PENASQUITOS GIRLS SOFTBALL
ALL-STAR GUIDELINES
Penasquitos Girls Softball League has a highly successful and competitive all-star program. Our
All-Star teams are designated ASA Class "B", which is the highest designated level for
Recreational Leagues. Our All-Star program has competed for more than 20 years throughout
the county, the greater Southern California area, and has often traveled outside of the state to
compete at the national level.
PQGSA has a reputation for excellence. We are proud of our players, coaches and managers that
consistently compete at the highest level and represent the community with grace and
sportsmanship. Our Recreational program has fueled the success of our All-Star Teams, but the
All-Star program is separate from the Recreational Program.
PQGSA All-Star program has sent a team to Nationals EVERY year since 1994.
Our PQ Lightning Team Accomplishments:
3 National Championships
4 National Finalists
19 Top 5 Finishes
27 Top 10 Finishes
30 Teams sent to ASA Western Nationals since 1992
The PQGSA Board of Directors has put together this general information for players and
families to learn more about the program, the manager and player selection process and the time
and financial commitments families must make if selected to participate in the program.
If you have any questions after reading the complete PQGSA All-Star Guidelines, please contact
the All-Star Coordinator, Player Agent, or President.
PENASQUITOS GIRLS SOFTBALL
ALL-STAR GUIDELINES
GENERAL INFORMATION
Penasquitos Girls Softball will field at least one, and sometimes two or three, All-Star
Tournament Teams in each age division. The top/gold level team, called “PQ Lightning”, will
consist of 11-13 players that are selected by a League approved All-Star Manager. A
second/silver team “PQ Thunder”, or third/bronze team “PQ Bolts”, will be considered if there is
sufficient talent, pitching and coaching available.
The All-Star season lasts from early May through July, and possibly into August. During the
Recreational Season, a player’s first commitment is to her Rec Team, and she will not miss any
Rec games or practices to attend All-Star team practices.
All-Star softball requires significant time commitment. Teams may practice three to five days
per week. Tournament games run from Friday through Sunday. Teams will play multiple games
on Saturdays and Sundays, sometimes three or more per day. Teams typically play between 4
and 8 tournaments. Tournaments begin no later than Memorial Day Weekend.
The cost per player to play on an All-Star Team can range from $300-$500 or more. This does
not include the cost of travel arrangements. The cost varies depending on the number of
tournaments entered, how much travel is required, and how many sponsors are obtained.
PQGSA hosts an all-star tournament each year on Memorial Day Weekend at Canyonside Park.
Parents of all-star players are required to volunteer a minimum of 6 hours per
participating player with the snack bar, fields, parking, trash pickup, etc. (each age
group will have a specific assignment). This commitment goes beyond the completion
of your games and until the tournament is complete on Monday afternoon.
There are many rewards for coaches and players involved in All-Star Tournament Teams. The
girls are able to experience a highly competitive level of play with players of their own ability.
They continue practicing and playing into July or later depending on the team, therefore
developing advanced softball skills. And they share a deep social and emotional connection with
their teammates. Coaches and players will be exposed to a higher level of play and will gain a
deeper softball knowledge.
ALL-STAR MANAGER SELECTION
All-star managers are approved by the Board of Directors. Managers will not be selected before
April 24th. Minimum requirements for Manager Candidates include:
1. To have been an active manager or coach in good standing in the Penasquitos Girls Softball
Association.
2. To have submitted and passed a background check through ASA.
3. To submit a request to manage a team to the Player Agent or their Division Coordinator.
4. To present yourself in front of the Board of Directors stating your qualifications and
experience at a Board meeting.
5. To accept the League’s guidelines for managing and directing an All-Star Tournament
Team representing the Penasquitos Girls Softball Association and sign the Manager’s
Code of Conduct.
In April, the Player Agent will send an email to all Rec Managers asking for All-Star Manager
Nominations. All-Star Manager Candidates should not indicate or discuss with players or
parents their potential position as All-Star Manager until after the Manager Selection Process is
complete. In fact, SoCal ASA, the governing body of softball, does not allow All-Star softball
activities involving players until May 1st.
