FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated 07/30/24

 



 

 


Q: How much is registration for the Spring & Fall 2024 seasons?

A: Registration Prices:

Spring Season (2024)

    • 6U - $90 -- (jersey, & visor included)
    • 8U - $110 -- (jersey, pants & socks included)
    • 10U - 19U - $130 -- (jersey, pants & socks included)
    • To help cover the cost to place late uniform orders, a $25 late charge will be issued for all sign-ups after March 1st, 2024

Fall Season (2024)

    • 6U & 8U - $60
    • 10U, 12U, 14U & 19U - $70
    • To help cover the cost to place late uniform orders, a $25 late charge will be issued for all sign-ups after August 2nd, 2024



Q: Is there a discount if I sign up more than one player?

A: We have created multi-sister discounts for the spring season only. Sisters are the only relatives eligible for this discount. Families registering more than one sister receive a 10% discount on their total registration. Multi-sister/daughter discounts can be completed online by selecting the discounted price in our online registration system. Families with more than (1) daughter signing up, can also sign up in person or mail their payment to receive this discount. There are no multi-player discounts in the Fall Instructional Season.



Q: How can I pay for registration?

A: We accept registrations several ways:

  • In Person Registration - Dates will be announced on the Havenwood Home Page (cash & checks only)
  • Register Online at www.HavenwoodGirlsSoftball.org/register (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex or PayPal)
  • Register by Mail - complete printable registration form and include with payment to:

    Havenwood Girls Softball
    P.O. Box 387
    Pasadena, MD 21123

    Checks Payable to: Havenwood Girls Softball

    There is a $15 service charge for checks returned from the bank unpaid



Q: Do I need a birth certificate?

A: New players to Havenwood are required to provide a copy of their birth certificate before they can play games in the league. Players that have played for Havenwood in the past, do not need to provide another copy. Birth Certificate copies should be brought to registrations or during the first practice (if signing up online).



Q: I just registered, when will someone contact me?

A: Depends on which season you registered:

  • Spring Season - Your manager will contact the team in mid March to schedule your first outdoor team practice. Most teams start practicing the third week in March. The younger teams may start a little later, depending on the weather.

  • Fall Season - Your manager will contact the team in mid August to schedule your first team practice.



Q: Why should I sign up early?

A: It benefits the organization and girls to sign up as soon as possible. Some of the reasons to sign up early:

  • Avoid Late Charges - Girls signing up late will be charged an additional fee to help offset the increased price charged to obtain their uniform, outside of the main bulk order.
  • Guarantee a spot on a team - Our team numbers need to be turned into the league weeks before the season begins. If we don't have enough girls to form a 2nd, 3rd or 4th team, we will finish filling the first team and stop registering for that age group. The league caps the number of players per team.
  • Make sure you have a Uniform on Opening Day - It costs the organization setup fees to purchase uniforms. With that in mind, we try to submit uniform orders in bulk quantities as early as possible. It costs the organization extra to order uniforms in small numbers. It also takes several weeks to get a uniform order processed.
  • Help Keep Costs Down - Late registrations cost the organization increased uniform prices, additional advertising expenses, and precious time from coaches and volunteers to sit at additional registrations, trying to fill teams.
  • Increase Chances for Special Requests - Because of the many rules concerning team placement, we can not honor many special requests. However, special requests for late registrants have little chance. Most late registrations are put on teams that need the most players.



Q: What are some restrictions that impact special requests?

A: ALTHOUGH WE MAKE A REASONABLE EFFORT, WE CANNOT ACCOMMODATE ALL SPECIAL REQUESTS

 

League Rules that Limit Special Requests

  • League Rule #1 Age Parity - All teams from an age group are built using age parity.  This simply means each team in an age group is built with the same number of players from the same birth year. (exp. If Team A has (4) girls born in 2002, Team B & Team C must have the same). Most age groups consist of girls from 2-3 birth years. The league makes no exceptions for this rule.
  • League Rule #2 Talent Parity – After age parity, all teams are built based on talent parity. At 6U & 8U we make a best effort and have more flexibility, since most players are new and these are instructional age groups (no standings or score reporting). Teams 10U & older are built through evaluations or by a player agent.
  • League Rule #3 Team Size – The league establishes minimum and maximum team sizes. These sizes impact Rules #1 & #2 and the number of teams participating and when we cut off sign-ups for an age group. Special requests for late sign-ups are extremely difficult to accommodate. 

