Town & Country Optimist Club :: Youth Sports :: Northwest Austin

The following are some frequently asked questions pertaining to Softball at Town & Country:

CAN BOYS PLAY SOFTBALL AT TOWN & COUNTRY? No. T&C Softball is for girls only.

WHEN IS SOFTBALL PLAYED AT TOWN & COUNTRY? Softball is played both in the Spring and Fall seasons.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THE FALL SEASON? The Fall season is the “off“ season. In general, 8 to 10 games are played (8 games is normal) during the season. During the fall, there can be up to 3 “outings“ per week where an outing is defined as a game or a practice. Thus, prior to the start of games, a coach may have 1 to 3 practices per week (2 would be reasonable in most cases). After games start, there will generally be 1 game and 1 to 2 practices per week depending on the coach. Scores and standings are not kept and more emphasis is placed on instruction and playing different positions.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THE SPRING SEASON? The Spring season is the “competitive“ season. In general, 12 to 16 games are played (12 games is normal) during season. During the spring, there can be up to 4 “outings“ per week where an outing is defined as a game or a practice. Thus, prior to the start of games, a coach may have 2 to 4 practices per week (2 to 3 would be reasonable in most cases). After games start, there will generally be 2 games and 1 to 2 practices per week depending on the coach. Scores are kept, more emphasis is placed on winning, and standings are kept in most leagues.

WHAT AGE GROUP LEAGUES ARE AVAILABLE AT TOWN & COUNTRY? There are several levels of softball available at Town & Country. T-Ball (Shetland or U6) is for girls aged 4 through 6. In this league, girls hit off a softball tee. Coach Pitch (Pinto or U8) is for girls aged 7 to 8. In this league, the team's coach pitches to the girls. Fast pitch (Mustang or U10) is for girls aged 9 to 10 and is the first league where a player pitches to the batters. Fast pitch (Bronco or U12) is for girls aged 11 and 12. Fast pitch (Pony/Colt or U14/U16) is for girls aged 13 through 16. In most cases, the Pony and Colt leagues are combined. Note: playing aged is determined by what age the player is on January 1; thus, if a player turns 11 on January 2, she is still eligible to play Mustang (U10) that year.

WHEN ARE GAMES PLAYED? Games are generally played on weeknights; though, in the Spring season, some Saturday games are possible. In general, games are usually played on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays during the week and Saturdays (mornings, early afternoon) on the weekends. Though, there may be occasions where games are played on other nights.

WHEN ARE PRACTICES? Practice days and times are determined by the coach. Any day of the week is possible, including Sunday afternoon.

HOW DO I REGISTER MY DAUGHTER FOR SOFTBALL? Online registration is available through the Town and Country Optimist website. Spring 2007 registration began January 1, 2007. There are generally a couple of walk-in registration days, but that is dependant on the Town & Country Optimist. For more details, see the “Registration“ section on the main Softball webpage.

WHAT IS THE COST FOR THE SPRING 2008 SEASON? Cost for the Spring 2008 season is $140.00

WHAT IS TOWN & COUNTRY SOFTBALL'S REFUND POLICY? You will receive a 90% refund if the request is made prior to the end of registration (Feb. 11, 2007 for the Spring season). See the “Important Dates“ section for exact dates for the upcoming season. You will receive a 50% refund if the request is made after the draft/team formation process, but prior to the first game (first game in any league) of the season. No refund will be given after the first game of the season is played in any league.

ALL-STARS: please see the All Stars page for details.

WHAT IS PONY? PONY stands for Protect Our Nation's Youth and is a national organization of softball and baseball. Currently, T&C Softball is registered with the PONY organization and in general follows PONY rules.

WHERE ARE GAMES PLAYED? Home games are played on one of the 3 softball fields at Town & Country. There are occasions where T&C teams play teams from other leagues such as Leander-Cedar Park (LCP), Georgetown, Balcones, etc. Thus, some travel (within the Austin area) may be required when a T&C team plays at one of these other league's home fields.

WHERE ARE PRACTICES HELD? Practice locations are up to the coach. Many coaches reserve fields at Town & Country ($20 per field per team - about $2 per player per practice) while other coaches use city, county, or neighborhood parks.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION? Plenty of information can be found on the various pages of the Softball website. If you cannot find the specific information you desire, contact one of the Board Members that are listed on the Board Members page.