Fastpitch Summer FAQ

Fastpitch FAQ

Please read below to find answers to our most frequently asked questions regarding the USSSA All American Program.

WHAT IS THE USSSA ALL AMERICAN PROGRAM?

The USSSA All American Program was created in 2015 to increase individual opportunities for fastpitch players to showcase their skills and represent their local area in a National event. The All American Program creates an environment where athletes ages 9U to 14U are evaluated by the top athletes and coaches in softball at our All American Tryouts. Athletes are evaluated based on their individual skill level and athleticism.

Following the All American Tryouts, the top athletes from each region will be selected to represent their Region in the All American Games hosted annually at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera, Florida. At the Games, Regional teams will compete against each other in a fun, competitive environment. The goal of this program is to create a pathway for individual athletes to be evaluated and t

o earn an opportunity to compete on the national stage in our All American Games.

WHAT IS A USSSA ALL AMERICAN TRYOUT?

The tryout portion of the USSSA All American Program is used to identify the top level fastpitch athletes in the 9U-14U age division. All tryouts will allow each athlete equal opportunity to showcase their skills in hitting, throwing, fielding, pitching/catching, and athletic testing. Participants will be evaluated on two positions, primary and secondary.

The All American Fastpitch Program will host tryouts throughout six regions of the country – West, Midwest, South, Southeast, Great Lakes, and Northeast. The top 39 athletes will be selected to represent their respective region to create three teams per age group (10u-13u) with 13 athletes on the rosters. The top 26 athletes will be selected to represent their respective region in the 9u and 14u age groups creating two teams of 13 per region.

  • Regions: West, Midwest, South, Southeast, Great Lakes, Northeast
  • Age groups will be strictly determined by birth year. Please visit the following link for the Age Calculator

WHO WILL RUN THE TRYOUT/SHOWCASE?

The USSSA All American staff will consist of current and former USSSA Pride Professional Athletes, College Coaches, other high level coaches and other professional fastpitch athletes.

WHO WILL SELECT THE USSSA ALL AMERICAN TEAMS?

  • The National staff from USSSA will select the USSSA All American Teams based on the tryout evaluations. There will be no outside influences when evaluating a participant or in selecting the teams. All scores are non-negotiable, the scores that are given by the evaluators will be the scores calculated in the overall evaluation. Program Value
  • The value of the All American Program resides in the individual athlete experience. Not only with participating athletes interact and engage with professional players, but they will gain experience in performing under the pressures of a tryout setting, something that will help prepare them for the future.
  • At the tryout, each athlete will receive a USSSA All American t-shirt, an evaluation of her skills from the tryout listed on each participants USSSA profile, instruction from the participating professional athletes and/or coaches.
  • If chosen for the USSSA All American Team each athlete will earn an opportunity to compete in the All American Games.

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL FEES FOR ATHLETES WHO ARE SELECTED?

  • Yes, there will be a $200 fee for the athletes that are selected to play in the USSSA All American Games. This fee helps support the All American Game uniforms and coaching (All American Teams are coached by current/former college softball players).
  • Additionally, each athlete is responsible for getting to Viera, FL, her food, transportation and lodging, etc. during the USSSA All American Games.

CAN MY DAUGHTER ATTEND A TRYOUT OUTSIDE OF OUR REGION?

Yes, she may attend a tryout outside of her region. She will be eligible to make the USSSA All American Team for the region that she tried out in.

CAN MY DAUGHTER PARTICIPATE IN MULTIPLE TRYOUTS?

Yes, your daughter may participate in multiple tryouts in multiple regions. She will be eligible to make a team in any of the regional tryout locations that she attends. We will take each tryout as an individual event. We will not be combining scores from multiple events to create a master score.

WHAT AGE DO I REGISTER FOR?

By entering the correct birthdate, the participant will automatically be put in the correct age group. For USSSA, age eligibility is determined strictly by birth year. Please visit the following link for the Age Calculator.

