Register NOW for the 2009 NGSA House League Season!

Early-bird registration saves $10 off the normal registration fee of $185.  Just register online before 12/31/2008 to take advantage of the Early-bird discount. To register ONLINE simply click on the "House Registration" link to the left. To register via US Mail, use this form and mail it to the address on the form.

If if you are a past NGSA participate and you forgot your login information, simply click the "I forgot my password" link on the second registration page and your password will be emailed to you.

New to NGSA? If you are new to NGSA we need to create an account for your daughter before you can register.  Please send us an email at info@northbrooksoftball.com.  Include your name, your daughter's name, your daughter's current grade and school, and the email address you would like to use and we will set up an account for you, usually within 24 hours. You can then use that account to register online.

Northbrook Girls Softball Association (NGSA) FAQ

1)  Is the league competitive or instructional?

NGSA supports two separate leagues, House and Travel.  The House league is an instructional league with required minimum playing times for every girl in every game.  The focus is primarily on good sportsmanship and to have a good, fun, team-based athletic experience.  Our Travel league is more competitive in nature.  Playing time is encouraged, but not guaranteed and the focus is on building strong skills and playing competitively against other Travel teams.  For more information on our Travel program see the Travel section of the website.

2) What age group will my daughter play in?

The House league is broken down into 3 divisions, Ponytail for 3rd & 4th graders, Minors for 5th & 6th graders, and Majors for 7th & 8th graders.

3) Is my daughter guaranteed playing time in each game?

Yes.  In NGSA House league coaches are encouraged to play the girls as much as possible, and are required to give them at least 2 innings in the infield within the first 4 innings of any game.  Games are limited to 6 innings or 1 hour 45 minutes, whichever comes first.  Most Ponytail games go about 4-5 innings, most Minor and Major games go the full 6 innings.

4) Does my daughter have to pitch?

No.  In NGSA the girls do pitch to each other, but no one is required to pitch.  Some girls enjoy the demands and excitement of pitching, others do not.   In Ponytail, after 4 balls, the coach comes in and pitches to his or her own batter.

5) Will my daughter be taught how to pitch?

Yes and No.  There are so many skills to cover during a normal practice, and pitching is so specialized, that most coaches will only be able to provide rudimentary lessons as part of normal practice.  NGSA offers pitching lessons in the Spring and Fall for those who want professional instruction.

6) Why can't my daughter play on a team with all her Action Baseball teammates?

There are several parts to this answer.  First of all, NGSA tries to provide the most balanced teams as possible so no one team is stronger than any other team at the beginning of the season.  To do so we need to have the ability to assign girls to the teams that are the best-fit.   Furthermore, it is part of the NGSA philosophy that the players should be meeting and making friends with new girls their age, outside of their normal school group.  In a few short years, most of the girls will be moving on to middle school where they will be mixing with girls from other schools.  Hopefully, they will find that they have come to recognize and be friends with many of them through this program.  Lastly, we understand the social needs and desires of the girls in the program, and therefore, allow them to specify a friend on their registration form with whom they would like to play (see "reciprocal friendship request" below).   Additionally, especially at the younger grades, whenever possible, they will be placed with at least one other player from their own school and grade.  We have found that the girls really enjoy meeting up with their friends as they play against their teams.

7) I'd like to coach, how do I sign up?

Simply enter your name in the "I'd like to coach" section of your daughter's registration form.  The coaching committee will contact you in late January or early February for a coaching interview.

8) When are games and practices?

The regular season is from early April until the 3rd week in May.   During the regular season you should count on one game every Saturday, a practice on Sunday (typically in the afternoon) and one more weekday game during the week at about 5:15.  The playoffs start the third week in May.  They run for about 2 weeks until the World Series game on the first or second Saturday in June.

9) What do you mean by reciprocal friendship request?

A reciprocal friendship request means your daughter puts down the name of her friend on her registration form, and that friend puts your daughter's name down on her form.  As long as friendship requests are reciprocal we will make every attempt to honor them.  If it is not reciprocal, the request will not be honored.  Over the past few years 100% of the reciprocal requests have been honored.  If siblings wish to play on a team together they need to use their reciprocal request to request each other.  If they use their requests to request other friends they will most likely be put on separate teams to honor those requests.

10) How are teams determined?

An enormous amount of effort goes into team selection to ensure they are fair, balanced, and unbiased.  It is a complicated, multi-step process, but here are the basics.  First, the coaches, assistant coaches, their daughters and reciprocal requests are added to blank teams.  Then, Sponsors and their daughters and reciprocals are added.  Then, pitchers and reciprocals are added.  Then, Travel players and reciprocals are added.  Then, all remaining players and reciprocals are added. 

The teams are then rebalanced by grade to ensure even grade distribution.  The teams are then balanced according to rating scores given by coaches from the previous season.  We then ensure that no girls are stranded as the only player from their school and grade on a team.   Lastly, all the links along the way are checked and verified by a league commissioner who signs off on the teams before they are posted.  Once the teams are posted no changes are made unless it is a mistake made by NGSA (such as a Sponsor's daughter on the wrong team).

11) Are there walks and strikeouts?

Yes and no.  In all leagues, except Ponytail, there are walks. All leagues, including Ponytail, have strikeouts.  In Ponytail, once the pitcher pitches 4 balls, the coach comes in and pitches.  Balls thrown by the coach are not counted,  but strikes are.  3 strikes on one batter are an out.  In Minors, the coaches do not come in to pitch, but there are 5 balls before a walk.  In Majors, the coaches do not come in to pitch, and there are 4 balls and 3 strikes.

12) What is the difference between House and Travel.

House is an all-inclusive instructional league.  All girls who register for House league are accepted into the program and every girl is guaranteed playing time.  Travel league is a more competitive environment.  There are tryouts for Travel league and only those girls who are invited to participate after tryouts are accepted into the program.  In Travel league we attempt to have every girl play in every game, but playing time is not guaranteed.  All House games are held in Northbrook.  Travel games and tournaments are in Northbrook, as well as nearby communities.    Travel teams practice indoors during the Winter and early Spring months.  The Travel season primarily starts when the House season ends in the first week of June and runs until about the 3rd week in July.  See the Travel section of the website for more information about NGSA Travel.

13) When are Travel tryouts?

Tryouts for 16U, 14U and 12U players are held in the end of August or beginning of September for the following year's season.  Tryouts for 10U are held in January.  Please see the Travel section of the website for more information.

Reciprocal Friendship Request Rules

1) Reciprocal friendship requests MUST match. The friendship request from the player you are requesting MUST have your name on it, or your friendship request will not be granted. Only ONE friendship request per person. Multiple requests will not be granted and will disqualify the friendship request form.

2) Siblings who wish to play on the same team must use the reciprocal friendship request process to do so. If sisters wish to play on the same team they must put each other's names and no others on the friendship request form.

3) NGSA Travel players may not request other NGSA Travel players.

4) A Coach's daughter and the assistant coach's daughter may each make a friendship request. If there is a 2nd assistant or a sponsor, those players do not get friendship requests. At no time can there be more than 5 players bound to a team by friendship requests. For example, a coach's daughter + friend, assistant coach's daughter + friend, and the 2nd assistant's daughter equals 5 players. The 2nd assistant's daughter does not get a friendship request because that would bind 6 girls together.

5) The expressed goal of the NGSA Board is to provide for fair and balanced play. All friendship requests are honored at the discretion of the board. Friendship requests may not be honored if they would result in team imbalances.