Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What division should I sign up for?
A: The online registration form will place athletes into the appropriate division based on the information you enter. If you feel that the division you are assigned is incorrect, please contact us below prior to submitting your registration. There is a place on the registration form to request the athlete be moved to a higher division. Athletes requesting to move to a higher division must register and pay for the age appropriate division before their request will be considered. Requests to move to a higher division are never guaranteed and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Historically, very few athletes have been moved up to a higher division. An additional evaluation session will likely be required for athletes requesting to move up a division.

Please note: The age cutoff date changed from December 31 to August 31 starting with the 2024 season. This affects division placement for athletes born in the months of September through December. Additionally, the ages for the 8U (Rookie) Division have changed from 5-8 to 6-8.

Q: What do I all need to complete?
A: You will need to complete the online registration form including payment by the registration deadline for your division.

Q: Do I have to do this online?
A: The registration form and payment (exceptions can be made to the online payment requirement if advance contact is made with the registrar) must be submitted online.

Q: When is the registration deadline?
A: For 2024, all deadlines are the same for all divisions. They are listed on our Registration Policies page under the Completion, Deadline, & Late Registration Policy.

Q: What should I do if I'm interested in coaching or helping a team?
A: If you are at all interested in volunteering with a team this upcoming season, you must fill out an online volunteer application. This application must be filled out even if you volunteered in a previous year. As an organization, we require background checks on all of our volunteers to ensure the safety of everyone involved in our organization. We will be enforcing this strictly this year. Absolutely no one will be allowed in the dugouts or field during any practice or game if they are not approved by Portage Youth Softball. For a list of volunteer opportunities, volunteer requirements, more information, and to submit your volunteer application, visit our volunteer page.

Q: What is Tandem?
A: Tandem is the online calendar system that we use so that it is easy to see exactly what your schedule is. You can filter by team, location, event type, and more. It helps us keep the league organized and also helps you keep track of your softball schedule. All games and practices in addition to organization-wide events will be posted on this calendar. You will receive schedule alerts from Tandem as events are added/canceled/postponed/etc. for your team(s).

Q: What is SportsYou?
A: SportsYou is the new communication mobile app we started using in 2023. (This replaced TeamApp which was used in past years). We encourage everyone involved with PYS to download the app to their smartphone or to use the website version of the app if they don't have a smartphone. For more information on SportsYou, click here. If you do not sign up for Sports You, you WILL MISS important announcements!

Q: How much does it cost to play?
A: It costs $100 for the 10U, 12U, 14U, and 16/18U divisions and $30 for the 8U division. More information regarding these fees and possible late fees can be found by viewing our registration policies. If registering after the regular registration deadline, a $25 late fee will be applied. NOTE: Late fees will be waived for all players NEW to Portage Youth Softball. However, the PYS Registrar must be contacted prior to registering for the late fee to be removed. Once paid, the late fee is non-refundable.

Q: Do I have to pay online?
A: By default, the registration fee must be paid online. If this is an issue, please contact us below as soon as possible. We can work with you to make a payment by check or payment plan. However, it will take a little longer than registering and paying online at the same time.

Q: What are the accepted payment methods?
A: We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diner's Club online through our registration form. We accept check as an alternate form of payment. Alternative payment methods and payment plans can be considered if contact is made with the Registrar.

Q: What are the additional forms that I have to fill out?
A: The WIAA Concussion Form, Parent Code of Conduct, Player Code of Conduct, and the Liability Waiver - Release, Indemnification, and Hold Harmless Agreement will be completed electronically during the registration process. There are no additional paper forms that need to be filled out. You can also view these agreements here.

Q: Why won't the registration form let me answer certain questions?
A: If the registration form is not letting you answer certain questions or advance to the next step, please verify that there are no errors popping up. Red errors will show up under a question if there is an issue. Check what the errors may be and try to resolve them. Another issue could be if you have an ad blocker enabled. If you experience issues, please turn off your ad blocker. Our website is optimized for the Google Chrome browser. Other browsers should work, but are not tested. If you are unable to fix the problem, please contact us using the form below and we will assist you.

Q: What should I do if I submit a registration with a mistake on it?
A: Please fill out the form below and inform us what correction needs to be made and we will fix it.

Q: When are games played?
A: Exact days of games and game schedules will not be known for a while. However, games are not started until after school is out and typically take place on Monday-Thursday evenings. Coaches for most divisions schedule their own games, so exact game schedules will vary by team. Schedules are always subject to change. The most updated schedule is always available at www.portageyouthsoftball.org/schedule.

Q: Do I have to volunteer this year?
A: Yes. We are in need of additional help throughout the season in a variety of areas in order to keep our organization successful. We need more parents/guardians/families to take a more active role in PYS. We expect families of registered athletes to volunteer for at least six (6) volunteer hours per athlete throughout 2024. We will be tracking volunteer activity and may impose fees in future years if we do not receive adequate volunteering hours from parents/guardians. We need more families to be involved. There will be ample opportunities to volunteer throughout the year including: summer season concession stand, field maintenance/improvement days, fundraising events, and our annual tournament in July.​​

Julia Considine

Registrar

registration
@portageyouthsoftball.org
​
(608) 697-3856