The Palm Springs Gay Softball League (PSGSL) will be sending four teams to Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 17-21 to represent Palm Springs in the 39th North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) Softball World Series.
The Rounders 2.0 will be defending their 2014 “A” division World Series title. The team is also the reigning NAGAAA Cup Champion. StreetBar, which took 1st place in the Liberty Classic in Long Beach over the Fourth of July weekend, will be competing in the “D” division; the Gorillas will compete in the “C” division; and the Tribe will compete in the “B” division.
Columbus will be hosting the NAGAAA World Series for the second time in five years. More than 5,000 participants from 44 member cities in North America will descend on 31 diamonds at Lou Berliner Park for one of the world’s largest LGBT sporting events. The motto this year is “ALL IN.” A new digital feature this year is the ability for fans and players to access the Gay World Series website and get instant updates on all of the teams’ progress. Visit www.mygsws.com
The PSGSL has 17 active teams covering all divisions of play. Separating players according to skill and ability levels allows for safe, recreational play in a fun, competitive way. The “A” division has the highest skilled players. The “D” division, nicknamed the “developmental division,” consists of nine teams of players who are building their skills.
Anyone 18 and older, at any skill level, is invited to join the league for the upcoming fall season, which begins Oct. 4. Interested new players are advised to participate in one of the league’s fall clinics, which take place on consecutive Sundays in September: Sept. 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. on field 5, Sept. 13 from 8 to 10 am on field 7, and Sept. 20 from 4 to 6 pm on field 5. All clinics take place at Demuth Park in Palm Springs, located on Mesquite Avenue just east of El Cielo Road. The purpose of the clinics is to assess player skills so they can be placed in the appropriate division. All attendees will be placed on a team. Interested people should visit PSGSL.org and sign up.
The league embraces diversity and encourages members of the LGBT community to come to Demuth Park on Sundays this fall from 2 to 6 p.m. on fields 5, 6, 7 and 8 to enjoy a fun, exciting, entertaining and family-friendly afternoon of slow-pitch softball. There is a snack bar at fields 7 and 8; bring a chair or a blanket to better enjoy the day. The PSGSL is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, which accepts donations and team sponsorships to help players offset the costs of playing.
For more information, contact the PSGSL at palmspringsgaysoftball@gmail.com, or visit PSGSL.org. For more information on the gay World Series visit nagaaasoftball.org.