These league rules limit the number of special requests that can be completed, however, insure all players participating have an equal chance of enjoying their experience.

 

 

Other Special Request Rules & Considerations

  • Sisters Playing in the Same Age Group – Sisters from the same age group, playing on the same team are ALWAYS a number #1 priority. Indicate that the girls are sisters on both/(all) sign-up forms, under Special Requests (don’t assume we will know). We will make sure sisters from the same age group are placed on the same team.
  • Team Manager Daughter(s) – The daughter of the team manager is ALWAYS placed on the team manager’s team.

  • Players Wanting to Play Down to a Lower Age Group – Players can NOT play down to a lower age group. There are no exceptions to this rule. Age groups are defined by birth year. League age for spring players is defined as the age of the player on 12/31 of the prior year. Current age charts can be found in the Handout section of our website.

  • Players Requesting to Play or Practice on Specific Days – Havenwood normally has several teams in each age group, especially 6U - 12U. This allows us to assign different practice days to each team from an age group. Because of this, we usually have some flexibility to help with reasonable practice day needs. The time to request this is at sign-up, not after teams are set and uniforms are ordered in your team color and your daughter’s size.  We cannot always guarantee that we can accommodate practice day requests, however, we make reasonable effort to make this work.  

    As far as game days, the league sets game days. Other than 8U, all game days are set and can be viewed under the FAQ section, regarding typical season format.  We have no control over game days. Softball is a team sport and missing practices and games, impacts other players on the team. Please consider this when making the decision to sign up.  

  • Two Friends Requesting to Play on the Same Team Together - If both girls are in the same age group, we will make every effort to accommodate this single request, under the following conditions:
    • both girls must be in the same age group
    • the requests by each girl must be made, prior to teams getting formed
    • the request to play on a team together must be their only request.
    • each girl must request to play on the team with the other on each of their forms. We can not chain requests (Exp. Mary requests Kelly, Kelly requests, Jill, Jill requests Sarah, Sarah requests Michelle,Michelle requests to play on a coach's team, One of the girls in the chain can practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, another girl can can not practice on Tuesdays & Thursdays, someone else asks to play on a team with a girl in this chain along with two other girls not in this chain, ect.) or (have requests where a player wants to play on a team with 3 friends, meanwhile those girls are tied into other requests they or other players generated to play on a team with them). This quickly gets out of hand and leaves it to us to make the decisions, However, a single request made by two friends looking to play together, helps parents with car pooling, makes the experience better for the girls and is easy for us to accommodate. 

 

   

Havenwood takes extra effort to accommodate special requests within the rules of the league. We probably make more effort and spend more time than most youth sports organizations.  However, we cannot guarantee these requests. Members need to have this expectation when signing their child up to participate. Keep in mind that participating with new coaches and teammates can be a positive experience for your child. It could also open opportunities for a player to excel on a team. Havenwood does not offer refunds based on special requests. Requests to change teams or add requests, after teams are built, will not be accepted.



Q: What does the registration fee pay for?

A: In the Spring, the registration fee pays for your child's uniform, a trophy at the end of the year, insurance, league sign-up fees, umpire fees, end of year tournament fees, field maintenance, equipment, advertising and other resources that benefit the players .

In the Fall Instructional Season, the registration fee pays for your child's t-shirt, insurance, umpire fees, league sign-up fees, field maintenance, equipment, advertising and other resources that benefit the players.



Q: Does Havenwood hold fundraisers?

A: We do everything we can to keep registrations as low as possible and still maintain a healthy organization. To that end, we hold at least one major fund raiser, per season. Two of our biggest fundraisers are our Spring Season Hit-A-Thon and our Fall Season Raffle. Havenwood also has many smaller fundraising activities, like our Glory Days fundraiser where you simply turn in receipts when you dine-in or carry-out. More details about our fundraisers can be found at www.HavenwoodGirlsSoftball.org/fundraisers.



Q: What do I need for my child to play?

A: A glove and tennis shoes or spikes are all you should need. We encourage all players to purchase their own helmet. We have helmets, bats, catchers gear, practice and game balls and misc other equipment available. Everyone is welcome to purchase their own gear. If you decide to purchase your own gear, review the notes below:

  • Bats must be designed for Fast Pitch softball. No baseball bats or slow pitch bats allowed. It should say Fastpitch, "FP" or ASA Certified somewhere on the bat.
  • No metal spikes
  • Helmets must have a full face shield. A chin strap is recommended
  • If in doubt, ask your coach



Q: What type of ball do the girls use?

