Alpine / Menlo Atherton Softball: League FAQ

Q: Can my child switch teams after teams are formed?
A: No. Switching teams is not allowed.

Q: Can I make a special request of which team my daughter will play on?
A: Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests for specific team placement. The AMA Commissioners do the absolute best to honor all request made. All requests need to come via email to League Commissioner stating reason for request.  Email response is given that the request is noted. Requests at the 6U level are typically granted as well as at the 8U level.  However, at the 12U level due to age group and balance of teams requests are not taken nor granted.

Q: How are teams put together?
A: All teams are put together by the Commissioners within each age group. The League Commissioner oversees balance, requests, community and school balance. At the 12U Level, girls do not play within the AMA League.  They play Interleague  with outside communities.  It is important to balance teams at this age group thus requests are not granted.

Q: My daughter signed up to play T-ball. How many practices and games should we expect?
A: Games are played on Saturday only. At the coaches discretion, practices will be either one hour during the week or right before a game. All of this depends on coaches schedules as well as field availability.

Q: My daughter REALLY wants to play with her friend(s)! I need help with carpools and other activities. Can I make a request?
A: The AMA League does its very best to accommodate requests at the younger age groups - 6U and 8U. AMA knows that girls want to play with friends and we encourage and want as many girl to participate as possible! At the 10U and 12U level, it is important to have balanced teams in skill. If there is a request at the 10U level, one per team may be considered. No requests are given or made at the 12U level. Again, AMA does its very best but not all requests can be honored.

Q: What happens if I miss the deadline for registration?
A: All late adds are accepted to a wait list. If there is room within teams, we will add players as necessary. We have an deadline in order to create schedules and determine field allocations. Adding players to a team must be approved by the Age Group Commissioner and League Commissioner.

Q: My daughter is ready to play in the next level of softball. Can she "play up" despite his/her age? (For example, a 10 year old wants to play 12U instead of 10U)
A: No. In accordance with the "age determination date" set by ASA, the governing body of amateur softball, each division has specific age eligibility requirements which are determined by a player's age as of January 1st. This cut-off date is strictly enforced.

Q: What is AMA?
A: AMA was formed to accommodate the girls within the two Little League regions of MALL (Menlo-Atherton) and Alpine-West Menlo thus naming it AMA. We serve the communities of Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, Ladera, Woodside, Portola Valley as well as Redwood City.

Q: Do you follow Little League Rules?
A: We follow the rules of ASA Softball which is the Amateur Softball Association. The ASA is the nationwide association that supports the softball leagues. The ASA rules are guidelines for the AMA League. We use the age determining rules for ASA to determine age brackets within AMA GirlsSoftball.

Q: Is the AMA League fast pitch or slow pitch?
A:Fast Pitch

Q: Do the girls pitch at the various age levels?
A: Here is the breakdown of pitching for all age divisions:
6U: T/BALL : Coach Pitch. We start the season with tee-ball.  As the season progresses, the coaches will pitch three balls to girls. If the player is successful in hitting the ball, normal play continues. If the hitter is unsuccessful, a hitting tee will be used. Player will get three swings to put the ball into play.
8U: Player pitch / Coach pitch. Pitching is a component of the game that needs to be introduced at this age level. Each pitcher gets a number of pitches per inning. If they are unsuccessful, the coach finishes the "up".We are trying to move away from the coach pitch at this age level depending on the quality of the pitchers in order for the girls to get ready for the 10U level. We encourage players who are interested in pitching to work exclusively on that skill. We also encourage players to take additional skills clinics for pitching only.
10U: Player pitch (Preferred) / Coach Pitch (only if necessary)
12U: Player pitch only

Q: How many times a week will I practice?
A: 6U will practice 30 minutes before their scheduled game. 8U age group practices one day a week. 10U, 12U and 14U age groups practice two days a week for 1.5 hours per week. Sometimes one of these practice days is optional once regualar season play begins.

Q: When will games be held?
A:
6U: Saturday games only. Practices take place 30 - 45 minutes before the game at this age level.
8U: Saturday games only
10U: Saturday games and mid-week evenings occasionally. Saturday games are typically morning or early afternoon, and midweek games start at 5:30p.
12U / 14U: Typically one game during the week and one on a Saturday. Mid week games start @ 5:30 or later. Saturday games may be at any time during the day. There is travel at the 12U level as we play Interleague games against other cities.

Q: Where are games held?
A: AMA uses the following fields for girls softball.  MA High School, Woodside High, Priory School, Ormondale (T-Ball only), Nealon Park, and PV Town Center. 

Q: Where and when will my daughter practice?
A: Practice day, time and location are determined by coaches.  Time and day of the week are requested per coach at each age group-8U, 10U and 12U.  Field allocations etc. determine location and time of practice for each team. 

Q: Can I join even if I have never played softball?
A: Absolutely! We encourage all skill levels to join. We are a league that is built around girls playing with friends and having fun as well as learning the game and building skills.

Q: I have already registered my child for AMA Softball and now something has come up and we can not participate in the season. Can I get a refund?
A: No. The AMA Girls Softball League does not issue any refunds.

Q: How can I sponsor a team?
A: We have made it easy! Please indicate your willingness to sponsor a team when you register online.