Welcome to The official web site of the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association

Five veteran softball players were selected by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee at its annual meeting in January. Two were from the ranks of North Dakota fast pitch, two from the slow pitch game and another whose service to the NDASA encompassed both fast and slow pitch games. Scott Duetsch and Jim Thoreson, both from the Fargo/Moorhead area, were named as outstanding players as fast pitch competitors while Curtis Kretchman of Wahpeton and Steve Harrington of Bismarck were chosen from the slow pitch category. Kathy Stefonek of Jamestown was elected as an organizer, administrator and
long time umpire.

According to long time Hall of Fame Committee members Sharon Morgan of Fargo and LeRoy Olson of Buxton, this year marked the first time that all five inductees were elected on the first ballot. With eleven of the twelve members of the Committee in attendance, seven votes were required to elect a new member and each of the five in this year's class received the necessary votes on the first ballot. The five inductees will be honored and inducted into the softball shrine at a Hall of Fame banquet the evening of Saturday, April 21 at the Gladstone Hotel in downtown Jamestown. This event is held in conjunction with the Annual Spring meeting of the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association. Additional information regarding this banquet and ceremony is contained in another article in this issue of Softball News.

Current Hall of Fame members will be notified, and anyone interested in attending will be allowed to purchase tickets.

Plenty of significant information was revealed and discussed at the association's Winter Meeting (minutes) in early January, likely the most anticipated of which is the announcement of the dates and locations of the 2012 state tournaments.  The first pitch of the state tournament schedule will take place July 7th at the Junior Olympic Girls Slow Pitch 16 & Under State Tournament in Jamestown and wraps up, as usual, with the Coed State Tournaments September 8th & 9th in Fargo.  Of particular note: 1) welcome back to Minot, who returns the state tournament rotation following the devastation of last year's flooding and 2) congratulations to Wahpeton, who will be hosting a men's state tournament for the first time since 2005.

Details on other matters coming out of the Winter Meeting will be made available in the coming weeks.  Among the issues addressed:

• Online registration of all NDASA teams will be recommended beginning this season.  Online rosters would be submitted at GoSoftball.com and would establish a player database for all of the association's players.

• Expansion of ASA's men's & women's player classification guidelines to apply to NDASA's Rec classified teams

• Transition to the 52/300 slow pitch softball for all state tournaments this season and all NDASA play in 2013.

• Announcement of important dates & deadlines

• Assessment of last year's implementation of the state tournament pickup player rule and adjustments that need to be made.

The Amateur Softball Association, via their web site, revealed on Friday, November 18th the rule changes forthcoming for the 2012 season.  Foremost among those changes is the long-rumored lengthening of the basepaths for most of Men's Slow Pitch in 2012 and all non-Senior divisions in 2013.

• Rule 2 Section 1 Table: Men's Adult Slow Pitch Only (Except Seniors) shall have a base distance of 70 feet.  Comment: This was tried successfully last year in the A and B Classification of Men's Slow Pitch and brought defense back into the game. It should be used in all classifications of Men's Slow Pitch in 2012. (Except Seniors)

• Rule 2 Section 1 Table: EFFECTIVE 2013. All Adult Slow Pitch (Except Seniors) shall have a base distance of 70 feet.  Comment: Allows for more defense in all Adult Slow Pitch starting in 2013.

ASA also released their 2012 Code Changes.  More details will be shared with all league representatives at the Winter Meeting in Jamestown in late January.

A State Umpire School will be held in Pierre SD April 27-29, 2012 & May 4-6, 2012.  Attending either of these weekends will help provide an umpire with eligibility to work national tournaments.  Additionally, an ASA Slow Pitch Advanced Umpire Camp is planned for May 17-20, 2012 in Lincoln NE.

There will be three national qualifying tournaments in the area for adult slowpitch this year

• June 22-24 - Bismarck (The McQuade)

• July 7-8 - Cambridge MN

• 2nd weekend in July - Rapid City SD

A national qualifier will also take place for Junior Olympic Girls Fast Pitch (All divisions, A & B) in Sioux Falls SD on June 15-17.  The list of national qualifying tournaments has been added to the bottom of the National Tournaments page.

