Rancho Bernardo Girls Softball League

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration Q&A

 

Q:  How do I register to play RBGSL softball?

A:  If you’ve never played with the RBGSL before, simply sign up at one of the registration events scheduled from mid-November through early January.  Check this website home page for dates and times.  If you have played with the RBGSL before, you can register by mail.  A downloadable  registration form will appear on the website immediately prior to the registration period.  If none of these options work for your circumstances, please email our Registrar, Joe Maier.

Q:  What if my daughter hasn’t played before?

A:  No problem!  That’s what our recreation league is all about—learning to play.  The RBGSL spring recreation season is open to all girls, regardless of experience.  The season is designed to be instructional, challenging, and fun! 

 

All age levels, every year, have players that are new to fast pitch softball—even within 12-and-under (12U) and 14-and-under (14U) age groups.  Each year the teams are created from scratch using a skill assessment and drafting system aimed at balancing the teams in abilities.  Every team has a mix of new players and experienced ones.

Q:  Can players live outside of Rancho Bernardo and still play in the RBGSL?

A:  Yes, absolutely.  There are no geographical restrictions to playing in the RBGSL.  You may live anywhere and still be eligible to play in our league.

Q:  What division will my daughter be in?

A:  The Amateur Softball Association (ASA), with which the RBGSL is affiliated, determines “league age.” The age of the girl on the 31st of December prior to the season for which she is registering determines her age for that season of play.  Sometimes folks get confused and think it is related to grade in school, but it is not. 

 

The table below shows the ASA age-to-division relationships and the specific birth years used for all RBGSL recreational seasons within 2012 (Spring Season, All-Star Season, and Fall Season).

 

Q:  What if my daughter drops out after I have already registered?  Can I get a refund?

A:  You may receive a full refund up until practices begin.  No refunds will be made after that date.

Q:  When is the last day to register?

A:  The deadline to register for the 2012 season is January 7th.  If you register after this deadline the fee is higher.  If your registration is received after January 14th, you will be placed on a team only if there are any openings remaining. Please contact the Registrar, Joe Maier, for more information.

Q:  What do our fees pay for?

A:  Fees pay for items such as the following:  jersey, matching socks, photo package, insurance, city fees for using the park, and equipment.

Q:  I have read all the registration Q & As from this FAQ page, but I still have questions or concerns.  What should I do?

A:  We don’t want your child to miss out, so please contact our Registrar, Joe Maier, with any registration questions you might have.  You may also contact the RBGSL by telephone at (858) 646-9635 or by email at RBGirlsSoftball@gmail.com.

 

Team Forming Q&A

 

Q:  Can my daughter play on her friend’s team?

A: In T-Ball, we generally can accommodate special requests for putting girls on their friend's team.

 

In Rookies through Division III (ages 7 and up) we cannot guarantee any two girls will be drafted by the same team.  The RBGSL strives very hard to balance the teams competitively so all players can grow and be challenged—we want to avoid one or two teams dominating the others (sorry, Yankees fans!).  To achieve this, we have a skills assessment in January, where the managers see the girls go through throwing, hitting, fielding, and running drills.  Afterwards, the managers hold a draft meeting where players are selected to form teams.  Having said this, you may request a player to be put on a certain team by indicating which team on the registration form, but there is no guarantee these requests will be honored in a draft environment.  

Q:  What if I need to carpool with another parent? Can my daughter be placed on her team?

A:  In T-Ball, no problem.  Just note such requests on the registration form.  For Rookies and above, we can let managers know of such requests, but we cannot guarantee results.

Q:  What and when are the skill assessments?

A:  Select the appropriate recreational season on the website and then select registration details.  There is no skill assessment required for the T-Ball division.

 

Coaching / Helping Q&A

 

Q:  I might be interested in coaching, but I’ve never coached before, or I’m not very experienced at softball.  Is this a problem?

A:  No problem!  If you have patience, integrity, love kids, and want to help the community, those are the qualifications we’re looking for!  We can teach you how to organize a practice and how to instruct softball skills. That’s the easy stuff.  Please see a RBGSL board member during registration to learn more about applying for a coaching opportunity.

 

You may also wish to volunteer as an assistant coach.  No application is required to assist; just indicate this on the registration form, or contact the applicable Division Representative prior to skill assessments.  You may still volunteer as an assistant coach later, but the league can better plan team formation if they know in advance which adults are willing to support with assistant coaching duties.

Q:  Does RBGSL offer player and coaching instruction?

A:  Yes!  We offer a number of clinics and instructional classes for both players and coaches. Some are free of charge, while others require a modest fee to offset costs. Coaches are required to attend a clinic before the season starts, and have the option of attending an ASA sponsored clinic as well.

 

Players have a number of softball skills clinics available, including pitching, hitting, and fielding clinics. Please select Training on the main menu for more information.

Q: How can I help?  What volunteer positions are still needed to help out teams?

A: Our league is made up entirely of volunteers and we could use as much help as you are willing to lend.  At the first team meeting, your manager will be asking for volunteers to help as “Team Parent”, scorekeeper (for Division I through Division III) and other duties as needed. Please step forward and help out.  All families on all teams will have a time during the season where they will help on a 2-3 hour shift at the snack bar.  At least one member of a family is expected to participate, but sometimes whole families choose to run a shift!

