Dear Softball Families,
Welcome to the 2024 season! My name is Tiffany Erickson, and I am thrilled to be your Commissioner of Softball again this year! I am so proud of every one of our little leaguers who competed in the 2023 season and hope to see everyone back in 2024! We had a hugely successful softball program last year, and I hope to continue to build upon that success. Issaquah has continued to be one of the largest softball leagues in Western Washington and last year we reached record highs for registrations in all divisions. We hosted many fun events like the Homerun derby, Little League Day at Issaquah High School, and group outings at Seattle Mariners games. We had opportunities to learn and improve our skills through several Development and Training clinics. Hundreds of our players and community members came out to support softball and root on their teams during Championship weekend. We ended the season marching in the Salmon Days parade, being cheered and admired by our entire Issaquah Community!
Along with all the fun, we had several competitive successes. Our Issaquah All-Stars teams did amazing in the post-season! We had a Juniors team (ages 13-14) participating in the District 9 all-star tournament for the first time in many years! The 10/11/12-year old team made it to the final game of the District 9 tournament. They played tough in a very close game, but throughout they were cheered on by numerous community members and aspiring softball players! The 9/10/11-year old team had a record turn-out. They rapidly improved their softball skills and gained game experience by participating in several local tournaments and scrimmages before their run in the District 9 tournament. Finally, the 8/9/10-year old team was crowned District 9 champions, going undefeated in the tournament! They advanced to the State Tournament where they made it all the way to the quarterfinals! During these fun and competitive runs, all the participants and their families made some incredible memories together!
When I started on the Issaquah Little League Board 4 years ago, there were only a couple of members representing softball. I, along with a few others who came before me, have advocated for our girls to have an equal voice and equal opportunities. I have watched our program gain support and grow, and now our softball board has nearly tripled in size! I plan to continue work on this effort to help advance girls’ sports. My goal is to continue to advocate for and expand the softball program while maintaining a fun atmosphere for our girls. I hope to provide opportunities for them to learn the skills of fastpitch softball, develop a love and appreciation of the game, and make memories and lifelong friendships.
I am very thankful to all the volunteers who help make this happen behind the scenes. Our program exists because we have such wonderful volunteers who put in countless hours and who have a passion for the sport, our community, and our kids. With our recent growth and success, this is such an exciting time to be a part of Issaquah Little League. We are always looking for help, whether it is assisting with an event, joining the Board, or helping with coaching. Please reach out if you are interested!
We have another exciting year ahead of us! We will kick off our year with early season skill development clinics. Practices and games start in March, with our regular season games finishing the end of May. In June we will have our Championship Weekend at Dodd Field and begin the All-Star season for our competitive levels. Please clear your calendars for the summer now—with many returning players and coaches, our All-star teams look to again make runs deep into the tournaments! Here's to a fun and successful 2024 season!
If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please don't hesitate to email me at [email protected].
Cheers,
Tiffany Erickson
Issaquah Little League Softball Commissioner