Uniform questions?

A few of you have contacted us regarding uniform deposits recently. Beginning with the 2010 season, the league instituted a new uniform policy that we hope makes it easier (and less costly) for families, particularly those who remain with the program through several seasons. A link to the Uniform Policy is available on this web page.

Here is the policy:

Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association
Uniform Policy
Effective 2010 Spring Season

Beginning with the 2010 spring season, every registered MRGFSA player will pay a one-time, non-refundable uniform deposit of $30. (Subject to change by the MRGFSA Board.) Players are expected to return their uniform (shirt and pants) at the end of the conclusion of the season.

Players who register and return for the following season, and for additional consecutive seasons, will not be charged a uniform deposit for the duration of their enrollment with the league.

Players who leave after one season, then register and return for a later, non-consecutive season, will be charged a new uniform deposit.

Players who choose to keep their uniforms at the end of a season will be charged a new uniform deposit at the beginning of their next season.

Parents may request a refund of their uniform deposit following their first season only. The request must be made in writing (or email) to the league office. Should the player register and return the following season, they will be charged for a new uniform deposit.

If you have any questions at all, or would like to request a refund of your 2010 uniform deposit, please don't hesitate to contact us at 822-3575, or email us madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com.

We hope everyone's enjoying a wonderful summer!

Our 2010 All-Star Teams

As announced at Saturday's end of season Jamboree, here our your 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball All-Stars!

8 & Under Division
Grace Rosebrook
Maria Morehouse
Sophia Belton
Liberty Hutchison
Hileana Wilkinson
Devin McGill
Clair Monge
Kaelynn Simmons
Pectasan Feliz
Ava Killoran
McKenna Turner
Jayme Willis
Zoe Hilton

10 & Under Division
Cassie Flint
Leticia Resendez
Amelia Parker
Emily Robbins
Emerald Bartolotta
Caitlin Larson
Allie DiPiazza
Marlie Thornburgh
Maddie Maher
Brianna Stone
Kiana Simmons
Milea Lewis

12 & Under Division
Emily Denny
Cait Parker
Kate Harvey
Mae Rosebrook
Taylor Goldston
Angel Goodman
Tara Silva
Morgan Mahan

16 & Under Division
Kelsi Spaulding
Hannah Ward
Brittany Ward
Molly Dohring
Alix Flint
Lacey Anderson
Dayna Morris-Punch
Liberty Gonzalez
Caitlin Nieri
Kayla Reed
Hannah Bill
Courtney Wilson

Congratulations to all our all-stars, and to all the young women who played so well all season long. See y'all next year!

Thank you Dan Duncan

As many of you now know by now, our league President for the past 10 years has decided to ease himself into retirement. Effective at the end of our 2010 season, Dan is stepping down as president to move on to other projects and pastimes. Here is Dan's letter to the board of directors:

MRGFSA Board members and friends:

I love our ASA league, and I have given it my best for the last 10 years (the last 6 years as ASA), but it is time for me to move on. I am retiring, and I want to see things and do things that older folks get to do, like take a vacation in the middle of winter, or buy a Harley and hit the road and dream of being 16 again. Such things are hard to do when you’re busy putting up softball banners at strategic locations all over town in January, or bouncing around from one to another of the nine public schools north of Eureka in March asking the school secretary to put our assessment notice into their bulletin announcement the next morning and the morning after that. I’m not complaining. I just want to do something else now besides this (important!) stuff.

As of July 1, 2010, I am resigning as president of MRGFSA. The league has a great bookkeeper in Katie, so the business of the league will continue uninterrupted. I will be keeping my office and will continue to share it with the league. I will also continue my role as the ASA go to person for Humboldt County. I may or may not continue coaching in the future, depending on the league’s need, and my availability. I will train the next president, if needed, but on the job training works just as well in a role like this one. In short, whatever the league needs as it transitions over to the next leader, I will be happy to help with.

I will miss all of you but I will miss the girls most. When you’re not a parent of children anymore (they grow up and go away!) the contact in sports is the best place to stay in touch with youth. I don’t see myself ever letting this go entirely. Such contact is important; kids keep you young inside, where it matters. So don’t look for me to go away entirely. However, come this summer... if you see me go by on a Harley,

Wave!

Dan

From all the players, parents, coaches, umpires, board members and fans of quality fastpitch softball,
Thank you Dan for your time, your passion, and your dedication to the softball players of Humboldt County.

Is the Season Over? Nope.....not yet.

Well, we were supposed to be done by now, but this never-ending rain is not going to wash our season down the drain completely. There will be one more week of games, and we will host an end-of-season mini-tournament next Saturday, June 12th at the Arcata Sports Complex. Here's the scoop:

There will be some make-up games this coming week. Coaches were asked last week who would have players available for some make-up games this week. Several teams whose coaches responded affirmatively have been scheduled for games this week. Your coach should be in contact with you about these games. (You can also check the master game schedule on this site to see if your team is playing.)

On Saturday, June 12th, the league will host a rapid round-robin tournament for teams in all divisions at the Arcata Sports Complex. The games are intended as fast-paced 40 minute affairs in which all teams will participate. It promises to be a fun event...and the weather looks good already. Join us for Saturday in the sun (finally) and our last day of spring softball. Division schedules are as follows:

• 8 & Under Division plays from 10am to noon on the north field.
  
• 10 & Under Division plays from 10am t0 noon on the south field.
• 12 & Under Division plays from noon to 2pm on the north field.
• 16 & Under Division plays from noon t0 2pm on the south field.

All Stars!
Coaches have been asked to select 4 players to represent their teams as our 2010 All Stars! Our 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball teams will be announced on the field at the conclusion of each divisions tournament.

Saturday, June 12th will also be our chance to wrap up a few other things.

• Player uniforms will be collected at the end of the tournament so plan on bringing a change of clothes to the field. You must return your uniform in order to receive a refund on you uniform deposit, or credit towards next year's uniform deposit.
  
• All candy bar money must be turned in by Saturday as well. Each player is responsible for for selling at least $50 worth of candy bars. (This is our league's biggest fundraiser!) Please bring your $50 to the field on Saturday.
• Coaches, please have all your equipment ready to turn in on Saturday afternoon as well.
  

The MRGFSA board of directors would personally like to thank each and every one of you - players, coaches, parents and fans - for your patience and positive attitudes throughout this very wet and trying season. The rain has messed with us more than ever before, but it is our hope that our hardworking, fun-loving players have had a rewarding and positive fastpitch softball experience through it all. Let's hope that next year dries out a bit and gives us a better opportunity to play a few more games.

Thank you all, and we'll see you next week.

Saturday May 22nd games are cancelled

Darnit...Mother Nature wins again. No games today.

We'll see y'all on Monday.

Pitching clinics cancelled tonight, Friday 5/21

Sorry y'all, but with the rainy, showery, sometimes ugly weather today, we're postponing tonight's pitching clinics.

We won't have the clinic next Friday due to the Memorial Day holiday.

There will be one more night of pitching instruction Friday, June 4th.

Now let's all do what we can to push next week's rain out of the weather forecast. Enough already!

Arcata Sports Complex is now open and ready for games! Please note the schedule changes.

We got the word yesterday that the fields at the Arcata Sports Complex are finally open! So here's the plan.....

All scheduled PU games scheduled from this Saturday, May 8th onward have been moved to the Arcata Sports Complex. All division schedules have been updated on this here website. Please make sure you and your kids are using the latest schedule!

All of your game dates and game times are the same as the last schedule. Only the location has changed....

...except for the 8U division. All 8U games are moving to a 5:00 pm start time starting next week.

Coaches: Please contact Jeff in order to schedule practice times. You can check for available times by looking at the Master Field Schedule. Any block of time not scheduled for games, or not grayed out on the spreadsheet may be available to you. However, you must reserve your time in advance. (Games will take precedence over scheduled practices should we need to rearrange things again.)

Kelly Helms' pitching clinics will continue on Friday nights at Pacific Union School: 5pm for the 10U division, 6pm for the 12U and 16U players.

It finally feels like softball season, doesn't it? We'll see y'all out on the field.

Update on Kelly's clinics

With our new, rain-delayed game schedule in place, we've had to adjust Coach Kelly Helms' clinics.

The Friday Pitchers' Clinics will continue at Pacific Union School through May...5pm for the 10 & Under division; 6pm for the 12 & 16 & Under players.

The Saturday Morning Skills Clinics won't be held until we have alternative fields. We need the PU field on Saturday mornings for our games.

Now, if we can finally get a good stretch of sun, we'll be on our way to great spring season.

