will be determined by Friday, May 29th.

Schedule adjustments as of 5/10/09

Revised schedules reflecting last week's rainouts are posted on the league website and available now. Changes effect games as soon as tomorrow, Monday 5/11. The Master Schedule and individual division schedules should match.

Please look over the revised schedules closely. It is the coaches' responsibility to communicate the changes to your teams.

8 Under Division: No changes to the existing schedules. The rained out interleague games will not be rescheduled.

10 Under Division: There were changes reflecting rainouts.

12 Under Division: There were changes to adjust for rainouts and schedule conflicts.

16 Under Division: There are no changes to the remainder of the schedule.

We've tried to fit in as many rescheduled games as we could. In some cases, either coaches' requests or field availability left me without good options for rescheduling. Changes from here on out will take place on a case by case basis. With just three weeks remaining in the season, and fields and umpires in short supply, please understand that we may not be able to make up each and every game.

Thank you all for your support and patience as we find times for games missed due to weather or school conflicts.

Remember that a post-season championship tournament for the 10U, 12U and 16U divisions will take place during the week of June 1st.

A few scheduling changes as of 4/20/09

We've made a few adjustments to the 8U, 10U, and 12U schedules to cover some rain-outs, additional games, and schedule conflicts. Please check the league's website to get hold of the latest schedules. (The 16U schedule thankfully remains as it was prior to the break.)

8Under teams: You now have two weeks of interleague games between Mad River and Cutten-Ridgewood teams, the weeks of May 4-7 and May 18-21. Note that all Cutten games are played at Winship School in Eureka with a 6:00 start time. All Mad River home games start at 6:30. There is one 6pm game at Hiller Park in McKinleyville, and one 6pm game in Manila.

10Under teams: The two games lost to rain on Thursday 4/09 have both been rescheduled for Monday 5/11.

12Under teams: The rain-out on 4/09 has been rescheduled to Wed 5/13. And, to accomodate the Cutten teams who can't get to Arcata prior to 6pm, I've shuffled the schedule a bit on the week of 4/28 to accomodate the time issue.

Please download the latest copy of your division schedule from the website and make sure your players and families have the latest version.

And, as always, stay tuned for additional adjustments as they come up. Your coaches should have the latest information, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email us at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com.

Schedules! April 4th Jamboree and 2009 Season Schedules are now online!

It's time for softball!

Saturday, April 4th...yes, that's this weekend...is our Opening Day Jamboree for the 2009 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Season. A schedule of the days events - which includes team photos, 1-inning mini-games, chocolate bar fundraiser distribution, and the concession stand - is posted in the link to the right.

Game schedules for the complete season are located to the right as well. This season as in the past, we will be partnering with the Cutten-Ridgewood Softball Association, our ASA neighbors in Eureka, for a 12-13 game season. Games begin on Monday, April 6th and will run through the end of May. A championship tournament and divisional all-star games will close our season the first week of June.

We'll see y'all on Saturday!

Forgot to sign up? It's not too late!

Coaches, parents and nearly 110 softball players enjoyed a great Saturday afternoon testing their softball skills on assessment day last weekend. On Sunday, your coaches spent another afternoon divvying up the kids in to 12 teams and 4 divisions. You should be hearing from your coaches about practice schedules this week.

If you missed our assessments or haven't registered, it's not too late! We're still accepting registrations for new and returning players of all ages (7-16). Please download the player registration form on the right of this page and send it in to us as soon as possible. High school JV players from any area high school looking for quality playing time and coaching after the JV season ends are encouraged to join our program.

If you would, please drop us an email at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com and let us know you plan on registering. Late registrations are not necessarily guaranteed placement with specific teams or coaches, but everyone will have a chance to play.

Practices have already started and games begin on Saturday, April 4th.

Player Assessments: Saturday, March 14th at the HSU Field House

Softball Season has finally, finally arrived!

Player assessments for the Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association's 2009 Spring Season will be held this Saturday, March 14th, at the Humboldt State University Field House (on campus at the north end of Union Street).

