BRYC Girls Fastpitch Softball
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BRYC Softball?
The BRYC Girls fastpitch softball program is a youth organization in Fairfax County, Virginia dedicated to competitive softball play among young female athletes. Braddock Road Youth Club is the parent organization of BRYC Softball, as well as many other sports. BRYC Softball uses ASA softball rules with minor modifications made to accommodate each skill level. The Board of Directors for BRYC Softball is composed of volunteers, and all coaches and other personnel are volunteers. BRYC provides training for all volunteer positions. (Back to Top)
What is our objective?
BRYC Softball is intended to provide girls with the opportunity to experience softball at all levels in an atmosphere that encourages and promotes teamwork, friendships, and good sportsmanship. It is the purpose of BRYC Softball to achieve this goal with adult leaders providing the example. BRYC Softball expects coaches, fans, and umpires to exhibit courtesy and proper decorum at all times. (Back to Top)
What are our leagues?
BRYC Girls Softball is for girls ages 5 through 18 with groups according to age and experience. We group girls by age because not all children develop physically and emotionally at the same pace. By keeping the age groupings small, we allow girls of the same age and skill level to compete on a more even scale. The age is based on the player's age on January 1 of the current year. For example, a player who turns 11 with a February birthday is considered to be 10 years old for the whole year. Although we recommend the girls playing in their own age level in the spring (age level based on age as of Jan. 1st), we do permit the more experienced girls to play up at the next level. The five age groups/skill levels are:
Ages 5, 6, 7 & 8 - T-ball and Coach-Pitch : Our 5-8 year olds hit coach pitch. This allows the hitters to develop hand eye coordination at a faster pace than tee-ball only leagues.
Ages 9 & 10 - Ten-and-Under : Our 10U League players begin to pitch. This allows the hitters to get accustom to a player pitching at an earlier age, while our pitchers begin to develop at an earlier age.
Ages 11 & 12 - Pigtail: Our Pigtail (12u) girls play 100% fast pitch softball.
Ages 13 to 18 - Ponytail : As do our Ponytail (18u) players, an age level that many leagues do not offer!
Select teams - Experienced players of all ages: We also offer select travel teams at various age levels, depending on the number of players with interest.
When are our seasons?
House leagues play during the Spring (March-June) and Fall (Sept-Nov). During the Summer (June-Aug), BRYC Girls Softball sponsors teams in the Fairfax County Girls Softball League. During all three seasons BRYC Girls Softball has Select teams at a number of levels that are entered into more competitive regional play. And in the winter, we sponsor indoor clinics on softball skills. (Back to Top)
Where do we play our games?
Fairfax County Recreation Dept. controls the allocation of fields and does not guarantee any organization a field from season to season. In past years, the majority of our games and practices are held at Canterbury Woods Elementary School (a few blocks from the intersection of Braddock and Rolling Roads) or Rutherford Park (a few blocks from the intersection of Braddock and Guinea Roads) or Annandale Community Park (just north of the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Hummer Road). Other locations are used as the need arises (examples: Wakefield Recreation Center, Woodson High School, Robinson High School). For directions to specific fields, go to our Fields Page. (Back to Top)
Who are our players?
We have about 300 players who come from Springfield, Burke, Annandale, Fairfax, Alexandria, and beyond. Our younger girls are mostly from elementary schools spread all over the greater Burke, Annandale, and Springfield area. Our high school players come to us from Lee, West Springfield, Lake Braddock, Woodson, Robinson, Hayfield, Edison, West Potomac, Thomas Jefferson, and Annandale High Schools. BRYC Softball truly does cover the entire greater Springfield, Annandale, and Burke area, and welcomes girls from all over northern Virginia - there is no residency requirement. (Back to Top)
What do the registration fees pay for?
Our season fees cover 100% of your costs. There are no hidden equipment or uniform fees. There are no administrative fees tacked on to your registration fee. There are no participation fees to force parents to participate (although we do welcome all volunteers). 100% of our effort and your fees are dedicated to girls fastpitch softball. None of your fees go to other sports or other organizations. Our select teams are financially autonomous from the house league and their fees. Oh, and we do give families with multiple players a $10 discount on the second, third, etc. players registered. (Back to Top)
How do I become a coach?
