Fall season preps players for World Series
By Laura Latzko
This year, a number of teams in both the open men’s and women’s division will represent Phoenix at the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance’s Gay Softball World Series Sept. 22-27 in Dallas.
And shortly thereafter, women’s division teams will be heading to the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America’s Softball World Series Oct. 13-18 in Las Vegas.
“The World Series is the pinnacle, the best of the best,” said Aaron Fullerton, open division commissioner and AZ Ice player. “It is the peak of the peak with competitiveness.”
Fullerton, who has attended the World Series since 2008, described it as an opportunity that allows players experience a higher level of competition.
To have a strong showing at the national tournament, Fullerton said it is essential that players develop their skills through regular season and tournament play.
“It takes a lot of practice and dedication,” Fullerton said. “It takes a lot to be competitive nationally. You have to play year in and year out.”
The Toros, one of the league’s A Division teams, returns to the tournament after placing in the top three in its division for five of the last six years. In 2009, the team won the A division during the World Series in Milwaukee.
John Deffee, Toros coach and player, aid this year, the Toros are going into the tournament looking to bring back a championship trophy to Phoenix.
Deffee, a member of the 2009 championship team, said he and other players have gone into the season with the motto “no more silver” and hope to prove they can win it all again.
“We don’t want to be known as that Phoenix team that only won it one time,” Deffee said. “Now that you’ve had a taste of it, and you know you are so close, now you’re like, ‘we can’t accept anything less than the best now.’”
Members of the AZ Elite, an A Division team made up of former Diablos and Trojans players, look to have a strong showing after finishing second in the Gay Games.
Other teams going to the NAGAAA World Series include the AZ Ice and Crush in the B Division, the Aztecs and the Spartans in the C Division and the Grizzlies and Monsoon in the D Division.
Phoenix teams will compete against more than 150 of the top teams from across the country, including last year’s A Division champions, the Houston Force.
Women’s division teams representing Phoenix at the ASANA Softball World Series include Moxie in the B Division, Raw and PHX Heat in the C Division and the Honey Badgers in the D division.
Teams advanced to the World Series based on their spring league standings. And, during both World Series tournaments, teams play round robin games to determine brackets and go on to a double-elimination tournament.
According to Fullerton, the combination social events, the sense of community, camaraderie among teammates as well as players from other cities makes the event special and the tournament atmosphere unique.
“It offers so much more than just softball for me,” he said. “We don’t win every game, but after every tournament, I feel like I have won because it is such a special experience.”
For many players, regular season and tournament play provide open and accepting environments they invite out their friends or families to be a part of.
“It is easier to be yourself when you are around that environment,” said Heidi Dillon, a Moxie player and 11-year league member. “You don’t have to worry about the outside people passing judgment on you and it is family oriented. We had our kids out there all the time when they were younger.”
Toros
Deffee said that playing before the tournament gets players mentally and physically ready for the World Series.
“Everyone is already excited to go. So everyone is focused and dedicated,” he said. “We are always dedicated, but the ambition and the drive peaks with us right before we go.”
The Toros have become known as one of the top teams in Arizona by winning city leagues and tournaments and, in the process, have changed attitudes about the competitive nature of LGBT teams.
Teams in the A Division, a smaller division with the most skilled players, play each other regularly and have to be strategic in how they play each other, Deffee said.
“We know it is not a matter of skill. It is a matter of how we play when we are there,” he said. “Are we going to play smart and if we are struggling, are we going to adapt? I’m not saying nobody can beat us, but it’s going to be really tough to beat us … we play smart.”
Moxie
“You have to go in with confidence. You have to have faith in you and your team,” Dillon said.
Being on a team with the same players for years helps chemistry, Dillon said.
This marks Dillon’s sixth World Series appearance. And, during the tournament, she will play alongside a number of teammates she started with in the league, including her partner, a longtime member of the league.
Playing on the same team as my partner, and sharing the experience, makes the national tournament even more memorable, she said.
According to Dillon, Moxie players are looking forward to facing off against new teams and players. Because the Cactus Cities League only has a limited number of B Division teams, the tournament is a unique and insightful experience.
“Sometimes you get bored playing the same teams over and over again because you know how they will hit or how they are going to play you,” she said. “It’s always fun playing new teams because they don’t know nothing about you just like you don’t know nothing about them.”
Playing against new teams, Dillon said, has helped develop her as a player.
“As far as becoming a better ball player, it depends who you play with or against,” she said. “If you play with people on your team who are competitive, you are going to step your game up and be more competitive.” –E
Softball League Kicks off Regular Fall Season
Twice a year the Cactus Cities Softball League begins a new season, allowing newcomers a chance to meet the player and coaches, to hone their skills or learn the game for the first time.
The fall season, a shorter, slightly more casual season where the league doesn’t keep standings, is the perfect opportunity for newcomers, according to Aaron Fullerton, open division commissioner and AZ Ice player.
“The focus is on community, integrating new players and having fun,” Fullerton said. “In the fall, you can play as much as you want, as long as teams have a spot.”
Approximately 20 new players have just started in the league, and others are invited to join anytime throughout the fall season. New players are matched up with teams based on their skill level.
“We ask them to come ready to play,” Fullerton said. “We get them on a team right away.”
The fall season allows new players to become acclimated to the league as well as the game in preparation for the more competitive spring season, Fullerton said.
During the fall, about 22 teams will face off during Sunday games at Cesar Chavez Park. The 10-week season runs from Sept. 7 to Nov. 16.
— Laura Latzko
VITAL STATISTICS
Cactus Cities Softball
Fall League: Sept. 7 to Nov. 16
Games: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays
Cesar Chavez Park
7858 S. 35th Ave.