Players need to bring only their softball gloves. Rubber softball cleats are permitted in the field house.

These are not try-outs! Every player registered will be placed on a team. Saturday is a simple skills assessment to help coaches determine the best team placement to ensure a competitive and rewarding softball experience for our players.

Players should show up at the times set for their age groups. A player's division is determined by their age on December 31, 2008. Here are the times:

7 & 8 year olds: 12:00 - 1:00

9 & 10 year olds: 1:00 - 2:00

11 & 12 year olds: 2:00 - 3:00

13 to 16 year olds: 3:00 - 4:00

Registration forms and fees will be collected at the assessments (f you've not pre-registered already). Please download the registration form here, and bring it with you, along with the $60 registration fee and $30 refundable uniform deposit. Players will not be able to participate in practices or games until all fees are paid.

The player draft is scheduled for Sunday, March 15th. You should be hearing from your coach during the week of March 16th. Practices may begin as soon as coaches have contacted their players. (And after the fields are dry enough for us to play on.)

If you have any questions about the assessments or team placement, please don't hesitate to contact us at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com , or call the league hotline at 822-3575.

We'll see you Saturday!

Coaches Meeting - Sunday, March 8th, 2-5pm, St Mary's School, Arcata

Calling All Coaches!

Our pre-season Coaches' Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 8th, from 2pm -5pm at St. Mary's School in Arcata (on Janes Road, right next to St. Mary's Church). This meeting is critical for all new and returning coaches to attend...and any potential coaches. Assistant coaches are encouraged to attend as well.

We will be covering a variety of issues including:

• Schedules for the upcoming spring season
• 2009 Rules updates
• Plans for next weekend's player assessments and draft
• Our new and improved umpiring crew
• Coaching skills instruction by Kelly Helms, Arcata HS varsity coach
• ASA Coach Certification

Please plan on attending this important meeting. Let's get our 2009 spring season up and running in style.

Any questions, please email us at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com or call the office, 822-3575.

Note: We are still looking for interested coaches for the 8 & Under "Rookie" division and our 16 & Under division. If you're interested in coaching opportunities (in any age division) please contact us now!

Pitchers Clinic Cancelled...But wait, there's more....

Unfortunately, Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association's 2009 pitchers clinic, scheduled for March 21st has been cancelled.

However...instead of a one-time, two-hour clinic, league pitching coach, Hannah Whitlow, will be conducting weekly pitching lessons for Mad River pitchers beginning in March and running through the season. Two pitchers per team will be eligible to participate in these lessons. Lessons will be scheduled for specific age divisions (10U, 12U, 16U). If you're interested in participating, please talk to your coaches.

The 1st Arcata Area FastPitch Umpire Clinic - March 21-22

The Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association is excited to announce our first annual

Arcata Area Fastpitch Umpire Clinic

March 21 and 22

8 am - 4 pm

at Pacific Union School

on Janes Road in Arcata (next to Mad River Hospital)

Registration is $25 for both days

and includes lunch on both days, free t-shirts,

and certificates to all who complete the training.

Click right here for your downloadable registration form!

Registration deadline is Saturday, March 14th.

Late registration is possible, but will not guarantee a t-shirt or lunch.

Please send a an email of your intent to register to umpiringisgreat@gmail.com.

Advance registration is required for this first-of-its-kind umpire training in Humboldt County. The registration deadline is Saturday, March 14th. Contact league Umpire-in-Chief Gary McLachlan at 707-502-9361 or via email at umpiringisgreat@gmail.com to register.

This special clinic will develop basic fastpitch softball umpiring skills for the participants, regardless of previous experience. We will focus on correct field positioning, umpire movement on each play, responsibility as part of the team of umpires on the field, basic rules, pitching positioning. Umpire decorum and how to handle coaches and players will also be covered.

While ASA Fastpitch umpiring standards will be emphasized, the clinic is open to all umpires, regardless of experience or affiliation, in area fastpitch softball programs, including ASA, Little League and High School programs.

Please join us for this important training.

