This Month's News
February2015
2015 ASA National Championships MFP40+, MFP23U, Boys FP
February 16, 2015
Midland, MI
The Midland Explorer Booster Club (Midland, MI) has secured the bids
for the 2015 ASA National Championships in MFP40+ (Men's Fastpitch),
MFP23U, and BFP (Boys Fastpitch) 18U-16U-14U-12U-10U. The tournaments
will be held Thursday July 30th through Sunday Aug 2nd in Midland's
Emerson Park. By holding the Boys National Championships at the same
time as the MFP40+ National Championship, we wanted to provide
"fastpitch dads" an opportunity to spend a long weekend playing
adjacent to their sons in a National Championship. All the divisions
promise to be very competitive.
Starting in 2015, there is an ASA Code change which structures the
Boys National Championships as 4-game guarantees. Teams will draw 2
pool play games which will determine seeding for a double elimination
championship bracket. This change only applies to the Boys divisions
as the MFP40+ and MFP23U divisions will utilize a single 3 game
guarantee elimination bracket.
International players are allowed in the MFP40+ and MFP23U divisions,
but they are not allowed in the Boys divisions. International teams
in the MFP40+ or MFP23U divisions must include at least 1 US player on
their roster. Please contact me if you manage an international team
and have an interest in attending as I can help guide your team
through the registration process. Also, MFP40+ and MFP23U teams that
are registered with the Canadian Amateur Softball Association are not
required to register separately with ASA for the National
Championships. Finally, players eligible for the Boys National
Championships (i.e. talented 18U players) are also eligible to play in
the MFP23U National Championships during the same weekend.
In mid-Michigan, we have an ambitious goal of organizing 3 local teams
for each Boys division (down to 12U). We have nearly 10 coaches
identified, already. Parents of boys who would like to play but do
not have a team traveling to Midland are encouraged to contact Don
Petro (see below) to be connected with a coach/team. We want to
provide young American players an opportunity to play in a BFP
National Championship - so don't be shy, please contact us with
players that are interested.
The Boys National Championships will begin on Thursday evening with
the National Championship games planned for Saturday evening. The
MFP40+ and MFP23U divisions will start on Friday with the championship
games on Sunday afternoon.
Midland will also be hosting the 2016 ISF Jr Men's World Championship
(late July 2016). We are excited to cheer on Team USA in a bid for
their first World Championship medal since 1985. Meanwhile, we also
look forward to being gracious hosts to national teams from around the
world. Traditionally, the ASA Boys National Championships have
provided excellent exposure opportunities for boys interested in the
USA Jr Men's National team and their development program. Young men
with 1997 and later birthdays are eligible for the 2016 USA Jr Men's
National team. The 2015 ASA Boys National Championships will surely
be filled with strong ball-players aspiring to play for Team USA in
2016 or beyond.
The MFP40+ National Championship will also provide opportunities for
former or even current teammates to pull together for a fun weekend
and compete for a National Championship. The Midland Explorers plan
to field a MFP40+ team, while a number of other groups/leagues from
around Michigan also plan on sending teams. Fields will be available
on Thursday night for MFP40+ and MFP23U teams that are interested in
an exhibition game prior to the start of their tournaments on Friday.
Please contact me at least 2 weeks prior to the tournament if you are
interested in scheduling an exhibition game on Thursday night.
The MFP23U National Championship will likely be the most competitive
division during the event. Nearly a dozen aspiring pitchers from
around Michigan are expected to toe the rubber for their local teams
(or combinations of teams from the same league). Meanwhile, talented
foreign players are expected to find room on teams competing for a
National Championship.
The host committee intends to use the 2015 ASA National Championships
as part of preparation for the 2016 ISF Jr. Men's World Championship.
Emerson Park will be set to a festive atmosphere with food, beverage,
and more. Please send us a quick email if your team would like to be
included on the distribution list for additional information.
David Lach
Midland Explorer Booster Club
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Event(s): MFP 40+, MFP 23U, BFP18U-16U-14U-12U-10U National Championships
When: Thursday July 30th - Sunday Aug 2nd
Location: Emerson Park (Midland, MI)
Host: Midland Explorer Booster Club
Entry Fee: $425 (MFP40+), $375 (MFP 23U), $325 (BFP 18U-16U-14U-12U-10U)
ASA Rep: Jerry Hanson (jerryhanson(at)masasoftball.org)
Tournament Director: Jim Volk (jkvolk(at)live.com)
Host Commitee Organizers:
- MFP40+: Kyle Beane (kbeane8(at)yahoo.com)
- MFP23U: David Lach (lachdavid(at)gmail.com)
- Boys Divisions: Don Petro (mrdpetro(at)aol.com)
Questions: contact David Lach (810-623-2276 cell)
Additional Information: please visit
http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Play-ASA/ASA-National-Championships-and-Qualifiers/2015-ASA-National-Championships