Q: What does a Team Parent do?

A: The team parent is the liaison between the manager and the other parents.  The Team Parent helps with the distribution and coordination of uniforms when they arrive and coordinates the making of the team banner. The Team Parent also makes scheduling arrangements for parents to take turns bringing post-game refreshments.  In addition, the manager may make other requests, such as asking the Team Parent to make phone calls to remind players of practice times, etc.

Q: How else can I help?

A: Show your support by attending as many games as possible and by helping out during practices, if you can.  Keep in mind that these are young children out on the field and they need lots of encouragement.  Don't yell at them when they make a mistake; they will feel bad enough already!  Be positive!

 

We appreciate and welcome criticism of a constructive nature. But keep in mind that there are many different ways of doing things; don't criticize a manager or coach simply for doing things differently than you would. If you have a legitimate complaint or suggestion, we do want to hear from you.

 

The only way to make things get done your way is to do them yourself, i.e., become a coach.  Every year we need coaches. This is a fun and rewarding experience.  Coaching takes time, but it is time spent that can have a significant impact on the lives of a number of young people. We require that all of our coaches attend a RBGSL coaching clinic.  If you are interested in coaching let us know right away.

 

If you are interested in helping even more, and can invest a little more time and want to have more responsibility, we have a way!  Our league is run by a small, hard-working group of volunteers. Every year we need new members for the board of directors. If you are interested, talk to one of the current board members. To find a list of board members select Administration on the main menu.

 

Equipment / Uniform Q&A

 

Q:  What equipment should my daughter have?

A:  The players need to provide their own glove and softball cleats.  Personal bats, helmets, and balls are optional; league bats, helmets, and balls are provided to each team by RBGSL.  If you do choose to buy your child a bat, be sure it is marked as a softball bat (not baseball!).  If you do choose to buy your child a helmet, it must have an attached face mask and chin strap, and both the helmet and facemask must be stamped as NOCSAE certified.

 

As part of your registration fee, the league provides the uniform jersey and socks, and the girls may keep these items. 

Q:  I’m thinking of buying my daughter a new bat. What is the appropriate size?

A:  Generally, lighter is better (and, no great surprise, more often than not dads buy bats that are too heavy!).

 

Bats have two specifications: length (inches) and weight (oz.).  They are usually shown on the knob of the bat—“28/18,” for example.  The first # is the length; the second # is the weight.  Sometimes bats are described with a minus factor (i.e., “-10”).  This number refers to the difference between length and weight.  Bats with a factor of -10 or greater are best (but slightly more expensive).

 

Each team is allocated league bats for use during the recreational season.  It may make sense to see how your daughter swings some of these first so you’ll have some idea of what she has the most success with.

 

Some length and weight ranges folks have had success with the following:

 

 

Q: I’d like to buy a ball with which my daughter can practice.  What size should I get?

A: T-Ball and Rookies use a 10-inch ball.  Division I uses an 11-inch ball.  Division II and III use a 12-inch ball.

Q:  Do I get to keep my uniform?

A:  Yes.  And, if we do say so ourselves, RBGSL uniforms are especially attractive and are not the plain t-shirt type.  You’ll be stylin’.

 

Sponsorship / Website / Miscellaneous Q&A

 

Q:  I am interested in becoming a league sponsor.  What should I do?

        A:  As a non-profit organization, the RBGSL depends greatly on the generous contributions of sponsors.  We have a number of sponsorship programs and benefits, and you will find them by selecting Sponsors from the main menu.  If you are ready to sign up as a sponsor or if you have additional sponsorship questions, please contact our Sponsors director, Wade Mears.  RBGSL sponsorship is great for the girls, great for the league, and provides our businesses valuable community recognition and visibility throughout the year.  This is true not only for the recreational seasons, but also for the RB Grand Slam Summer Jam tournament.

Q:  How do I report website problems, errors, or both?

        A:  If you find incorrect information, broken links, or typos on this website, please bring the problem to our attention by sending an email to our webmaster.   Likewise, to request removal of a picture, name, or specific content contact the webmaster.

Q:  Who do I call if I have problems with my manager, coach, uniform, umpire, etc.?

        A:  We encourage you to talk to your team manager first.  Communication is very important!  They should pass the issue on to the division representative, who will communicate with the rest of the board, if necessary.  If you feel you cannot talk with the team manager, or if you do not achieve satisfaction by that route, then please contact the RBGSL Player Agent, Jerome Patterson, or you may contact any board member to forward the problem to the appropriate party.

Q:  Can I attend RBGSL board meetings, if I am not on the board, and where and when are these meetings?

        A:  Absolutely.  Anyone is welcome to attend whether it is just to see how the board operates or to bring a specific topic before the board.  If you have a topic to raise, although not a requirement, it would be greatly appreciated if you contacted the board president, vice president, and player agent in advance so that an agenda topic can be added and appropriate meeting time allocated.

Copyright © 2012 Rancho Bernardo Girls Softball League.  All rights reserved.