Pre-season Oakville Dome Softball Orientation & Social Night

This is an open invitation to Indoor registering players or friends who are just curious about dome ball and may want to take a look see. Maybe watch a free game and check out our comfy turf. Sometime this is called Fun night.

There is no cost for the program and everyone gets a chance to have a few turns at bat and to field the ball. Bring your shoes, glove and if you have a bat, bring it along. This will give you a chance to see what dome play is like and you can decide if you want to play this or next season. Playing or not it should be a fun social night.  The only requirement is to sign a Dome waiver before going on the field.

Dec. TBA, 2008      RSVP

11:00 Pm Start time -  Sign waivers and game intro (get a waiver here)

              11:30  Pm       First group live field orientation

                          12:45  Am       2^nd group orientation

              All times          Bar social.

 Air Athletics Sports Center

    1333  North Service Road West, Oakville, On, L6M 2W2

    3rd Line & QEW exit

Please contact Wayne Crowley by return e-mail or call 416 518-0542 if you plan to attend.

Bring your friends, eat and drink at the dome bar and watch the softball games.

The entire dome is licensed which means, you can buy your drinks at the bar and take them out to behind home plate sidelines and watch the guy’s practice for the new season.

Purpose

To introduce new people to the playing condition of our indoor ball league and to eliminate first game surprises as to the conditions we play under; the travel of the ball, the game rules and quirks in tracking the ball off the roof or walls. This practice night will prepare you to do your best from the first game on.

For those who have played before, as well as a new season refresher, it is a good social fun night of batting & fielding practice, meet the new people, partying and get finish and need player registration.

Playing Conditions & Environment

There are several factors that come into play that makes the indoor game far different than the summer games. The outfield is narrower; this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The lighting is different and the ball jumps off the bat and turf faster than normal.

At the dome we have walls, ceiling, light stands and some netting to deal with. At times you have to learn how to track the ball somewhat differently. Balls hit off the ceiling, walls or rigging are live and fair or foul depends on where they land. Of course, tracking recherché balls requires some mental adjustments, but if caught in fair territory off the ceiling, it is an out!

What to wear

Most players wear their regular softball shoes and this dome has some of the best turf around. Running shoes are an option. If you are a spectator in the dome a jacket is needed to keep warm. However, once you stat to play and run, you will be down to a T-shirt in no time at all. In fact, it is a wonderful playing temperature for our game. (Sure beats the August heat wave.)

Dome Orientation Training Format

The playing group is divided in half. One takes the field & the other bats. We will have a minimum of  3 innings (more if the time permits).

The inning haft is over when the batting side has gone through the complete order once. This way each player gets to bat every inning and the defense get to makes the maximum number of plays each time they take the field.

Other than this quirk, you play offense & defense as you normally would. The exception is – 3 out does not end the inning. What we have done here is to eliminate the inning change over drag and turned that time into concentrated play time.

There will be no real need to track outs or runs scored, but you can do this for your own purpose, if you want. (Especially if you are training a score keeper.)

Please don’t confuse this exercise with the way indoor ball is normally played. At the real game we use the real softball rules, plus a few of our own.

Dome guidelines for conduct

No ball bags on tables in the bar

The Dome feels the tables are an eating area and not for bags. It makes sense. The bags are in the trunks, on the field, in the bathrooms and who knows where else.

I suggest, picking a corner in the bar and stack them in a pile.

An alternative is to use the change room or your car to store equipment.

Change rooms:

Change rooms are now available and located in the small dome (left side).

We can use these to: change clothing, shower and rest or store equipment.

Warm Up area in the small dome.

If it is not booked by a soccer team, the management will allow us to use the small soccer field for warm up and batted infield. Please take it easy on the batting. This is a privilege not a right.

the field is rented or occupied by a soccer team you may use the area outside of the small field to warm up your throws only. No hard batting and make sure the area is clear of soccer spectators.