Tournament Softball is a competitive program for girls in grades 1 to 11.
The program for most age groups consist of tournaments and league play in the Fall, Spring and Summer Season. In addition, there are clinics and additional trainings in the Winter.
The “Tournament Softball Season” begins in August/September and runs to the end of July.
Eligibility
Players must be playing in Bridgewater Softball's current spring rec program.
Tryouts for all age groups are done in July. Players in grades 1 through 11 must be registered to participate in the tryouts.
Eligibility is based primarily on age (see chart below). Players are highly encouraged to try out at their age level and up to one year above their age eligibility level. For example, a 12 year old can try out for 12U (12+1 = 13, which is a 14U team) but an 11 year old can only try out for 12U (11+1 = 12, which is a 12U team).
* 2023-24 season 14U players will be grandfathered into prior age cutoff guidance. All new and players below 12U are currently subject to the age chart below.
For any questions relative to age eligibility, please reach out to Tournament Softball Coordinator Rich Franklin @ [email protected]
Fees: The fees for the Tournament Softball Season will depend on the leagues that the team competes in as well as the number of tournaments that the team participates in. For the 2024-2025 season, we will be purchasing new jerseys for all teams which will be an additional cost. Fees will be collected as 50% of estimated annual cost (from team manager) within 48 hours of offers given and the remaining 50% on January 1st. Any remaining balance or additional cost will be handled at the discretion of the team manager with strong focus on communication and transparency.
Tryouts: Interested players must pre-register on-line for the Age Group tryouts. Once the teams are selected, you will be informed of the registration and payment process. To register for tryouts, click on the “Register Now” button below for the appropriate age. Registration will be scheduled to close at 5pm on July 14th.
Players are evaluated at tryouts and the top girls will be placed on the roster of the Age Group team. If there are enough players to form two teams in the respective age group, another roster will be completed. The number of teams at every Age Group will be determined by the total number of players that participate in tryouts, with the consideration that there needs to be enough pitching talent to support all teams.
Players must participate on scheduled tryout dates for their Age Group. If a player cannot make the tryout date, you must contact the Rich Franklin ([email protected]) in advance. Players who are going to tryout for more than one group must attend tryouts for both Age Groups. Should that player make a team at both levels, they may only play on one team and will need to make the decision shortly after being notified.
In Tournament Softball, it is possible that not all players will make a team. Players will be rated objectively at the tryouts by a team of assessors agreed upon by the Tournament Softball Committee. Rosters are kept to a minimum to maximize playing time during every game.
Commitment: The Softball Tournament program is a competitive-level program which requires a commitment from both the player and the player’s family. Practice is based on field availability during the respective seasons. Practices are usually 1 to 2 times per week during the Fall, Spring and Summer Season’s. In addition, there are games scheduled and the teams will participate in Tournaments, which usually take place on weekends. The Summer Season is the Season where the majority of Tournaments are played. Tournaments usually begin in the Summer Season at the beginning of June and generally conclude by the end of July. From mid-May through the end of July, players and families should expect to practice or play games multiple times during the week and potentially play multiple games on the weekends. Some teams may choose to practice during the week as well and participate in tournaments, while other teams may play games twice a week and attend weekend tournaments. We try to be flexible and work with other sports activities, but the Spring and Summer Softball Season should be the primary emphasis over other extra-curricular commitments. Lastly, while players may be called up to play on older Bridgewater teams due to need, no players should be playing on any other town or club’s roster.
While vacations are not out of the question, absences are discouraged during the Summer Season, as the team and players depend on each other to be there through multiple practices, games and tournaments. Remember, if you do plan on playing Tournament Softball and also taking vacations during the Summer Season, your child could be taking a roster spot from a player who is willing to make the sacrifice to participate fully.