What if I’ve never played fastpitch before?
Slowpitch softball is not a high school sanctioned sport, which is why our program focuses on Fastpitch.
We have teams for all skill levels! Starting with indoor Friday night clinics from January until the start of the season are a great time to learn fundamentals, work on skills, and get to know coaches and other players in a small group format. Summer and Fall teams are formed by age group and skill level, creating a fun and competitive playing environment for all experience levels. Players learn Fastpitch because this is what is played at the high school level.
What age group is my player eligible for? Please refer to the current season's tab. Players may play "up" based on skill level and with board approval and may be determined by their assessment. Players may not play "down".
What equipment does my player need? Players need to provide their own glove, batting helmet with faceguard, cleats, and fielding facemask. FACEMASKS are highly recommended for any infielder and any other player who chooses to wear one at any position. Mandatory use is at the discretion of the coach. Faceguards and chin straps on batting helmets are required for 10U and up.
Although it seems like a lot of equipment, batting helmets, gloves and facemasks are typically used for several years before needing a different size.
Bats must be labeled USSSA with BPF of 1.20 or lower
For resources on where to find equipment, please contact us! We are happy to help and may have resources for gently used equipment!
Where do we play and how often?
AR Fastpitch works closely with AR Baseball and the cities of Anoka and Ramsey to provide fields within our communities to keep practices and home games close to home or school.
All our teams are considered “Travelling”, meaning they may play against other AR teams in the same age group, but also against teams in surrounding communities. Travel for away games is generally within 20 miles of the Anoka Ramsey area. 10U and up play under the Big West League. Info can be found here: http://www.minnesotasoftball.com/bigwest
8U Players play in the Soderville/Blaine League and generally have games in Ham Lake at Lion’s Park.
Tournaments may require additional travel as far as Mankato, Farmington, Eden Prairie or St. Cloud. Optional tournaments are at the discretion of the coaches and teams.
We offer FREE clinics Friday nights beginning January 5th and going until March/April. Some teams begin indoor practices in April and we start outdoor practices as soon as the Cities of Ramsey and Anoka ok the fields for use. Games start in May and go into July. Teams who win berths to Nationals may play into late July/early August.
Fall Ball begins in August and goes through end of September.
What is DIBS? And what are the Volunteer Requirements?
Dibs is the online system used throughout ARAA for tracking volunteer hours. It allows parents to log in and register for volunteer opportunities based on their schedule.
A fully refundable Volunteer Deposit of $250 per player is collected at the beginning of the season and returned at the end of the season once volunteer requirements are met.
AR Fastpitch hosts one tournament annually and it is our biggest fundraiser of the season. It requires many hands to make it run smoothly and to make our visiting guests feel welcomed and excited to play. Most volunteer opportunities are during the Dirt Devil Tournament and range from raking fields to working concessions. Coaches, team managers, board and committee members satisfy their players’ volunteer requirements. Other volunteer opportunities pop up during the season, but are taken quickly, so we encourage parents to check Dibs regularly and watch for emails for volunteering options.
Fundraising
Fundraising is a necessary factor of all youth sports to help cover field improvements, dug outs, and replacement of old and worn out equipment. Each year, a different fundraiser is offered with differing minimum requirements.
Costs
Each year we are faced with increased league fees, tourney fees, ump fees and the costs of maintaining fields and replacing equipment. We try to offset these costs through generous donations from business sponsors and splitting the costs across all players. We understand that circumstances may make paying difficult. ARAA has a Grant-In-Aid scholarship program to help families in need. There are also organizations throughout the Twin Cities who can help. www.achievingdreamsmn.org is one. Despite scholarship status, families are still expected to fulfill fundraising and volunteer requirements for the association.