A: Types of Softballs:

  • The 6U use yellow 10” Easton SoftTouch Incrediballs
  • The 8U use yellow 11” Easton SoftTouch Incrediballs
  • The 10U use yellow 11” Softballs – Game balls are leather covered softballs and are stamped .47/375
  • All other age groups use yellow 12” Softballs – Game balls are leather covered softballs and are stamped .47/375



Q: How are age groups defined?

A: Click here to see the age group chart, located in our Handouts Section.



Q: What is a typical season like?

A: We have two separate seasons at Havenwood, a spring competition league and a fall instructional league. Girls signed up for either season are eligible to participate in indoor winter warm-ups.



Q: What do the coaches and board members get paid?

A: Our salary is huge; it is a big 'ol ZERO. We are all volunteers. These volunteers rush home from work, wake up early to drag and line the fields, clean the bathrooms, empty trash cans around the parks, organize the fundraisers, answer player and parent questions/emails, organize the practices and games prior to game time and spend just a boat load of time trying to maximize our resources and make the experience the best that it can be for the girls. We all do it for the love of the kids and the love of the game.



Q: Do the umpires get paid and how can I become an umpire?

A: Umpires are paid officials of the league. Most organizations have their own umpire standards, however, most umpires in our league are certified and work hard to officiate the best game possible for the girls. If you are interested in becoming an umpire, please fill out this quick form: Interested in Umpiring Form



Q: What does PONY mean and are we a PONY organization?

A: PONY stands for Protect our Nations Youth, and is one of the most established youth baseball and softball organizations in the United States. All members of the NCCGSL are PONY organizations. More info can be found at www.pony.org.



Q: What is the NCCGSL?

A: NCCGSL stands for North County Community Girls Softball League and Havenwood Girls Softball is a long standing member of this league. The NCCGSL is made up primarily from organizations in northern Anne Arundel County and is the largest girls' softball league in Maryland. More info can be found at www.nccgsl.org.



Q: Can I get a refund if my player doesn't play?

A: All refund requests must be made in writing and will be considered by the Havenwood Board. Include parent's name, address and child's name and the reason for the refund request. During the spring season, all refunds issued after March 1st will be charged a 25% fee. No refunds will be issued after March 10th. No refund shall be issued for the spring season for players participating in free Indoor Winter Warm-ups, with the exception of 6U - 8U players. During the fall season, all refunds issued after August 1st will be charged a 25% fee. No refunds will be issued after August 15th. Any exceptions for unusual circumstances will be considered by the Havenwood Board of Directors.



Q: I would like to sponsor one of the teams, how much is it to sponsor and how do I go about setting up sponsorship?

A: Sponsorships range anywhere from $100 - $500. Click here to read our sponsorship letter and application to get more info.



Q: How does sponsoring a team benefit the organization?

A: Sponsors help pay for field maintenance, new equipment, player scholarships and various other organization needs. Sponsoring also helps keep the registration costs down to make softball affordable for any child that wants to participate.




Q: What is the benefit of sponsoring?

A: We are a 501c3 registered non-profit organization and your donation should be tax-deductible. We also will add you or your company to our web site as a sponsor. Our site is viewed by numerous local parents and players, ready to support our local businesses. We also provide an engraved plaque with your team's picture to hang proudly in your business. If asked, we will also distribute promo items and coupons to our membership. Click here to read our sponsorship letter and application to get more info.



Q: Does Havenwood accept donations?

A: Havenwood Girls Softball is a non profit organization that benefits the children in our community. Donations are always needed to help our organization stay healthy and grow. We accept donations of the following types:

  • Monetary Donations
  • Equipment Donations (gently used bats, gloves, helmets,...)
  • Resources (like the use of heavy equipment to help prepare our fields)
  • Professional Services
  • New Items (Anything that can be used for raffle prizes, auctioned off or benefit the girls. (They do not have to be softball related.))



We are currently working to set up an online donation system, however, in the mean time you can contact David at David@HavenwoodGirlsSoftball.org



Q: What does Havenwood use funds for?

A: In general, Havenwood uses funds for two things, resources that benefit the girls or resources that raise money for the girls.



Q: How do I become a Board Member?

A: Board members are usually nominated during an open Board meeting at the end of every year. However, a request for board membership can be made at anytime. We are always looking for additional volunteers to help out. If you are interested or would like additional information click here.

More Frequently Asked Questions will be added as they are asked

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