St Clair Macomb Amateur Fastpitch Federation: Welcome

ST. CLAIR ~ MACOMB AMATEUR FASTPITCH FEDERATION is a softball travel team league for the St. Clair and Macomb county Michigan area. Travel teams play a 18 to 20 game schedule with a two game elimination tournament at the season end. Travel teams are for 10 & under 12 & under, 14 & under, 16 & under and 18 & under.

Our purpose for this league is to provide good competition and for the improvement of your local High School teams.

Please take a moment and sign our guest book.   

I have just receive the cost break down for team insurance 2012 season. Teams who need to purchase insurance now can do so prior to SMAFF league sign up's.

Cost breakdown.

8 U, 10 U & 12U Team Cost $62.00

13U, 14U, 15U & 16 U Teams. $81.00

17 U to 21 U Teams. $95.00

23 U Teams $140.00 (NEW)

Pony registration fee is $25.00 for league teams.

For teams that plan to play in Pony National Qualifiers and want to go to the Pony National Tournament in Cary North Carolina the registration fee is $30.00. Per team (New lower price)

For all inquiries please e mail Bill Worthen at  b.worthen4@gmail.com

Saturday May 5th Pollard Park Chesterfield Mi 3 Game round robin. 

Concessions available, Clean Restrooms.

Anchor Bay Hgh School will be hosting a Pony National qualifier July 6, 7 & 8th.

This is a four game guarantee (weather permiting) three game pool play with a single elimination bracket play.

The 10 U nationals will be held at  Wilmington, Delaware. Tournament dates July 11 to July 15th.

The 12 U, 14U, 16U & 18 U will be held at  Cary, North Carolina.

Tournament dates July 27 to August 1st 

SMAFF general meeting February 20th 7:00 PM.

Location;  St. Margaret of Scotland, 21201 Thirteen Mile Road - St. Clair Shores, MI 48082.

The meeting room is in TOCO hall. (in back)

SCS Sharks - (April 21st - 22nd, 2012) – Early  Spring tournament at Kyte Monroe (SCS, MI.)

Cost: $275.00 / 5 - games / Everyone plays each team once / No Trophies 12u: 4-6 teams 14u: 6 teams 

Tentative start time daily: 9:00 a.m. - Saturday / Sunday...Rules: SMAFF rules / Everyone bats / Time limit no inning starts after 1 hour 20 minutes

Goal: Get the girls outside on the field and away from the winter training indoors!

Tentative scheduling plan: (I have 5 diamonds reserved for the weekend)

Saturday - 3 games per team Sunday - 2 games per team

Any questions please let me know and if interested in playing selected by order who commits first. Money is due by 2-29-2012.

The 2012 SMAFF forms are availale to download .

2012 SMAFF waver.

2012 SMAFF team application.

2012 proposed play dates.

SMAFF softball purchase.

For teams wishing to go the the Pony Nationals for the 2012 season the Dates and location is set. 

More information will be availble in the next few weeks.

PONY Baseball and Softball announces a partnership with Entertainment Fundraising to offer teams and leagues the Official PONY Baseball and Softball Coupon Book fundraiser. 'Everyone know the Entertainment Book, so we are very excited to partner with the industry leader to offer our teams and leagues a coupon book fundraiser that's designed just for us,' stated PONY Baseball and Softball President and CEO, Abraham Key.

Entertainment will personalize each Official PONY Baseball and Softball Coupon Book with the team's photo, name and team or league logo. Each book includes 40 coupons selected from each team or league's hometown area from the famous Entertainment book database of national and local offers. It also includes online access to hundreds of printable coupons. The coupon books sell for $20 and teams make up to $10 profit for each book sold.

'Our sports teams are having tremendous success with this fundraiser-kids have a sense of pride because their team photo, name and team or league logo are on the cover and it's easier to sell', commented Rich Shipley, Director of Entertainment Fundraising. 'Many of our teams report sales of 5 to 10 books per player, and at $10 profit for each book sold they are quickly raising the money they need!'

To get more information about The Official PONY Baseball and Softball Coupon Fundraiser call toll free 855-517-4572 or request information at www.entertainment.com/PONY

To follow us on Twitter just cpoy this link for the latest information. 

 http://twitter.com/SMAFFSoftball

A coach isn’t just someone who teaches a player how to win. Being a coach is being a teacher, a role model, and a personal pep squad. A coach has many facets.

