We're now in the "middle" of our summer season with many teams playing their 3rd game this week.  There are still some schedule changes occurring as Arlington County continues to bump us off the fields for county-related purposes.  Although I'm told that this should be the last occurrence, there's unfortunately no such guarantee.  Rainstorms, concerts that damage fields, and county activities will always have an affect on our program that we simply cannot control.  Teams that play on the following fields should take the notice:

In light of these changes by Arlington County, please prepare your teams for softball play-offs on both August 21/22 and August 28/29.  We are advancing the play-offs by one week because we are unable to reschedule games if the tournament gets rained-out August 28/29. 

The Athletic Conference play-offs will consist of 8 teams. The top 4 teams from each Athletic conference will advance to the play-offs on either Sunday, August 22 or August 29.  Athletic conference play-offs will occur at Virginia Highland 3&4 between 12pm and 4pm.

The Social Conference play-offs will consist of 24 teams.  The top 2 teams from each Social conference divisions (total of 8) will automatically advance to the play-offs on either Saturday, August 21 or August 28.  The remaining 8 spots will be awarded as Wild Cards based of your season record.  The first day of the Social conference play-offs will occur at Quincy Field, Virginia Highland 3&4, and Utah Park from 11am to 5pm on Saturdays.  The Semi-Final and Final matches will be either Sunday, August 22 or August 29.

In case you're confused, I will be sending out additional schedules by tomorrow evening.

If you did not have a chance to pick-up your t-shirts yesterday night, I will be available at Union Jack's Ballston tomorrow night (Tuesday, July 13) from 7:30pm to 10:00pm.  Any additional t-shirt requests may be sent to cindy@chasekickballs.com and we will do our best to accommodate them if they are available from our inventory.

Although AASL is a social league with beer sponsors, we must comply with Arlington County's prohibition of alcoholic beverages on parks and fields.  For this reason, we have a zero tolerance policy because the presence of alcohol results in the loss of all field permits for the remainder of the season and all future seasons.  As games are only an hour long and there are plenty of bars nearby the field, we ask that all alcohol consumption occur before or after the games and away from the fields.  Referees will conduct checks to ensure that there is no alcohol on the field.

That being said, we're pleased to announce that we have 2 sponsor bars this season.  If you play at either Quincy or Utah Park, then your primary sponsor bar is Union Jack's in Ballston.  If you play at any of the VA Highland Fields, then your primary sponsor bar is Sine Irish Pub in Pentagon Row.  Of course, teams are welcomed at both bars.  AASL specials will be offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so all you need is to either wear or show your AASL t-shirt.

Union Jack's Ballston (671 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22203)
- $2 Miller Lites
- $4 Sunset Wheat drafts
- $10 Miller Lite pitchers
- ½ price wings for AASL

Sine Irish Pub (1301 South Joyce Street, Arlington VA)
- $10 Buckets of Miller Lite and MGD 64 (5 bottles)
- $4 Sine Red
- $5 appetizers - Irish Nachos, Chicken Wings, Chicken Fingers, Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Soft Pretzels.

All waivers (see attached) and proofs of residency will be collected during the week of July 19.  Please hand in these documents to your referee.  All players must submit a proof of residency regardless of whether they are Arlington County residents or not.  Company teams may provide a team roster on company letterhead.  The following items may be used as proof of residency.  You need only submit one proof of residency and we do not need original documents.

• Driver's license
• Original lease for a property in Arlington (with no alterations to names or address)
• Arlington Personal Property tax bill from Arlington with name on it, dated within the past 12 months
• Arlington Real Estate tax bill with name and dated within the past 12 months
• Arlington sewer/water bill with name, dated within the past 12 months
• Valid car registration with name and Arlington County address
• Redacted Paystub
• Redacted Bank Statement
• Any other government issued statement with your Arlington County address

We strongly encourage that you and your teammates become an AASL Facebook Fan so that you can receive the latest updates and announcements pertaining to league activities ... like the Free Tailgate Party this weekend (see below).  Help us reach 1000 fans by September 1 and we'll even through a free party with a $1000 tab.  Please share the following link with your teammates.

www.facebook.com/playaasl

There's been a lot of requests to reschedule games that were canceled by Arlington County.  The league has made a special exception for these Week 1 games to help rescheduling games when absolutely necessary.  Please know, however, that this is a special accommodation that will not be available for future games.  In the event of a rain-out, all games will be rescheduled for the following Friday or Monday.  Teams need to be prepared for either dates once permits have been reissued.  The league will not be able accommodate any rescheduling requests once the league reschedules a game from a rain-out.

Join AASL, CHASE Sports Group, and Washington CityPaper for DC United Tailgate party this Sunday, July 18 for a free tailgate party.  The party starts at 4PM.  Please RSVP with our Facebook Events page so that we know how much beer the league should purchase.

Also, if you are interested in purchase discounted tickets for the DC United v. LA Galaxy Game, then please click the link below and purchase your tickets using the promo code: CHASE.