The 2012 Mid-West Fall Signature Showcase is in its 4th year. This event in Columbus Ohio is hosted and managed by Fastpitch Headquarters and Miami Valley Sports Foundation. The managing personnel of these organizations have almost 2 decades of experience in running reputable tournaments and recruiting events. Our goal is to make the Mid-West Signature Showcase a phenomenal event for your team.

This tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 29 - 30, 2012 at Lou Berliner Park in Columbus, Ohio which is the largest softball complex in the country. It is located on the southside of Columbus, only minutes from Columbus International Airport.

Berliner Park is a 31 field park with 23 fields that have skinned infields with a clay-sand mixture and 8 fields that have a new, state-of-the-art turf surface. The park also has concessions, lots of parking, batting cages, an indoor auditorium, and 200 foot temporary fencing on ALL fields. The 209.7 acre Berliner facility, operated by Columbus Parks and Recreation, is bounded by the Scioto River on the east and I-71 on the west. The riverside also features a greenway hiking and biking trail. The river edge is wooded and has plenty of wildlife offering a relaxing change of pace for sport participants and spectators looking for a break in routine.

This tournament will attract elite 16u and 18u teams from around the country, as well as select Junior College teams. The format is pool play, and each team will be guaranteed 5 games, weather permitting.

TOURNAMENT FEATURES:
 

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As college coaches submit RSVPs, they will be listed under Attending College Coaches.

This Signature Showcase event will benefit 2 major charities, the "Susan G Komen for the Cure" breast cancer research foundation and Michele Smith's "Softball for Hearts" foundation. In addition to tournament t-shirt sales, we will be soliciting donations for breast cancer research, and donations of at least $20 will receive a softball-themed "Bring Home a Cure" t-shirt. We also will offer a raffle to benefit Michele Smith's "Softball for Hearts" foundation. 100% of the proceeds will go to the charities.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to call Patti Shotwell at 954-540-7850 (cell). You can also email Patti at patsho@fastpitchheadquarters.com.

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2012 Mid-West Fall Signature Showcase

LOCATION	Lou Berliner Park, Columbus Ohio. Directions Available Here.
DATE	September 29 - 30, 2012. Saturday - Sunday.
ATTENDING TEAMS	Attending teams will be placed in pools, and the pools will be posted as soon as all teams are selected. To see a list of accepted teams, go to Participating Teams.
FORMAT	Five pool games. 5 games guaranteed, weather permitting. Games are a full 1 hr 40 minutes (see Extended Play rule).
SANCTION	ASA. All teams must be sanctioned with ASA. If you are not yet sanctioned as an ASA team, contact your local JO Commissioner. Or you can download the ASA Team Registration Form and send it to Ohio ASA with $20 sanction fee.
GAME SCHEDULE	Game schedule will be posted HERE once it is completed around 3 weeks prior to the event.
ENTRY FEE	$630 per team, but if you pay by check, receive a $30 discount. Umpires and balls are included. $100 deposit is due immediately upon entry and full payment is due 60 days prior to the event (if you need a little more time let us know...we can work with you). If you prefer to pay $600 by check, you should mail it to the address below. If you prefer to pay $630 online or by credit card, see Paypal link below.
MAIL TO:	Mail your $100 deposit or $600 entry fee, payable to Fastpitch Headquarters, to: Fastpitch Headquarters, 11801 NW 7 Street, Plantation, FL 33325. Be sure to include team name, contact information, and tournament name. All funds should be US dollars.
PAY ONLINE or BY CREDIT CARD:	This online pay service is provided for processing the full entry fee price for anyone that wants to pay online or use a credit card. If you prefer to pay the discounted fee, you need to mail your check as stated above.   If you want to pay the full entry fee online, fill in the fields below and click on the "Pay Now" button. Refund Service Fee: By using this payment option, I understand that there will be a nominal service fee applied to any refunds, no matter the reason, as well as any applicable cancellation fees. Team Name & Age Cell Phone Contact # Please see "Rules" for more information regarding refunds and cancellations.
MANDATORY HOUSING INFO	For all out-of-area teams, you MUST contact The Zenith Group, our Housing Authority, to make your hotel reservations. They have great rates at local hotels near the park. For more information, go to www.thezenithgrp.com and link to "FPHQ Showcases and Events" and then to "Mid-West Signature Showcase". Or you can call Ken Broadbent at 1-800-476-0542 or email him at kbroadbent@thezenithgrp.com. There is no charge for this service. It is required that you book through Zenith Group.
RULES & TOURNAMENT INFO	Our Tournament Rules & Information have been posted. Get cancellation and refund information and learn more about aspects of the tournament.
PLAYER PROFILES	In order to submit your player profiles, you MUST be a member of FPHQ, and membership is FREE! If you are not yet a member, please Join Now!!   Once you are a member, you will be able to login by clicking Go to Member Area, and you will find a link to "Submit Team Player Profiles" in your Member Area under "Accessible Links".
TOURNAMENT CONTACTS	Contact Patti Shotwell at patsho@fastpitchheadquarters.com via email with tournament questions or call her at 954-416-9297 or 954-540-7850 (cell).
FPALERTS & COMMUNICATION	Communications with teams will be conducted via email and FPAlerts text messaging system. All teams must sign up for the FREE FPAlerts service. Click HERE for more information on FPAlerts.
I LOVE YOU ADS:	If you would like to express your love to your daughter, or if you are a player to your teammates, you can purchase an "I LOVE YOU" ad in the tournament Program Book. The cost is only $20. Payment is accepted via Paypal (You do not need to be a member of Paypal to use it). The deadline for any "I LOVE YOU" ads is Sunday, September 25.   Please fill-in the fields below with the requested information. Info can extend past end of line. The maximum length on the Ad Text is 100 characters (we reserve the right to edit text for fit and content). Then click on the "Pay Now" button. Contact Name & Phone Player Name & Jersey # Team Name Ad Text

