Frequently Asked Questions
REGISTRATION FAQS
How long is the season?
For the 2015 Spring Recreational season, we anticipate that Opening Day will be on Saturday, March 7, 2015 and that the final games will be played on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Teams will be formed in early to mid February. Practices will likely start in mid-February.
How do I sign my daughter up?
For the 2015 Spring Recreational season, online registration begins on October 27, 2014. After you complete your online registration, you need to print a copy of your Registration Receipt, sign it and mail to Palo Alto Girls Softball, PO Box 60027, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Registration closes on January 20, 2015. After that, players will be added to the wait list, and will be notified if space is available.
How are the teams and age groups organized?
For this Spring Season, we anticipate having 5 age groups; 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U. Please note that we do reserve the right to modify the age divisions if necessary depending upon the number of players and their skill level.
Players are placed into divisions by the calendar year they were born in.
| Division | Birth Year | Grades | Pitching | Catcher |
| 6U | 2008-2009 | K/1st | Tee/Coach | No/Very Limited |
| 8U | 2006-2007 | 2nd/3rd (+ some older 1st) | *Coach (possibly limited Player) | Beginning |
| 10U | 2004-2005 | 4th/5th (+ some older 3rd) | **Player (coach) | Developing |
| 12U | 2003-2004 | 6th/7th (+ some older 5th) | Player Only | Important |
| 14U | 1998-2001 | 8th/9th (+ some older 7th) | Player Only | Very Important |
* A League goal for this season is to more actively develop pitchers at a younger age. The League will, as in the past, provide weekly pitching clinics, with a special effort on the development of pitchers at a younger age. The 8U division may move from Coach pitch to Player pitch sometime during the season.
** As we are successful in developing young pitchers, we look forward to reducing (and eventually eliminating) the need for coach back up at the 10U level. These steps will, we believe, strengthen our teams at the 12U and 14U levels.
Overview of Divisions
In our Spring Recreational league, the emphasis at all levels is on skill development, team play and having fun. As the players progress through the divisions, more advanced rules and game knowledge/strategies are introduced, and the games do become more competitive.
6U Division (T-Ball -> Coach-Pitch)
Introduces the sport of softball to our youngest members of our league. Players start off hitting from a batting tee, and then progress to coach-pitch during the season. Players are taught the basics of how to throw the ball, field a grounder, swing the bat and which way to run around the bases. Teams are kept small to keep things moving, and to keep the girls involved.
8U Division (Coach Pitch)
Coach pitch (may progress to limited player-pitch during the season). Teams play their games on a real softball field (dirt infield). Emphasis on good fundamental throwing, fielding and batting skills. Everyone hits; no strikouts. There is more consistent throwing and catching the ball in the air, and more defensive plays/outs made during a game. No scores or standings are kept.
10U Division (Player Pitch with Coach Pitch Backup)
Mostly player pitch, with coach pitch backup (may move to player pitch only during the season). Games now have umpire, with called balls and strikes (no walks). A true catcher position (beginning) is now part to the game. More advanced rules are introduced (including stealing, sliding and bunting) and pitching development is a major priority. Scores are kept, but team standings are not.
12U Division (Player Pitch Only)
Player pitch only (with walks). Scores and standings are kept. Some games are played against teams from other leagues. More advanced hitting, bunting and base running techniques are taught. More advanced strategies and skills become part of the game: including stealing, sliding, bunting, dropped third strike rule. Girls will generally learn more about playing specific infield and outfield positions. Pitching, and the catcher position, are very important to the game.
14U Division (Player Pitch Only)
Most players at this level have been playing softball for several years. Generally all games are played against teams from other leagues. Win/loss records are kept. In this division the girls refine their skills and continue to learn the finer points of the game. More advanced team play and offensive and defensive game strategies are taught and incorporated into games. The goal is to get these players ready for this level of play, and perhaps prepare them for high school play.
Guidelines for Playing Up or Down
In most cases a player will play in her own age division. For some players with advanced skills, there may be occasions where it may be a better fit to play in an older age division. And for some players, it may be a better fit to play in a younger age division. The goal is to place the player where they will both have fun playing and improve their skills, and function well with the other players on their team. We may ask players to come to an evaluation to determine their skill level for the best placement. The PAGS Player Agent will make the final determination of placement for any individual player. See our Frequently Answered Questions on our website for more information about the different divisions. Please contact us as Registrar@paloaltogirlssoftball.org if you have questions regarding the appropriate division for your daughter.
TEAM ASSIGNMENT FAQS
How do you form teams?
