We are not trying to re-invent the idea of a national tournament. Our goal is simply to make it the best possible tournament ever! Keeping in mind that the players and coaches and fans are the ones who make this event happen, we have geared our efforts to make it something they will always remember.

Stratford has been the site of dozens of national tournaments, as well as the 1974 Women's World Championships. Running tournaments has become routine. However, we will not settle for routine. We want to make the Women's Major Softball National Championship tournament a "blast from the past", the way tournaments have always been conducted in our town. Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field is the primary location with 7 games scheduled to be played at the Short Beach Recreation Complex, one-half mile down the road on the beach.

All 10 teams are scheduled to play two games each in pool play Thursday, August 6. Opening Night ceremonies commence at 6 p.m. that night with a parade of teams and umpires onto the DeLuca Field infield. There will be pomp and circumstance and fans in attendance, something that has been sorely lacking at other sites in recent years. Only winner's bracket games will be played Friday, August 7, all at DeLuca Field. And no longer will teams play a late opening game and then face elimination the next morning before the sun and most of the teams have arisen.

All teams are guaranteed three rooms per night for at least three nights at Comfort Suites, tournament headquarters, which is one mile from the ballpark. Can you remember the last time teams were guaranteed anything except a wake-up call from the front desk on check-out day?

Play Ball!