Who are the Redbirds?

The Albemarle County Redbirds are a local branch of the Northern Virginia Redbird Softball Club. The original Redbirds have been in existence for many years and have developed a lot of talent that has gone on to play at the collegiate level. Marc Powell (see coaches page) worked closely with Fred Weinberg to start the Albemarle County Redbirds in this area in the fall of 2005. Marc and his wife Anne are the primary managers of this program. Together they bring years of experience to the program. They started coaching together when their oldest daughter was in 2nd grade in 1998 . They joined "CAGS" softball when moving to Charlottesville in 2001 and have been very active in the local rec program for years.

A travel program was the next step for them as their oldest daughter sought a higher level of play, and the younger quickly learned to love the tournament experience. Both Marc and Anne feel strongly about good working relationships with teams in the nearby area and with rec programs in the county so that many more girls will learn to enjoy the game of fastpitch.

What is the difference between rec softball and travel softball?

Girls fastpitch travel organizations have sprouted up all over Virginia, and across the US most typically in response to families not being satisfied with the level of play at the rec level. Each community will have varying degrees of success with rec programs, but on the whole travel provides a more competitve environment. In travel ball, or tournament ball (same thing), coaches are highly dedicated & teams usually have 3-4 coaches per team. The games are during weekends, and kids play 3-4 games over Sat & Sunday. The games are timed so they never go past 2 hrs. at a time. Teams see 2 umpires per game, excellent pitching & hitting, and lots of stealing.

How do I know if my daughter is ready for "Travel ball"?

One sign is that she loves the game... another sign is that she is a naturally competitive child! Many of the best high school softball players are also part of travel teams. If you have a daughter that would like to play at the Varsity level or higher, than a travel team is probably the right place for her to be. We have learned through our contacts and hearing first-hand that college coaches are almost always looking at the travel teams for girls when recruiting. If your child dreams to go this route we would encourage her to get on a team by 12U level so she can learn what it is all about, and see if it's something she truly loves.

How do I know what age-group my daughter plays in?

In fastpitch the age groups go by the age the child turns before the new year. So, if your daughter is still 10 on Dec 31st, 2007, she will be a 10 for 2008, even if she turns 11 January 1st. Likewise for the 12's, 14's, and 16's. There will always be "the oldest" girls in the age-groups, and "the youngest". All teams work within these parameters, even if you think your child belongs in a different age group. Girls are able to play up an age-group, but never down.

Why are regular try-outs held in late summer?

Most travel programs will recruit in late summer and in the fall for the next year. This gives coaches a good idea of the numbers they will have for their team, they'll work with pitchers and catchers through the fall and winter, get the team together for light practices in the winter, and be ready to go into tournament play in early spring. Each year girls move into different age groups so there is always a little reshuffling of teams. The sooner we know who is interested, the easier it makes the planning so spring runs smoothly.

What is the fee?

This is probably the most frequently asked question we recieve. Let's start by saying that we want to give all girls an opportunity to play ball and would not like to see any child excluded due to a financial factor. We are willing to work with all families in their respective abilities to get the fees for team play. A travel team must ask for a fee because each tournament costs at least $350.00 to enter, and uniform and equipment fees are not inexpensive. We offer clinics during the season where we might incur fees for the clinic host, and other expenditures like that. We never make a profit in this organization and our coaches are not paid, but we do need to cover our day-to-day operational costs. We do not pay for travel expenses such as gas or hotels - that is a fee each family must handle. We are happy to discuss our expenditures and budgets with parents.

Each child's cost to play on the Redbirds is $250.00 for a 12 month season, starting September 15. This fee is based on our getting our sponsors from 2006 to return again. If you are willing to find a sponsor for the team then that sponsorship will offset your child's fee. Again, no child will be turned away for financial reasons as long as parents are willing to offer other ways to contribute to the team, such as fundraising, finding new sponsors, volunteering, or other types of help that we can discuss on a one-on-one basis.


Where do you travel to play?

We are happy to announce that this year, 2008, we will play many tournaments right here in Charlottesville! We've worked hard with our local parks and rec to get some weekends scheduled for the girls and they have been very cooperative! (see schedules page for details) Our teams will also travel to the Richmond area or Harrisonburg. We have traveled to Virginia Beach to play, but this is only for a special event. We will always try to play as close to home as possible.

The word "travel" scares a lot of people. Travel softball for girls is the only true equivalent of what the boys have had in Little League play for generations: quality dedicated coaches, 2 umpires per game, good competition on the best fields in town, and great uniforms! We cheer, the boys don't.... other than that - come see for yourself!


Can my daughter also play on a rec softball team?

In the 10U league we generally recommend a child play in rec program if the parents want. Once the kids are 12U, we think they should pick one, as the schedule and expectations are busier and there are usually conflicts.


What would my obligation as a parent be?

Your main obligation would be to support your child as much as possible, and have her at team practices and games on time. Because this is not a rec environment, the level of committment on the part of the child as well as the parents is higher, and the expectations - such as good communication and following the rules of our organization - are also higher. We expect all of our parents to share our core values such as good sportsmanship and being positive role models for the children at the ballpark.


How intense are try-outs? My daughter will be nervous. What if she doesn't make it?

Try-outs do not have to be nerve-wracking events! We look for natural skill and talent, great attitudes, listening and attention skills, and dedication and focus. Does she need to come in and hit every ball? No. Do we expect every ground ball fielded cleanly? No. Do we expect positive attitudes and smiles? Yes! Do we expect hustle? Yes! Do we expect to see a girl who loves a challenge and tries hard? Yes!

Parents, what we expect from you is your patience as we try the girls out. We would appreciate no coaching from the sidelines, or any yelling or raised voices. Please refer to our coaches page for information on all the coaches you will meet so you will feel confident that our coaches will give your child the right words and thoughts to tap into thier best performance.

If your child does not make the Redbirds squad, that is always a chance you and your child will take when venturing into a program like this. Trust that we will give your child our best look, and we will offer constructive feedback as to what we think would be the best fit for your child. Remember Michael Jordan was cut from his 9th grade basketball team, but that never stopped him from becoming the greatest basketball player of our time. Sometimes the timing is just not right - but that doesn't have to mean the end of a young child's dream.

Can my daughter play another sport at the same time?

We always say as long as there are no conflicts with practices and tournaments then it is no problem. Realistically, it's up to each family to decide if that is possible. There will always be overlaps with school sport programs, but as mentioned above, there is a higher degree of dedication to a travel team than to a rec program, and we do expect full attendence at practices and games, with the exception of family or non-sport related conflicts.

Other Questions? email: Anne Powell

Information on this page ©Anne Powell 2008. Written permission requested for reproduction.