High School Girls' Softball

     The Casselton Parks and Recreation Department recognizes that the level of competition becomes stronger when girls start playing a the high school level.

     Winning and losing games becomes more important and our teams can qualify for state and national tournament play in three divisions:  14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under.

Sportsmanship 

     Sportsmanship is extremely important in high school girls' softball.  Our players need to show respect for their teammates, their coach or coaches, the opposing team and the umpires.

     It is inappropriate and inexcusable to yell at game officials at any level of any sport.  Calls that don't favor the team you're rooting for happen.  Players, parents and fans need to realize that they need to honor the game and the umpire and remind others around them to do the same.

     Please don't do anything that would embarass your team, your coach or coaches, your community or yourself, and ask your parents to respect the game as well.

     The park district will not accept poor sportsmanship from its players, parents or fans.  Profanity and the use of vulgar language is strictly prohibited.  Players are also not allowed to use alcohol or tobacco products. 

     If a pattern of inappropriate behavior occurs, coaches will bench the offending player or players, with the option of suspending them if the situation warrants.

     The park district also reserves the right to ask parents and fans to quiet themselves or leave the diamond if they display poor sportsmanship or any other type of offensive behavior.  We want our teams to play the game the right way, which means they will not question calls made by an umpire.  That's the coach's job, if necessary.

     All players and parents will be required to sign a form agreeing to adhere to the policies encated by the park district in this document.  If a player or parents refuses to sign, that player will not compete in park-sponsored events.

     Players who violate the terms of this agreement can be suspended.  In the case of a first offense, as dtermined by the coach, the park district director, or the park board, a player will be suspended for one game.  A second offense will earn a player a three-game suspension, and any third violation of team rules or softball policies will result in the player being suspended for the remainder of the season.

Overview

     High school girls' softball is designed for players 13 to 18 years of age.

     In terms of eligibility, players cannot turn 19 prior to January 1 of a calendar and play high school softball.  Parents and players who have questions cocnerning eligibility should contact the park district office at 347-5386.

     High school girls' softball is governed by American Softball Association (ASA) standards.  The girls run bases that are 65 feet apart and pitchers throw from a distance of 50 feet.

     Casselton's team structure is determined yearly by the number of players who register to participate.  coaches, in conjunction with the park district director, may divide teams equally based on skill levels.  They may also choose to divide the teams up by age or grade classification in school.

     In the Rural Cass League, teams play doubleheaders on Monday and Wednesday evenings beginning in late May and continuing through the middle of July.  Games are seven (7) innings in length, with a 10-run rule in effect after five (50 innings of play.

     The second game of each doubleheader may be shortened with the consent of both coaches and the umpire.  This often the case early in the softball season, when we often run out of daylight in late May and early June.

     The league season concludes in mid-July with a tournament that rotates to a different site each year.  Casselton's teams typically participate in the North Dakota State Girls' Softball Tournaments in Jamestown, playing in the 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under divisions.  

Coaching and Player Guidelines

     All high school girls' softball players need to attend all scheduled practices and games.  If a player cannot attend a game or a practice, she needs to notify her coach as soon as she possibly can.

     Playing time at the high school softball level is not equal, nor should it be.  All of our players will have the opportunity to participate, but not in all of the games and not on an equal basis.

     One of our main goals at the senior girls' level is to be competitive, win games and advance in tournament play.  To that end, our coaches will use the players that they feel will give them the best chance to be successful.  Everyone will have a chance to play, but equal playing time is not a primary goal, as it was at the youth level.

     Individual commitment is a big factor and helps coaches in determining playing time.  Players need to show up on time, ready to listen and play hard.  Those who do and show a positive attitude can earn more extensive playing time during games.

     Players may not play in every game during the season or in tournaments.  Playing time will be determined by the coach or coaches based on a number of different factors, including skill level, practice attendance and performance and attitude.  Simply put, the kids that work harder and play better will play more than some of the others.

     Players and parents who have issues concerning high school girls' softball should discuss them with their coach or coaches, then with the park district director, who can choose to bring those issues to the park board level.

     Parents can also attend park board meetings and voice their concerns to the entire group.  Please contact the park district office at 347-5386 to get meeting dates and times and to request to be placed on a meeting agenda. 

Casselton Youth Softball

     The Casselton Park District oversees the summer softball programs in Casselton.

     The following guidelines are primarily applicable to players 9 years old and up, covering the team or teams that play in the West Fargo Park District League and the junior league team or teams in the Rural Cass Softball League.

Sportsmanship

     The most important thing your daughter can learn playing youth softball in Casselton is to be a good sport.  Parents should help set a good example for their children by being positive at all times.

     It is inappropriate to yell at game officials at any level of any sport, but especially at the youth level.  If "bad" calls occur, honor the game and be silent, and remind those around you to do the same.  Don't do anything that would emabarass your child, the team, your community or yourself.

     Don't give instructions to your child during games.  Let coaches do that.  After that game, be positive, no matter what the outcome.

     Parents are our children's primary teachers.  Remember that kids often do what their parents do.  Winning and losing is not the park district's main focus at the youth level, so why should it be yours?

     The park district and its coaches will try to teach our players how to have fun and enjoy the game.  Please respect what we're trying to do by helping us stress good sportsmanship at all times.

     All youth players and parents will be required to sign a form agreeing to adhere to all park district policies, procedures and decisions.  Failure to sign this document prior to the start of season means your daughter will not play until that agreement is in place.