The Junior Olympic Girls Fast Pitch Class A 14 & Under National Tournament will also be in Sioux Falls this year July 29-August 5.

Looking ahead to 2013, that same Girls Fast Pitch 14 & Under National Tournament will move to Bismarck July 24-28, 2013.

From the official web site of the Amateur Softball Association, Softball.org...

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Ten individuals received softball's highest honor on Wednesday evening as the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America inducted ten members to the National Softball Hall of Fame at the 31st Annual celebration in Myrtle Beach, S.C. 

A night full of memories and emotions, the 2011 class consisted of Lori Harrigan (Fast Pitch Player), Julie Johnson (Umpire), Brian Martie (Fast Pitch Player), Rod Peterson (Manager), Lewis Secory (Sponsor), Gary Tharaldson (Sponsor), Tim Wahl (Fast Pitch Player), Max Wilkes (Meritorious Service), Al White (Modified Player) and Jim Wolford (Umpire).

Gary Tharaldson - Sponsor - Fargo, North Dakota 

Gary Tharaldson has dedicated much of his life to supporting ASA Softball as a sponsor for not just one or two divisions but across the whole spectrum of ASA Softball. He was a sponsor for 38 years of the Men's A, B and C Slow Pitch Divisions and supported five different levels of senior ball for a total of 24 years. Tharaldson sponsored women's teams for 15 years as well as both Boys and Girls Junior Olympic Teams. His sponsored teams have participated in over 30 National Tournaments. Outside of his teams, Tharaldson gave back by providing North Dakota state tournament trophies and banners for all divisions for 12 years. He also sponsored the North Dakota Hall of Fame Banquet for 10 years. Tharaldson has been a key component in keeping the upper division of the McQuade Charity Tournament going. Tharaldson was also a player during his time as sponsor winning two National Championships and over playing 1,000 games as a pitcher. He had a best year record of 58-2 and a career batting average of over .600. 

On behalf of everyone involved with the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association, we would like to congratulate Gary Tharaldson.  Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to support softball in our state and to earn your rightful place in the National Softball Hall of Fame.

Marking the unofficial end of the 2011 season and the start of the long winter ahead, the Fall 2011 edition of the "Softball News" has been printed, mailed and is now available on the web site. Some of the feature in our latest publication...

• North Dakota's top national tournament participants, including another championship by Mandan Dust Tex (Mens Master 50), second place for Sperle Masonry (Mens Class C), West Fargo The Impact (Girls Class B Fast Pitch 18 & Under) and Lidgerwood Express (Girls Class B Slow Pitch 18 & Under)

• State tournament highlights and team photos of all 2011 state champions

• List of teams that must move up in classification in 2012 due to 2011 state tournament results

• Specifics on ASA's mandatory classification of teams & players

• Details on North Dakota's next national tournament - the 2012 Mens Masters 35 in Mandan

• Regular features "President's Report", "From Behind the Catcher", "J.O. Fastpitch Update", "Commissioner's Column" and "Ump Chat"

A thinking place should be somewhere where you feel comfortable, somewhere where you can forget everything and focus. I have played softball all my life, and whenever I feel the need to clear my head, I go to the softball field. It's not a place where most people would go, but this is where I find my inner peace. I can go to an empty softball field, and all my anxieties disappear. I can stand anywhere on the diamond and feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. When I sit on the bench in the hollow, dusty dugout, I can close my eyes and imagine my team standing with me, all against the fence cheering, watching, and praying we score another run. I can feel the intensity. It's a rush of energy through my whole body. While sitting on the bench, I start to feel the butterflies and I can recall the crowd cheering for us, our coach looking more confident than ever and the umpire waiting to make the next call. While I am sitting there, memories start to indulge my senses. The softball field is where I lost my first tooth, broke my first bone, and where I met my best friends. I feel at home when I return to the softball field because not only do I have my best memories there, it's one of the biggest parts of my life and it's where I feel most secure.