Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball Association

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

The Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball Association, or CLGSA, is a National Softball Association sanctioned softball league for the gay and lesbian community based in Columbus, Ohio.

1 History
2 Leadership
3 Teams/Games
4 Events
5 Link

[edit] History

The CLGSA was founded in the early 1980's. The league grew from a handfull of teams to currently having over 500 registered players on 26 different teams. The league is a non-profit organization, raising money and donating funds to such organizations as Stonewall Columbus and the Columbus AIDS Task Force. While founded as an independent softball league, the 2007 board of trustees and managers elected to become a member of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance for the 2008 season.

[edit] Leadership

A board of trustees is elected by team managers each year. The executive board includes a commissioner, assistant commissioner, treasurer, and secretary. Additional members on the board include a fundraising director, publicity chair, and field preparation coordinator. At the start of each season league managers elect conference chiefs to represent each of the three conferences.

[edit] Teams/Games

The CLGSA is divided into three conferences:

Roberts - Competitive

Akers - Competitive-Recreational

St. Clair - Recreational

Teams are encouraged to build their roster with players of similar ability level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) but roster-building is based on manager discretion. While no specific player rating system was originally employed, the league has begun to implement NAGAAA ratings for players during recent seasons.

The league plays all games at Berliner Softball Complex, the nations largest softball complex with 32 separate softball diamonds in location. The league plays on Sunday afternoons for 10-11 weeks between the start of May and the middle of August.

[edit] Events

Bat-N-Rouge is a fundraising event sponsored by the CLGSA. Bat-N-Rouge occurs the last Sunday of June each year during the Columbus Pride Holiday. Players from the CLGSA dress up in drag (clothing) for a charity softball game emceed by local drag queens. Proceeds benefit the CLGSA and selected lesbian/gay and other related charities.

Midwest Invitational Softball Tournament, or M.I.S.T., is an annual softball tournament that travels between Columbus, Cleveland, and Detroit. M.I.S.T. is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, hosting gay and lesbian teams from various states across the country. CLGSA last hosted M.I.S.T. in 2007.