The concept of softball is simple: The team with the most runs wins. But, there is more to coaching than winning games.

A coach’s responsibilities include providing a safe environment for all players, teaching sportsmanship, developing character, and teaching the fundamental skills of softball

 Remember why your players are on the field — they love the sport. Do not let your inability to control negative emotions take that away from them. A coach can turn everything into something positive: An error is a lesson learned.

Perhaps the clearest role a coach holds is to improve a player’s performance. A coach cannot assume that any player knows everything.

A coach must be able to evaluate a player’s performance and help to improve it. In order to do this, coaches cannot have unfair expectations of players nor should they ever underestimate potential.

 It’s great to have high expectations, but a coach cannot place one player on a pedestal while having lower expectations for everyone else. You need to be fair. There will be players at different skill levels on your team, but putting players on pedestals is a sure sign of favoritism and you cannot do this as a coach.

As a coach, you’ll be voicing your opinions, criticism, compliments, and everything in between. Be effective in your communication skills and perfect the art of constructive criticism.

Your players need to know that you’re never criticizing them as people, but rather evaluating their performance and trying to make them better softball players.There are a few fundamental rules for effective communication that every good coach should observe:

·         Be positive

·         Be straight forward

·         Do not be sarcastic

·         Do not be rude

·         Do not insult your players

·         Provide constant feedback

 You are a coach, not a frantic child who needs to throw temper tantrums. Never scream or show anger towards your players, especially if they are young. Expressing disappointment is natural, but make sure that the way you communicate with and discipline your players is appropriate for their age.

Remember why your players are on the field — they love the sport. Do not let your inability to control negative emotions take that away from them. A coach can turn everything into something positive: An error is a lesson learned.

A player will never respond to being publicly chastised. Do not yell at a player in the middle of a game, in front of fans, or in front of family. There is no reason to humiliate a player; pull her aside for a private discussion.

If you cannot restrain yourself from yelling, cool off for a few minutes before talking to the player. Your player will already know she disappointed you. Pounding it in will make players, family, and fans lose respect for you. You can’t expect respect unless you show it and teach it. Coaches have a lot of influence on their players. Don’t force any player to regret playing softball.

 As a coach, you are not only showing respect to your players, but you are teaching it. You need to make sure your players are showing each other the same courtesy.

Remember, you don’t have to be scary to earn respect. As long as you show respect, you’ll receive it. A coach’s best quality is passion. If you have a deep passion for softball, your players will see it. Be excited to coach and they’ll mirror your excitement to play. A team wins games, but the coach leads the way.

The reason for this MHSAA umpires will not be insured anythingoutside of Michigan High School games.

 We have added a category for our SMAFF coaches and Mangers. "Umpire contacts"  If you are looking for umpires for your week day or tournament games this will help narrow down your search.  

You need to be a member to have access to this information.

  For umpires who want to be added to our list or you need to gain access to this information please send E mail to b_worthen@comcast.net

New National Guidelines for Banned Bat Recognition
04/19/2011 - The ASA recently changed the non approved bat listings located at asasoftball.com.  This was a recommendation by the ASA Equipment Testing and Certification Committee.  The reasoning behind this was an attempt to make it easier for ASA leagues, tournament directors and umpires to clarify questions surrounding legal and/or illegal bats.

The original master list has been removed and replaced with two lists that separate bats that have been declared illegal that bear the 2000 mark and bats that bear both the 2000 and 2004 mark.  This master list contained bats that were never intended to be certified by ASA that were made by bat manufacturers.  The committee felt like this was confusing the issue and making it more complex than needed out in the field. 

Bat manufacturers, against ASA’s guidance, will continue making bats intended for HR derby’s, outlaw leagues and other associations thus making it nearly impossible to continue listing every non-certified bat along with a photo.  All of these new non ASA certified bats do not contain the ASA certification mark so the easy answer for umpires and league/tournament directors is as follows:

1.  This list depicts the previously ASA certified bats that failed an ASA sponsored field audit and that also carry the 2000 or 2004 ASA Certification Mark.