PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LEARN ALL ABOUT THE MLSA AND SHARE IN OUR ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT AS WE WORK DILIGENTLY TO TAKE THE SPORT OF MEN'S SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL TO THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.   

    LATEST NEWS FROM THE MAJOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION

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MLSA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

To register with the MLSA please go to the WIRE SERVICE-COMBINES Section and follow the instructions.  This will allow you to get all of the available updates regarding MLSA Player Combines, Open Tryouts and MLSA Wire Service Registration

OFFICIAL SOFTBALL OF THE MLSA

The MLSA would like to thank all of the softball manufacturers that participated in the selection process for the Official Softball of the MLSA.  After a very extensive and thorough testing process the Official Softball of the MLSA has been selected.   We can tell you at this time that the Official Ball will be a .44  COR ball with 375 lbs. of compression.  The softball manufacturer will be announced at a later date. 

MLSA SELECTS OFFICIAL BATS

The MLSA thanks all of the bat manufacturers that participated in the MLSA Official Bat selection process.  After months of extensive testing and deliberation the MLSA has selected 8 Official Bats.  These will be the only bats permitted for use by its Players.  All of these bats, along with complete, detailed information will be listed on this website in the next several months.  

PLAYER COMBINES  (MLSA Sponsored Player Tryout Camps)

We will be sponsoring additional Player Combines.  For complete information go to the WIRE SERVICE-COMBINES link and submit your information as instructed. 

MLSA WIRE SERVICE  (Player Database)

If you can't attend a Player Combine, we highly recommend that you register for the MLSA Wire Service.  This is a Player Database with all your pertinent information and it will be made available to all MLSA Club Owners.  Click on the WIRE SERVICE-COMBINES link for details. 

TRYOUTS FOR SPECIFIC MLSA CLUBS

Once the information becomes available there will be complete details on tryouts for each MLSA Club on our website.

MLSA FAN DEMOGRAPHICS

Please click on the MLSA HIGHLIGHTS link for details on the MLSA Fan Demographics.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A MAJOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL CLUB ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Please click on the MLSA HIGHLIGHTS link for details on the Economic Impact of a Major League Softball Club on the Local Economy.

MLSA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (MLSA FAQ'S)

Please click on the FAQ'S-FAN FORUM-CONTACT link for Frequently Asked Questions about the MLSA.


MLSA MISSION STATEMENT

To provide the MLSA Franchises with a complete turn-key system through a comprehensive Club Operations Manual to insure that necessary operational standards and requirements are followed.  This will provide uniformity and stability within the league and will allow the Clubs to focus more on the marketing and promotional aspects of their respective Clubs.  Strict guidelines set forth by the MLSA will keep the operating budget for Clubs in the $950,000.00 to $1,350,000.00 range the first season.  Planned, controlled growth thereafter will serve to insure that Clubs will not only be competitive on the field  with one another but will have an opportunity to be financially sound and fiscally responsible; something lacking throughout professional sports today.

A major priority of the MLSA is to keep the game affordable for the  whole family.  This will be achieved through low ticket prices, control of concession , souvenir  and parking prices wenever possible.


PRESS RELEASE

The MLSA will feature men’s professional softball as it has never been played before! The games will be played in minor league ballparks or college baseball stadiums exclusively. The MLSA style of softball will emphasize speed, defense and athleticism. When combined with outstanding offensive performances, our fans will be entertained with constant action and excitement. This combination will add a different dimension to the game of men’s slow-pitch softball not widely associated with the game today. The MLSA will combine the skill of baseball with the continuous excitement and the constant action of slow-pitch softball, creating a sport to be enjoyed by fans of all ages.

The MLSA’s PRIMARY OBJECTIVE - recognition of men's slow-pitch softball as a legitimate professional sport and the MLSA recognized as a well respected, first class sports organization.

Our ULTIMATE GOAL - to nurture and develop the game of men’s professional slow-pitch softball into a full-time professional sport within 3 years.

Our objectives and goals will be accomplished with planned, controlled growth and exposure. The MLSA will take full advantage of the marketing potential for professional sports; more specifically, the game of men’s slow-pitch softball. The strength of the MLSA lies in its ability to bring together all the principals associated with the game of slow-pitch softball. These include Club Owners, Players, Product Manufacturers and Company Sponsors who will work collectively toward a common goal - the success of the MLSA and the growth of men’s slow-pitch softball as a true professional sport. The MLSA is assembling a team of successful sports, entertainment and business executives who will insure that this sport does indeed get to the next level.

The MLSA will consist of a maximum of thirty Clubs. There will be three Conferences: Eastern - Central - Western - with two, five Club Divisions - Northern and Southern - in each Conference.  Click on Conferences for specific details.

Well-managed Clubs with Owners having a solid financial foundation coupled with a strong MLSA Management Team that will continually monitor and evaluate their performance is essential to the success and acceptance of the MLSA in the professional sports arena.

