Why can’t my daughter be on the same team with more than one of her friends?
There are several reasons for this rule:
Creating teams with larger groups of friends runs the risk of individual girls who are not in those groups, but who attend the same school, feeling excluded by being placed on another team.
NGSoftball is committed to creating balanced teams to promote fair competition. Each grade division can have ten or more teams, with a combined 120 or more players. Accommodating everyone’s wishes, while attempting to create balanced teams, is an impossible task.
NGSoftball provides girls with the valuable experience of becoming friends with girls from different schools.
Girls enjoy playing against teams that friends and classmates are on. These tend to be the most memorable games.
Top of Page My daughter requested to be on a team with her friend, but they were assigned to different teams. Why? Can we switch teams?
We do our very best to honor each "pair-me-with" request. If your daughter and her friend were assigned to different teams, one of the following occurred:
They did not identify each other (on both forms) as a "pair-me-with"
They identified more than one girl as a "pair-me-with"
We needed to place the girls on different teams to create a better balance among teams.
Once the teams are set it is very difficult to change them. Changes that occur after the teams are announced often affect multiple teams as the Grade Coordinators struggle to regain the balance they tried to create with the original assignments. NGSoftball will only consider changing a player's team if the league made a mistake. Coaches are not allowed to make roster changes of any kind, please do not ask them to do so..
Can I change my daughter's "pair-me-with" request? Yes. A player may change their "pair-me-with" selection via email doug@newtongirlssoftball.org providing it is received on or before February, 28. However, to ensure they will be on the same team, each player must end up listing each other as their "pair-me-with". Only the player's parent may change their daughter's pair-me-with".
Where and when are practices?
Practice day(s) and times are determined by your coach typically after consulting with the team as to best days. This can only be determined after team rosters have been determined. We use many fields for practices; all are in Newton. Top of Page
My daughter is in the 6th grade and has never played softball. Is it too late for her to start? Not at all! NGSoftball’s spring recreational league is open to Newton girls of all skill levels. Each year there are a number of “older” players who decide they want to try softball for the first time. We take pride in our efforts to teach the fundamentals of softball in a supportive environment, regardless of a player’s previous experience or natural ability. Top of Page
Why is there a late fee? Organizing a youth league and making 40+ teams takes time. Team rosters need to be completed in order to purchase uniforms, create game schedules, etc. This process can only begin by defining and sticking to a registration cut-off date. The late fee creates a strong incentive to register in a timely manner. It is not a mechanism to raise revenue. To be fair to all, every registration received after the cut off date will only be accepted with the late fee.
What is the refund policy? Newton Girls Softball will issue a 100% refund under the following situations:
Any registrant, regardless of reason, who informs the league on or before February 28.
Any registrant whose application is received after February 28 and ultimately is not assigned to a team.
Any registrant who notifies the league within two days after receiving confirmation of making their middle school team and elects to not play in NGSoftball's spring recreational league.
How can I get more involved in League affairs? Newton Girls Softball is organized and run strictly by volunteer parents. You are encouraged to get involved by sitting on our Advisory Board and/or participating on one of our committees. Please contact any board member for more information. They can be emailed through our web site by clicking on the “board” tab.
"Perhaps the single most important element in mastering the techniques and
tactics of racing is experience. But once you have the fundamentals, acquiring
the experience is a matter of time." - Greg LeMond
