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BREAKING NEWS ... Atlanta Vipers-Berry (16A) and Georgia Impact-Bass (12A)  each finished as National Runner-up at their respective USA/ASA National tournaments... Click the "Like" Button on the Georgia ASA Facebook Page to receive updates via Facebook.

East Cobb Bullets Win 2010 18-GOLD National Championship
Congratulations to the East Cobb Bullets for winning the 2010 18-GOLD USA/ASA National Championship with a 6-3 win over North Florida in nine innings on August 7! The Bullets went undefeated to earn the first-ever ASA/USA National Title by any Georgia team in the "A"/GOLD Classifications.  For more information on the 18-GOLD national, go to the official 18-GOLD USA/ASA National Web site. A Full Story will be out shortly...

Nationals, Nationals, Nationals
It is ASA National Tournament Time! Georgia ASA teams (including 66 Class "A" teams) will be traveling from coast-to-coast to compete for the 2010 National Title. GeorgiaASA.com will be right there with them. Check out the 2010 ASA Nationals' Special Section! This page compiles all the key information for each Class "A" National, including links to official tournament Webs sites, participating teams and a game-by-game results for each Georgia ASA team at Nationals from Pool Play to the Championship Game. We search through the online brackets so you don't have to (but if you want to see for yourself, we link to the brackets too). Georgia ASA is proud to be hosting the 18-GOLD USA/ASA National in Cobb County (Marietta) this week. Head out to the Lost Mountain Complex to see the best  J.O. fast pitch softball in the country.

Georgia ASA Crowns 2010 State Champions
Congratulations to the 2010 Georgia ASA State Champions! Teams from around the state battled through the competitive brackets in to earn this year's State Title. In addition, the final Georgia ASA Association Berth to the USA/ASA National Championship was awarded in each of the Class "A" age divisions. In a situation where the State Champion had already earned its berth prior to the State Tournament, the association berth was awarded to the team without a berth who finished farthest in the tournament. A list of all teams in all "A" age divisions going to Nationals may be found at the Georgia ASA J.O. Berth Report. The 2010 Georgia ASA State Champions, Runner-ups and Berth Winners are as follows:

10A State Champions: Worth Cobras
10A State Runner-up: Dacula Lady Falcons
10A Final Association Berth Winner: Georgia Fire – Masoner

12A State Champions: Georgia Impact - Buster Bass
12A State Runner-up: Atlanta Vipers - Vic Loveless
12A Final Association Berth Winner: South Effingham Angels - Matt Newman

14A State Champions: Georgia Impact – Strother
14A State Runner-up: Atlanta Vipers – Prance
14A Final Association Berth Winner: Georgia Impact–Black – Al Owen

16A State Champions: Georgia Impact–White - Jeff Brock
16A State Runner-up: Atlanta Vipers – Phil Berry
16A Final Association Berth Winner: Georgia Impact–White – Jeff Brock

18A State Champions: Middle Georgia Shockers – Ricky Schnable
18A State Runner-up: Georgia Xtreme – Bruce Mercer  
18A Final Association Berth Winner: East Georgia Thunder – Charles Salzman

8C State Champions: TC Bombers
8C State Runner-up: Alpharetta Attack

10C State Champions: Buford Lady Wolves
10C State Runner-up: North Gwinnett Red Bulldogs

12C State Champions: North Gwinnett Bulldogs
12C State Runner-up: Lady Thunder

18C State Champions: North Gwinnett Bulldogs
18C State Runner-up: Cherokee All Stars
 

**UPDATED APRIL 30, 2010**A Message to J.O. Coaches/Tournament Directors from Georgia ASA Commissioner, Al Dattolo:
FRIENDLY (Clarification): A few days ago I posted a notice on the Georgia ASA website concerning teams/clubs holding a friendly that Georgia ASA considered tournaments. In posting that notice I failed to consider events that are actually a friendly - that is – an event with four or fewer teams. I did not intend to eliminate those type events from approved events.

The events I was speaking about are events with more than four teams that are clearly of tournament status and using the term friendly to avoid paying a sanction fee. Those events are still required to pay a sanction fee to be considered an approved event. Checking into how those events are held, specifically no tournament director and basically as fund raisers, the sanction fee shall be $5 per team. The event still must be sanctioned to be approved. You need to inform Kim Townsend or Katie Kay that you intend to sanction the event and send the sanction fee to the one whom you sanctioned through within 48 hours of event.

The sanction fees are used to help with the program initiated several years ago whereby Georgia ASA pays the entry fee to the National Tournament for which a team qualifies. At the present time, due to lack of funds, reduced registrations and tournament sanction fees that program is in jeopardy. I will not cause Georgia ASA to go into the red due to this program. Therefore, the entry fee for any team that qualifies will not be paid immediately after the conclusion of the qualifier as it has been in the past. Georgia ASA will submit entry fees as funds become available. If the qualifying team wishes, it may pay the fee and request a reimbursement from Georgia ASA.

If the teams wish this program to continue beyond 2010 they must support the program by paying tournament sanction fees. The only other solution is to increase individual and team registration fees. The future of this program rests with the participation of the teams.
All we ask is you help us support you.