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The information below just refers to a portion of the tournament rules.
For a print-ready pdf of the complete rules, click Complete Tournament Rules.

All teams must check-in at the Tournament Desk prior to their first game. You also are required to provide proof of team insurance and ASA sanction prior to play.

1. You must submit a lineup card at the beginning of the game to the plate umpire and to the other team.

2. The team listed first on the schedule (or at the top) will have the 1st base dugout. You will not have to change dugouts if you have back-to-back games.

3. Teams are guaranteed 5 games, weather permitting. There will be no refund if we are unable to accomodate your travel schedule.

4. Home team will be determined by coin toss at the beginning of the game.

5. Please clean up your dugout when you leave so it is ready for the next team. Please do not leave any trash.

6. Situation Play - This is NOT OPTIONAL!! During ALL games, situation play will be used in designated innings. This is a special feature of the tournament.

• 1st and 2nd innings - normal play.
• 3rd inning - runner starts the inning on 1st base.
• 4th inning - runner starts the inning on 2nd base.
• 5th inning - runners start the inning 1st and 3rd.
• 6th and 7th inning or later - normal play.

7. All teams must sign up for the FPAlerts text messaging service. Instructions on how to subscribe to this FREE service are available on the tournament webpage.

8. Cancellation/Refund Policy - Once you are accepted in the tournament, if you cancel and we are unable to fill your spot, you will be subject to a 100% cancellation fee. If we are able to fill your spot, then you will be subject to a $150 cancellation fee. If you paid using the online pay option, you will also be subject to a minimum $30 processing fee.

9. Teams must be sanctioned with ASA.

10. All games will start on-time, not early. The game clock starts at the designated start time, even if the teams are not ready. Games are 1 hour and 40 minutes long, and will drop dead at 1 hour 40 minutes but finish the player's at bat.
10a. Extended Play Rule: If 7 innings end before time expires, official scoring ends, but, as long as there is sufficient time remaining, teams can continue playing until time runs out. It is umpires discretion to determine "sufficient time remaining", so if only a couple of minutes remain the game may end, but rule of thumb to be used would be 5-10 or more minutes. Eventhough we do not require you to continue to play after 7 innings, it is highly recommended as college coaches could still come by. For example, if you stopped play at 1 hour 15 because 7 innings were finished, a college coach coming by to see the last half hour would not get to see your players. We suggest that at a minimum you play in Extended Play at least 1 hour 30 minutes.