We welcome all volunteers!!! The first step is easy if your daughter is already playing. Just approach her coach and offer to help. That's the best way to learn coaching. The second step is to talk with the Commissioner of the age level that you are interested in coaching at. He/She will be able to give you tips and ideas on how to coach, and will help you get started. Also, every year BRYC Softball pays for the registration fees for two coaches from every BRYC Softball team to attend the National Softball Coaches Clinic, which is held in late January in Baltimore. This is a good way to learn how to teach players. Finally, we provide all coaches each year with a notebook that contains practice ideas and drills. This helps you in setting up a practice for a team. (Back to Top)
Are there photos and awards?
We also offer every parent an opportunity to have their child's picture taken in uniform in the spring. All girls in the Coach Pitch and 10u leagues receive medals or trophies. The 10u, Pigtail, and Ponytail leagues participate in playoffs and all star games in the spring. (Back to Top)
Who are the league directors?
| Position | Name |
| League Commissioner | Jim Pendergast |
| Assistant Commissioner | Paul Malone |
| Coach Pitch Commissioner | Jim Pendergast |
| 10 & Under Commissioner | Amanda Green |
| Pigtail Commissioner | Storm Kauffman |
| Ponytail Commissioner | Bob Passut |
| Select Commissioner | vacant |
| Secretary/Publicity Coordinator | vacant |
| Equipment Manager | Mike Stegemiller |
| Registrar | vacant |
| Field Assignments | Bob Passut (acting) |
| Field Maintenance | John Dooley |
| Webmaster | Wanda Dooley |
| Tournament Director | John Dooley |
| Volunteer Coordinator | vacant |
Do you need volunteers?
Volunteers are needed several positions on the Board. (Back to Top)
The Secretary/Publicity Coordinator takes minutes of meetings and handles all other publicity about BRYC Softball. The person places advertisements in local newspapers announcing BRYC Softball events, and works with the offices of Fairfax Country Commissioners, Virginia State Delegates and Senators, and local Congressional Representatives to coordinate their potential attendance at the Opening Day event. (Back to Top)
The Registrar leads the registration effort for the league. This is a critical position because it is often the first exposure that new players and parents have to our league. The Registrar sets up registration events, plans and implements advertisements for registration, and keeps a record of all players who register. The Registrar works with the Coach Pitch, 10U, Pigtail, and Ponytail Commissioners as they set up the teams. (Back to Top)
The Select Commissioner represents the select and development teams on the BRYC Softball Board of Directors. The Select Commissioner may be a select coach, but is not required to be one. His/her duties and responsibilities are to be the primary contact between their teams and the Board, ensure that the league By-Laws, Rules and Schedules are distributed to the coaches, recruit and develop coaches for the 10u select team, work in conjunction with the Field Manager to determine the scheduling of practice fields, and continuously monitor the activities of all Select teams and report to the Board at each meeting. (Back to Top)
The Field Coordinator works with the BRYC Fields Coordinator to request enough fields based on the number of registrations. The Field Coordinator assigns fields and times to the individual commissioners for practices and games, and represents BRYC Softball at Community and Recreation Services meetings. (Back to Top)
The Volunteer Coordinator plans and organizes special events where we have a need for volunteers. One important role is organizing the team photographs for the spring and fall seasons. At times, we may have a funding drive, and the Volunteer Coordinator helps secure volunteers for these drives. (Back to Top)
How can you contact us?
You can call the BRYC Softball hotline at 703-569-1466, or you can email the commissioner can be emailed to BRYCSoftballJim at aol.com. Please send any comments on this website to webmaster at brycsoftball.org. Or you can mail us at BRYC Softball, PO Box 276, Annandale, VA 22003. (Back to Top)
Last updated Aug. 14, 2007
www.brycsoftball.org/general.htm