Registered - Now What?

Welcome New and Returning Players!

You should have received a 'Thank You' email after registering. Below are a few things you need to know for the season. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Down East Girls Softball League Board or drop us an email at [email protected]. We're looking forward to partnering with you to make this the best season yet. 

Sincerely,
Your Board of Directors
Down East Girls Softball League

What To Expect:

After your child is registered, and upon the close of registration, Team Managers will meet to perform a draft to determine the teams. The phone number and email you provided during registration will be used to inform you of your child’s team assignment. All communications regarding scheduling will also come directly from your Team Manager, their Coaching Staff, or a Team Parent.

A Team Parent is an important part of the team. He / she / they will handle getting information on fundraisers, pictures, the coordination of post-game snacks (optional), coordination of team concession stand volunteers, and possibly coordinating scorekeeper duties.

Game Schedules:

The DEGSL board coordinates with other leagues in our area at the beginning of the season to create the season game schedule. Once the schedule is finalized, it is published on our website, our Facebook page, and provided to your child’s coach.  Most games will be played on our home fields at Eastern Park. There will be some away games against other leagues such as Newport, Havelock, Morehead City, Swansboro, and Western. There can be up to 16 games per season. Should a game get cancelled due to weather, every effort will be made to reschedule the game.

Practice schedules will depend upon each coach. Each team will have a set weekly schedule. Communicate directly with your coach should you have any conflicts with the schedule provided.  We ask if your child can not be present for a game due to a scheduling conflict, illness, or other reason, that you notify your coach as early as you can.

Game schedules will also be posted on each team's calendar on our website as well as through the SportsEngine app, the official communication app of Babe Ruth Softball and DEGSL.  Download the SportsEngine app to your mobile device through the Apple store or the Google Playstore to stay up-to-date.  League news, team communications and team schedules will be communicated via the SportsEngine app, Facebook and our website.

Uniforms & Equipment:

All players, regardless of age, will need the following items for the season:

At the start of the spring season, Dick's Sporting Goods provides a 20% off coupon for our league. This is a great opportunity to purchase items at a discount. If your child has an interest in catching, the league has provided each team with a set of catcher's gear. Purchasing personal catching gear is entirely optional.

Due to shipping times, DEGSL has chosen to make available the option for parents to order new jerseys, player’s hoodies, socks, and belts at time of registration.  These items will be given out by the coaches before opening ceremonies.  Each DEGSL player is required to have a full uniform consisting of softball pants, jersey, socks, and/or belt before being allowed to play any official game. If getting these items causes a financial hardship for your family, please contact Leanne Peppers directly at [email protected].

Post Season Teams: All-Stars

8U is the first year in which players can participate in post season tournaments. The All-Star Tournament Road for the Babe Ruth World Series typically runs from June 1st through July 31st.  DEGSL usually participates in the ENC District 5 All-Star Tournament, usually held the 2nd week of June, and ENC State Tournament, usually held the 4th week of June.  These are 3-5 day tournaments and locations are held in Carteret, Craven, and Onslow Counties for District 5 All-Stars, and in rotating locations in Eastern NC for the State Tournament.

All-Star teams are created by selecting the best players at a particular age group within the league. These teams are designed to be as competitive as possible as the intent of these teams is to win against other All-Star teams. All-Stars games are more competitive than regular season games, and some players may play less than other players.  As such, players, as well as parents, must learn to cooperate with the manager who makes the playing time decisions.

Post Season Commitment

The most influential people in All-Stars are the players' parents. By their attitude, effort, cooperation, and contributions, the team is able to succeed. There is a significant commitment required to participate in post-season play as teams usually practice 3-to-5 days per week, starting around June 1st, until their tournament begins in order to prepare for the level of play that will be seen in the tournaments. Families that want to be considered for post-season play should try to schedule summer vacations accordingly.

All-Stars represents a significant financial investment by the league on behalf of our players.  As such, the league requires all families to sign a participation contract acknowledging their intent to play at both the district and state levels of the tournament road.