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COMPETITIVE TRAVEL SOFTBALL - MVLAGS NOVA
Summer 2023
**For the '23 summer, we'll have Nova teams in the 8U and 10U divisions. This means that players' birth year MUST be 2012 or later.**
Tryouts - Saturday 5/13 at American Girl field
Sign-ins start at 2:30pm for 8U and 4pm for 10U. Please sign up for Nova tryouts here, filling out the form once for EACH player interested in joining a team
10U schedule information:
Nova runs from late May through late July. 10U players will have 3 practices per week, and on weekends either a 2-day tournament or an additional practice. There are 4 tournaments during the summer. Current planned tournaments are 6/3-4 in Livermore, 6/23-25 in Sunnyvale, 7/8-9 in Pleasanton, and 7/22-23 in Incline Village, NV. (Yes, the last tournament is a Tahoe tournament, and spending a weekend with the team in Tahoe is always a season highlight!)
8U schedule information:
Nova for 8U runs from late May through mid-July. 8U players will have 2 practices per week, and on weekends either a 2-day tournament or an additional practice. There are 2-3 tournaments during the summer. Current planned tournaments are 6/3-4 in Livermore and 7/8-9 in Pleasanton, and we will likely add another.
Fee information:
Fees are expected to be in the $650-700 range for 10U and around $475 for 8U and include jerseys, practice shirts, socks, tournaments, fields, insurance, and so on. Black softball pants and personal equipment (glove, bat, fielder's mask, helmet, etc.) are not included. Team gear bags, helmets, sweatshirts, and some other things are available for extra cost.
What is Nova?
Nova is our travel softball program for girls in 8U and above who want to play at a more competitive level. It’s a great program for girls that have enjoyed playing recreation softball, want to play more, and want to learn more advanced skills. The program is competitive, but it is also a unique experience and a great way to develop players that want to continue to play softball through higher levels. With travel programs, the girls have a real opportunity to bond as a team and support each other on and off the field.
Nova develops individual and team skills necessary to play at a more competitive level. Players are selected based on tryouts. Not all girls who try out will be selected but all are encouraged to continue to develop their skills. Playing time is based on capability, demonstrated effort on the practice field and commitment to personal skills improvement. This typically means that some girls will play more than others, some girls may not play in every game and all will participate in practices and clinics.
We offer summer and often fall seasons, consisting primarily of USA B/C level tournament play. In most years, our Nova teams are C-level teams as defined by USA Softball at the 12U and 10U levels, and Rec at the 8U level.
Travel ball, as the name implies, means playing tournaments at multiple locations, usually a Saturday and Sunday venue. Typically teams attempt to play within the local vicinity that includes the local bay area, Salinas and the central valley. Overnight weekend trips with players, parents and coaches will typically occur only once per summer, usually at the summer season's final tournament: Incline Village USA Softball Tournament in Tahoe in mid/late July.
For the 8U division, the time commitment is 2 practices during the weekday evenings and either a weekend practice or a tournament. There are typically 3 tournaments during the summer season, which usually have 4+ games per tournament and run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The season will typically run from late May to early July.
For 10U-12U divisions, there are 3 practices during the weekday evenings and either a weekend practice or a tournament. There are typically 5 tournaments during the summer season, which usually have 4+ games per tournament and run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The season will run from late May to mid/late July.
Nova attendance expectations are such that your player will attend at least 80% of all season events, including both practices and games.
LOCAL AFFILIATE A-BALL TRAVEL TEAM: SILICON VALLEY FUSION
This A-ball travel program gives the most experienced and skilled players the opportunity to play year-round at a high level and against tougher competition. Level of play offered is 14A, 16A and 18A. More details can be found here.