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General Information:
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For over 40 years,
Mountain View Los Altos Girls Softball (MVLAGS) has been offering a quality,
softball-only program to girls living in or attending school in Mountain View,
Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and surrounding areas. 100% volunteer-driven, MVLAGS
is a non-profit organization that promotes athletics, community-building, and
the development of the ‘whole girl’ through girls softball.
New players, as well
as coaches, are always welcomed - no experience necessary! The younger division
teams are all school-based, which means that girls play with their schoolmates. The older division teams are
skill-based and balanced to promote fair competition. The oldest teams also play
interleague games with neighboring ASA softball leagues. At all levels, players may choose
one playing Buddy, subject to our Buddy Policy.
MVLAGS also fields competitive travel ball teams in summer and fall. Between our spring recreational program, our new Summer Stars recreational
program, and our MVLA Nova travel program, our league has produced many strong
players since we were formed in 1972 (originally a local Bobby-Sox
organization).
The Recreational Season
The MVLAGS
recreational softball season runs from the beginning of March through late May.
Last spring, we had 47 teams total, with sixteen 6U teams, sixteen 8U teams,
eight 10U teams, six 12U teams and one 14/16U team!
Competitive Travel Ball
Opportunities
For girls in 8U and
above looking to play at a more competitive level, we offer our
MVLA Nova Travel
Ball program. The Travel Program takes place primarily in the summer at ASA B/C
level tournaments. To be eligible to participate in the MVLAG Nova Travel Ball
Program, a player must have actively participated in the MVLAGS recreational
league in the spring. Interested players and parents should check off the
appropriate box during registration and/or email the MVLAGS Travel Ball Chair at
any time before the early May 2012 tryouts. More information will be available
on the website and in the MVLAGS newsletter closer to the start of the travel
season. You should also feel free
to email our Travel Ball Chair at
Travel@mvlags.org.
Age division is
determined by the player's year of birth. No experience is necessary to play.
6U Division
For the youngest members of our league, girls born in 2005-2006.
The 6U division is primarily focused on fun fun fun! Basic concepts are taught, but the
idea here is that every girl plays and has fun. Non-scoring games, continuous
batting and every girl bats every inning. Coach pitch or players hit from a
batting tee with no strike-outs. Teams are school-based.
8U Division
For Girls born in 2003-2004. The 8U division is still about fun
and more fun, but also introduces pitching and other specific skills and
strategies. Games are scored with a limit on runs in the first 3 innings.
Continuous batting and Player/Coach pitch. Player pitching is limited to keep up
the pace of play. Teams are school-based.
10U Division
For Girls born in 2001-2002. The 10U division introduces
additional strategies and skills specific to hitting, base running and defense.
Mostly Player pitch with some exceptions. Regular scoring with a "mercy" rule
after 4 innings. Win/loss records are recorded and there is a season-ending
playoff tournament. Teams are formed to balance skills across teams and are not
school-based.
12U Division
For Girls born in 1999-2000. The 12U division emphasizes
age-appropriate advanced strategies and skills. Regular scoring with a "mercy"
rule after 4 innings. Player pitch only with each pitcher allowed a maximum of 6
innings per week. A few games are played against teams from other leagues in the
Interleague. Win/loss records are recorded and there is a season-ending playoff
tournament. Teams are formed to balance skills across teams and are not
school-based.
14U/16U Division
For Girls born in 1995-1998. The 14U /16U divisions emphasize the
age-appropriate advanced strategies and skills similar to high school level
play. Regular scoring with a "mercy" rule after 4 innings. Player pitch only
with each pitcher allowed a maximum of 7 innings per week.
Almost all games are
played against teams from other leagues in the Interleague. Win/loss records are
kept, but there is no placement within the league based on these standings.
Teams are formed to balance skills across teams and are not school-based.
Game and Practice Locations
The chart gives specifics about the time commitment and scheduling for each
division:
WEEKLY PRACTICE AND GAME GUIDELINES:
Game Times
Midweek games
generally start at 5:30 p.m. Saturday games generally start between 9:00 a.m.
and 3:00 p.m.
Game Locations
Most games are
played at Stevenson Park in Mountain View, though some teams may play at other
school sites and fields in Mountain View. The 12U and above divisions also play
Interleague games throughout the local area. See ‘Field Locations’ for more
information.
Practice Times/Locations
The practice times
and locations for the lower divisions generally take place where it is most
convenient for the team, as determined by the parents and staff at Team Meeting
Night. Since the 6U and 8U divisions are school based, they usually practice on
their own school grounds or at a nearby park. Practices for the upper divisions
(10U and up) are at Stevenson Park or various local schools (e.g., Graham,
Slater, Oak.) The practice times and locations for the upper divisions will be
provided to the team staff by the League’s Scheduler (scheduler@mvlags.org), and are based on field availability.
Softball is a team sport, so regular attendance
is important in all divisions.
This is especially true at the levels from 10U
and up, where teams are no longer school-based. For those divisions, MVLAGS
works very hard to create balanced teams based on the players’ experience and
skill level. For this to succeed we ask everyone to be very mindful of the
playing days and time commitments for their division before signing up, to
avoid scheduling conflicts. It is not fair to the other players or the team
staff if players regularly miss entire practices or consistently arrive late or
leave early.
