You might ask how do I do it? Chemistry! Chemistry is vital to your success. When building a team from scratch-which means you’re the only player on your team, advertise in the Sports section of your local newspaper or internet Sports sites to recruit players who really want to play and love the game like you do! When they call to play, a SECRET TIP is to ask them, “Who do you know that will want to play with you that is as good or better than you?” Asking this question will build you team quickly. Also, it is crucial that you take time to talk to your potential players. During your phone conversation, ask them questions to see what they know about the game, if they’ve played before, how long they’ve played... In doing this, you’ll be able to see if they’re as passionate as you are about the game and rather or not you have a “strong” rapport with them. Next, there is “no free lunch”! Most new teams, from my experience, fail because the manager allows a “non-paying” player to get on the team.

Week #1, I suggest that if the league fee is $60.00, then your players have to pay the $60.00, IN FULL! Some players sincerely forget to bring their money, so if they do, ask them, “How close to the amount can you come to?”. But inform them that they must pay the remainder of the balance, Week

#2 or they shouldn‘t bother showing up! Now if they have no money at all, NO MONEY, NO PLAY! THEY HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY! If Week #2 comes around and they still don’t pay in full, then they are off the team! Give them their money back minus the game they played Week #1 and other expenses your league may have incurred. This may seem harsh, but you’ll find that 99.99% of the time this types of player is not serious about the game, won’t pay you in the end, or will try to put off the payment all together so that they can just play half the season or more, if they can get it out of you, for free. Don’t be a Sucker! Because of the high percentile for the player who doesn’t pay you Week #1, it is best to protect yourself by shopping around for a serious “replacement” player before Week#2. That way you’ll have a full squad and won’t chance forfeiting your game and having your team lose respect for your leadership qualities. Plus, you’ll be able to concentrate on winning games because your thoughts won’t be on the money aspect of it!

Softball Leagues that are supportive to new managers are hard to find! Some League Directors are helpful and some are not. We know how to treat our managers.

I've been a successful softball player and manager for 20 years and always have loved it. But I noticed that I had to get out of several teams because I got too old and slow. One Saturday morning I drove by Ted Williams Field in North Park and saw nobody playing ball. I found out that there are more men and women like me and that's why I decided to organize the "Independent Softball Association Adult Slow-pitch Softball Leagues" in San Diego County. Our youngest player is 18 and our oldest 62, so this is the place where everybody's welcome! Then, I started my company-SanDiegoSoftballTournaments.com, organizing softball Leagues in April of 2002 in the flourishing community of North Park in San Diego, Ca. With the workings of our grass roots mentality, a game format designed by players for players, and our organization of individual softball players, which makes us different from the rest, we have rapidly grown from eight teams to a thriving and established, year-round, association. So, if you like the game of softball this is the place to be!