MGSA Frequently Asked Questions

When does the season start and end? How many games and practices take place.

The answer depends on the league. Our in-house slowpitch leagues (T-Ball through 14U) usually begin practice in late April. The first games take place on the first weekend in May and run though the end of June. The teams in these leagues play twice a week and usually practice once (with the exception of T-Ball, which does not hold practices).

Our High School slowpitch in-house league begins its games the last week of April and finishes in early July. Some teams will also play in the state Rec tournament in mid-July. The weekly schedule for these teams involves one night with a double-header and another night during the week with a single game. These teams generally practice once a week.

Our slowpitch travel teams play games against southwest metro opponents beginning in June once a week. They also play in several weekend tournaments as well as in the state ASA tournament in mid-July. The teams usually practice once a week.

Our fastpitch program usually begins practices a little earlier in April. Regular season games against opponents from other communities commence at the beginning of May and run through mid-June. State tournament qualifiers take place in late June and state tournaments are held in early July. The fastpitch teams play several weekend tournaments during the course of the season. The weekly schedule for fastpitch teams is less regular than it is for the slowpitch teams, as is described in the answer below.

What is the difference between the fastpitch and slowpitch programs?

You can find more detail on our softball programs by clicking on Programs in the navigation bar on the left side of the MGSA website homepage. In brief, however, the biggest difference between the two leagues is time commitment. With the exception of our travel slowpitch teams, our slowpitch program is an in-house league, meaning MGSA teams play against one another during the season on a regular schedule. All games take place at Bennett Park and Freeman Park (and Guilliam Park for High School Slowpitch). The teams do not play in any off-site tournaments.

MGSA fastpitch teams, on the other hand, play against teams from surrounding west metro communities, once or twice a week (and with the exception of the 10U league, those nights may vary during the week). In addition, the teams will enter two to three tournaments during the season that typically are held in the metro area. Finally, the teams will participate in a state qualifier and frequently a state tournament and even possibly a national tournament.

Fastpitch teams generally practice twice a week in addition to the games, while slowpitch teams typically practice once a week.

Are there any space limitations in the program?

MGSA tries hard to provide playing opportunities for all girls in the school district. However, teams must be of a certain size to function - that is, they cannot have too many players or too few. In the past in our in-house leagues, we have had rare situations where late-registering players have been put on a wait list and notified if openings become available. Preference in the in-house leagues is given on a first come, first served basis at registration.

In our travel fastpitch leagues, there are also space constraints. At the 10U level, a maximum of 60 players (the equivalent of five teams) will be accepted. Preference will be given to 10-year old players and 9-year old players who played fall ball the previous year. We encourage younger players to play in our in-house leagues and then participate in fall ball to obtain a better feel for the pace of the fastpitch game before joining the summer league. At the 12U level and above, if space availability on teams becomes an issue, team rosters will be formed based on a pre-season skills evaluation.

How are teams formed?

For our in-house teams, from T-ball through 14U Slowpitch, players are assigned to teams primarily based on school. Players are allowed to request to be on teams with certain friends and MGSA will try hard to accomodate those requests (although it is not always possible to satisfy all requests). In our in-house High School Slowpitch league, teams are formed based on a draft system. The coaches meet prior to the start of the season and select their teams from the girls who have signed up for the league. Ninth-graders are allowed to select one "buddy" who will be drafted with them by the same team. The purpose of the draft is to ensure a more balanced league, so that one team does not dominate all the others.

For our travel fastpitch league, at the 10U level, teams are formed primarily based on where the girls live and go to school, although MGSA will at times mix players from various schools in order to provide each team with competitive pitching. At the 12U level and above, players are assigned to teams following a skills assessment. The MGSA Fastpitch Committee determines the makeup of the teams in a way that it considers to be the best for the entire program, not just individual players. 

What are the youngest and oldest ages for participation in MGSA?

For our in-house teams, we speak of eligibility for our leagues in terms of the grade that a player is currently attending. At the youngest end, we offer T-Ball to girls currently in pre-school, one year before they enter Kindergarten. At the other end of the age spectrum, we offer High School Slowpitch to girls who are currently freshmen in college.

In fastpitch, eligibility for our leagues is purely age determined. A player’s age as of January 1 of the current season defines what league she can play in. That is, a player who is 10 years old on January 1 is eligible for the 10U Fastpitch league. A player who turned 11 on December 31 must play in the 12U league. We generally do not encourage players who are currently in second grade or below from signing up for 10U fastpitch, regardless of their ages. We would prefer that those players participate in our in-house Coach Pitch program.

Why do I have to register my daughter in person? Why not online registration?

MGSA requires registration in person for several reasons. Most importantly, our three in-person registration sessions provide an open-house atmosphere for kicking off the upcoming season. Parents, daughters, coaches, and board members all come together in one location during our registration period (often with their sons who are signing up for baseball at the same time). This community environment allows us to distribute information, answer questions, and get feedback face-to-face. Further, MGSA offers several programs to Minnetonka girls. While many veteran MGSA parents know where their daughters will be playing, a large segment of our constituency does not and need some help during the registration process. It’s much easier to deal with those issues right on the spot. It also allows us to better understand what our registration numbers will be quickly, so that we can begin the process of forming teams, ordering uniforms, and so on.

What type of equipment do I need?

MGSA supplies uniforms, bats, balls, and helmets. Players should purchase a glove and appropriate athletic shoes. If a player buys cleated shoes, the cleats should be made of a hard rubber material similar to soccer shoes. Fastpitch players will also need to purchase sliding pads and sliding shorts. Some players prefer to purchase their own helmets and, particularly at the older levels, some players will bring their own bats.

Can I volunteer as a coach? What is expected of a coach?

All MGSA coaches are volunteers, with the vast majority being parents of daughters on their respective teams. MGSA is actively seeking parents to volunteer for the upcoming season as coaches or assistant coaches. You can volunteer as a coach at the MGSA registration sessions in late January. We encourage all interested MGSA parents, both mothers and fathers, to volunteer as coaches.

Coaching responsibilities vary according to player age level. At the youngest player ages, coaches are expected to conduct practices, teach basic softball skills, and ensure that all girls participate equally in games in a fun, learning environment. As the players become older, the need to teach more subtle skills and strategies increases and thus softball knowledge and organizational skills become more important to successful coaching.  MGSA assists its coaches by offering coaching clinics in the Tonka Dome in mid-February and early April.  These clinics focus on how to teach fundamental softball skills and how to conduct practices and games. All coaches are expected to participate in the clinics to the fullest extent possible.

What are registration fees used for?

The fees paid at registration are used for a variety of purposes: purchase uniforms for the players, pay for equipment such as bats and balls, attain access to field time from the City of Shorewood and Bennett Family Park, pay for umpires, and support the Tonka Dome clinic program. MGSA sets its fees based on these factors. Thus the T-Ball and Coach Pitch programs, for example, have lower fees than the other leagues in part because they do not use umpires.

What is the relationship between MGSA and Bennett Family Park?

Like the other diamond sports programs in the school district (for example, East Tonka Little League, South Tonka Little League, and Tonka Babe Ruth), MGSA is an independent organization separate from Bennett Park. MGSA, when it was originally formed as the East Tonka Girls Softball Association, initially played all of its games at Bennett. As our organization has grown to represent girls softball across the Minnetonka School District, we have broadened our field use to include Freeman Park (on the west side of Shorewood) and Guilliam Field (on the east side of Minnetonka). While we remain strong supporters of the Bennett Park, we now play only about half of our games there.