THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS GETTING READY TO HOST
THE WORLD’S SENIOR SOFTBALL TEAMS

SALEM, VIRGINIA USA - The City of Salem and surrounding jurisdictions would like to extend a special invitation to all senior men’s and women’s teams throughout the World to come and join us for one of this year’s premier senior events at the VII ISF Senior World Cup to be held in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia.  Come for the competition and enjoy the fun and fellowship at a great destination.  Many younger players at the college and amateur levels have experienced the excellent venues and dedicated and enthusiastic staff, now senior players for the first time will have the opportunity to be part of the City of Champions legacy.

The first entries are in, inquiries are being received daily from interested senior teams and over 400 tournament packet requests have been honored. Indications are that we are in for a truly fabulous international competition that will give you the chance to test your ability against teams from different parts of the senior softball world.  (Last week the officials in Salem reported that over 30 teams had already booked their rooms.)

If you are not familiar with the International Softball Federation’s Senior World Cup you can visit the photo gallery at www.seniorsoftball.org which includes photos from previous ISF senior events.  If your team plans to participate in this year’s tournament, we would encourage you to send us your story about your team and/or individual players for inclusion in future newsletters leading up to the event.  This is one way that you can introduce yourself to the other participating teams and foster the comradery that characterizes senior softball.

If you would like us to mail you a tournament packet for the 2008 ISF Senior World Cup please email us with mailing instructions at issa@seniorsoftball.org

MANASSAS, VIRGINIA - George Morgan from White Hall, MD was the first manager to register his senior team for the 7^th ISF Senior World Cup.  George’s team, the McCall’s Outlaws/Longshots from the Harford County, Maryland Senior Softball League have entered their team in the 60+ AAA Division.  The team has been a long time participant in the ISF and ISSA tournaments and we look forward to their return in 2008. 

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WORLD  VINTAGE  SOFTBALL  CARNIVAL
GOING  TO  HAWAII  IN  2009

SNELLS BEACH, NEW ZEALAND - Following the successful inaugural World Vintage Softball Carnival in Rotorua, New Zealand in March 2007, the organizers have planned  a second World Vintage Softball Carnival to be staged in Hawaii between April 19 and 26, 2009.

The Vintage Games will be assisted by the Hawaii Amateur Softball Association who are helping with fields and provision for umpires and scorers. The hosts are preparing to welcome teams from all over the world.  Full details of the World Vintage Softball Carnival are displayed on their website at . http://www.vintagesoftball.com

Teams are encouraged to enter the Carnival and to experience the unique enjoyment of a week long celebration of the great game of softball.  Mixing with teams from all over the world; competing vigorously on the diamond and socialising freely with like-minded players and officials was a great formula that worked well in Rotorua and that will be the basis for a week of fun, friendship and competition in April 2009.

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SSWAB LOOKING FOR REGIONAL REPS

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -  Regional Representatives Needed for the SSWAB - The Women’s Advisory Board has started to emphasize regional representation to ensure that all senior women’s teams are well represented. There are a few geographical areas that are not properly represented at present, and the Board is asking for volunteers from those regions who would be willing to serve as player representatives. These areas have very few teams that participate in national tournaments at present, and one of the tasks for Board members is to try to identify more players and teams in these regions.

The SSWAB has established the following break-out of regions in the U.S. and Canada:

• Northwest: AK, ID, MT, OR, SY, WA
• North: IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD, WI
• Great Lakes: IL, IN, KY,MI, OH
• Northeast: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV
• California: CA, HI
• Southwest: AZ, CO, NM, NV, UT
• Mid-South: AR, LA, OK, TX
• Southeast: AL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN
• Florida: FL
• Western Canada: AB, BC, NT, NU, SK, YT
• Eastern Canada: MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC

It is the Northwest, North, Mid-South, and Western Canada regions that are in need of representation. Anyone from one of these regions who is interested in volunteering to become a member of the SSWAB should email a resume to Connie Stewart at grannysoftball@aol.com.

NEWS FROM THE 2008 SENIOR SUMMIT

The following is a reprint from SOFTBALL NEWS summarizing the 2008 Senior Summit regarding Senior Softball in the United States:

PHOENIX – In its 10th year, the National Senior Softball Summit took dramatic steps to clarify its purpose for both players and delegates.

“We are not a rule-making body; our main purpose is communication between competing national organizations for the betterment of the sport, In its most far-reaching decision the National Senior Softball Summit decided here in January to turn the Team Ratings over to each of the nine member National Associations.

“We are simply dealing with reality in making this move,” said Terry Hennessy, Senior Softball-USA delegate to the Summit.