11. Awards - Bracket winners will receive the distinctive Signature Showcase Champion T-shirts. Winners are determined by least runs allowed, not by win/loss records. The best defense wins the bracket.

12. Hotel Requirement - All out of area teams are required to use the Zenith Group for their hotel reservations. If you are using alternative housing, you will be required to pay a housing fee. Information on how to contact The Zenith Group is available on the tournament webpage.

13. Player Profiles - each team should designate one person on their staff to submit the player profile information for all players using the FPDatabase service. You will receive additional information regarding this requirement with the deadlines for compliance.

14. Turf Fields - Berliner Softball Complex has 4 fields (#10,11,12,13) that have a new turf surface on the infield. The park normally does not allow metal cleats on these 4 fields, but for our event they have waived that rule. Teams that do not want to play on the turf fields need to advise the tournament director before the schedule is completed.

From Port Columbus International Airport:
1: Start out going WEST on INTERNATIONAL GTWY toward SAWYER RD.
2: INTERNATIONAL GTWY becomes SAWYER RD.
3: Go STRAIGHT toward I-670/COLUMBUS.
4: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto INTERNATIONAL GTWY.
5: Merge onto I-670 W toward COLUMBUS.
6: Merge onto OH-315 S via EXIT 2A.
7: OH-315 S becomes I-71 S.
8: Take the GREENLAWN AVE exit, EXIT 105.
9: Turn LEFT onto GREENLAWN AVE.
10: Turn RIGHT onto DECKEBACH RD. Berliner Park is on the RIGHT.

From the South:
1. Take I-71 N toward Columbus.
2: Take the GREENLAWN AVE exit, EXIT 105.
3: Turn RIGHT onto GREENLAWN AVE.
4: Turn RIGHT onto DECKEBACH RD. Berliner Park is on the RIGHT.

From the North:
1: Take I-71 S toward Columbus.
2: Take the GREENLAWN AVE exit, EXIT 105.
3: Turn LEFT onto GREENLAWN AVE.
4: Turn RIGHT onto DECKEBACH RD. Berliner Park is on the RIGHT.

From the West:
1: Take I-70 E toward Columbus.
2: Merge onto I-71 S via EXIT 99A toward CINCINNATI.
3: Take the GREENLAWN AVE exit, EXIT 105.
4: Turn LEFT onto GREENLAWN AVE.
5: Turn RIGHT onto DECKEBACH RD. Berliner Park is on the RIGHT.

From the East:
1: Take I-70 W toward Columbus.
2: Keep LEFT to take I-71 S via EXIT 99A-B. Merge onto I-71 S via EXIT 99A on the LEFT.
3: Take the GREENLAWN AVE exit, EXIT 105.
4: Turn LEFT onto GREENLAWN AVE.
5: Turn RIGHT onto DECKEBACH RD. Berliner Park is on the RIGHT.

ALL team coaches MUST register their email addresses and their cell phone numbers in order to receive text/email communications during the tournament. We will not be able to make individual phone calls when we have last minute or late game changes due to weather or team cancellation. We will only be using this service. We highly encourage all teams to have their players and their parents register for this service as it will facilitate quick communications.

To sign up:

Go to http://fastpitch.ealert.com and click on "Subscribe".  You will see "Signature Showcases" listed under "Tournaments". Select this group and then input your email address and your cell phone number as an email address. If you have more than 2 addresses, you will need to subscribe additional times. You can register as many email addresses and cell phone numbers as you want.

Cell phone numbers MUST be entered as an email address. There is a link to instructions on the page on how to convert your cell phone number to an email address. This is really easy to do. Make sure that you do not put the "dash" between numbers.

Once you register an address, you will receive a confirmation message that you MUST reply to in order to activate your address. If you do not receive the confirmation message within a few minutes, you did not enter your address properly so try again.

To unsubscribe:

If you no longer want to receive FPAlert texts or emails, you can easily unsubscribe by going to http://fastpitch.ealert.com and click on "Unsubscribe". You then type in your email address or your cell number as an email address, and when it displays you can unsubscribe.

If you have any problems or questions, please contact Patti Shotwell at 954-540-7850.

For a print-ready pdf of the instructions, go to FPAlerts Instructions.