SIBLING DISCOUNT: Families with more than one player receive a $10 discount for the 2nd and 3rd siblings and the 4th sibling plays free. A limited number of scholarships are available for families in need of assistance. Please contact us with your request.

AGE DIVISIONS

Teams are organized in age divisions, determined by players' year of birth and aligned with the policies of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), the national organization which governs our league.   Each age division spans two years.  Players register for the division that corresponds to their birth year and must provide proof of age in the form of a birth certificate or passport copy if registering for the first time.   Each division spans two years and is consistent with national ASA standards and most leagues in neighboring communities.

The 2013 age divisions are as follows:            

This two year divisional structure allows girls to learn new skills and stretch themselves in their first year in a new division and then gain confidence and leadership skill during their second year in a division.  This is at the heart of the League’s philosophy to develop the ‘whole girl’ as well as good softball players. 

In the 6U and 8U divisions, teams are “school based”, which means that to the extent possible, teams are formed with girls from the same school. In the event that a particular school doesn’t have enough players or coaches to form a complete team, nearby schools are sometimes combined to form a team. We encourage you to invite all your classmates to come out and play softball with you this Spring! For more info on how lower division teams are formed, please click here.

In our Upper Divisions (10U, 12U & 14/16U), teams are not school-based as they are in 6U/8U. Instead, MVLAGS makes every effort to create teams balanced by skill and experience to create an equal playing field for fun and fair competition. It is still possible to request a particular playing buddy, although there are a few types of buddies that are not allowed (2 pitchers, 2 catchers or 2 Nova players). The MVLAGS Buddy Policy has these limitations to ensure that the most skilled pitchers, catchers and their parents (who are frequently among the most experienced team staff members) can be spread-out fairly amongst all the teams in the division. Teams are composed of girls from various schools and everyone makes new friends. There are no tryouts and every girl (ages 5 to 16) is welcome to play. In order to create teams balanced by experience and skill level, all players in the 10U, 12U and 14/16U divisions take part in a Skills Evaluation session in early January. For more info on how upper division teams are formed, please click here.

PLAYING DAYS BY DIVISION

To help you avoid regular conflicts with any other extracurricular activities this spring, the following table provides the details of the playing days and the total time commitment by division:

WEEKLY PRACTICE AND GAME GUIDELINES FOR AGE DIVISIONS:

BUDDY POLICY

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 and meet other criteria. 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. Two siblings who fall in the same division by age, will automatically be buddied by the league unless the parents specifically request otherwise, since having players on different teams in the same division can prove a logistical challenge for the parents. 

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 2004 - 2007), 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 2003 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, 2012 to:

Mountain View-Los Altos Girls Softball League

Attn: Player Agent
P.O. Box 4264
Mountain View, CA 94040

 PLAYING UP / DOWN

MVLAGS is requiring all players to play in their correct age division by birth year. The very few exceptions to this policy are outlined in the 2013 MVLAGS Playing Up or Down Policy.

If you still have questions, please review the detailed Registration FAQs or email our registrar. Email will be the quickest way to get a response in most instances, but if it is not as urgent, you can also leave a message on the MVLAGS League hotline at 650-964-6489 and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

 WAIT POOL

Wait Pool: After December 15th, 2012 you may still register however all registrations are put into a Wait Pool and there is no guarantee that your player will be assigned to a team or that a buddy request will be honored. Players will be pulled from the Wait Pool on an as-needed basis to fill any divisions with openings. We do our very best to place players if at all possible, so please go ahead and take a few minutes to enter your daughter’s registration so we can try and place her.

 PARENT VOLUNTEER COMMITMENTS

MVLAGS is an all-volunteer league, which allows us to keep our registration fees low and provide a positive, community-based experience. As a result, the family of every player is expected to contribute time to the operations and success of the league and their daughter(s)’ experience during the season. During the registration process, you will be asked to specify your preference regarding a volunteer role on your daughter’s team. For a complete list of volunteer opportunities and estimated time requirements, please visit the Volunteer area of our website. Every effort is made by team/ league staff to make volunteering as easy and convenient to your schedule as possible. The MVLAGS Board or your Team Manager will contact you regarding your selection.  We think you’ll find that being a part of your daughter’s softball experience will be enjoyable for both of you and there is no way that MVLAGS could operate successfully without the help and support of each family. .

2013 REFUND POLICY

6U & 8U REFUND & WITHDRAWAL POLICY:

If a player has registered and then decides not to play, we will refund fees according to the following schedule:

· Until 1/23/2013: Full registration fee refund less $35

· 1/24/2013 – 2/19/2013: 50% of registration fee

· On or after 2/20/2013: No refund

10U, 12U & 14/16U REFUND & WITHDRAWAL POLICY:

If a player has registered and then decides not to play, we will refund fees according to the following schedule:

· Until 1/23/2013: Full registration fee refund less $35

· After 1/23/2013: No refund

REGISTER A PLAYER INTO THE WAITPOOL HERE!!: