When it comes to All-Star teams, it is the intent of Fargo Area Fastpitch to field a team that will best represent our league in competition and character. All of the fastpitch players need to have an opportunity to make the team regardless of popularity, school affiliations, or parental influence. For those that are not selected for the team, the details regarding their candidacy shall be held in the strictest of confidence and remain private.
All Selection decisions regarding All-Star teams need to be made with these Board and District approved ideals in mind. Several characteristics permeate our selection process for players and managers for the All-Star teams.
- Skill-level and ability to compete
- Attitude, hustle, team spirit, team leadership, and
- Overall character, integrity, and sportsmanship
Winning is fun, but it is very important that we remember that Fargo Area Fastpitch is a child development program and that we are about teaching life lessons, building and demonstrating the positive ideals and characteristics that we hope for all our children.
Timing:
The All-Star team selection process will begin no sooner than two weeks prior to the first tournament game or on the 15th of May. The All-Star team CANNOT be announced at any earlier date than is prescribed by Little League Rules each year, which is May 15.
The All-Star practices typically begin around the first week in June. Practices begin immediately upon team selection and can run up to 2 hours per day and can be up to 1-2 days a week up to the time of the All-Star tournaments.
The All-Star Central Region Tournament will be held at the end of July(official dates not announced) in Whitestown, Indiana. Additional tournaments and games will be scheduled throughout the summer in preparation for the Central Region Tournament. The winning team from the Central Region Tournament will advance to the Little League Softball World Series in Greensville, North Carolina.
All Star Player Selection Process:
The All-Star team selection process will consist of a committee selected by the Fargo Area Fastpitch staff and board of directors. At the start of the process coaches will nominate players that they feel meet the needs of Fargo Area Fastpitch that will best represent the league. If a player is not nominated by a coach, this does not exclude her from the All-Star process. The committee throughout the season will keep notes of each player per age group. These notes are strictly confidential. Dates of the showcase will be announced at a later date.
If you are unable to attend the showcase dates, this does not exclude you from being selected. The committee will then choose a roster of 12-13 players per age group that best fit the qualifications assigned by the league and will be finalized by the committee.
If you are selected for the All-Star team, the head coach or manager will send an email with a tentative schedule, additional costs (minimum of $100), and expectations. If accepting the roster spot, players and parents will have to sign a code of conduct and must be fully committed to the All-Star team.
If selected, this does not mean you leave your league roster. You are required to play on both teams. Also, keep in mind that if you participate on the all-star team this does exclude you from playing some tournaments with your league teams such as the NIT International Tournament in Fargo.
Manager & Coach Selection Process:
All-Star Managers shall be a Manager or a coach during the regular season. A manager or coach that has participated in another youth fastpitch league may be eliminated from the All-Star participation if their participation in the other league is deemed “detrimental” to league operations.
After the Manager vote and other input are received, the Fargo Area Fastpitch committee shall hold a meeting to discuss the manager candidates and discuss the findings and act upon the President/CEO and Fastpitch Director's recommendation to the committee. The Fargo Area Sports staff and committee will choose a head coach the each team. The head coach will then provide input on which coaches should be selected as assistants. Assistants must be Fargo Area Fastpitch coaches for the current season. All coaches chosen have to be a rostered manager or coach during the regular season and meet all other eligibility requirements.