WHAT IS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE?

  • The online registration will close 48 hours prior to the event start time or once it is sold out, whichever comes first (i.e. For a tryout on Sunday that starts at 6:00 PM, the registration will close at 6:00 PM on the Friday before).
  • Registration can be done online at a discounted rate of $150 prior to the event or as a walkup at the field for $200. We will only be taking walk-ups if we have not reached our limit on participants.

WHAT POSITIONS CAN I SELECT?

  • Each participant can select two positions only. They will be eligible to make the USSSA All American Team for either their primary or secondary position or both. We will pick the best athletes to fit the needs of that particular team based on their scores from the tryout.
  • Once on the team athletes may be asked to play other positions based on the needs of the team. We do this to maximize their playing time while attending the games.

WHAT DO I DO AFTER I REGISTER MY DAUGHTER FOR THE TRYOUT?

  • The USSSA All American Tryout Director will be sending out an email a few days before the event with all the specific information.
  • Any and all updates will be listed on the event page.
  • We will also post tryout specific information and updates on our @usssafastpitch social media platforms.

WHEN WILL THE TEAMS BE SELECTED?

  • At the conclusion of each tryout we will be identifying the top performers in each age group to be named as the “Direct Invites” athletes for the USSSA All American Team. Direct Invites will be released once results are posted for that specific tryout event. All “Direct Invite” athletes will earn an automatic invite into the USSSA All American Games.
  • All other roster selections will be released after the conclusion of the last tryout for that respective Region.
  • Rosters will be announced via the All American Selection show aired on USSSALive.com.
  • Athletes and parents will not be notified prior to the airing of the Selection Show. Participants will be given 72 hours to accept a position on one of the regional USSSA All American Teams.

I AM A COACH, CAN MY WHOLE TEAM ATTEND?

  • Yes, the tryout is open to all athletes (9U-14U) however, they will be trying out on an individual basis, not as a whole team.
  • Team Discounts are available. Must be 8 or more athletes to receive the team discount. Please email Courtney.Ceo@usssa.org for more details on how to register your team.

HOW LONG IS THE TRYOUT?

  • It is important to note that is a tryout and not a camp. There will be times where the athlete is standing around due to the nature of evaluations.
  • We anticipate the tryout to last approximately five hours (including registration), providing there isn’t any weather or field issues. This is an approximation, depending on numbers at the tryout it could be shorter or longer. It is important that each athlete gets evaluated fairly so we will stay until we have completely evaluated every participant.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY DAUGHTER IS SELECTED FOR USSSA ALL AMERICAN TEAM?

  • Team announcements will be made publicly on our All American Selection Show.
  • We will contact each athlete’s parents as well as post the rosters online. It is imperative you supply completely accurate information when registering your child as well as updating her Guardian Profile so we can contact you about the selection.
  • Athletes and parents will not be notified prior to the airing of the Selection Show.
  • Participants will be given 72 hours to accept a position on one of the regional All American Teams.
  • We will not announce the American and National Teams until a week before the All American Games.

WHO WILL COACH THE USSSA ALL AMERICAN TEAMS?

The USSSA All American Teams will be coached by current and former college softball athletes along with other high level selected coaches.

WHAT PITCHING DIMENSIONS AND BALL SIZE WILL BE USED FOR MY DAUGHTER’S AGE GROUP?

  • 9U: 11 inch ball, 35 feet
  • 10U: 11 inch ball, 35 feet
  • 11U: 12 inch ball, 40 feet
  • 12U: 12 inch ball, 40 feet
  • 13U: 12 inch ball, 43 feet
  • 14U: 12 inch ball, 43 feet

MY DAUGHTER IS A PITCHER, WHO WILL WARM HER UP AND CATCH FOR HER DURING THE TRYOUT?

For the pitching evaluations we will use a catcher from the tryout to warm up and catchers and the pitchers. The pitchers and catchers will be evaluated at the same time.