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The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) has many important responsibilities as the national governing body of amateur softball in the United States including regulating competition to assure fairness and equal opportunity to the thousands of teams, umpires and sponsors who play the sport.

ASA DISTINCTIONS INCLUDE:
The Beginning

When the ASA entered the softball picture in 1933, the sport was in a state of confusion with no
formal set of playing rules and no national governing body to provide guidance and stability.

From this beginning, the ASA has become one of the nation's largest and fastest growing amateur sports organizations. It now sanctions play in every state through a network of 100 state/metro organizations in 15 regions. The organization annually registers over 260,000 teams combining to form a membership of more than 4.5 million.

USA Softball...Realizing the Dream

The latest and greatest story in softball occurred in 1991 with the addition of women's fast pitch softball to the program of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA.

Working in conjunction with the USOC, it is the ASA's responsibility to insure that our national team has the best possible chance of winning. That includes providing young athletes from across the country the opportunity to make the national team...the preparing them through international competition and exhibition play.

The ASA is dedicated to producing the best USA national team possible and to insuring that they are the best prepared and equipped team in the 1996 Olympic Games.

Junior Olympic Program

The ASA has made an investment in the future of softball with its ever growing Junior Olympic program. Each year, more than one million boys and girls across the country play ASA Junior Olympic softball.

This program is helping to develop the interest, skills and desire of a new generation of softball players-skills necessary for these young people to excel individually and ultimately insure the continued growth of the sport. The Junior Olympic program emphasizes fun and provides for a great exchange of fellowship, sportsmanship and an all-important feeling of belonging and being a part of something worthwhile.

Play is divided into four divisions: 18, 16, 14 and 12-under, with fast and slow pitch offered for both boys and girls.

Volunteer Improvement Program

The ASA's Volunteer Improvement Program (VIP) is helping to insure the nation's finest instruction for tomorrow's softball All-Americans. The VIP program is designed to help coaches progress through their coaching careers. They are recognized by the program at bronze, silver and ultimately gold levels as they increase their knowledge of softball.

Recognizing the need to improve the quality of amateur coaching in Junior Olympic softball, the ASA started the VIP program to offer those "grass roots" volunteer coaches-who spend countless hours and effort each summer coaching youth-the materials, information and methods required to improve their coaching techniques.

Umpire Program

Each year, more than 56,000 ASA umpires officiate games organized and promoted by the ASA's associations.

ASA umpires are recognized as the world's finest largely because of the training, information and study aids available to them. Formal training includes National Umpire Schools and local, state and regional rules clinics and mechanics schools held at locations across the country.

The ASA also provides a full-service umpire merchandise program through the national office in which umpires may order official ASA wearing apparel and equipment.

The National Indicator Fraternity is an honor group open to umpires who have been affiliated with the ASA for seven years, umpired in three national championships and are recommended by their commissioner and regional umpire-in-chief (UIC).

Certification as an International Softball Federation (ISF) umpire is the ultimate honor to be achieved by an ASA umpire. Certification on this level allows the umpire to represent the USA as an umpire in ISF sanctioned World Championships, the Pan American Games and the Olympics.

National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum

For those players that aspire to greatness in the sport, none can achieve a greater honor than induction into National Softball Hall of Fame.

The National Softball Hall of Fame also recognizes distinguished service by non-players through induction into the Hall of Honor based on accomplishments in five categories: umpire, commissioner, manager, sponsor and meritorious service.

Hall of Fame Museum is a store of memorabilia and information about the sport of softball. Included in the museum are exhibits spanning the history of the sport from its inception in 1887 to its recent addition to the program of the 1996 Olympic Games.

ASA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Education...
Competion...
Recognition...
Other...