REGISTRATION REMAINS OPEN FOR ALL SOFTBALL AGE GROUPS, BUT PLEASE ACT SOON!

Please see below for detailed information on grading for the 7/8, 9/10, and 11/13 age groups.

The mandatory grading for Carrollton Boosters softball is scheduled as follows:

 7-8 Girls          Monday, June 1                      A – L*              6:00 pm           Field E

                        Tuesday, June 2                     M – Z*               6:00 pm          Field E

9-10 Girls        Tuesday, June 2                     ALL                 6:00 pm           Field D

11-12 Girls      Wednesday, June 3               ALL                 6:30 pm           Field A

*If your child cannot attend her assigned session, you may bring her to the alternate session.

Each player only needs to attend one of the sessions offered.

 Players must be registered in order to grade.

 Special COVID-19 Grading Instructions:

-        Everybody visiting the Children's Hospital Baseball and Softball Complex (The Fly) and Avenger Field for grading are encouraged to wear a mask except when on the field participating in drills. We especially encourage you to wear a mask when visiting the concession stand or bathrooms.

 -        Players are permitted to wear personal protective equipment while participating in drills, so long as the equipment does not create a safety risk.

 -        Players arriving for grading should be accompanied by no more than one parent, older sibling, or other guardian. Parents, older siblings, and other guardians accompanying a player are asked to stand next to the player while the player is in line, and to proceed behind the backstop when the player enters the field to grade. Once the player has finished grading, please leave through your designated arrival gate. Because players will be standing in line with bats (see below), it is very important that parents and guardians provide supervision while the players are in line, particularly for younger players.

 -        Use of dugouts is currently prohibited under City of New Orleans Public Health Guidelines.

 -        Arrival gates and line instructions:

 o   Players arriving for 7/8 grading should line up outside the gate closest to the third base dugout, with the line forming along the fence to the outfield, then around the leftfield fence and out towards Field F and the soccer fields, if necessary. Please keep at least 6 feet of distance between each player in line.

 o   Players arriving for 9/10 grading should enter through the gate between Fields C (Miracle Field) and D, and line up starting at the field entrance closest to the third base dugout, with the line forming back out toward the arrival gate. Please keep at least 6 feet of distance between each player in line.

o   Players arriving for 11/12 grading should enter through the gate between Fields A and B, and line up starting at the field entrance closest to the first base dugout, with the line forming back out toward the arrival gate. Please keep at least 6 feet of distance between each player in line.

-        To minimize the risk of Coronavirus infection, players who have their own bats and helmets are strongly encouraged to use them at grading. Bats and helmets will be available for players who do not have their own, and will be sanitized between uses.

-        In order to keep grading running as quickly as possible, players are asked to bring ONLY their fielding glove, bat (if they own one), and helmet (if they own one). Please do not bring bags or other equipment.

-        The concession stand will be open. We encourage anybody visiting the concession stand to wear a mask. Please do not congregate near the concession stand.

General Grading Instructions and FAQs:

What will happen at grading? The players will be lined up for basic fielding and batting drills so that coaches and the league coordinators may assess skills. The girls should play to the best of their ability.

How long will it take? Potentially, a long time. Each of the kids will be put through the grading process individually. All of the coaches and coordinators will be there for EVERY grading session. While we will do our best to keep things moving, please be patient. The process has proven over time to create more evenly matched teams and a better softball experience over the course of the summer.

I'm not a coach. Do I have to stay the whole time? No.  In fact, once your child has completed grading, we ask that you please leave the Complex in order to help reduce crowding.

 What should the girls wear? Comfortable clothes for baseball, and cleats if you have them.  Also, don’t forget a baseball cap.

Will there be a make-up? We may schedule limited make-up grading sessions if needed.  Please do not count on there being make-up sessions, and attend one of the regularly scheduled grading sessions if at all possible.  At this time we do not yet have a date set for the potential make-up session(s).

I have two children in the league. Will they be on the same team? Yes, siblings are drafted together and assigned to the same team unless it is specifically requested that they NOT be put together.

My daughter has a favorite coach or friends with whom he would like to be paired. How do I handle this? Carrollton leagues are graded and drafted. We cannot consider or honor these requests.

May I show up at any grading day?  Yes, you may show up at any grading day.  You only need to go to one session.

