Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much is registration for the spring 2011 Season?
A: Registration Prices:
- 6U - $65 per player
- 8U - $80 per player
- All Older Age Groups - $90 per player
This fee includes a $20 refundable fundraising fee.
Q: How much is registration for the fall 2011 Season?
A: Registration Price:
- All Age Groups - TBD
Q: How can I pay for registration?
A: We accept registrations:
- In Person Registration - Dates will be announced on the Harundale Softball home page and via email (cash & checks only – made payable to HYSL). There is a $10 service charge for checks returned from the bank unpaid.
- Register Online with a credit card. There is an additional $5.00 convenience fee.
Q: Why should I sign up early?
A: It benefits the organization and girls to sign up as soon as possible. Some of the reasons to sign up early:
- Guarantee a spot on a team – The minimum/maximum number of players per team is determined by the North County Community Girls Softball League. We need to turn in these numbers to the league weeks before the season begins. If we don't have enough girls to form a 2nd or 3rd team, we will finish filling the first team and stop registering for that age group.
- Make sure you have a Uniform on Picture Day – We submit uniform orders as soon as the teams are created. It also takes several weeks to get a uniform order processed.
- Indoor Practices - Girls signed up early can come to our indoor workouts. Winter workouts are held in the multi-purpose room at Point Pleasant Elementary School, Dumbarton Road. The dates and times will be posted on the Harundale Softball home page. Coaches will be working with all of the girls in a fun atmosphere to help them improve their skills.
Q: Do you take requests?
A: Requests are always taken, but they are just that, a request, they are never guaranteed. We work very hard to try and honor the requests, but due to many rules that must be followed regarding team make up, we are not always able to honor all requests.
Q: What does the registration fee pay for?
A: In the Spring, the registration fee pays for your child's uniform (shirt and socks), a trophy at the end of the year, insurance, league sign-up fees, umpire fees, field maintenance, equipment, and other resources that benefit the players.
In the Fall, the registration fee pays for your child's t-shirt, insurance, umpire fees, league sign-up fees, field maintenance, equipment, and other resources that benefit the players.
Q: Does Harundale hold fundraisers?
A: We do everything we can to keep registrations as low as possible and still maintain a healthy organization. To that end, we hold at least one major fundraiser. Our biggest fundraiser is our Spring season raffle. We also have smaller fundraising activities, like our Bull Roast, Decal Drive, and Chick-Fil-A fundraiser night where you simply turn in your receipt.
Q: What does my child need to play?
A: A glove and tennis shoes or rubber cleats are all you should need. We provide helmets, bats, catchers gear, and practice and game balls. Everyone is welcome to purchase their own equipment. If you decide to purchase your own, review the guidelines below:
- Bats must be designed for Fast Pitch softball. No baseball bats or slow pitch bats allowed. It should say Fastpitch, "FP" or ASA Certified somewhere on the bat.
- No metal cleats
- Helmets must have a full face shield and chin strap
- If in doubt, ask your coach
Q: What type of ball do the girls use?
A: Types of Softballs:
- The 6U and 8U use 11” yellow Incrediballs
- The 10U use 11” yellow Softballs
- All other age groups use 12” yellow Softballs
Q: Are there player evaluations?
A: Player evaluations are only required for 10U, 12U, 14U, and 19U, if there is more than one team in the age group. The purpose of player evaluations is to ensure teams are evenly matched. This is a requirement of the North County Community Girls Softball League. Everyone who registers is guaranteed placement on a team regardless of skill level.
Q: I just registered, when will someone contact me?
A: Once everyone has been placed on a team, you should expect to be contacted by your player’s coach. This will usually occur in early March.
Q: What is a typical season like?
A: We have two separate seasons at Harundale, a spring competition league, approximately 18 games, and a fall instructional league, approximately 8 games.
Q: When are practices and games scheduled?
A: Coaches do not get their practice schedules until after the player evaluations and draft in early March. Most teams tend to practice two or three times a week. Practices will begin in mid-March, after Meet your Coach/Field Clean-up Day.
