USA Softball of Mississippi
Official Website of the USA Softball's Mississippi Association
The 10 & Under Class A Fast Pitch National Championship will be held in Monroe, LA on July 21-24, 2022. This is a great opportunity for 10U teams from our area to compete in national tournament. National Tournaments are so much more than just another tournament. For more information, please go to 10U Class A East National Championship.
Due to printing costs, nation-wide paper shortage, USA Softball made to decision to transition to an electronic copy of the rulebook. It should be a more convenient version which also allows searching. The digital version of the 2022 Official Rulebook has been posted under the “Menu” navigation on USASoftball.com. This digital version enables the “Ctrl+F” function which allows you to search for any key words throughout the document.
Click here to download the 2022 Official Rulebook.
OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball, a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization announced today that Davey Cole (Saltillo, Miss.) has been appointed as Commissioner of USA Softball of Mississippi. Cole will assume the role following the retirement of long-time Commissioner ET Colvin.
“I’m extremely honored and humbled to be selected as the Commissioner of USA Softball of Mississippi,” said Cole. “I’m very thankful for the leadership that former Commissioner Colvin has given during his tenure, and I look forward to growing our staff here in Mississippi. My focus is to continue to grow our grassroots level of softball and build relationships with our members while increasing the opportunity to play with USA Softball of Mississippi.”
Cole takes on the role of Commissioner with over 20 years of experience in the sport of softball. Having served as Deputy Umpire-In-Chief (UIC) for 10 years, Cole began his most recent position in 2019 as Regional UIC for Region 4 where he worked with hundreds of umpires across the nation in their training and development and assisted with hosting two National Umpire Schools in 2014 and 2016. Cole’s desire to improve the sport on a deeper level sparked when he attended his first UIC Clinic in 2011, which has led him to attend every bi-annual clinic since then.
Additionally, Cole served as President of the Northeast Mississippi Umpire Association (NEMUA) where he oversaw and trained 40 umpires, scheduled tournaments, and worked closely with the local parks and rec department to recruit new members and grow the association.
Cole attended Itawamba Community College and has spent the last 33 years as a Water and Sewer Superintendent for Tupelo Water & Light Department where he manages 18 employees and oversees the daily distribution of millions of gallons of water while reviewing and approving plans for new businesses, housing, and commercial developments.
For more information on USA Softball of Mississippi, please contact Cole at usasoftballms1@yahoo.com, or by phone at (662) 321-8528.
I always take time to reflect on the season as we come to the end. It’s been a long difficult two years dealing with the pandemic. Then basically restarting softball from the ground up; from getting leagues back up to finding enough umpires just to cover the midweek league games. An especially rainy spring forced all of us to work about muddy fields and rescheduled practices. But given what we’ve been through, I’m so glad we have softball back. Here’s to a “normal” 2022 season and I can’t wait to get started. I’m especially grateful to have teams from all over the coast wanting to come together so the girls have a chance to enjoy this great game.
Attached is the Tournament Information Packet for this weekend’s USA Softball of Mississippi’s Tee Ball, 10U C South and 12U C South State Tournaments. Unfortunately, the Coach Pitch bracket didn’t make. That was the danger in moving the tournament schedule back a week. Please review the packet carefully. I have included a checklist to make sure you have everything you need to play this weekend.
You are entering Championship Play, so everything will be a little more formal this weekend. We play by the State Rules and the Official Rules of Softball. The local tournament rules do not apply. You will need a roster. Included in the packet is rules for coach pitch and fast pitch. I have included a roster that must be filled out and signed by the parents. All players must be USA Softball Individually Registered.
One coach must be ACE Certified; doesn’t have to be the head coach. It’s mandated by code and the U.S. Olympic Committee. The ACE training in available online at: http://registerusasoftball.com.
There will be a Coaches Meeting on Friday, 2:00 PM at the fields. Each team should have at least one coach there. The first game time is 4:00 PM. Players need about 15 minutes to check-in before they play. Be sure to allow enough time for them to check-in before they warm-up. They will not play without checking in. We have a short opening ceremony at 3:30 PM with the teams present to kick off this year’s event.
Tee Ball does not need to attend the coaches meeting.
The tournament will be held at the Bayou View Sports Complex in Gulfport. The address is 4300 Hewes Av, Gulfport, MS 39501. The weather forecast has a chance of showers, so you should be prepared for anything. Be sure your players hydrate to be able to handle the heat.One final note… every once in a while someone performs a selfless act that is especially noteworthy. Ms Carolyn Owen and Gulfport Youth Sports Association allowed us to move back the tournament schedule when the Tropical Storm canceled a weekend. They didn’t have to do that. Long Beach got a second chance to host the Gulf Coast Championships. The girls got a chance to get a softball weekend back. This is what we do for each other as a softball family to look out for each other and is especially commendable.
Good Luck to everyone. Most of all, we want the players to be safe and have a fun weekend.
Thanks for Playing USA Softball!
Download Tournament Info Packet
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Tryouts for the 12u All-American Games in Meridian on June 15th. The All-American Games will have ~36 teams from all over the country competing in USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK on August 13-15, 2021.
