Time to play ball

There’s still time to register for softball. Three registration events will be held this month. (Photos by Scott Trump)

The Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League (CAPS) is gearing up for its 29th season, which kicks off Sunday, May 1 at Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro.

The group has three remaining early bird registration events, which will take place at Cobalt on Saturday, PW’s Sports Bar on March 26 and Freddie’s on March 27. The registration events are an opportunity to meet the board of directors, coaches and other players along with getting $10 off the cost of joining, which is normally $50.

CAPS was founded in 1983 and over the years has become one of the larger LGBT sports teams in the area. There are currently 500 players on 27 teams with multiple divisions.

There are three open divisions consisting of both men and women with three different skill categories: B, C and D. There are two women’s divisions — B and C. The season runs for nine weeks and each team plays 18 games during that period on consecutive Sundays.

For those who may be apprehensive about playing or just want to recheck their abilities, the group offers a skills clinic run by professionals. The skills clinic will be offered at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 17 at the Tucker Road Field in Fort Washington.

A few years ago, CAPS formed Friends of the League for people who want to be a part of the group without playing. For $10 you can become a member and attend the season kick-off party at Cobalt on April 30 and also the end-of-season party at Nellie’s on July 31.

CAPS is a member of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) and the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America (ASANA). NAGAAA is a huge organization, which boasts 680 teams and more than 10,000 players in 41 cities across North America. Each year it hosts the Gay Softball World Series. In 2010, CAPS sent four teams to the event held in Columbus, Ohio. CAPS currently has a bid in for the 2013 World Series and is competing with Portland and Dallas for the selection.

Ed Vincent, CAPS League Commissioner stated that if they are accepted as the host city, D.C. can expect to see more than 2,000 players come into the area for the event.

In addition to regular season play, the players also travel to a few tournaments throughout the 41-city NAGAAA member circuit.  For more information on CAPS, go to capssoftball.org.