When is the spring season?
There are a few spots remaining in our spring '24 season. Practices begin in late February, and the regular season concludes by mid-May.
What is the (spring season) commitment?
During the spring regular season, divisions 8U-14U will typically practice 1x per week (90 minutes) and play up to 2 games per week (one weekday/one weekend).
6U will have 1 practice and 1 game per week.
What is "Fall Ball"?
Fall ball is a developmentally-focused program. It is especially valuable for players moving up in divisions and/or looking to further develop their skills, particularly at specialized positions like pitcher and catcher.
During the fall season, our teams will primarily play teams from other area youth softball leagues.
The fall season typically runs 8-10 weeks and the commitment is 1 practice per week and double-header games each weekend.
Where do we play?
Beach Softball practices and plays in Manhattan Beach at the Marine Sports Complex (West Field), Manhattan Heights Park, and Begg Field.
Marine West – 1801 Marine Ave MB
Manhattan Heights – 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd, MB
Begg Field – 1402 N Peck Ave. MB
What kind of equipment is needed?
Every player needs a glove (properly broken in), regulation softball bat (look for the ASA or USA Softball mark), and batting helmet with facemask.
Beach Softball provides jerseys, socks and practice shirts. Each player is responsible for softball pants. Any color will do, though most choose black to keep it simple.
Cleats are recommended.
While each team will have catchers’ equipment, many catchers in divisions 10U and above have their own gear.
What size bat should I get?
Hitting is hard enough…using the correct size bat is important. There are two quick and easy tests you can do to check bat size: (1) weight: have the player hold the bat with one hand, extended out to the side. If they can keep the bat extended without dropping it, they can properly swing that bat; (2) length: place the bat knob at the center of the player’s chest and extend the barrel out towards the fingertips (parallel to the ground). The player should be able to touch the end of the bat with their fingertips
What size ball is appropriate?
6U - 10" (RIF 1)
8U - 10" (RIF 1)
10U - 11"
12U+ - 12"
My daughter wants to pitch…now what?
Pitching is a specialized skill. Our volunteer coaches do not have the practice time or in many cases the knowledge to teach and develop this complex discipline. Many of our pitchers work with private instructors.
Beach Softball will provide in-season pitching clinics to introduce girls to the position. These are generally for our younger players. We ask that anyone looking to pitch in 8U at the very least attend these clinics.
Anyone hoping to pitch 10U or above should seriously consider private lessons.
We also recommend catchers lessons for girls interested in that position.
Reach out to your coach or to Beach Softball directly for resources or recommendations.
What else can I do to help my daughter advance her softball skills?
For some of our younger players, a regular game of catch or a tee & net is all that’s required to strengthen their basic softball skills.
Beach Softball also partners with experienced outside coaches to offer skills clinics for players of all levels over the course of the season. Please take advantage of this valuable resource.
Softball University in Redondo Beach and Beach City Baseball Academy (El Segundo) offer group classes.
Finally, feel free to reach out and we may be able to direct you to a private coach.
Can my daughter play up/down?
We strongly recommend that girls play in the USA Softball age-appropriate division. Players wishing to play-up must be ranked as one of the top 12 players in the higher division's preseason evaluations. For example, a 10U player seeking to play in the 12U division will need to be ranked as one of the top 12 players in the 12U pre-season evaluation in order to be eligible for participation in that division.
Requests to play down will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Players "playing down" will not be eligible to pitch.
Select and All-Star play will strictly follow USA softball age guidelines.
How are teams formed?
Our 10U and 12U divisions are formed via draft.
In 8U, a modified draft format is used. Friend requests are often honored though we also pay attention to competitive balance, particularly with respect to the skill positions.
In 6U, every attempt is made to organize by request / school etc.
It’s raining…do we have practice/game?
The City of Manhattan Beach makes the call to close the fields in the case of inclement weather. We will do our best to communicate to our commissioners, coaches and parents as soon as we learn of any change in field status.
What is the Select program?
Select is a USA Softball sponsored program that provides an opportunity for advanced players to participate in more competitive play. USA Softball rules govern the frequency of activities as well as the duration of the season; there will be some overlap (but not conflict) with regular season play.
Select teams will be chosen in the Spring season through an additional tryout.
The cost of Select play is not covered by the league and will require an additional fee. The fee will vary by team and depend upon uniforms, # of games, involvement of outside coaches etc.
All Spring Select players must also play in the recreational league.
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