Sun's out! Revised Game Schedules now available online.

Wait! Is that the sun up there? Are we finally going to get a chance to play softball?

In light of all the recent rain, and knowing that our Arcata fields won't be available for at least another couple of weeks, we have revised the game schedule significantly. For the next few weeks, we will be utilizing the fields at Pacific Union School in Arcata and the Hiller Sports Complex exclusively. The previous version of the schedule that you received a couple weeks ago is officially retired.

Please download a copy of your division schedule from the links below (or to the right). Game times and nights have changed. Questions or conflicts should be brought up first with your coach who can pass significant team concerns on to us. With dry fields at a premium throughout the county, the opportunity for schedule changes are limited.

Saturday, May 1st Picture Day Schedule

8 & Under Schedule - revised

10 & Under Schedule - revised

12 & Under Schedule revised

16 & Under Schedule - revised

Hopefully, this sun lasts a while and we can get some games in. Thank you all for you patience during this rainy pre-season.

Saturday, May 1st is Picture Day at the Pacific Union Field

Team picture day is Saturday, May 1st at the Pacific Union School softball field. A schedule of picture times now available.

We also have four games scheduled on Saturday as well. Please check the Picture Day Schedule to see if you're team is playing. (A new revised season schedule will be posted shortly.)

Schedule changes coming...stay tuned

There will be no games today, Wednesday, April 28th. We'll wait and see what the weather does for tomorrow's scheduled games at Hiller.

Team pictures will be taken at Pacific Union School on Saturday, May 1st. Times to be announced here shortly.

We will also play the 4 games scheduled for Saturday, May 1st on Saturday, May 1st at Pacific Union School. Game times on Saturday will change...times to be announced as soon as coaches get back to me to confirm their teams are available.

Significant schedule changes are in the works. We should have a new schedule available to all of you shortly.

Thanks for your patience!

Jeff

More delays, unfortunately

Our frustrating start to the 2010 season continues. With rain in the forecast for Monday through Thursday this week, it's likely that the Arcata Sports Complex will remain unavailable through the week. We're hopeful that things clear enough to get games in by Saturday, May 1st.

As of this writing, our scheduled games at the Arcata Sports Complex this week will be postponed. We will reschedule all Tuesday and Thursday games to be played at Hiller Park. (weather permitting) Your coaches will be in touch with you regarding game times.

In the meantime, we are working on making the Pacific Union field playable for our program. It is currently built for the adult leagues, but the city has recently installed a 40' mound for our 12U and 16U divisions, and has also provided us with a tap-in mound for our 10U division. We are working to provide temporary bases that are safe for our players. Once those are in place, we can work to get games at PU when it is available to us.

Thank you for your patience. Please help your coaches by continuing to encourage your players to practice and enjoy the opportunities to learn this great game.

Speaking personally, in my 9 years with the Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association, this is by far, the latest start we've ever had to a season. Unfortunately, those that control the rain haven't bothered to read our schedules, nor have they noticed the desire of our girls and their coaches to get out on the field.

Thank you for your patience, and if you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to email us or call us at 822-3575.

Friday's pitching clinic is on. Saturday's skills clinics are not.

Hey y'all. We finally got our first games of the season in. Yeah!

Kelly's pitching clinics for Friday night will be held tonight. 5pm for the 10U pitchers and 6pm for the 12U and 16U players at the Pacific Union Field.

Saturday's skills clinics will not be held this week.

Schedule adjustments for the week of April 19th...please read!

We're limping into the season, but given all the rain we've had, and a bit more anticipated this week, we're going to get started anyway. The Arcata Sports Complex fields are unavailable, mostly likely through this week. Please make note of the following schedule changes:

The 12U and 10U games scheduled on Mon and Wed in Arcata will be rescheduled at a later date. There will be no 12U and 10U games this week.

The 8U and 16U games will both be played at Hiller Field on Tuesday and Thursday. The 16U games will be played at 4:30 pm with a 1 hour 20 minute time limit. The 8U games will be played at 6:00 with their standard 1 hour 10 minute time limit.

Questions? Feel free to email us here, or contact your coaches.

An Update for Coaches, Players and Parents. (April 15th)

Well, I guess it's not as bad as the picture above, but the rain is really messing with all our plans for softball this month. Please take a moment and read through the notes below for an update on where we are as of today, Thursday, April 15th.