9-10 Girls' Softball

     Our 9 and 10-year-old girls' players participate in a West Fargo Park District League with other children their age.

     The Rural Cass Junior Softball League is designed for players 9 through 12 years of age, but Casselton's park board felt that it was detrimental for our younger players to play on the same field with bigger, stronger and more advanced 11 and 12-year-olds.  The parks department started a 9 and 10-year-old team in 2004 and has been very pleased with the results.

     Our 9-10 team begins practicing in late May in preparation for the West Fargo League season, which typically begins in mid-June.  Our kids usually practice two days week in Casselton and travel to West Fargo's Elmwood Park for mid-morning games two days a week.

     The park district's goal at this level is to introduce the organized game of softball to our youth players.  Learning the fundamentals and rules of the game are much more important than winning or losing.

     In order to participate in this activity, players must be prior to start of the season.  Players cannot turn 11 prior to May 1 of a calendar year and still participate in this activity.  The parks and recreation department will dtermine player eligibility prior to the beginning of each season.

     Please note that a child's grade in school has nothing to do with her eligibility in relation to West Fargo league softball or any of our other levels of play.  Birthdates drive the eligibility requirements in all of the Casselton Park District's organized softball activities.

Game, Coaching and Player Guidelines

     The Casselton Parks and Recreation Department attempts to limit our 9 and 10-year-old softball team rosters to 12 players or less in order to allow maximum participation.

     Once registration is completed, the coach or coaches, in conjunction with the park district director, divide the players up in to teams that we hope can compete equally with each other and with the other teams in the West Fargo league.

     There is no A or B team structure.  We want our Casselton teams to be divided as equally as possible in terms of ability.  Remember, our interest at this level is participation, not competition.  Winning and losing is important, but we want to teach our players to do both in the right manner and to enjoy the game regardless of its outcome.

     The park district instructs its coaches to play everyone on their rosters as evenly as possible and to rotate kids to different positions on the field when possible to allow them to experience the game fully.

     Our coaches do have some leeway in applying the above guidelines:

•      Coaches are allowed to limit playing time based on player commitment.  All players, regardless of their age, need to show up on time for all scheduled practices and games.  they also need to be respectful and listen to what their coach or coaches are trying to teach them.
•      At this level of softball, we want kids to have fun, but we also want them to realize that playing a sport also involves some effort and that they need to pay attention and hustle in order to improve.
•      The park district director is in regular contact with all youth coaches throughout the season concerning issues that affect their teams.  If parents have a question concerning youth softball, they should first contact their child's coach, then the park district director, who could refer the issue to the park board, if necessary.  Remember, the park district director's job is to coordinate games and give coaches direction as to how to play, not who to play.

Rural Cass Junior League Play

     Casselton players ages 11 and 12 participate in the Rural Cass Junior Softball League  with teams from Valley City, Northern Cass, tower City-Buffalo and Page.  Games are played Mondays and Wednesdays beginning at 5 p.m.

     The park district uses the same age requirements as the 9-10 league to determine player eligibility. 

     Junior league softball is played by older, stronger and faster kids and the rules allow them to do more things.  League games are five (5) innings in length and 10 players can play in the field.

     In the first half of junior league play, the rules allow a coach to bat all the players he or she has on the team that particular day to allow for more participation.  Each player bats in every inning.  Outs are recorded but teams do not switch after the third out, but rather when all the players on a given team have had the opportunity to hit.

     Following the league's mid-season tournament (typically held th third Saturday in June), teams play regulation softball, with 10 batters in a lineup.  Once three (3) outs are recorded, the defensive earns the opportunity to bat.

     Fundamental play is still stressed at the junior girls' level.  Kids in this age group cannot catch enough fly balls or popups, field enough ground balls or swing at enough batting practice pitches.  The fundamentals of hitting, throwing and base running will be emphasized throughout the season.

     Rosters of 16 to 20 players are not uncommon at the junior girls' level, at least here in Casselton.  Since playing that many kids in a 5-inning game is difficult, if not impossible, coaches have used rotation systems in past years, taking 12 of the 18 players, for example, to a game on a Monday.

     In this example, the other six players who sat out on Monday will play on Wednesday, along with six other team members.  We stress to our coaches to rotate players equally because the park district still wants to emphasize the importance of participation at this level.

     If player registration reaches 24 or more, the park district may set up two teams for league play, either by age or by mixing our 11 and 12-year-old players.

Coaching and Player Guidelines

     Junior girls' softball is a step up from the 9 and 10-year-old league in West Fargo.

     Our junior girls' players need to be familar with the rules and many of the fundamentals of the game of softball because the speed of the game increases at the junior level.  Junior girls need to think faster, react quicker and play harder than they did in the West Fargo league.

•      The park district instructs its coach or coaches to give all their players the opportunity to participate in each game, although it may not be on an equal basis each and every time out.
•      Coaches can make decisions concerning playing time based on the commitment level each player shows.  Junior girls' players need to be on time and ready to play at each practice and game.  Tardiness will not be tolerated.  Players who will be late or cannot attend a game or practice should call their coach and notify him or her.  That's just common courtesy.
•      Our coaches will decide who will play and who won't, as well as where they play and how often, based on player performance and the factors listed above.  The park district director will review its guidelines with the coach or coaches and offer advice and support, but the director will not decide who plays.  Those are coaching decisions.
•      Parents who have issues with junior girls' softball should first address them with the coach of their team, then with the park district director, who may choose to refer the issue to the park board, if necessary.