The overall objective of team assignments is to make fair, balanced teams, and to give the girls the best possible overall experience learning and playing softball.
In the younger divisions (6U and 8U), our goal is to form teams with players from the same neighborhoods and schools. To successfully form teams, we need to ensure that we have a head coach (or two co-coaches) for each team, and that each team has sufficient assistant coach support. Our intent is to form teams that fairly distribute girls from any individual school. You may make a request to play with 1-2 specific friends (this works best if the friends also name you on their registration otherwise, we may not be able to honor the request). If you list more than two friends, we will attempt to ensure that your daughter is placed with 1 and possibly 2 of those specified friends and she will likely know other girls on the team from her school. To effectively balance all of the factors that go into creating teams, we can not honor requests for groups of girls to play together, or for girls to play on a team coached by a specific person.
For our older players, our first priority is to form balanced teams, so that the games during the season are well-matched, and fun for all.
At the 10U level, our overall aim is to create balanced teams in terms of skills and abilities. We do still do some groupings by school, but it is also likely that there will be girls from other schools on the team as well. For the 10U level, you may make a request to play with 1-2 specific friends (this works best if the friends also name you on their registration, otherwise, we may not be able to honor the request). If you list more than two friends, we will attempt to ensure that your daughter is placed with 1 and possibly 2 of those specified friends. (Please note that, for 10U, while we will try to honor these requests, it may not be possible if it creates a significantly imbalanced situation.) To effectively balance all of the factors that go into creating teams, we can not honor requests for groups of girls to play together, or for girls to play on a team coached by a specific person.
At the 12U and 14U level, teams are formed through a draft by the coaches, which is organized and overseen by the Division Commissioner. At this level, requests to play with specific friends (or specific coaches) can not be taken into account.
Can my daughter request to play with a specific friend?
For the 6U, 8U and 10U divisions, you may make a request to play with 1-2 specific friends (this works best if the friends also name you on their registration, otherwise, we may not be able to honor the request). If you list more than two friends, we will attempt to ensure that your daughter is placed with 1 and possibly 2 of those specified friends. (Note: For 10U we will try to honor these requests, but if may not be able to if it creates a significantly imbalanced situation.)
Can my daughter request to play with a specific coach?
We can not honor requests to play with specific coaches. At the younger divisions, we need the flexibility to be able to fairly distribute girls from any individual school when forming teams. Requests for specific coaches end up causing unfair distributions. At the older divisions, we need the flexibility to be able to appropriately balance the teams in terms of skills and experience. In addition, the girls benefit from playing for different coaches from year to year, not just for the same coach.
PRACTICE AND GAME FAQS
How much time does each age group spend practicing? How often does each age group play?
Each year, we are always asked about practice schedules and game schedules before the season begins. Practice schedules are set by the coaches of the teams at their convenience. For the younger divisions (6U and 8U), they will practice generally once a week and play one game on Saturday. For the 3 older divisions, they will generally have one practice during the week, one game on Saturday and one 5:30pm weekday game (will be played on the same weeknight each week). For the 2012 season (last year), the 14U weeknight games were on Monday, the 12U weeknight games were on Wednesday and the 10U weeknight games were on Tuesday. Many teams hold practice twice a week at the beginning of the season, before Opening Day.
Generally:
14U - one 5:30pm weeknight game, one Saturday game and one practice per week (M-F)
12U - one 5:30pm weeknight game, one Saturday game and one practice per week (M-F)
10U - one 5:30pm weeknight game, one Saturday game and one practice per week (M-F)
8U - one Saturday game and one practice per week (M-F)
6U - one Saturday game and one practice per week (M-F)
When will game schedules be available?
Our goal is to have game schedules available by March 1, 2015.
Where are the games played?
All games for 6U, 8U and 10U teams will be played at Cubberley fields. Some Saturday games for 12U and 14U players will be played against other area softball organizations, and will be held at their home fields.
Where do teams practice?
Practices for 6U and 8U teams will generally be held at local elementary schools. However, this will probably not be at your own elementary school. We only have practice space at some of the elementary school fields, and the practice location for your specific team will be chosen by your coach. Often, there will be girls from more than one school playing on your team. To the extent possible, we try to combine nearby schools, but sometimes that is not possible depending on which coaches have volunteered and the number of players from each school.
Practices for 10U, 12U and 14U teams will generally be held at Cubberley fields.
ADDITIONAL FAQS
What equipment will the league provide, and what will my daughter need to provide?
