|
|
|
|
|
City Of Brotherly Love Softball League General Information/FAQ’s
When do we play? Games are scheduled on Sundays, starting from Opening Day in April through the end of July. Start times can vary, your first could be as early as 8:30am and you could finish your last game as late as 5:30pm. Most teams will play 2 games per day. Games are 75 minutes long, or 7 full innings, whichever comes first. There is no more than a game or two between your scheduled games. The best way to keep up with when your team is scheduled to play is through the league website at www.eteamz.com/cblsl/ Where do we play? Dairy Fields in Fairmount Park. If you are driving from Center City, take Ben Franklin Parkway to Kelly Drive. Proceed down Kelly Drive through about 3 lights, passing the Art Museum and BoatHouse Row (both on your left). Go under a big rock tunnel, and then make your first right at the statue of Ulysses Grant on a horse. The fields are about ½ mile on your left. It’s a beautiful and secluded park. Many players and teams bring coolers and BarBQs as a way to spend a day in the sunshine after their games. How much does this cost? Since the CBLSL is a non-profit organization, membership dues are collected to cover insurance, field, supply, and maintenance costs. The membership dues are typically $50.00 per member, $30.00 for social members. Your team may also request money to help offset the cost of equipment not covered by the league (such as gloves, bats, practice balls, uniforms, and cleats (metal cleats are NOT allowed)). There are also various fundraising events and Bar Of The Week events that you may want to budget for. How do I get on a team? For Women’s, and Men’s Competitive divisions, you can join a team directly or enter your name into the New Player Draft, which is held every March. If you know what team you wish to join, you should contact the manager directly. If you don’t have a way to contact that manager, contact us at joincblsl@aol.com – we’d be happy to help. If you don’t know anyone, don’t worry, you can enter the New Player Draft by e-mailing joincblsl@aol.com. Tell us a little about yourself and your experience and we’ll get you started. For Men’s recreational division, you will be entered into the New Player Draft. Once drafted, you can either elect to stay with the team that chooses you. You can also notify that manager if you are interested in playing for a different team – a trade can be arranged. You can trade yourself to the team of your choice for another newly drafted player only. The Commissioner must approve all trades before they are final. Whew! Why do we even have the draft for New Players? The draft was developed more for the recreational division in an effort to maintain parity among its member teams and to ensure the “recreational” aspect of the division is maintained. With a random selection process, no one single team can “load” their roster with strong players. Even with the trading guideline in place, the Commissioner has final approval of all trades and will monitor if a team is in danger of creating an imbalance of talent. The commissioner reserves the right to refuse a trade based on this to maintain parity, keeping in mind the league will make every effort to accommodate the needs of its members, within reason. I’m not very good. Should I even play? Yes, the whole reason behind creating divisions within CBLSL is to provide everyone the opportunity to enjoy him or herself. If you’ve had little experience or just has been “away from the game” for a while; the Women and Men’s recreational divisions may suit you best. We do have some great players, but we’ve also had members who did not know what hand to buy a glove for. Come out, enjoy the company and camaraderie, be open to learning new things, remember that new things tend to feel “weird” at first so don’t give up, but ultimately….have fun! After all, it’s only softball. I’m really good. Where do I play? The women’s and men’s competitive divisions are right up your alley! If you’re not sure what to do contact us at joincblsl@aol.com What if I can’t make every game or practice? Joining any team or organization is a commitment. In any given game situation, there are about 33 people who have paid dues to play a game. No one likes paying to play, then having to forfeit a game. Is it necessary you show up for EVERY game? No, of course not. Just remember others are counting on you. If your conflict has no flexibility, notify your manager WELL in advance. It’s always a good practice to have an idea of who your backup is and make sure they will be present the day you are not. If a team cannot field 9 or more players in a game, the team forfeits the game and the team is fined. In addition, you must attend 50% of your regular season schedule in order to go to the NAGAAA World Series tournament. Helping your manager and your team avoid unknown absences and forfeits makes everyone happier in the long run. OK, what is NAGAAA and this World Series you talk about? The CBLSL is a member of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association. Some of the member cities of NAGAAA include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Seattle, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, and Chicago. The World Series tournament for 2006 was held in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, next year’s will be held in Phoenix, Arizona. For many, attending the Series as a player is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s an incredible opportunity to meet 4000+ gay men and women from across the country and share a common interest. The series is a week-long celebration of gay amateur athletics, pride and life. It is certainly an experience you won’t forget. For more information, check out http://www.series2007.org Do I Have to Be Lesbian or Gay? Our league constitution states that: “Gay” is interpreted for the purposes of this league to mean a predominant sexual interest in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals. Having said that, we have a 20% rule for our Gay friendly players. In most divisions, 20% or less of the roster can be filled by players who do not define themselves as gay. The women’s division doesn’t have this rule. If you are not Gay but are interested in playing, please contact us anyway – we’ll help you find the team that’s right for you. What about the social aspects? There are many functions throughout the season you can attend to get to know your fellow teammates and others in the league. Bar Of The Week (BOTW) is a series of social events held after games each Sunday, hosted by the various bar sponsors within the league. BOTW will usually start around 5:30pm on game day with no real designated end time. Hosts will usually put out snack foods or have specials for league members. In addition, your team may hold a fundraising event to cover costs for tournaments, equipment, etc. The CBLSL hosts functions all year round as a way for players to keep in contact with each other. We have weekday restaurant nights, the league banquet, and events at sponsor bars and clubs on the weekends. We understand that socializing is just as important as playing. |
|
||||||||||
|
|
CBLSL LEAGUE SITE |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