“The Ratings System is dependent on common rosters and the ability of all of the organizations to check their rosters against the qualifying rosters that teams used when they were rated,” said Hennessy, one of the three members of the National Ratings Committee.  Thomas and Ridge Hooks, SPA delegate, are the other two Ratings Committee members.

“That is not happening for several reasons,” he said.

Associations have different roster standards – some allowing regional exemptions, some allowing snowbirds and others allowing open rosters.  In addition, it has been difficult for some associations that do not hold qualifiers to establish a system to check rosters for “loading” of higher-skilled players.

“We are dedicated to working to establish a real National Rating System, but until that happens, each association will post team ratings on it’s own website,” said Hennessy.

The Ratings Committee will continue to receive appeals and send any recommended ratings changes to all associations, but under the new system, associations will be able to make changes that are determined by their individual roster regulations.

 Hennessy told delegates that it should be possible within two months to add a feature to the ratings site the allows the associations to check the names on many of the rosters to help them check rosters more easily.

Summit organizations include: ASA, Huntsman World Senior Games, ISA, ISSA, LVSSA, SSWS, NSA, SPA and SSUSA.The Summit also changed its response to rule recommendations from the National Men’s Advisory Board and the National Women’s Advisory Board.

“In the past we have inadvertently implied that the Summit would be able to act on the rules and recommendations of the Advisory Boards,” Hennessy told the National Advisory Boards.  “We only have the authority to take your recommendations back to our organizations – it is up to each association to decide on the recommendations. However, you are talking to the right people when you present your ideas to Summit Delegates: they will get your views back to their organizations.”

The Summit spent a good portion of the Summit developing a mission statement and objectives to make clear its purpose:

Mission Statement: The purpose of the Summit is to provide a forum for communication between member associations.

Objectives:

• To identify and publish the commonalities and differences of the major rules of member organizations.
• To provide a forum for players to give input to member organizations.
• To provide information to member organizations for the ratings of teams for their organizations.
• To provide awareness of health and safety issues to senior players.
• To promote Senior Softball.

The Summit will continue to list Summit Minutes, the Comparison of Rules Chart, the Advisory Board Recommendations, the list of National Tournaments and will make available appeal forms.  There will be a link to all of the National member association websites, as well as a link to the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame.

The Summit will no longer carry a joint National Ratings Listing (this list will be available through each individual association website), a list of snowboards, nor will the Summit comment on the recommendations of the Advisory Boards (each association will respond, as appropriate).

Four organizations announced rule changes:

ASA is adopting the 6-foot pitcher’s box and the strike mat. In addition, ASA changed its mercy rule to 20 runs after 3 innings, 15 after 4 innings and 10 after 5 innings.  The ASA is also adopting a rule that requires removing a bat if it rattles when shaken.

Senior Softball World Series announced it will allow bats this year that meet the original 1.20 bpf standard (which would include bats commonly used by seniors, such as the Ultra II and the Combat).

Senior Softball-USA announced using a larger strike mat and changing rules for the 50, 55 and 60 Major-Plus divisions

ISA announced it will be using Senior Softball-USA rules.

In other Summit action, delegates established a Technology Committee to explore technologies that will expand and improve communications between associations and to players. Dan Needy of the Huntsman World Senior Games will chair the committee.

Jim Sherman, SSUSA National Safety Director outlined a safety program to delegates to obtain defibrillators and train tournament personnel in CPR and first aid.  Sherman told how two lives had been saved because of the SSUSA program last year and offered his service for free to the other associations to get their programs started.

Craig Cress of ASA was selected Summit Chair for 2010-2011.  Cress will be Vice-Chair in 2009.  Bill Ruth, President of ISA, is the Summit Chair for 2008-2009.

The 2009 Summit will be in Phoenix on Jan. 23-25.

The Mens Advisory Board and Women’s Advisory Board recommendations to the individual Summit organizations are available at www.softballrating.com.

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THE SENIOR SOFTBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

MANASSAS, VIRGINIA - “History Loves Company” and “Virginia is for Lovers” are two local slogans in the tourism industry.  Perhaps we should add a third, “Senior Softball Players Love Manassas.”  This year will mark the 14^th ISSA World Championships and with 6 ISF Senior World Cup championships also played here, the community will be hosting its 20^th world class event for senior softball participants.  Accordingly, Manassas has become know internationally as the SENIOR SOFTBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

The XIV ISSA World Championships will be held on August 15-17, 2008 and will include divisions for women (40+ and Up), senior men (50+ and Up) and a men’s Masters Division for men (35+, 40+ and 45+).  Tournament details are available from the ISSA Office.

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