I have friends or family members who haven't signed their kids up.  Is it too late?  No, but time is short!  We will continue to accept registrations at least until all grading sessions (including the make-up session, if held) are complete.

When will I be informed of team assignments? Teams will be drafted shortly after grading. You will get an initial contact from your head coach within 24 hours after the draft. We look forward to a great season and an organized grading.

When will we practice? Practice frequency, location, and days are entirely up to the coach and will vary.

When will I get a schedule? The schedule will not be provided until all drafts are completed.

When will the league start, how long will it last, on what days of the week will we play? We are planning for games to start on or after June 15. We could play any day of the week with Sundays likely only in case of rainouts. Because of the delayed season start, most leagues will end approximately August 15.

I have other questions.  To whom should I address them? The league coordinators for each age group are listed on the league pages of the website. Also, as the Commissioner of Softball, I am happy to address any questions or concerns.

Patrick Able
Commissioner of Softball
Carrollton Boosters
[email protected]

PLEASE READ THE CODES OF CONDUCT FOR COACHES AND FAMILIES TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL AND ENJOYABLE SEASON FOR EVERYONE.

THE PROGRAM
The Carrollton Boosters softball program is a recreational intramural program for girls aged 4–13 as of December 31, 2019. Registered players are placed in one of the following leagues according to date of birth: 

4-year old Coed T-Ball
5-6     Girls Softball
7-8     Girls Softball
9-10   Girls Softball
11-13 Girls softball
Note: due to an extremely low level of interest, we are suspending our 13-17 year old league and are now including 13-year olds with our 11-12 league.  Contact softball commissioner Patrick Able (see email below) if you wish to discuss this situation.

Games will start in mid-June, and we will finish at the end of July, or mid-August.  

Games are played at Carrollton’s Riverview fields on the Fly, behind the Audubon Zoo. 

Coaches will schedule practices after the teams are drafted. Practices may be at locations other than where the games are played.

Players will be issued a team shirt and cap or visor, to be worn at all games. They will need an appropriately sized glove, plus either cleats (preferable) or tennis shoes.

For more information regarding the baseball/softball program, contact:

Baseball: Justin Lemaire at [email protected]  

Softball: Patrick Able at [email protected]

REGISTRATION
To register, go to our website, www.carrolltonboosters.org, and log in to your Carrollton registration account. The fee is $185 for your first child, plus $160 for each additional child, plus a non-refundable $2 fee per transaction. You may pay on line by credit or debit card, or you may choose the option to send a check, but note that your registration is not considered complete until fees are paid. Players who are not registered will not be graded or drafted onto teams. 

Contact Alan Godchaux at alg[email protected] for help with registration or for payment assistance.

GRADING
All players, except for the 4’s and 5-6’s, must be graded. Grading dates are uncertain at this time, but will be announced as soon as possible.

All players, including those in the beginner leagues, are assigned to teams through a player draft.  By registering your child, you agree to having him or her placed in the player draft, during which any of our volunteer coaches may pick him or her onto a team.  Carrollton Boosters does not guarantee placement of any player onto any particular team, or onto a team with any particular other player(s).  The only exceptions are that coaches get to pick their own children, and that siblings are placed on the same team, unless otherwise requested by their parent/guardian.  After players have been drafted onto a team, registration fees will not be refunded or credited, except in cases of illness or injury.

COACHES
Coaching is an excellent way to not only develop a greater appreciation for baseball or softball, but to also form a special bond with your son or daughter as the season progresses. If you are interested in being a coach, simply answer “yes” to the question when registering, then also register yourself as a volunteer coach, and we will contact you.

SPONSORSHIPS
Please also consider sponsoring your child’s team. As a sponsor, you get to pick the team’s colors and name, and may include a business logo as well. The tax-deductible fee is $275 and can be paid with your child’s registration by credit card or can be paid later by a separate check or credit card. Answer “yes” to the sponsor question when registering your child.  Later, after you have completed the registration, please return to our web site and click on the sponsor form link in order to submit your sponsor info or, if you prefer, simply e-mail your info to Missy McLellan as per below. Your sponsorship will be attached to your child’s team unless you specify otherwise. If you have any questions, please contact Missy McLellan at [email protected]

DONATIONS
When registering, please also consider making a tax-deductible contribution to our Capital Fund.  Contributions to this fund are used for continued additions and improvements to our fields and facilities.