Georgia ASA Launches J.O. Coaches' Accountability Program
Georgia ASA has instituted the Georgia ASA Coaches’ Accountability Program for unsporting behavior which results in the coach being ejected. This is effective beginning April 1, 2010 for all Georgia ASA Events, including Association Berth Tournaments, National Qualifiers, Region Tournaments, Territory Tournaments, Friendly, and any other event that utilizes ASA certified and sanctioned umpires. Download the details of the Georgia ASA Coaches’ Accountability Program here. Any questions, please contact Georgia ASA Commissioner, Al Dattolo.

Georgia ASA Player and Umpire-In-Chief to Participate in ASA's "Border Battle"
Congratulations to USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch National Team Player JD Genter (Chickamauga, Ga.) and Georgia ASA Umpire-In-Chief Jimmy Derrick for being selected to participate in the ASA Border Battle as a player and umpire respectively.

The game will feature North America's best Men's Slow Pitch players as Team USA plays against the Canadian Men’s Slow Pitch National team. "The Border Battle" is slated for July 24, 2010 at 4 p.m. ET during the Women's Fast Pitch World Cup of Softball at ASA’s Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City. This event gives fans a rare look at some of the best Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch talent at one event. The two teams will also play a series of exhibition games earlier in the week before "The Border Battle" is nationally televised live on one of the ESPN-family stations. All USA Softball Women’s Fast Pitch National Team games during the World Cup will also be televised by ESPN.

Genter, an infielder, is one of seven returners to join eight rookies on the prestigious squad. In the past three years he has been named to 11 All-Tournament teams and received two tournament MVP honors and one tournament defensive MVP title.

Derrick is one of  only four umpires from the United States to be chosen by the ASA National Supervisor of Umpires, Kevin Ryan, to work this elite event. With the addition of one umpire from Canada, five umpires will make up the crew for this event. The Atlanta ASA Hall of Honor recipient has been umpiring for 29 years and is an Elite-level and ISF certified umpire in Slow Pitch. He started as Atlanta ASA's Umpire-In-Chief in 2002 and continued that title when Atlanta ASA Merged with Georgia ASA in 2006. Derrick has umpired in numerous ASA National Tournaments, including the following Slow Pitch Major Tournaments: Supers (twice), Hooters Championship Series, Men's Armed Forces (three times), Men's Major, Women's Major (twice) and Men's A.

Follow Georgia ASA on Facebook and Twitter
Georgia ASA has joined the social networking world! Become a "Fan" of Georgia ASA on Facebook or be a "Follower" on Twitter. Get real-time updates on tournaments, meetings, rule changes, Web site updates, news and more. You can also connect with other Georgia ASA fans from around the state and around the world. Best of all, its FREE and easy to use. This is a must-have for players, coaches, parents, fans and umpires. Join today and start receiving Georgia ASA status updates and tweets!

Three Umpires Inducted Into Georgia ASA Hall of Fame
Congratulations to umpires Allen Hollaway, Larry McCaden and Bobbie Ragland for being inducted into the Georgia ASA Hall of Fame at the annual state umpire clinic in Atlanta on January 30. The trio are the first set of inductees since Georgia ASA and Atlanta ASA merged in 2006. The Georgia ASA Hall of Fame is the highest honor in the state an umpire may receive. Combined with the Atlanta ASA Hall of Honor, they are a part of an elite group of only 62 umpires who have been bestowed this honor since it began in the mid-1980s. CLICK HERE for a Photo Slide Show from the clinic.

Also during the clinic, Dave Lloyd was honored with the Graybill Daniel Memorial Award for his outstanding contribution to the Georgia ASA umpire program and Georgia ASA overall. 

Georgia ASA Umpire-In-Chief, Jimmy Derrick, presented numerous Umpire-of-the-Year awards at the association, district and zone levels to umpires from around the state for their 2009 accomplishments. North Georgia Amateur Umpires Association's (NGAUA's) Powell Hazzard was awarded the Georgia ASA Umpire-of-the-Year.

In addition to the awards ceremony, ASA Deputy Director of Umpires, Jim Craig, flew in from Buffalo, NY to give a classroom clinic on the 2010 ASA Rule Changes and deliver the keynote address which focused on obstruction and interference.

2010 ASA Rule and Code Changes
The ASA National Office has published its 2010 ASA Rule Changes. Changes to the rules include (but are not limited to) pitching distances and use of metal cleats in 16U and 18U J.O. classification and pitching arch heights in adult slow pitch. In addition, ASA has made modifications to the ASA Code. These modifications include (but are not limited to) college student-athlete eligibility in J.O. classifications and the location of the 18-GOLD national championship. Click Here to view a replay of ASA Deputy Director of Umpires, Jim Craig, explaining the 2010 ASA Rule Changes at the 2010 Georgia ASA State Umpire (January 30, 2010 at Emory University).

