Fastpitch End of Season Tournament Overview
Suburban Qualifier Tournament: Minnetonka fastpitch teams are part of the Suburban League. As part of our league registration fee, our teams are automatically included in the Suburban Qualifier tournament. Gate fees (typically $100 per team) are paid by MGSA.
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For 10U/12U this tournament is typically the weekend prior to July 4.
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For 14U, this tournament is typically the weekend following July 4.
Suburban League determines seeding for this tournament via email with all league coaches in mid June. The results of this tournament are used for seeding for the MMFL State Tournament. Participation in the Qualifier Tournament is expected as part of participation in a travel fastpitch team.
MMFL StateTournament: The Suburban League is part of the Minnesota Metro Fastpitch League (MMFL).
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MMFL holds the MMFL State Tournaments the weekends following the respective age-group Qualifier Tournaments.
Registration fees for this tournament is also included in our Suburban League fee, as are Gate Fees. Playing in the MMFL State Tournament IS NOT GUARANTEED, but recent experience is that 95% or so of Suburban League teams DO make it. This tournament includes teams from Suburban League, the Tri-County League (eastern metro) and even outstate Minnesota. Participation in the State Tournament is expected as part of participation in a travel fastpitch team.
NAFA National Tournament: The North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) holds a national tournament in the metro area the last weekend of July. This tournament is typically Thursday through Sunday. Teams earn berths for this tournament by high finishes at in-season tournaments. These are NOT PAID berths, they are just an invitation to play.
Neither the registration fee (approx $400 to $500 per team), nor Gate Fee (typically $100 per team) for this tournament are included in the 2010 Minnetonka Fastpitch Registration Fee. Therefore they are paid for by player families. There are also gift exchange and pin-trading costs.
Participation in a National Tournament is completely optional and voluntary.
Other National Tournaments: There are other national tournaments in Minnesota and out of state hosted by ASA, USSSA and NAFA.
Nationals Team Formation within Minnetonka Fastpitch and MGSA
The Minnetonka Fastpitch Committee, as delegated by MGSA, is responsible for all decision-making regarding all Nationals berths earned and teams formed as a result of play in MGSA. These decisions include number of berths to be used, number of teams to be formed, which tournaments to attend, coaches of those teams, and team formation, among others. These decisions are made in concert with coaches and obviously will include input from parents to some degree. But, all decisions will be made by the Fastpitch Committee.
Minnetonka Fastpitch generally does NOT seek to build all-star Nationals teams with an intention of selecting the best of the best players to strive to win the tournament outright.
Minnetonka Fastpitch generally does NOT seek to provide Nationals tournament opportunities for each and every player. Berths in Nationals tournaments are earned through high finishes in competitive tournaments.
A single team is not able to earn more than one berth for a specific National tournament. In other words, there are not berths that can be transferred to other teams. A team COULD earn a berth to more than one National tournament though. For example: NAFA and USSSA.
That said, there are general guidelines that the Fastpitch Committee will use in 2010 for this process:
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A 2010 spring/summer team earning a Nationals berth in 2010 that wishes to play as an intact team at Nationals will be accommodated.
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Coaches of Nationals teams are able to augment their Nationals team with players not otherwise on a Nationals team. Generally, we would look internally within Fastpitch or MGSA for additional players. Occasionally, players from outside MGSA will be added, usually players with specific skills, such as pitching or catching.
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ALL team augmentation will be approved by the Fastpitch Committee. Any offers extended by coaches shall be communicated as "tentative" and "subject to approval by the Fastpitch Committee".
Nationals Expectations
Families should prepare to pay their share of a $400/$450 registration fee, plus $100 team gate fee, plus gift bags plus pins for pin trading. Players/families will need to commit to the team practices during the two week period leading up to the tournament and the tournament itself. If tournament is out of town, travel expenses will also be incurred. Playing time in these tournaments is typically not even, especially in bracket play, where winning is the objective in order to continue playing.
MGSA contribution to Nationals Registration Fees (2010)
A portion of profits generated at the 2010 Minnetonka Legacy Classic Fastpitch Tournament will be used to subsidize 2010 National tournament registration fees up to a maximum of $1500 total, with a maximum of $300 per team. This may or may not be continued in the future.
Links
Suburban League: http://www.suburbanleaguemn.com
Minnesota Metro Fastpitch League: http://www.mmfl.net/
NAFA Region 3: http://nafa.mmfl.net/
ASA: http://www.asasoftball.com/
USSSA: http://www.usssa.com
(approved by Fastpitch Committee June 2010)
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