Jamboree canceled, 4/17: It's not without a little frustration that we are canceling this weekend's Jamboree. The heavy rains this week makes it impossible for the city to have the Arcata fields ready by Saturday. So, no Jamboree events are planned this weekend.

Team pictures rescheduled: We have rescheduled team pictures for Saturday, May 1st. 8 of 12 teams have scheduled games that Saturday already. We may add a few games to the schedule that Saturday (including some doubleheaders) to make up for the games we're likely to miss next week. We will have a schedule for the pictures out to coaches shortly.

Likely delays to the season: It's likely we'll lose a few games in Arcata at the beginning of next week. We remain hopeful that the conditions improve between now and then, but we may end up with only the Hiller Field available to us next week. We'll be talking with coaches about game time adjustments and looking for alternative fields in the next couple of days. Keep your eyes on your email and the website for updates to the game schedule you received this week.

Candy Bars: Our primary fundraiser is the sales of $50 boxes of "America's Best Chocolate" candy bars. Last year, this fundraiser brought in several thousand dollars to the league. They're easy to sell to friends, family, and co-workers. Every player in our league is responsible for selling at least one box. (And if you can sell more, we have more!) All coaches need to be at the Pacific Union Field at 6pm this Friday night (April 16th) to pick up your team's candy bars. If you can't be there, you must send a team parent to pick them up for you. Please help us make this another great fundraiser for the league this season.

Uniforms: By now, most of you have received your uniforms. With some late registrations and team changes, some players are still waiting for their uniform. Lori Reed will be at the PU field at 6pm Friday to provide coaches with the missing uniforms or uniform parts you need.

Pitcher and skills clinics are on for this weekend: Kelly Helms will lead our pitcher clinics this Friday: 5pm for the 10Us and 6pm for the 12U and 16Us, as well as the skills clinic on Saturday morning: 900-1030 for the 8-10Us, and 1030-1200 for the 12-16Us. Both clinics are scheduled for Pacific Union School. The turnout last weekend was great. In lieu of the Jamboree, let's keep our girls excited about softball, and keep 'em learning by attending these great clinics.

As always, if you have any questions or issues, don't hesitate to contact us via email or phone.

Today's an absolutely beautiful sunny day. If any of you have any pull with the folks who control the weather, now would be a great time to make those requests.

We'll see y'all on the fields very soon.

Opening Day! Saturday, April 17th.....Game Schedules are now available online

Our 2010 Opening Day is just a few short days away!

Saturday, April 17th is our season opening Jamboree. A schedule of team events is now available online. (Link on the right.)

2010 game schedules are also available for all divisions. Click on the links on the right-hand side of the page for your division.

It's about time we started playin' some ball. We'll see you out on the diamond this Saturday!

Coach Kelly talks about last Friday's pitchers' clinic!

"Wow! What a turn out Friday night! We easily had 7-10 young pitchers each session! It was fantastic!

"With the first group, I didn't get a chance to recap the drills we practiced, however, for those in attendance, a great way to start every time your young pitchers practice is with those drills! Coaches and parents may not remember every detail about them but that's okay. Just do the best you can with what you have!

"As for the second group...great talent! Each young pitcher had a different aspect of the pitch to practice and develop. I would suggest making that individual element the focus of the week for your pitcher.

"Special thanks to all my adult catchers who helped their young pitchers work to be successful. It really helps to have you out there and involved with what is happening. (And hopefully in the process, coaches and parents can learn too!)

"I hope to see all of you again next Friday evening. Thanks for coming!"

We will hold our pitchers' clinic next Friday, April 16th at Pacific Union School: 5:00-6:00 for the 10 & Under pitchers; 6:00-7:00 for the 12 and 16 & Under pitchers.

There will be no players' clinic on Saturday since our Season Opening Jamboree is finally here!

New Opening Day....again

Once again, we're adjusting our 2010 season starting date. All this rain has prevented several teams from getting on any field at all. So, in order to let our teams get ready for real games...

We will kick off the season with our Jamboree (and team pictures) on Saturday, April 17th.

Real games will start (rain, shine, or otherwise) on Monday, April 19th.

Season schedules will be posted online in the next couple of days. Thank y'all for your patience.

And, for what it's worth, it looks like dry weather is coming soon!

Rain washes away this weekend's clinics. Back next week.