Games will begin in mid-April and will continue until mid-June. Games usually start at 6:00 during the week. Teams typically play twice a week. It is important to make as many games as possible. At the end of the regular season, if a player has not played in at least half of the regular season games, they are not eligible to participate in the playoff tournament.
Q: What can I do if I have a problem or concern with how the team or league is managed?
A: The league is always looking for dedicated volunteers to step forward and help run the league. If you have a concern about the team, we encourage everyone to communicate with the coach at a mutually convenient time (cornering him after a stressful ball game is not usually an opportune time to talk). Most of the time, small problems can be discussed and resolved before they become big ones. You may also share concerns with your age group vice-president. As a rule, the softball board does not interfere with how a coach chooses to manage his/her team. As the manager, he or she selects the coaching staff and makes decisions regarding where or when a child plays. Coaches know that every child gets to play in the game and what the minimum requirements are. Coaches are entrusted with the care and well being of your children. They are not permitted to berate children or use foul language. Coaches are required to submit to and pass a background check conducted by Anne Arundel County Recreation & Parks every three years. Harundale Youth Sports League adheres to the background check program.
Q: What do the coaches and board members get paid?
A: We are all volunteers. These volunteers rush home from work, wake up early to drag and line the fields, clean the bathrooms, pick up/empty the trash cans around the complex, organize the fundraisers, answer player and parent questions/emails, organize the practices and games prior to game time and spend a “ton” of time trying to maximize our resources and make the experience the best that it can be for the girls. We all do it for the love of the kids and the love of the game.
Q: How do I become a softball board member?
A: Softball board members are usually chosen at a board meeting during the winter. The Softball Commissioner is nominated and voted on during the general membership meeting held during September of odd years (this is a two-year position). However, a request for softball board membership can be made at anytime. We are always looking for additional volunteers to help out.
Q: Do the umpires get paid?
A: Umpires are paid officials of the league. Most organizations have their own umpire standards; however, most umpires in our league are certified and work hard to officiate the best game possible for the girls.
Q: What does PONY mean and are we a PONY organization?
A: PONY stands for Protect our Nations Youth, and is one of the most established youth baseball and softball organizations in the United States. All members of the North County Community Girls Softball League are PONY organizations.
Q: What is the NCCGSL?
A: NCCGSL stands for North County Community Girls Softball League and is the League that Harundale participates in during the spring. The NCCGSL is the largest girl’s softball league in northern Anne Arundel County.
Q: I would like to sponsor one of the teams, how much is it for sponsorship?
A: We have two team sponsorships available:
- $100 = Website acknowledgement and engraved plaque with the team’s picture
- $50 = Website acknowledgement only
Q: How does sponsoring a team benefit the organization?
A: Sponsorship money helps pay for field maintenance, new equipment, balls for games and practice, and various other organization expenses.
Q: What is the benefit of sponsoring?
A: We are a 501c3 registered non-profit organization and your donation may be tax-deductible. We also will add you or your company to our website as a sponsor, including a link to your website. Our site is viewed by numerous parents and players, ready to support our local businesses.
Q: Does Harundale accept donations?
A: Harundale is a non-profit organization that benefits the children in our community. Donations are always needed to help our organization stay healthy and grow. We accept donations of the following types:
- Monetary Donations
- Equipment Donations (gently used bats, gloves, helmets, etc.)
- Resources (like the use of heavy equipment to help prepare our fields)
- Professional Services
- New Items (anything that can be used for raffle prizes, auctioned off, or that benefit the girls. (They do not have to be softball related.))
Q: Why should I choose Harundale Youth Sports League for my child?
A: Harundale Youth Sports League, Inc. has been providing recreational sports programs to northern Anne Arundel County communities for over 50 years! We hold level-one accreditation with the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. We fully comply with the county’s background check program in order to strengthen the safety of your child. We do not allow coaches/volunteers to be in contact with your child without first submitting to and passing a background check. This is non-negotiable.
The league is managed by a dedicated group of volunteers. We all currently have or have had children come up through the various sports programs offered at Harundale. Many of us stay involved even after our children have grown. We strive to provide a fun, safe, and family-oriented environment for your child to participate. Our facilities are among the best in the county, even though they are not on Anne Arundel County Department of Recreations and Parks property.