All candidates will be interviewed by the PQGSA Board of Directors on a specific date in April.
The date will fall in line with ASA All-Star Manager selection guidelines. After all candidates
are interviewed, the Board of Directors will conduct a secret ballot vote to determine which
candidate shall be named Manager of each All-Star Team.
The Board of Directors takes considerable care in the Manager Selection Process. In addition to
the candidate interviews, coaching experience, coaching demeanor, past success, and the ability
to represent the League in a positive light are all considered before the secret ballot vote is
conducted.
Once the All-Star Manager is selected, the Manager has the endorsement of the Board of
Directors in selecting a coaching staff and the players to make up the All-Star Team. The AllStar Manager is expected to act within the rules of ASA and PQGSA when selecting coaches and
players. The Board of Directors does not influence or make decisions regarding the coaching
staff or which players are selected, but will discuss issues regarding eligibility and conduct votes
as requited per ASA Eligibility Requirements.
Because Lightning teams will represent the League in Championship Play (Districts and
potentially States and Nationals), the Lightning Manager will have first selection players and
coaches prior to any Thunder or Bolts team.
Managers considering applying for an All-Star Tournament Team should consider the time
commitment required. The All-Star Manager not only runs practices and games for the team, but
must also be responsible for all team communication, coordinating team expenses, ordering
uniforms, coordinating transportation to the tournaments, etc. The All-Star Manager is a
volunteer position. Managers receive no compensation from the League or Team.
PLAYER SELECTION and NOMINATION
Towards the end of the Spring Recreational Season (generally in early April), the Player Agent
will send a request to all Recreational Team Managers asking for nominations for potential AllStar players. Managers are asked to nominate the highest skilled players from their team, who
demonstrate a high level of softball skills.
The Player Agent will provide this list to the approved Gold/Lightning All-Star Manager. The
Gold/Lightning All-Star Manager will send out invitations for an All-Star tryout. Not all
submitted names may be selected for the try-out, and the All-Star Manager may invite girls who
were not submitted by their Rec Manager.
For 8U Managers: When considering which players from your team to nominate for the All-Star
Tournament Teams, please be aware that in Tournament play there are walks, strike-outs, and
base stealing. All pitching is done by the players (no coach pitching). Players should have a
high level of ability and should be able to consistently hit pitched balls and have the
arm strength to throw a ball across the diamond. Unfortunately, it is possible that not
every Rec team is represented on an All-Star Tournament Team. Not only do the players need to
have a high level of playing ability, but also the player and parents must be ready to make the
time and financial commitment necessary. Tournament practices and games should not be
missed.
Rec Managers are asked not to inquire or notify any rec players whether they are being
considered for All-Stars, so the first notification will come from the All-Star Manager and not
the Rec Manager.
After the All-Star Tryout, players will be selected by the All-Star Managers. The
Gold/Lightning Manager will make selections and contact the Gold/Lightning selected players
first. Once the Gold team is complete, the Silver/Thunder Team will be formed. If a
Bronze/Bolts level team is to be formed, it will be formed after the Silver/Thunder team.
Girls selected for the Gold/Lightning team who elect not to accept the invitation will
NOT be considered for Silver/Thunder teams. PQGSA wants to make sure the
Lightning/Gold team has the best chance for success in Championship Play.
It is important to be aware that not all girls who are nominated or try-out will be selected for an
all-star team. It is an honor to be nominated to participate in the All-Star Selection process and
all girls who are nominated should be recognized for their excellence.
ALL-STAR TRYOUTS
The Board approved Gold/Lightning All-Star Manager is responsible for coordinating and
conducting the All-Star Tryouts. All-Star Tryouts may not be held until May 1, as per ASA
Rules and Regulations.
