Complex:
The GAGSA fields are scheduled to open for scheduled tournament practices on March 22nd. League practices will begin on March 29th.
The City of Altoona has approved funding for renovations on 4 fields at the Sam Wise complex. Work is expected to begin on two baseball and two softball fields in July. The city will also be making improvements to storm water drainage and retention at the complex as well as repairs to hard surfaces. GAGSA also plans to fund the resurfacing of all 6 game fields this summer. Addtional improvements are also being made to improve playability of the fields thoughout the season.
Website & GAGSA App: You will notice some changes to the look and feel of our website. We have made these changes to help improve online capabilities, including registration and payments, field, cage, and pitching lane reservations/scheduling, game scheduling as well as home pages for each team that will include notifications sent directly to parents when changes to schedules occur or reminders of upcoming events.
Coaches and parents can also download the SportsSignUp Play App and link to their teams. The app can be used to view upcoming team schedule, league standings, and team roster.
Registration Process: You may have noticed that there were some increases in cost for registration. These increases were added to both our Tournament and League programs equally. For the 2020 Spring/Summer season, the board has elected to not do a fundraiser, but instead will charge a $15 capital improvement fee. This change is not only in response to survey suggestions, but also based on the performance of the fundraiser the past few years. This money will go directly back into the complex to provide more opportunities for the members (complex additions are highlighted below).
The board also passed a change with the volunteer process. There is a $40 volunteer deposit included with the registration this year. This money will not be kept by GAGSA, but will be used to pay for volunteer shifts. Each member will have the opportunity to work a shift (4 hours) and will receive the $40 back. If the member chooses to not work a shift, this $40 will be used to pay for a volunteer to cover that shift. We have added our volunteer schedule to our website and members are able to sign-up for shifts that work for their schedule. This is a change from years past, where entire teams were assigned shifts to cover. This also comes from recommendations received from our surveys this past year.
Our organization is entirely volunteer based. We generate the majority of our revenue to maintain and improve the complex from hosting not only league nights, but tournaments during the weekend. We are asking each family to work a total of 4 hours to help during the season. If members would like to volunteer for additional shifts, we of course would appreciate that too!
2021 Hosted Tournaments at Sam Wise Softball Complex (TBD)
Thanks.
GAGSA Board
