When is the playing season for SHBGFS?
SHBGFS runs two seasons each year: They are Spring Ball and Winterball. The Spring season games start in February/March and the season ends in early June with a league tournament.
At the end of the Spring season, All Star teams are selected in each age group. All Stars play weekend tournaments through July, culminating in District, State and National tournaments.
The Winterball season consists of approximately 24 games, with practice beginning in August and ending Thanksgiving weekend with a district-wide Turkey Tournament.
When can I register my daughter(s)?
The first opportunity to register for Spring Ball is in November. Then there are usually 2 – 3 other opportunities throughout November and December. See the registration page. Winterball registration takes place from mid-May to mid-July.
Is a try-out required?
There is a “skills assessment” day for Spring Ball, where all of the girls are evaluated by all of the coaches. All girls in divisions 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U are expected to participate. This date is usually in mid-January.
When is the deadline for registration?
The latest you can register for the Spring season varies, please check the Registration page.
The latest you can register for Winter Ball varies, please check the Registration page.
When do practices begin?
Spring season practices begin in February. All Stars begins in June and Winter Ball begins in August. Your coach – working with our Scheduling Director - will determine the day(s) of the week and location of the practice.
When do games begin?
Spring season games usually begin the end of February or first part of March. Mid week games usually begin late March or early April. The season lasts through June, ending with a league tournament and our famous closing day shaving cream fight!
After Spring, our All Star teams play weekend tournaments throughout Southern California in June – July and District, State and Nationals are held in August,
The Winterball season consists of about 24 games beginning in September and ending Thanksgiving weekend with a district-wide Turkeyball Tournament. Winterball games are played exclusively on Saturday, typically 2 games played back-to-back. Tournament play may occur from Friday through Sunday.
Where are the games played?
Most Spring season games are played at the SHBGFS fields at Edison Community Park. The park is located on Magnolia just south of Atlanta. See the map. The upper divisions sometimes travel to Fountain Valley and Westminster and play games at those locations. Winter Ball games are often played on other local OC Metro fields.
What times are the games?
Most Spring season games are played on Saturdays, beginning as early as 9:00am and as late as 5:00pm. Some games are played during the week around the time Daylight Savings Time begins. Weekday games typically begin at 5:00pm. All Star Teams play weekend tournaments and Winter Ball teams play back-to-back games on Saturdays.
My child must play for a specific coach or friend for carpool reasons. Will that be a problem?
No league can guarantee that a child will play on a specific team, and SHBGFS is no different in this regard. In the upper-divisions (10U, 12U and up), players are selected through a draft. As a result, the league can make no guarantees. However, we do our best to meet carpool needs.
In the lower divisions (6U and 8U), parents are advised to make their desires and preferences known by writing them on the registration form at the time of registration. Divisional Commissioners will usually make an effort to accommodate requests.
My child has very little experience and/or is smaller than kids her age. Can she be placed in a lower division?
As a rule, “playing down” is not allowed. Most smaller and less experienced kids catch on very quickly during the season. Most parents, in retrospect, would agree that the need to have their kids play down might not have been as urgent as they originally thought.
Can sisters play together on the same team even though they belong in different divisions?
In the upper divisions (10U, 12U, etc.) the draft will determine what teams the players are on. Generally, we discourage players playing outside of their brackets. A player that is especially skilled may be allowed to play up a division.
The commissioners of 6U and 8U will work with your desires as expressed on your registration form. A girl in 6U can “play up” in 8U with her sister. Parents should make this choice carefully. The younger player may not be ready to play at a higher level. Evaluating coaches must give a majority vote to allow any player to move up a division. Players wishing to move up must attend evaluations.
Can my daughter’s soccer cleats be used for softball?
Yes they can. But softball cleats cannot be used for soccer. The softball cleats have an extra cleat on the front of the shoe which is illegal for soccer.
Do you still have questions?
You can contact our league president at glenn.selbo@shbgfs.org.
.
Any comments and suggestions about the web pages are always welcome!
Send any requests by e-mail to webmaster@shbgfs.org