Although the Gold/Lightning All-Star Manager will take the lead as the Tryout Coordinator,
there are some guidelines that must be followed:
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Each age group will have its own tryouts on or after May 1st
The Thunder and Bolts managers will attend the tryouts
The Gold/Lightning Manager must consult with Thunder and/or Bolts Managers to
accommodate his or her requests
No cuts or team selection notifications will be made at the field
Athletes will not be separated or grouped specifically in a manner that would reflect team
selection (i.e. 12-15 girls who are Gold/Lightning prospects work together on one field
while the other athletes are sent away to "Tryout" at another field)
Each and every athlete at the All-Star Tryouts must be given equal opportunity to
showcase her skills and talents to all of the Managers and Coaches
Each athlete will be given the opportunity to showcase both offensive and defensive
skills for all of the Managers and Coaches, including those who wish to tryout as a
Pitcher or Catcher
After All-Star Tryouts, each and every athlete will be notified within 48 hours whether she will
be offered a spot on an All-Star team.
Before accepting an invitation to an All-Star Team, parents and players must agree to make the
time and financial commitment necessary to participate on the team. Parents will be asked to
notify the All-Star Manager of any prior commitments or vacations that would affect the player's
ability to attend practices and tournaments before All-Star Tryouts, so attendance can be
considered during the player selection process. Parents and players are expected to place the
commitment to PQGSA All-Stars ahead of other sports and activities during the All-Star Season.
This commitment is necessary to ensure the best chance of success for the All-Star Team.
TOURNAMENT SELECTION
The PQGSA Board of Directors pre-selects the Summer All-Star Tournament schedule. The AllStar Coordinator presents a potential list of tournaments after the ASA "Blue Book" is released.
This is typically in early March. The ASA "Blue Book" is a published list of ASA Sanctioned
Tournaments, with specific tournament details. The list of ASA Sanctioned Tournaments is
available online at http://www.socal-asa.org.
The Board of Directors will discuss the suggested tournaments and will vote to determine the
final tournament schedule.
Ideally, all PQ All-Star Teams will play the majority of tournaments together, including a travel
destination tournament.
All-Star teams are encouraged to watch and support other PQ All-Star teams at these
tournaments.
ASA PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
All-Star Player Eligibility is determined by Southern California ASA and is defined in the ASA
Junior Olympic Rules and Regulations handbook (also known as the "Yellow Book"). The
complete list of these Rules and Regulations are available at the So Cal ASA Website at
http://www.socal-asa.org.
Some important guidelines at a glance are:
• All Players must be registered and play for a regular season Rec Softball Team
• All Players must play in at least 50% of games for her Rec Softball Team to be eligible
for All-Stars
• Travel Ball (Class A) players are not eligible to play Rec All-Stars. Players who
participate in any Travel Ball activity after March 31st are ineligible for Rec All-Stars.
Travel ball events can include practices, games, recruiting by travel ball coaches, tryouts
for travel ball teams, and even social team events.
• Rec players that are playing in two different Rec leagues at the same time (which is
permitted by ASA rules), must declare in writing to the League President and Player
Agent which league they will be participating in for All-Stars by April 15th. Players
cannot play on two different all-star teams, from two different leagues, at the same time.
• High School Softball Players are eligible to return to PQGSA for All-Stars if they
participated in PQGSA the previous calendar year and are currently playing high school
softball. High School Players must be registered by May 15th and must be approved by
the Board of Directors. No more than 4 High School Players are allowed on any All-Star
Team.
• Players who play in a higher age classification during the Rec season (i.e. 10U player
playing on 12U Rec Team) are eligible to play in their proper age classification for AllStars.
• Players may be elevated from a Silver/Thunder team to a Gold/Lightning team with
approval from the North San Diego District Commissioner.
Adherence to these guidelines does not guarantee the player a spot on an all-star team. It simply
makes players eligible for consideration.
PQGSA SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
PQGSA will adhere to any and all ASA Guidelines set forth by National ASA Code, Pacific
Coast Region rules and SoCal ASA Rules. PQGSA specific rules are in addition to this code,
and will apply as long as it is determined it does not conflict with the above sets of rules.
