Welcome

This note was written by a league player. It is a good discussion about why someone might want to join our league. If you know someone who wants to join, feel free to copy this into e-mail or send them a link to this page.

Join NCSS

I play in a softball league every Tuesday and Thursday morning in North County. This is my favorite of all time, of several leagues I've played in. I like it because of the low cost and unique format. I'd like to invite you to join us. Want to try it out?

North County Senior Softball League-Competitive Division (NCSS)

Background

NCSS is a slow-pitch (6- to 12-foot arc) softball league for men over age 50 who play softball every Tuesday and Thursday. It's called the competitive division because many years ago, two divisions split into separate leagues, one for more recreational players and one for competitive players (the one in which I play). The rec league, http://www.ncseniorsoftball.net/, usually comes up first in Google searches. Players are typically more interested in the social aspect of the game. Rules are tempered a bit - for example, players can run past bases without penalty, and there are no tag plays; they can even get a runner from home plate. It is for the less serious athlete. It's often referred to as the "rec league" due to its lower quality of play.

Our competitive division - https://www.ncss-cd.com/ - follows normal softball rules with a few local exceptions, primarily related to safety. For example, we always require pitchers to pitch from behind a screen so they won't get hit by a batted ball. That's important because we play with livelier balls and allow more responsive SSUSA (1.21 BPF) senior bats instead of the 1.20 ASA bats. In my opinion, balls hit with the "hot" SSUSA bats travel perhaps 50 feet further (and also quicker to the pitcher's body, hence the screens).

NBC 7/39 aired a story about our league in April 2013 (I was out with a broken ankle and didn't get into it) entitled "Seniors Hit Home Runs." It tells the story and shows some of the current players. You can watch the two-minute video here: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/on-air/as-seen-on/201375401.html. There was also a more recent story of interest in the Coast News at https://thecoastnews.com/sports-talk-sports-break-out-around-north-county-for-people-of-all-ages/.

Play format

NCSS has four to seven (currently four) teams and plays nearly all games at Stagecoach Park in La Costa (3420 Camino de los Coches, Carlsbad CA 92009). Other fields we have used and may use again when Stagecoach is not available are:

Stagecoach Park, Carlsbad (almost all games since 2014)
Alga Norte Community Park, Carlsbad (when Stagecoach not available)
Aviara Park, Carlsbad (when Stagecoach not available)
Bradley Park, San Marcos (last played 2015)
Brengle Terrace, Vista (last played 2014)
Calavera Hills, Carlsbad (rarely, last played 2015)
Hollandia Park, San Marcos (last played 2018)
Poinsettia Park, Carlsbad (when Stagecoach is not available)

Most players participate every Tuesday and Thursday, but some opt to play only on Tuesdays or Thursdays. We try to assign an equal number of such players to each team. We also declare "pick-up games" that don't count in the standings whenever we have a large number of players participating in tournaments. That way, those not on tournament teams still have a place to play every Tuesday and Thursday.

All players are issued two shirts, wearing the blue ones when they are the visiting team and the white ones when they are the home team. That way, uniforms don't need to be changed out when teams change.

On game days, we have batting practice from 9:30 am to 10:00 am for 30 minutes before each game, which is optional (more than 90% of players participate). Games start at 10:00 am and usually last until 11:45 or 12:00 noon. A really slow pitcher might drag a game out later, but that's rare.

Teams

Teams play for seasons of approximately 20 games (three months) and are then re-selected each quarter using a formula based on player ratings to promote competitive balance. Changing teams 3-4 times a year, you never get stuck on a losing team or with a bad teammate. All players quickly get to know one another since the teams are different each season. Teams had been chosen at random and manually balanced by managers, but since 2015, we have used a more detailed selection system. Essentially, all players are rated based on their abilities in hitting, power, running, throwing, and defense. Top-rated players are randomly assigned to each team, followed by the next-highest-rated players, and finally the lowest-rated players, to ensure each team has a similar skill balance. We categorize players by pitchers, shortstops, and outfielders to ensure each team has an equal number at those critical positions. Conventional wisdom now has it that the team whose best players show up more often is the one that wins. It is not unusual for four or five teams to be within a game or two of one another in the last week of the season.

Cost to Play

The League charges continuing players an Annual Fee of $100 due by January 31 of each year. For that amount, you can play any or all seasons during the annual calendar year.

There is also a one-time initiation fee of $150 to play in NCSS. This covers the cost of two jerseys and a hat, as well as part of the league's capital costs, and allows you to participate in the season you joined and any other season that concludes before the end of the calendar year.

How do you join?

Fill out the contact form on our website (https://www.ncss-cd.com/contact).

You will be asked to attend a tryout, and once accepted, you will sign a waiver and be placed on a team that is short of players that day. You may also be assigned to a team for another game or two before being permanently assigned to a team. Before being assigned to a team, you will be asked to bring a check for $150, payable to North County Senior Softball - Competitive Division (NCSS-CD). You will then be issued your two shirts and a hat.

That's it. A good mix of good, younger players and some older players. The league average is around 64 years old. Most live in San Diego North County, but some players travel here from Orange and Riverside counties because they prefer this unique format. Some of our Thursday-only players participate in a league in Santee on Tuesdays, and many also play on Sundays at La Costa 35 Athletic Club.

The North County Senior Softball-Competitive Division is an outstanding league to play in – the best I've ever seen.