PAGS provides the uniform jerseys, socks and visors plus batting helmets, bats, balls, catcher's gear, bases and playing fields. Players provide their own baseball/softball gloves and athletic shoes (baseball, softball, or soccer cleats are recommended, but not required). Sliding shorts (or pants) and a knee pad are required for 12U and 14U, and recommended for those 10U girls who want to give sliding a try. Batting gloves are optional. Some players may choose to purchase their own batting helmet and/or bat.
What are the basic rules of the game?
The rules differ by division. Choose the appropriate division from the list on the left side of the page.
Do you offer special training and/or clinics?
At the beginning of the season, we generally hold 1-2 skills clinics, for beginning players and those wanting to brush up on their skills before the start of the season. We also offer weekly pitching clinics, starting in January and going throughout the year. We encourage interested players to take advantage of these league pitching clinics at an early age (8 and up).
VOLUNTEER FAQS
What is the expectation of parents?
PAGS is a Volunteer Organization (except for Umpires who are paid, PAGS operates with all volunteers). We rely on the generosity and good will of many, many volunteers to organize our league, coach our teams, and otherwise complete the many tasks that must be done before, during and after our softball season. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Each family is expected to volunteer in some way, in either a team support or league support position. The Volunteer Page (click here) lists many ways you can help PAGS to function. We have something to fit the interests and availability of everyone, including volunteer opportunities that are one time and others that are ongoing, and opportunities that require softball knowledge in addition to those that don't require any softball knowledge.. If you have some special skills, please let us know.
This year volunteers for head coach and Board positions will receive a $40 discount off their registration fee.
If you are interested in learning about open board positions, please contact us at President@paloaltogirlssoftball.org
How do I become a head coach or assistant coach?
You can select to volunteer for either position on the online registration form. You will be contacted by PAGS regarding coaching opportunities.
Can I volunteer to coach with a specific parent?
Yes, when you volunteer, you can specify that you like to coach together as Co-Coaches, or as a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach --please limit these requests to coaching pairs (two people only), so that we have the flexibility to form fair, balanced teams at all levels.
Do I need to undergo a background check and/or certification?
All dugout personnel are required to be ACE Certified each year. This certification can be completed on line. To ensure the safety of all the players, all coaches must complete an ASA (American Softball Association) background check.
How else can I contribute?
Consider having your business sponsor a team or making a donation.
How do I become a PAGS sponsor?
Each season, PAGS strives to find a sponsor for every team to help cover the costs associated with outfitting the team, running the league and improving our fields. If you are interested in sponsoring a PAGS team (with your business name on the uniforms), please email our PAGS Fundraising and Sponsors coordinator, at Sponsors@paloaltogirlssoftball.org. They will contact you and provide more information. PAGS is a volunteer-run organization, and uses funds solely for the benefit of girls softball. All Sponsors with daughters registering for the PAGS Spring league will receive a 100% rebate on one registration fee. The sponsorship deadline is January 31, 2014.
For additional sponsorship information, please see our sponsor page or contact PAGS at Sponsors@paloaltogirlssoftball.org .
FEE FAQS
What are the fees for 2015 Spring Recreational Season?
The registration fees vary by division. Early Bird Registrations before December 7, 2014 receive free admission to a Stanford skills clinic.
| Division | Fee |
| 6U | 150 |
| 8U | 200 |
| 10U | 225 |
| 12U | 250 |
| 14U | 250 |
Is there scholarship assistance available?
For low income families, scholarship aid is available. We want all interested players to play even if their families cannot afford the fees. Call our message line at 650-209-0454 or send an email to registration@paloaltogirlssoftball.org. The Player Agent will contact you.
Overscheduled Players
Each year, some players find they cannot handle all their commitments and drop out. We ask our players to meet 2-3 times per week for practice and games. If your child is playing other sports or has other activities or has lots of homework, please take these obligations into account before you sign them up for Softball: softball is a team sport, and requires each player to do their part.
What is your refund policy?
If a player has registered and then decides not to play, we will refund fees according to the following schedule;
Before January 20, 2015 100% less $10 to cover our costs.
On or After January 20, 2015 50% of the registration fee
On or After February 1, 2015 No refunds
Please send an email to registration@paloaltogirlssoftball.org or call our hotline 650 209-0454 if your player decides to withdraw from softball.
OTHER
Exceptional Situations
If there is an exceptional situation for your player or your family, please let us know. There is a space on the forms for a brief description of special circumstances. If you need more space or wish to talk with a PAGS officer, please email us at registration@paloaltogirlssoftball.org or call the hotline at 650 209-0454. We will respond to your request as soon as possible.
Still have Questions?
send an email to registration@paloaltogirlssoftball.org.