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Good Morning Coaches & Administrators-
Reminder that all teams playing in this weekend's event must be sanctioned by the American Fastpitch Association (AFA). To make your annual payment to get your team's membership/sanction number, please click the link below:
https://fastpitch.afasoftball.com/get-involved/team-membership/
Prior to your first game, please check in with our AFA Site Director, Anna McCray, with the following items:
-Proof of team insurance (copy or digital)
-Printed copy of roster/liability form (attached below-to be left at table)
-AFA Sanction/team membership done
-Birth Certificates on hand (copies that you carry with you, but do not need to be turned in at the table. keep on you in case of protest/age verification)
Here are some Cactus Yards "Know Before You Go" reminders in case you have never been to this facility before and want to share with your teams:
https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/cactus-yards/frequently-asked-questions
Tournament T-Shirts will be sold at the director's table for $25.00 each
Used Game Balls will be sold at the director's table for $35.00 per dozen (first come, first serve basis)
Best of luck to you and your girls this weekend!!! Please remind them to eat healthy, start hydrating now, and to have fun!!! Thank you for your support of AFA softball. #PLAYAFA
Stacey Stepek
AFA State Director of Arizona
630-335-6830
Cactus Yards Site Director
Anna McCray 480-824-8486
Cactus Yards UIC
Marcus Jones 602-689-2159
AFA SUMMER BASH schedule and brackets are now LIVE!
Check out the exposure site to view your team's schedule or download our app "WESTCOASTAFA” to view schedule/brackets/keep an eye on scores as they are recorded as your games wrap up this weekend!
Please make sure that your team is sanctioned to play AFA events. The AFA season runs September 1st-August 31st and is $45.00 per season. This fee goes directly to headquarters. If you have not already paid your sanctioning fee and been assigned your 4–6-digit number, please do so by clicking the link: https://fastpitch.afasoftball.com/get-involved/team-membership/
1. AFA games will be 1:20 no new inning on Saturday (can end in a tie); 1:30 no new inning Sunday (must have a winner)
2. Team listed first on the pool play schedule will be in the first base dugout
(unless game before already has next opponent in dugout-please take the open dugout)
3. Coin flip for home/away on Saturday
4. Sunday the higher seed will automatically be the home team and take the 3B dugout
5. Lineup cards must be turned in at the plate meeting
6. POOL PLAY: you may bat your entire line up
7. BRACKET PLAY: You may bat 11, and play 12 (extra players will be listed on lineup card as “EP” and you may use DP/FLEX
8. Courtesy runner for pitcher/catcher must be the last batted out (okay for Saturday & Sunday)
9. Coaches are allowed one mound visit per inning
10. High School pitching rules will be in effect
11. Rule rules will be as follows:
12 runs after 3 innings ; 10 runs after 4 innings ; 8 runs after 5 innings
12. In the case of a tie breaker during bracket play, LAST OUT is placed at 2B with no outs (International TB)
13. Illegal bat: Easton Ghost-Gold
-If your player steps onto the field with the 2018 Gold Ghost bat, both head coach and player ejection for one full game. Must exit the complex completely until the next game
-If this happens a second time, player and coach are both ejected for the ENTIRE TOURNAMENT
14. Head coaches-it is up to you to make sure that your spectators, fans, assistant coaches, and players are being good sports at all times. Any unruly behavior will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal. Umpires reserve the right to eject head coaches for player/fan behavior if not corrected.
15. A team may start a contest with 8 players, however, the empty spot on the lineup card will take an out each time they come up to the plate for the entire contest until they arrive
16. If there are no substitutes, and a player gets injured during game play and must be removed, they will take an out each time they come up to the plate for the rest of the contest
17. Please be ready to start up to 15 minutes early. We will get games started if blues are ready and fields are prepped and ready to go (be ready to start up to 15 minutes early if blues/fields are ready)
18. To keep the games moving along and maximizing game times, please no huddles on the field and please do not throw the ball around
19. Protests for AFA:
Head coach must bring $60.00 cash to home plate with both umpires where the game clock will be stopped, and umpires and director of the site will meet to discuss the protest. Money will be handed to the director of the site.
Umpires, UIC, and director will make the call on the protest. If the protesting coach is correct, the money goes back to the coach and the umpire will carry out the call. If the protesting coach is incorrect, the director keeps the money and the game will resume
20. Before first game, all teams must turn in their roster/liability waiver and show proof of up-to-date team insurance with their team’s name listed as insured. Please carry copies of birth certificates with you at all times as well. Please make sure that all possible players are listed on the lineup that is turned in on Saturday (even if they are only able to attend on Sunday).
