We are excited to announce free ABGSL softball clinics on September 25, October 2 and October 30 for 2nd-8th graders.

Timing is based on player's current grade and division for next spring. 

1-2pm  Younger Division (2nd/3rd grade)

2-3pm  Middle Division (4th/5th grade)

3-4pm  Pitching clinic (4th-8th grade) - must bring own adult catcher

4-5pm  Older Division (6th/7th/8th grade)

New players welcome! Bring a friend!

All clinics will be at Cougar Field East -- behind Albany Middle School (1259 Brighton Ave). 

Please complete this form if your child is planning to attend so that we can plan our numbers and send updates.

- The recreation league is only Spring (March through early June), with registration opening by December 1. 

- 2022 Sting 14U may happen depending on interest. Please check back here in October for information about tryouts for 2022 14U Sting. 

To Our Softball Family:

If you haven't already heard, the Albany/Berkeley/El Cerrito softball community has been rocked by the tragic news of Dixie Lewis's untimely passing from a car accident in the Truckee area this week. Dixie was a very driven and competitive person who from a young age helped elevate the bar of softball in our local community.

Please join us as we remember Dixie at 7:00pm on Monday May 31, 2021 at Cougar Field East (behind Albany Middle School), 1259 Brighton Avenue in Albany.

Please extend this invitation to anyone in our softball community touched by Dixie's life and contributions.

You are encouraged to bring an LED candle (no open flames please) to this vigil.

Masks and social distancing will be required.  

With Love,

Stephanie Sala, Jason Kaneko, and Bob Gunier

____

Dear ABGSL community past and present,

It is with overwhelming sadness that we send out this message about the loss of Dixie Lewis in a tragic car accident.

Dixie and her family are long time members of the ABGSL family. Dixie grew up playing in the ABGSL rec league and with Sting, as did her sister. She was passionate about softball and truly represented the values we strive to teach in our league. Her family supported the league with coaching, Board membership, and continued sponsorship.  

This is a heartbreaking loss. 

We will offer as much support to the family as we can from the league. In time, the family will let us know how we can help. Until then, we are trying to be mindful of the space needed by the family to grieve.

In the meantime, reach out to each other for support, cherish your little ones no matter how much they have grown up, and let’s mourn this tremendous loss together. 

With deep sadness,

ABGSL Board of Directors

____

Here is a compilation of Resources for Child/Teens and Grief:
Holding Space for Grieving: H Plitt
https://heatherplett.com/2015/03/hold-space/
National Alliance for Grieving Children Grief Talk (Talking to Children about death; memorials/vigils)
https://childrengrieve.org/resources/grieftalk-resource-guides
National child Traumatic Stress Network
https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources//helping_teens_with_traumatic_grief_caregivers.pdf
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-school-age-children-traumatic-grief-tips-caregivers
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-young-children-traumatic-grief-tips-caregivers
Mental Health Association of San Francisco: Teen Text / Call Line:
https://teenlineonline.org/talk-now/
CalHope
https://www.calhope.org/pages/resources.aspx
Youth Help Network
http://starsyouth.net
California Youth Crisis Line:
https://calyouth.org/cycl/
Peer-Run Warm Line – Mental Health Support
https://www.mentalhealthsf.org/peer-run-warmline/
On Line chat:
https://na0messaging.icarol.com/ConsumerRegistration.aspx?org=60601&pid=243&cc=en-US
Crisis Support Services of Alameda County
https://www.crisissupport.org
Local Text: https://www.crisissupport.org/programs/text-line/

The season runs from Saturday, March 13, 2021 through Saturday, June 5, 2021.

The first 5 weeks (March 13-April 17) will be team practices only. The second part of the season (April 19-June 5) will be practices and games (following public health guidelines - masks and social distancing).

For now, as we create the teams in all the divisions, we are prioritizing friend requests over skills so that players can get out on the field and socialize – something we all need!

• Micros (K-1st grade) will play once a week from 9-11 every Saturday.
• Younger (2nd-3rd grade) will play two times during the week - one weekday afternoon and one Saturday practice.
• Middle (4th-5th grade) will play three times during the week - two weekday afternoons and one Saturday practice.
• Older (6th-9th grade) will play three times during the week - two weekday afternoons and one Saturday practice. (Please note that we welcome 9th graders into the Rec league.)