Some PQGSA Specific All-Star Rules include:
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Players who play in a higher age classification during the Rec season (i.e. 10U player
playing on 12U Rec Team) will play All-Stars in their proper age classification. The
exception would be if the player is selected to the Gold/Lightning Team in the higher age
classification. Players are not eligible to play Silver/Thunder in the higher age
classification. Players playing Gold/Lightning in a higher age classification requires
approval from the PQGSA Executive Review Board
Pick-Up Players from other Leagues - All Pick-Up Players must adhere to the SoCal
ASA Rules and requires approval from the PQGSA Board of Directors.
Players may not move between Gold/Lightning and Silver/Thunder teams without
approval from the PQGSA Executive Review Board and from the North San Diego
District Commissioner (only if required per SoCal ASA Rules).
Only Gold/Lightning teams will be eligible to participate in Championship Play
Tournaments.
FINANCIAL GUIDELINES
PQGSA All-Star Coordinator and Board of Directors will determine the fees for play during the
All-Star Season.
The cost of all-star play will be determined by the cost and number of tournaments played by the
specific team, the cost of uniforms, manager and coaches shirts and hats, and the costs incurred
to the league for fields/lights, etc. The fee will include a $100 deposit to be refunded after all
mandatory volunteer commitments are fulfilled at the PQGSA Memorial Day Classic
Tournament and any other tournaments hosted by PQGSA during the All-Star Season.
Fees must be made payable to PQGSA and be submitted within one week of accepting the offer
to play All-Stars. In exchange for the fee, players will receive a uniform to consist of 1 All-Star
Jersey, 1 All-Star visor, 2 pairs of socks, entry fees to all pre-selected All-Star Tournaments as
determined by the Board of Directors.
Items NOT included in the All-Star Player fee include additional jerseys or other duplicate
uniform items, equipment bags, spirit wear, trading pins, practice shirts, goody bags, team parties
or dinners, coaches gifts, etc. In addition, the All-Star Player fee will not include any travel costs
associated with the All-Star Team.
Spirit Wear and equipment bags can be purchased through the League. Payment for spirit wear
and equipment bags will be made payable to PQGSA and must be received before items are
distributed. The All-Star Coordinator and Uniforms Coordinator will manage the spirit wear and
equipment bag purchases.
In exchange for the mandatory volunteer hours worked at the PQGSA Memorial Day Classic
Tournament and any other tournaments hosted by PQGSA during the All-Star Season, PQGSA
will waive the entry fee of each PQ All-Star Team into the PQGSA Memorial Day Classic
Tournament ($525 value per team). In addition, PQGSA will share the proceeds earned from the
snack bar, vendor commissions and tournament t-shirt sales. These funds may be used for items
such as practice shirts, goody bags, trading pins, etc. as determined by the All-Star Manager.
The spending of these funds must be for All-Star Team expenses and must be approved by the
PQGSA All-Star Coordinator and the PQGSA Executive Review Board. Any funds not used for
approved team expenses will be refunded to the players along with the $100 deposit, (assuming
all mandatory volunteer requirements have been fulfilled).
2014 PQGSA ALL-STAR CALENDAR
April 24th - All-Star Manager Interviews and Selection
May 1st (or later) - All-Star Tryouts
May 9th - All-Star Family Picnic
May 10th - SDSU Softball Game (Optional)
May 16-18 - North Shore Coastal Classic / RTGSA Rancho Roundup
May 22-26 - PQ Memorial Day Tournament
May 30-June 1 - PYL All-Star Tournament / San Marcos Summertime Warm-Up
June 6-8 - Santee Bring on the Heat All-Star Tournament
June 13-15 - Fountain Valley All-Star Summer Classic
June 20-22 - North San Diego B District Tournament (hosted by PQGSA for 14U and 12U) / UC
Del Sol Tournament Del Sol
June 26 - 29 - Escondido Freedom Tournament
July 4-6 SoCal ASA B State Tournament or RB Grand Slam Summer Jam