Well, we had one good day, didn't we?

Today's downpour has washed out our Friday night pitching clinic and tomorrow morning's player clinic.

Join us next Friday and Saturday for a special Spring Break edition of our ongoing clinics for all Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball players (and coaches). It should be dry by then.

Pitchers' Clinics:

Friday nights at Pacific Union School in Arcata

8-10 year olds from 5:00 to 6:00

11-16 year olds from 6:00 to 7:00

No charge, but every pitcher needs to bring a catcher (adult preferred).

Player Clinics:

Saturday mornings at Pacific Union School

7-10 year olds from 9:00 to 10:30

11-16 year olds from 10:30 to 12:00

$5 per player per session helps cover the cost of Kelly's assistant coaches.

Coach Kelly Helms talks about our Pitcher & Player Clinics!

A nice break in last week's rain allowed us to hold the first of our weekly pitcher and player clinics last weekend. Here's what coach Kelly Helms had to say about the girls (and coaches!) who participated:

"I just wanted to thank the young ladies and their parents who committed their time this weekend to softball. Friday night I had a chance to work with five young ladies pitching. The younger girls worked on basic technique, while the older girls fine tuned their pitching motion. We even did a bit of work on a change up.

"Saturday we worked with three young ladies and their dads/coaches working on throwing technique and defensive stance. Dads and Coaches even got a chance to participate and learn too! We worked on skills like shuffle step, forehand, and backhand and then practiced them with simulated ground balls. To wrap up the session, we worked a bit on base running. We worked on running through the bag and rounding the bag in the event of a base hit.

"Next session we will expand on the skills we worked on this time but add defensive skills like flips, fly balls, crow hop, and more! We hope to see you there!"

We'll be back out on the Pacific Union School field this Friday and Saturday (April 3-4)! Coaches: This is a great opportunity, not only for your players, but for you to learn some great new skills and drills as well!

Pitchers' Clinics:

Friday nights at Pacific Union School in Arcata

8-10 year olds from 5:00 to 6:00

11-16 year olds from 6:00 to 7:00

No charge, but every pitcher needs to bring a catcher (adult preferred).

Player Clinics:

Saturday mornings at Pacific Union School

7-10 year olds from 9:00 to 10:30

11-16 year olds from 10:30 to 12:00

$5 per player per session helps cover the cost of Kelly's assistant coaches.

.

New Dates for Opening Day and the Jamboree

Due to our beautiful Humboldt County spring rains and the lack of dry playing fields, we have officially moved Opening Day to Monday, April 12th. Our traditional season-opening Jamboree and team pictures will happen on Saturday, April 17th. A late start to be sure, but at least we'll all get some quality practice time before the games begin.

Now, if the rain would just quit for a bit, we can really get started. It's way past time for the umps to holler, "Play ball!"

Special Pitcher and Player Clinics Begin This Week!

Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association is excited to add former Arcata High softball coach Kelly Helms to our coaching staff this season. Kelly will be leading pitching and player clinics all registered MRGFSA players on Fridays and Saturdays for this season. Kelly is an outstanding coach and a great teacher of softball skills. We're excited to have her on our "staff".

Pitchers Clinics:
Friday nights at Pacific Union School in Arcata
8-10 year olds from 5:00 - 6:00
11-16 year olds from 6:00 - 7:00
No charge, but every pitcher needs to bring a catcher (adult preferred).

Fri 3/26: The PU field is open and the clinic will go on as scheduled!

Player Clinics:
Saturday mornings at Pacific Union School
7-10 year olds from 9:00 - 10:30 am
11-16 year olds from 10:30 - 12:00.
$5 per player per session helps cover the costs of her assistant coaches.

All registered MRGFSA players are invited to participate in these clinics throughout the season.

We'll see y'all out on the diamond.

Our first weekly update!

Welcome to our 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball season! Due a great turn-out at last Saturday's assessment we've nearly matched last years numbers and we're on the verge of creating yet another team in one of our divisions. Here are a few notes and updates from the first few days.

Fields: Due to the wet weather of late, all the fields in Arcata are unusable until at least the week of March 22nd. McKinleyville's Hiller Field is available for practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Board officials are working with the city of Arcata to know as soon as possible when we can get out on the infields. Your coaches will let you know when your practices are able to begin.