Meet Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball's new Umpire-in-Chief: Gary McLachlan moved to Humboldt County from Atlanta last summer. An active umpire for many years, Gary has officiated ASA, High School and Junior College level softball. He has umpired in three national tournaments in his 40 year career. Gary's emphasis is to assist the recreational softball umpiring in the Arcata-Eureka-McKinleyville area.

Opportunities for umpiring in Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association's spring season are available now! Contact Gary at umpiringisgreat@gmail.com or the league at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com for more information.

Spring Season Registrations Continue! Saturday, February 28th at the Arcata Community Center

Softball Registrations Continue This Weekend!

Saturday, February 28th from 9am 'til 2pm
at the
Arcata Community Center

League officials will be on hand to register new and returning players and answer any and all questions you might have about our upcoming season.

Registration forms will also be available at Pacific Union and Sunny Brae Schools during the Arcata Youth Basketball games today. They can be downloaded right here and brought to the registration table as well.

Registrations may be handed in in-person today, mailed in to the league before our March 14th player assessments at HSU, or brought directly to the assessments.

Fees are $60 for player registration and $30 for the uniform deposit which is refundable at the end of the season.

If you have any questions, find us today, or email us at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com.

We'll see you out there!

2009 Spring Season: Important Dates!

Let's get ready for spring softball?

2009 Player registration forms went out in the mail this week to all of our returning players. Downloadable Registration forms are also available by clicking on the link on the right hand side of the page (--->>).

And, we'll be registering players in person at the Arcata Community Center on Saturday, February 21st and Saturday, February 28th between 9:00 and 2:00 (during Arcata youth basketball games). Register early...and invite your friends to join in the fun!

Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

Monday, February 16th: College of the Redwoods Softball Clinic, 9am-1pm at the CR Field House

Saturday, March 14th: Player Assessments at the HSU Field House: use your child's age as of 12/31/2008 to determine your child's assessment time:

7 & 8 year olds: 12:00 - 1:00

9 & 10 year olds: 1:00 - 2:00

11 & 12 year olds: 2:00 - 3:00

13 to 16 year olds: 3:00 - 4:00

Monday, March 16th: Team practices begin.

Saturday, April 4th: Opening Day Jamboree and team pictures.

Monday, April 6th: Let the games begin. (No games are scheduled during Spring Break, 4/13-17)

June 1-5: End of season tournament week.

Saturday, June 13th: All-Star games (tentative)

If you have any questions, check this site regularly. And, don't hesitate to contact us via email at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com

College of the Redwoods Softball Clinic, Monday, February 16th, 9am to 1pm

The College of the Redwoods is hosting a softball clinic on Monday, February 16th at the CR Field House. That's President's Day folks, so our players and at least a few of us parents and coaches have the day off to participate in this great clinic. The clinic is open to all players from grades 3 to 12.

$30 if you register by February 12th; $40 to register at the door. Doors open at 8:30 for early registration.

Check out the CR Softball website for more information. We'd love to see a great turn-out of Mad River players at the clinic.

It's 2009! Spring Softball is just around the corner!

Has it really been this long?

By mid-June last summer, our seasoned players had drifted off to summer camps and family vacations. The Mad River 12 & Under travel team played on a while longer, competing in tournaments across northern California in July.

By August our softball players had become soccer players. Older coaches took their kids to college while our older players headed off to high school. October slid into November which eased into December. Soccer goalies became basketball point guards.

And now, finally, it's a new year. Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association's spring season is barely a month away. We're pulling our gloves out of the closets or breaking in the new ones we got for Christmas. When the sun shines (which it's doing quite frequently these days), you'll even hear the sharp pop of ball on leather. Muddy cleats, still stinky from last season, begin to scratch the edges of the community center grass.

Spring Softball. You can feel it. It's almost here.

Your Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball coaches and board members are already hard at work getting ready for the coming season. Registrations for returning players are stamped and on their way to your mailbox.

Stay tuned to these pages in the coming days for important dates, updates, registration forms, schedules, and all the info you'll need for the coming season.

Let's play some softball!