Fayetteville's Ashley Holcombe Makes 2010 Team USA Roster
Congratulations to Fayetteville's Ashley Holcombe for making the USA Softball Women’s National Team! Holdcombe joins a roster with 16 other talented players who will be traveling to Canton, Ohio, Venezuela for the ISF Championship, Canada, Oklahoma City for the World Cup and ending the season in Japan. Holcombe was a four-time All-State selection (including three first-team selections) at Fayette High School and helped lead the Georgia Elite Gold to an impressive 5th-place finish at the 2004 USA/ASA 18-GOLD National Championship Tournament. Click here for more information on USA Softball!

Balls & Strikes Magazine and The Inside Pitch Available Online
Click HERE for the latest edition of ASA's Balls & Strikes Magazine, It features a preview of the World Cup and an introduction to the Futures Team. The June, 2010 issue of The Inside Pitch is also available for free online with features other associations around the country. You may also want to check out the February, 2010 issue of The Inside Pitch which features on the front page one of Georgia's J.O. Commissioners, Kim Townsend who was honored at the ASA J.O. clinic in Oklahoma City for her 15 years of service to ASA (seen to the right receiving her award from ASA Director of Membership Services, Craig Cress).

ACE Certification and Background Checks REQUIRED For J.O. in 2010
Effective January 1, 2010, every coach of teams playing in Championship play MUST be ACE Certified with a background check. The background check will automatically be included with the ACE Certification. Also, per ASA National Office, ANY and EVERY ADULT in the dugout MUST have a background check. This includes scorekeepers, trainers, etc. The background check must be done through Georgia ASA and all adults in the dugout MUST wear the ID Card verifying the background check was conducted. Everyone who takes the ACE Certification Training will receive the required ID Card. The cost of the background check not associated with ACE is not yet known. This information will be posted as soon as it is finalized.

Georgia ASA to Host Four National Tournaments in 2011
At the 78th Annual ASA National Council Meeting in Reno, Nev., Georgia ASA was awarded Four ASA National Tournaments for 2011. The tournaments include three girls' fast pitch southern championships and the Men's Church Slow Pitch national. The ASA Nationals in Georgia for 2011 are as follows:

• Girls’ 16-Under Class A Fast Pitch Southern – Columbus, Ga.

• Girls’ 10-Under Class B Fast Pitch Southern – La Grange, Ga.

• Girls’ 18-Under Class B Fast Pitch Southern – La Grange, Ga.

• Men’s Church Slow Pitch – Cumming, Ga.

Check here for a full list of 2011 ASA National Tournament Locations

Region IV will also be hosting an additional eight National Tournaments in Tennessee and North Carolina. The 2011 National Tournaments in Region IV are as follows:

• USA/ASA Girls’ 10-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Johnson City, Tenn.

• USA/ASA Girls’ 16-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Chattanooga, Tenn.

• Men’s Senior East 50 and Over – Burlington, N.C.

• Men’s Senior East 55 and Over – Burlington, N.C.

• Men’s Senior East 60 and Over – Burlington, N.C.

• Men’s Senior East 65 and Over – Burlington, N.C.

• Men’s Senior East 70 and Over – Burlington, N.C.

• Men’s Senior East 75 and Over – Burlington, N.C.

Many J.O. Fast Pitch "A" teams from around Georgia will be working toward a National Title in 2011. The USA/ASA Class "A" National Locations for 2011 are as follows:

• USA/ASA Girls’ 10-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Johnson City, Tenn.

• USA/ASA Girls’ 12-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Montgomery, Ala.

• USA/ASA Girls’ 14-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Midland, Texas

• USA/ASA Girls’ 16-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Chattanooga, Tenn.

• USA/ASA Girls’ 18-Under “A” Fast Pitch – Normal, Ill.

• USA/ASA Girls’ 18-Under GOLD Fast Pitch – West Coast  Location TBA

Georgia ASA is preparing for 13 ASA Nationals in 2010. The 2010 ASA Championships in Georgia are as follows:

• Girls’ 18-U GOLD Fast Pitch – Marietta, Ga.

• Girls’ 10-U Slow Pitch – LaGrange, Ga.

• Girls’ 12-U Slow Pitch – LaGrange, Ga.

• Girls’ 14-U Slow Pitch – LaGrange, Ga.

• Girls’ 16-U Slow Pitch – LaGrange, Ga.

• Girls’ 18-U Slow Pitch – LaGrange, Ga.

• Girls’ 10-U Class A Fast Pitch Southern – Cumming, Ga.

• Coed Major Slow Pitch – Columbus, Ga.

• Coed Class A Slow Pitch – Columbus, Ga.

• Coed Class B Slow Pitch – Columbus, Ga.

• Men's 9-man Modified Pitch - Cumming, Ga.

• Men's 10-man Modified Pitch - Cumming, Ga.

• Men's Major Modified - Cumming, Ga.

Check here for a full list of 2010 ASA National Tournament Locations.

2009 Georgia ASA J.O. State Champions
Congratulations to the 2009 Georgia ASA J.O. State Champions:

     18A - Home Plate Athletics
     16A - East Cobb Bullets - Fullem
     14A - Atlanta Vipers - Dean
     12A - Atlanta Vipers - Barnes
     10A - Worth Cobras
     14C - Cherokee All Stars
     12C - North Gwinnett
     10C - North Gwinnett - Red
     8C  - Mill Creek