Coaches' note: There's a link on the right side of this page to the practice field schedule for the next 3 weeks. Please contact Jeff at 845-0106 or coachjeff14@sbcglobal.net to reserve your practice field and time. We may end up sharing field times with each other, at least until the weather clears up a bit.

New dates for the season's start and the Jamboree: Thanks again to the rain, we've decided to push the start of the season back to Monday, April 12th. Games will begin in earnest that week. We will hold our traditional season-opening Jamboree and take our team pictures on Saturday, April 17th.

New players = More teams: We can still accept late registrations (again, thanks to the rain) for girls wanting to play this season. Currently, we have 3 teams in each of our 4 divisions. We are very close to creating 4th team in our 12 & Under division. If you know of girls who want to play but didn't get the chance to sign-up, tell them to contact us at 822-3575 or email us at: madrivergirlssoftball.org. (3/25 update: The 10 & Under and 12 & Under divisions are full at this time. We may still have room for additional 8 & Under or 16 & Under players. Contact us at 822-3575 for more information. Thanks!)

Haven't heard from your coach? Have no fear...that call is on the way. Several of our coaches are waiting to hear about practice field availability so they can give the best information to parents and players. You should be hearing from your coach this week. If you haven't heard by Friday, please call (822-3575) or email us at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com to find out how to contact your coach.

We're still looking for league sponsors for this season. If you know of an individual or a local business that would like to help us in creating and rewarding and fun softball season, we invite you download a copy of our sponsorship form and contact the league office. Thank you for your help in soliciting and supporting our local sponsors.

Feel free to contact us with any questions now or during the season. Our email address is madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com, or call the hotline at 822-3575.

And don't forget to join and contribute to our new Facebook Page. Check it out now!

Player Assessment Day: Saturday, March 13th at the HSU Field House

Our annual player assessment day will be held this Saturday, March 13th at the HSU Field House in Arcata. All prospective players should plan on attending!

The assessment is not a tryout. We will take about an hour to give the players a chance to hit, field, run and throw, to help the coaches determine team assignments for the season.

It is not too late to register for the 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball season! If you haven't registered yet, please download our registration form from this website and bring it with you on Saturday!

Players should arrive on Saturday ready to play with gloves and cleats or sneakers (no metal cleats!) with their appropriate age group. A player's age for team assignments is based on their age as of December 31, 2009. Assessment times are:

7 & 8 year olds 11:30 to 12:30

9 & 10 year olds 12:30 to 1:30

11 & 12 year olds 1:30 to 2:30

13 years and older 2:30 to 3:30

We will have volunteers on hand to help players order the proper sized uniforms, and to place orders for knee pads and sliding shorts.

Coaches will gather on Sunday, March 14th to determine team assignments. Parents and players should receive a call sometime in the following week from their coaches informing them of practice times. Practices may begin as soon as Monday, March 13th pending the availability of fields.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at 822-3575 or by email at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com.

Once again, it's not too late to register for the 2010 season. Download the registration form here and bring it with you to the assessments on Saturday.
See y'all on Saturday!

Umpiring Clinic Set for March 13-14, 2010

The Second Annual Humboldt Area Softball Umpiring Clinic is scheduled for the weekend of March 13th and March 14th. This clinic is affiliated with Amateur Softball Association and CA State High School Athletic Association.

The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 13 and Sunday March 14 on or near the campus of HSU from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm daily. It will be taught by qualified instructors with experience in collegiate, high school, and ASA softball.

We plan to cover:

· Up-to-date rules and mechanics (where to move for different plays)

· Umpire signals

· Placement drills

· Plate “mechanics”, for both Fast pitch and slow pitch

· Slow pitch and Fast Pitch positioning

· We will also attend (at least a part of the) HSU Women’s Softball game on Saturday.

There is a two-day commitment to be certified as ASA umpire. Initial high school official training is also being built in to the clinic. Upon certification, you will receive 2010 Membership in ASA, recognizable across USA and Canada. And, you’ll be Insured for $2,000,000 liability coverage.

Lunch will be provided on Saturday.

The cost for the clinic is $50.00.

We are offering a rebate of up to $25 if you agree to umpire five (5) dates for Humboldt County’s only ASA softball league, the Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association during April and May. Rebates will be provided with regular payment for games. (Regular pay is $30/game… normally 2 games per evening.)