General: Equipment can be found at a range of prices. Just remember they're growing fast and still figuring out if they like the game in some cases. Shoot for getting equipment that will get them excited to play, fits well (enough) AND they can use immediately.  If you show up the first day with a glove & a water bottle (and for 2021, a face mask), you will be fine! Sometimes it takes a couple of practices to get it all figured out. 

If you are unsure of what you need, ask your team manager.

Where to buy: 

• Big 5 (economical)
• Amazon (economical)
• Sports Basement (occasionally gives League discounts)
• Play it again sports  (economical)
• Mary and Joe's (locally owned)

League provided:

• Hat (will come in the first couple of weeks of the season)
• Jersey/Shirt (will come in the first couple of weeks of the season)
• Bat (we can share, but it's better to assign each kid who needs one a bat from the league that they can use all season)
• Helmets (when possible - most years we share team helmets, but this year, we should avoid sharing helmets). The coaches should assess at the first practice how many kids need helmets. Those kids can borrow one of the team helmets for the season. If you have more kids who need helmets than helmets to give, coaches or managers can go to the Fielding Field shed any time and grab more. 
• Catchers gear (coaches will have to wipe down catcher's masks in between uses - this is a must)

Essentials:

• Younger/Micros:
  • Glove (9"-11" no need to get all leather, actually mesh would be easier for them to open and close and won't need to be broken in.) ~$20
  • Cleats (don't have to be specific to softball - soccer cleats work just fine) ~$20
  • Comfortable athletic pants that can get dirty (their knees should be covered b/c the dirt can easily scratch)
• Middle/Older
  • Glove (10-12" no need to get all leather, actually mesh would be easier for them to open and close and won't need to be broken in.) ~$30
  • Cleats (better to be specific to softball - no metal allowed) ~$30
  • Softball pants (they will be sliding and will want protection) ~$30
  • Softball sliding shorts (they will be sliding and will want protection) ~$30
  • Softball socks (they will be sliding and will want protection) ~$3-5 (some teams will want to but a couple of pairs of team socks)

Nice to haves: 

• Younger/Micros:
  • Your own helmet ~$25
  • Your own bat  ~$20
  • Softball pants ~$30
  • Softball socks ~$3-5
  • Belt ~$3-5
  • Batting gloves $15
• Middle/Older:
  • Your own helmet ~$25
  • Your own infielder face mask ~$45 (the league provides some of these, so if you can't get your own, ask your coach)
  • Your own bat  ~$75 (this can get pricy if you start to get into the nicer bats, but there is no need to go big for rec ball)
  • Belt ~$3-5
  • Batting gloves $15

LEAGUE also has some good used gear. We will try to make this accessible the first day/week of practices - cleats, bats, pants, helmets, etc.

Micros Division is for Kindergarten and First Grade kids. Micros meets every Saturday of the season from 9-11 am at Jane Hammond Field in Codornices Park.

Younger Division is for Second and Third Grade kids. Younger Division players meet two times a week . The times for the weekday (M-F) practices are 4:00-5:30 OR 5:30-7, and Saturday practices are 90 minutes starting at either 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, or 3:30. The field possibilities are Cougar (Albany Middle School), Fielding (UC Village), or Gilman.

Middle Division is for Fourth and Fifth Grade kids. Older Division is for Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Grade kids. Middle and Older Division players meet three times a week, twice M-F and once on Saturday. Weekday (M-F) practices are 5:00-5:30 OR 5:30-7, and Saturday practices are 90 minutes starting at either 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, or 3:30. The field possibilities are Cougar (Albany Middle School), Fielding (UC Village), or Gilman.

Please support ABGSL by making us your beneficiary of your shopping at Amazon! Click this link and remember to use smile.amazon.com when shopping!  http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2958214

ABGSL provides fun recreational and competitive softball for girls in grades K-9 on fields all across Albany and Berkeley, CA. The league's main recreational season runs from March til June with competitive and additional recreational programs at other times of the year. Founded in 1983, ABGSL is a non-profit, all volunteer league that offers a positive softball experience for every girl who wants to play.

We are a community organization made up of volunteers who care deeply about equity and justice. The Board of ABGSL fully supports the Black Lives Matter movement and the current nation-wide push for racial justice. We know there are systemic barriers and racial inequities throughout our society, and that is true even in a local softball league. We will work to find ways to make ABGSL a more welcome home to all families and a stronger leader for checking white privilege. We are hopeful that this time of protest and listening brings about actual changes—big and small—to make our society stronger and our kids healthier and happier.

- ABGSL Board of Directors, Juneteenth, 2020