***No players are allowed to hop from one team to another within the same event regardless of what age division they are playing in
*Concessions will be available both days
*Clean restrooms will be available on site
*Tournament t-shirts will be available in adult sizes for $25.00 per shirt. Payments will be accepted in the form of cash, Venmo, Zelle.
*Used tournament balls will be available for purchase for $35.00 per dozen-if enough inventory.
See main table to put your name on the list. First come, first serve.
*Homerun balls will be available for purchase at the table for $5.00 each.
Thank you in advance for participating in our event!
Best of luck to you and your girls!
Stacey Stepek
AFA State Director (AZ)
630-335-6830
Good Morning Coach-
AFA SUMMER BASH June 10th & 11th will be another sold out event at Cactus Yards in Gilbert, Arizona.
***Please note that we will not be running a 10u division for this event***
To secure your spot, you will need to send your payment in full to Stacey Stepek in the amount of $725.00 to Venmo @Stacey-Stepek or Zelle 630-335-6830 (please include your team name, age, and event in the subject line).
You will also need to make sure that your team is sanctioned for the 2022-2023 softball season. That means paying the $45.00 annual registration fee online using this link: https://fastpitch.afasoftball.com/get-involved/team-membership/
Once this process is completed, you will be emailed a receipt with an "order number" which is 4-6 digits that will be your team membership/sanction number
AFA season runs September 1st 2022-August 31st 2023.
Attached is our printable roster/waiver form. Please have a hard copy of this with you at check in along with proof of insurance. (Birth certificates on hand in case of protest)
Please let us know if you no longer plan on attending this event so that we can update our Who's Coming list. Once we have 44 teams paid and locked in, we will close our online registration and send out schedules.
Thank you in advance for supporting AFA softball and growing our events at the beautiful Cactus Yards in Gilbert, AZ!
Stacey Stepek
AFA State Director of Fastpitch
630-335-6830
AFA Fastpitch of Arizona would like to thank you for registering for our AFA SUMMER BASH at CACTUS YARDS on June 10th & 11th!!!
$725.00 per team (all ages)
Payments are now due!!!
Venmo @Stacey-Stepek or Zelle 630-335-6830
10u-currently we do not have enough teams to run the 10u division
12u:
1. Heatwave
2. Lady Reapers Fastpitch
3. Team Hustle-Chacon
4. Tucson Fury
5. Vendetta White
6. Akadema Aces
7. x
8. x
14u:
1. Rascals-Eliceche
2. Rogue East Valley
3. AZ Bombers-Watson
4. Team Hustle-Garcia/Rogers
5. Arizona Meerkats
6. AZ Storm-Schoeneweis
7. x
8. x
16u:
1. AZ Force-Martinez
2. Heatwave
3. Pono Athletics 16u
4. TC Angels
5. USA Prime-Zappa
6. Vendetta-Brimhall
7. Lady Cubs-Black
8. Akadema Aces
9. AZ Force-Felix
10. OC Batbusters-Jacobs
11. AZ Choppers-Chambers/Stevens
12. x
18u:
1. AZ Cats-Luna
2. AZ Choppers-Hughes/Chambers
3. Heatwave
4. Vendetta-Brimhall
5. Sandlot Softball
6. x
7. x
8. x
Other Upcoming AFA Events:
June 14-18th : 2023 Nationals (St George, Utah)
July 1-2nd: AFA Freedom Rings (Cactus Yards-Gilbert, AZ)
July 8-9th: AFA Heatin' Up (Prescott, AZ)
July 22-23rd: AFA Summer Slugfest (Cactus Yards-Gilbert, AZ)
July 29-30th: AFA Triple Play (Prescott, AZ)
August 14th-September 18th: AFA Summer Cactus League (Cactus Yards)
August 19-20th: AFA Monsoon Madness (Cactus Yards-Gilbert, AZ)
September 2-4th: AFA Labor Day Classic Qualifier (Cactus Yards-Gilbert, AZ)
www.azafasoftball.com
Thank you all for supporting AFA softball! We are truly enjoying our weekends at Cactus Yards and looking forward to filling out events up north in Prescott at Pioneer Park, Heritage Park, and Yavapai College (10 total fields).
Please let us know if you no longer plan on attending next weekend's event so that we can remove you from our Who's Coming list. Please submit payments ASAP to lock in. Thanks, all!
Stacey Stepek
AFA State Director of Arizona
630-335-6830
The following venues are being used for this event.
Cactus Yards
All event related questions should be directed to Stacey Stepek at sstepek.azafa@gmail.com or call (630) 335-6830.