Club Owners will come from current and former NFL Players, Major League Baseball Players, and NBA Players. Targeted candidates also include show business personalities, current and former sports executives, successful businessmen, entrepreneurs and quite possibly current minor league baseball team owners. They already have a venue and now have the opportunity to use their stadiums even more. The Players and Owners in the MLSA will exhibit pride, professionalism, commitment and dedication; the same basic values that are indicative of the work ethic of all those involved in the growth and development of the MLSA. These values serve as the cornerstone upon which the MLSA was founded. In order for the MLSA to be successful, its Clubs and Players must take an active role in their community. It is of paramount importance for the Players to be easily accessible to the fans.

The MLSA believes in the basic premise that this game belongs to the fans. MLSA offers a unique program, which has never been done by a professional sports league before.  We recommend that a minimum 25% ownership of each Club be made available to the fans. This Limited Partnership would be comprised of a maximum of 150 individuals. Majority Ownership would be a minimum of 51% with an additional 24% ownership to be sold or retained at the discretion of the Majority Ownership. In larger markets we recommend that a minimum 35% ownership of each Club be made available to the fans. This Limited Partnership would be comprised of a maximum of 250 individuals. Majority Ownership would be a minimum of 51% with an additional 14% ownership to be sold or retained at the discretion of the Majority Ownership. Fan Ownership would be achieved through the purchase of 15 season tickets. The fan can then either retain or sell all or a portion of the season tickets at his or her discretion. These programs will not only create an excellent fan base, but they will also generate substantial operating revenue. Can you think of a better way to create a great source of advertising or public relations for your team than having 100’s of “owners” / ambassadors promoting your franchise?

Each Player in the MLSA must sign a Uniform Player’s Contract (UPC) with a predetermined base salary plus optional Performance Bonuses. This Contract will also contain a complete Revenue Sharing Program. A Player’s earnings, in part, will be the direct result of his performance and that of his Club. Players and Owners - together - will truly have a vested interest in the success of the Club; not only from a competitive point of view, but from a business and financial standpoint as well. All games will be governed by a combination of current Professional Baseball Rules in addition to rules written specifically for the MLSA. Many of the Umpires selected by the MLSA will have a background in college baseball officiating.

The MLSA has written a comprehensive Club Operations Manual containing all of the pertinent information required to successfully manage a club under the guidelines set forth by the MLSA. The objective was to create a sound, comprehensive turn-key system for the operation of a professional sports franchise.  If Clubs are required to operate in an essentially the same manner from a business perspective and a HARD salary cap is strictly enforced, we feel that every Club in the MLSA should be competitive with one another.  Club parity is a major key to success. Adhering to this philosopy makes our sport much more exciting for the fans and it affords Club Owners the opportunity to operate a fiscally sound and responsible business.


ARTICLE

                 SOFTBALL.....  BIG BUSINESS IN THE AMERICAN MARKETPLACE

"The number one team sport in America is slow-pitch softball, and the economic impact of this game is awesome" -  Rex Bradley, a retired Vice President of Louisville Slugger.

Slow-pitch softball has enjoyed an amazing growth rate. It has grown from 27.2 million participants in 1972 to 36.2 million in 1980.  In 1990, the figure was 39.8 million.  It is currently estimated that more than 45 MILLION play slow-pitch softball in organized, sanctioned leagues.  Slow-pitch softball is now becoming a sport of choice as early as elementary school as an alternative to baseball for America's youth.

The major governing bodies of amateur slow-pitch softball have confirmed that the economic impact of slow-pitch softball in the United States reached one billion dollars in 1992. Sports equipment companies are certainly enjoying this growth as sales of softball related products exceeded 1.65 BILLION DOLLARS in 2009. 

Slow-pitch softball has both broad appeal and benefits. The sport is easy to play, exciting, healthy, sociable, nostalgic and very affordable.  Slow-pitch softball is a major recreational interest for Americans, not a fad. It is a sports institution that is here to stay, and it continues to experience an amazing, steady growth rate. Slow-pitch softball has become big business and it must now be looked at for its exceptional public relations benefits, and more importantly, its tremendous advantages in business marketing and promotion. The sport of slow-pitch softball encompasses a wide range of age and social status. Slow-pitch softball must now be recognized as a major force in professional sports for business marketing, endorsements and sponsorships. 

Slow-pitch softball players comprise a vast consumer audience which includes a significant affluent segment with income to spend not only on their softball interests but in other areas as well.  Marketing efforts should be directed towards these players and fans in the areas of sporting goods, clothing, restaurants, sports beverages, alcoholic beverages, telecommunications, credit cards and other financial services. Airlines, automobile and truck manufacturers, vitamins, health and nutritional products companies would be very wise to focus in on this segment of the population.

Marketing companies, public relations firms, public and private economic development organizations and Chambers of Commerce should all be made aware that the sport of slow-pitch softball is a wholesome sport that has posted the most consistent growth rate of any of the nation's major sports. Slow-pitch softball is also one of the fastest growing international sports and is currently played in over 80 countries.

Slow-pitch softball remains as one of the few sports left that is still affordable for fans.  It is also an excellent buy for business marketing and sponsorship opportunities for companies who want to reach the largest group of sports fans who actually compete in the sport. Companies will be well served to identify and align themselves with professional slow-pitch softball as it will allow them access to, and acceptance among, a wide range of consumer types.

Chase St. James
President
Major League Softball Association, Inc.

          

                              MLSA.....  A GREAT NEW GAME!