A clinic registration form is available by contacting Gary McLachlan at umpiringisgreat@gmail.com or call him at 707-502-9361.

We'll see you there!

2010 Player Registrations - One More Time!

Our final on-site registration day arrives this Saturday, February 27th at the Arcata Community Center from 9:00 am through 3:30 pm.

Our new reduced player registration fees are just $45 plus a one-time $30 uniform fee (pay the uniform fee just once and you'll have a uniform for the rest of your MRGFSA career!)

And, if you can't make it this Saturday, that's ok. Download our application from this website (link's on the right) and bring it to our Assessment Day on Saturday, March 13th at the HSU Field House. If you could, drop us an email or give us a call at 822-3575 and let us know you'll be there.

See y'all on Saturday!

2010 Softball Registrations - The Final Two Weeks!!

Registration continues this weekend and next for the 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball season continue.

Saturday, February 27th,

we'll be at the Arcata Community Center from 9:00 am through 3:30 pm.

We'll also be at the Safeway in McKinleyville from 10 am to 3 pm.

Our new reduced player registration fees are just $45 plus a one-time $30 uniform fee (pay the uniform fee just once and you'll have a uniform for the rest of your MRGFSA career!)

You're welcome to download our application from this website and bring it to us on Saturday, or simply mail it back to us at anytime prior to March 13th.

We'll see y'all on Saturday!

We'll be back at the Arcata Community Center next weekend, Saturday, March 6th from 9am to 3:30 pm for our final on-site registration day.

2010 Registrations Continue: This Week in McKinleyville

Player registrations for the 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball season continue this weekend. On Saturday, February 20th, we'll at Safeway in McKinleyville from 10 am to 3 pm. Over the past 20 years, McKinleyville players have made up about half of all our teams. This year, as in the past, we will hold practices and games at Hiller Park.

Our new reduced player registration fees are just $45 for all a one-time $30 uniform fee (pay the uniform fee just once and you'll have a uniform for the rest of your MRGFSA career!)

You're welcome to download our application from this here website and bring it to us on Saturday, or simply mail it back to us at anytime prior to March 13th.

We'll see y'all on Saturday!

In addition to this Saturday, here are other registration days:

• Saturday, February 27 at the Arcata Community Center from 9 am to 3:30 pm
• Saturday, March 6th at the Arcata Community Center from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

Our 2nd Annual Winter Warm Up clinic: Sunday February 21 at the Arcata Community Center

Announcing our 2nd Annual Winter Warm-Up Clinic
Sunday, February 21st 12:30 - 3:30
at the Arcata Community Center

Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association welcomes players ages 7 to 12 to join us for a fun-filled afternoon of softball this Sunday, February 21st, at the Arcata Community Center.

Under the guidance of MRGFSA's ASA certified coaches and alumni, players will have the chance to learn (or re-learn after the long off-season) basic hitting and fielding skills. A separate station for pitchers will be held for players 9 and older.

A $10 registration fee gets your player three hours of quality softball instruction and a t-shirt. You do not need to be a registered MRGFSA player to attend.

We look forward to seeing y'all there!

2010 Player Registrations Continue this Saturday!

Player registrations for the 2010 Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball season continue this weekend. Thank you Eureka for your turn-out last weekend!

On Saturday, February 6th, league representatives will be at Los Bagels in Old Town Eureka from 10 am to 3 pm....a free bagel for all newly registered players.

We'll also be at Staples in Eureka from 10 am through 3 pm as well.

Player registration fees are just $45 for all new players plus a one-time $30 uniform fee (pay the uniform fee just once and you'll have a uniform for the rest of your MRGFSA career!)

You're also welcome to download our application from this here website and mail it back to us at anytime prior to March 13th.

We'll see y'all on Saturday!

In addition to this Saturday, here are other registration days:

• Saturday, February 20 in McKinleyville (times and location to be announced)

• Saturday, February 27 at the Arcata Community Center from 9 am to 3:30 pm
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• Saturday, March 6th at the Arcata Community Center from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

2010 Season Player Registrations Begin Saturday, February 6th

Hey softball players and parents....

Our first registration day for Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association's 2010 season is Saturday, February 6th. We'll be in Eureka this weekend at Los Bagels in Old Town and at Staples on Harrison Avenue between 10 am and 3 pm. We'll be at both locations again next weekend as well!

