Eight softball teams from Central Florida and Tampa Bay are participating in the 33rd Annual <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:””; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) World Series beginning Aug. 31. Orlando teams will participate in all four divisions while Tampa Bay teams are only in two.
The local A-division team is DAX Mortgage Orlando Force. The B-division team is the Orlando Broadway Crush. In the C-division, Tampa Mojo and Orlando RPM will play in the tournament. The Inferno and the Starlets, both of Tampa, and the Revolution Rage and Precious Little Miracles of Orlando, will compete in the D-division.
The 2009 NAGAAA World Series play officially begins on Monday, Aug. 31, and the championships are slated for Saturday, Sept. 5. But the festivities aren’t solely focused on the softball field. The opening ceremonies for the 2009 Series will star disco diva Thelma Houston.
Houston appeared on American Idol last season and won a Grammy for her “Don’t Leave Me This Way” dance hit. She will appear with Martha Wash and Niki Haris.
Other off-the-field entertainment includes a player talent show at the Pabst Theatre. Players will compete for prizes and raise money for local Milwaukee charities. Closing ceremonies will feature the medal ceremony and performances by Kristine W. and Chad Michaels as “Cher.”
For more information on the World Series or to view brackets, visit NAGAAAFest.com.
Local league play begins
Both the Suncoast Softball League in Tampa and the Central Florida Softball League in Orlando are gearing up for the 2009 fall season. League play begins Sunday, Sept. 13.
Both leagues are still accepting players. The Tampa league will hold an assessment clinic on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 9 a.m. at Gadsden Fields in Tampa. All new players to the league must attend the clinic in order to receive an appropriate NAGAAA rating. For more information on the Suncoast Softball League, visit SuncoastSoftball.org.
The “fun day” organized by the Central Florida Softball League originally scheduled for Aug. 9 was cancelled, but players interested in joining the league can contact commissioners at CFSLeague.org.