Please see our policy
here.
Teams are formed in late February by our Player Agents,
just prior to the start of the season after registration has closed. The focus
of MVLAGS is purely recreational. Everyone plays and there are no tryouts.
In the 6U and 8U divisions, teams are formed with girls from the same school. Practices are typically held on their own
school grounds or at a nearby park. Neighboring schools may be combined if
individual schools don’t have enough players or coaches to form a complete team.
Some players prefer to play on a team at another school which we try to
accommodate. Sisters in the same age division will be put on the same
team unless the parent requests otherwise during registration. For more
information about our 6U & 8U team formation methods, please click
here.
Teams in the upper divisions
are no longer school-based, but skills-based in order to have balanced teams
within each division.
Players in these divisions attend a
skill evaluation clinic in early January to determine skills and aid in the
formation of balanced teams.
In 10U and above, teams are determined by a system that is primarily focused on
equalizing the skill levels of each team by evaluating such factors as: skill
sets (e.g. pitchers, catchers, travel players); skill level; and age.
All teams will have some experienced
players and some that haven’t played much or at all before.
We try to accommodate placement with at least one friend
via the Buddy Request which allows players to choose a friend they would like on
their team, subject to the buddy selection policy. For more information about how are
10U and up division teams are formed, please click
here.
Team’s meet for the first time a Team Meeting Night in
mid-February Check the
Events page for details for your player’s division.
You should also get an email or a phone call from your Team Manager ahead
of the Team Meeting Nights, letting you know you are on
their team and inviting you to attend.
Player Clinics
We also offer a variety of
skills clinics, both before and during the season. This includes clinics for more
advanced players as well as clinics specifically designed for first-year
softball players ahead of the first team practices to help new players feel
comfortable in their new sport. For
more information, please see our Events Page.
For all age divisions, players may fill out a
Buddy Form to request that one friend OR one sibling be placed on the same team with
them, provided they are in the same age division. The ability to make such Buddy
Requests is intended to help with carpooling issues, to inspire players to
invite more friends to play softball and/or to help newer players feel
comfortable on their team.
Although properly-made Buddy Requests will be
accommodated if possible, parents and players must please realize THEY ARE NOT
GUARANTEED since creating balanced (10U and above) or school-based (6U and 8U)
teams still takes priority.
For 6U & 8U (players born in 2003 - 2006), priority is
given to forming school-based teams where possible. For these two divisions,
every effort will be made to accommodate Buddy Pairs from the same school
wanting to play together. Players from different schools may also request
each other as a Buddy and will be placed together IF POSSIBLE.
For 10U and up (players born in 2002 and earlier), teams
are not school-based, but rather distributed by skill and experience. In order
to ensure balanced teams and coaching staffs during the team formation process,
THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF BUDDY REQUESTS ARE UNFORTUNATELY UNABLE TO BE CONSIDERED:
-
Two pitchers
-
Two catchers
-
Two Nova or other Travel Team players
HOW TO REQUEST A BUDDY:
To have your Buddy Request be considered during the team formation process, Buddy
Requests must be made on the official Buddy Form which can be downloaded
here. The form needs to be filled out and signed by a parent or guardian of each Buddy,
then returned in hard copy with a postmark no later than December 15th, 2011
to:
Mountain View-Los Altos Girls Softball League
Attn: Player Agent
MVLA provides the uniforms (including visors), fields, bases, batting
helmets, bats, balls and catcher's gear.
Players must provide a softball glove (please put her
name on it!). Softball or soccer cleats (plastic bottomed) are recommended in
the 6U/8U divisions and required at 10U and above.
Sliding shorts (or pants) and knee pads are recommended for girls at the 10U
level and required for any player that slides.
If you choose to purchase additional softball equipment: · Helmets must have a face-mask, be NOCSAE-approved and we suggest an adjustable rather than one size fits all model. · Bats must be marked "ASA Softball approved" with a 2004 date or newer. Check with a coach first if you are uncomfortable making a selection (correct bat size is critical). Note that high-performance bats (i.e. composite, titanium, or multi-walled) are NOT ALLOWED in MVLAGS play, though they may be allowed when playing teams from other leagues (12U and up).
See the
Resources page for suggestions on where you can purchase equipment. MVLAGS is a 100% volunteer run-organization and all parents are required to volunteer their time in some capacity. For a description of the various team and league volunteer positions, please click here. Your daughter will appreciate and benefit enormously from your participation and we highly encourage you to attend your daughter’s games. In addition, most Coaches and Managers appreciate any extra help they can get so please volunteer to help at practices, games or in team support positions. Don’t worry that you know nothing about softball- every parent has something to offer. Please note, for safety reasons you MAY NOT DROP YOUR PLAYER OFF FOR A PRACTICE OR GAME unless you explicitly work this out with the Chaperone or Manager, and, YOUR PLAYER MUST BE PICKED UP AFTER PRACTICES/GAMES.
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