Come on down and talk with our league representatives for more information on our program, pick up a registration form and either sign up on the spot, or pick one up and mail it back to us anytime before March 13th.

Player registration fees are $60 for the season, plus a one-time $30 uniform fee (pay the uniform fee just once and you'll have a uniform for the rest of your MRGFSA career!)

In addition to Saturday, here are other registration days:

• Saturday, February 13 in Eureka at Los Bagels and Staples, 10 am to 3 pm
• Saturday, February 20 in McKinleyville (times and location to be announced)
• Saturday, February 27 at the Arcata Community Center from 9 am to 3:30 pm
• Saturday, March 6th at the Arcata Community Center from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

You're also welcome to download our application from this here website and mail it back to us at anytime prior to March 13th.

See you Saturday!

ASA Softball Comes to Eureka (Eureka Times Standard, Sunday, January 24, 2010

There's a quick article on Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball in today's Sunday sports pages....

ASA Softball Comes to Eureka

For the first time in a long time, families living in Eureka won't have to drive all the way to Arcata this year for high-quality softball.

Beginning in March, Mad River Softball will offer a competitive league that is sanctioned by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). For the last five years, Arcata has been the only place locally to offer such a program.

”We have been north of Eureka for a long time, and we thought that there is softball in Eureka, but it's mainly Little League,” said Dan Duncan, president of Mad River Softball and the commissioner of the ASA in Humboldt County. “But ASA is different. We have rules that are consistent with high school and college softball, so players who go through the program will be ready for higher development in the sport.”

Practices begin March 15 and you can register on-line at madrivergirlssoftball.org (also check the scoreboard page for on-site registrations).

For more information on the league, call 707-822-3575.

2010: It's almost here!

I know, I know. 2010 actually began a couple weeks ago, but around here the year really doesn't get going until the gloves are loosened up and the pop of a big yellow ball on soft leather is heard throughout the neighborhood.

The Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association is gearing up for another great season of girls fastpitch softball! Changes are afoot on the field and off, and we invite you to join us for an exciting 2010 season.

Our big news?

Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball is coming to Eureka in 2010!

Our quality ASA-sanctioned recreational program has served the Arcata and McKinleyville communities for the past 20 years. In 2010, we're bringing our special brand of recreational ASA fastpitch softball to Eureka. Through agreements with the City of Eureka, MRGFSA will hold practices and games at both Kennedy and Hartman Fields. Along with quality, certified coaches, Eureka players will benefit from our positive coaching environment, a laser focus on age-appropriate skill development, and trained and certified umpires, all wrapped in a supportive team environment.

We welcome all interested Eureka players, parents and coaches to contact us for more information on our program. We look forward to building a strong ASA fastpitch softball program throughout northern Humboldt County.

To our loyal players and parents further north, our program continues to grow in Arcata, McKinleyville and the surrounding communities. As in years past, practices and games will be scheduled at Hiller Park in McKinleyville, the Arcata Sports Complex, and at our new field in Samoa!

Important Upcoming Dates

On-site Registrations:

• Saturday February 6 and February 13 at the Eureka Los Bagels and Staples from 10am to 3pm
• Saturday, February 27 and March 6 at the Arcata Community Center from 9am to 3:30pm.
• You can also download our 2010 registration form here and mail it into us at any time, or call us at 822-3575 and we'll send one out to you.
  

Our Winter Warm-Up Clinic, Saturday, February 21st for all players ages 7 to 10 at the Arcata Community Center.

Player Assessments on Saturday, March 13th at the HSU Field House, 11:30 to 3:30 (times will depend on your player's age)

Practices begin on Monday, March 15th and our 2010 season runs from April 12th through 11th.

New Coaches, Umpires, Volunteers and Sponsors are always welcome!
Are you interested in being part of our exciting and expanding program? The MRGFSA board welcomes all interested coaches and parent volunteers. With our expansion to Eureka, we welcome all Eureka softball fans to help us make our program the premier fastpitch softball experience on the North Coast. Please feel free to email us at madrivergirlssoftball@gmail.com or call our office at 822-3575 for information.

And....we're now on Facebook! Join our group by typing in "Mad River Girls Fastpitch Softball Association" and join in on the fun. Let's share some photos, great plays, game chatter and story telling with all our softball friends.

I don't know about all of you, but it's gettin' about time to PLAY BALL!

We're looking forward to seeing everyone very soon.