MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA - Latest news from the BEACH.....the ISSA has secured the six adult synthetic turf adult softball fields at the new Grand Park at Market Commons for five days at the end of March for the senior players.  The Myrtle Beach Tournament is scheduled to take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (March 30-April 1) and in addition, the fields will be available to the players on Wednesday and Thursday to come in early and begin training.  Several players have expressed interest in coming in early to get in some hitting practice and possibly take part in some practice games.  The ISSA is glad to be able to make it happen.  (Individual senior players are welcome to come out on Wednesday and Thursday to practice even if not there with a registered team.)

Teams that plan to participate in The Myrtle Beach Tournament should submit their online entry form now to insure their spot in this event.  (The entry fee can be mailed later by the deadline, February 28.)  In fact, the entry forms are now posted for several early ISSA tournaments and teams who have them on their 2012 schedule should submit the forms as soon as possible.  The tournament Fact Sheet is also posted on the website.  Information on reserving rooms at the Host Hotel is included as well.  The rooms for the March/April tournament start at $59 for ocean front.  (Rooms for the October tournament start at $39).  The ISSA and the Host Hotel will hold a reception for the players and quests immediately following the managers meeting on Thursday night and a special party will be hosted on Friday night in the ballroom at the Sand Dunes.  Players interested in playing golf while at Myrtle Beach should ask the hotel staff about a free round of golf.

Play has already begun on the three new fields that opened this week at Grand Park.  Check out the photos of the latest fields on the home page of the ISSA Website.   We hope to see everyone at the BEACH.

ABOUT THE ISSA

The International Senior Softball Association (ISSA) was organized in 1994 by experienced softball people to provide the senior players a quality tournament experience.  The ISSA staff have been leaders in the development of the senior division of the sport and have worked with players and teams worldwide for almost two decades.  The ISSA World Headquarters is located in Manassas, Virginia USA which has come to be known as the Senior Softball Capital of the World.

EXCELLENCE is our PROMISE - The ISSA Staff in conjunction with our community partners pledge our commitment to bring to the senior players the highest quality senior tournaments to enhance their playing experiences all across the United States.  Our vision for ISSA is to continue to add new senior tournaments as quality venues are identified and experienced local "hosts" step forward to partner with ISSA to insure that the players that visit their community will enjoy the highest level of satisfaction.  The success of the ISSA tournament program is predicated upon "player satisfaction" and we appreciate the efforts of so many players who encourage teams to also play in ISSA senior events.

The ISSA has a goal to make participation in our tournaments as easy as possible for the team managers.  Having participated at the team level for over 30 years in all associations we understand the challenges presented to managers and work to streamline the tournament entry process.  Managers can now register their team with ISSA online at no charge and players do not need individual player registration cards, just a drivers license or other government issued identification.  Teams are encouraged to complete the online entry form for each ISSA tournament they plan to enter in 2012.  The ISSA Roster Form and Entry Fee should be mailed to the ISSA Office by the tournament entry deadline which is 30 days prior to the event.  The submitted roster does not have to be signed by the players when submitted with the fee.  (The original roster form with player signatures can be brought to the team check-in by the manager at the tournament.)  For most tournaments the ISSA has identified "Tournament Hotels" or "Host Hotel" with room blocks for the players.  These are listed on the ISSA Website along with addresses for the various softball complexes. 

MANASSAS, VIRGINIA USA - The ISSA/ISF World Tournament of Champions will get underway next month on January 27-29 at various venues in the Tampa, Florida region.  This event will bring together champions from most softball associations to battle on the field to determine the "best of the best."  A list of the registered teams is posted on the ISSA Website.  Any teams who have not mailed their roster and entry fee should do so immediately.  Additional teams can still be accepted in some divisions (interested teams should contact the ISSA Office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 571-436-9704.

ISSA SPRING TRAINING TRAIL - The ISSA has created three early-bird senior tournaments to give teams an opportunity to take to the field early in ISSA competition in 2012.  The three (3) tournaments that make up the "Trail" are at Myrtle Beach, SC, Burlington, NC and Columbus, GA.  Teams that play in all three of these tournaments will receive a PAID berth in the 2012 ISF Senior World Cup at Salem, VA in June (anyone who has not played at Salem should review the Photo Gallery and/or Videos on the ISSA Website to check out the outstanding facilities.).  The three venues are great softball destinations and will afford the players an excellent tournament experience at each location.  The first tournament at Myrtle Beach will utilize the six new synthethic turf fields at Grand Park (Market Commons) for all three days of the event (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).  Ocean front rooms are available at the host hotel starting at $59 per night and the hotel will host some off-the-field events for the players andtheir guests.  Teams interested in playing in any of the "Trail" tournaments are encouraged to submit their online entry form(s) now to insure a spot in the tournament. 

ISSA 2012 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE -  The ISSA continues to address player requests and add additional tournaments to the schedule.  Some additional tournaments may be added later and the current list of events is posted on the ISSA Website and shown below.

January 27-29 ISSA/ISF World Tournament of Champions, Tampa Bay Area, FL

March 30-April 1 The Myrtle Beach Tournament, Myrtle Beach, SC*

April 20-22 Burlington National Invitational, Burlington, NC*

May 4-6 ISSA Spring National, Columbus, GA*

June 1-3 Great Smoky Mountain Senior Classic, Maryville, TN

June 8-10 Penn Senior Classic, Drifton, PA

June 22-24 11^th Annual ISF Senior World Cup, Roanoke Valley, VA

July 13-15 ISSA United States Southern Championships, Auburn, AL

July 20-22 Mountaineer Classic, Morgantown, WV

August 10-12 18^th Annual ISSA World Championships, Manassas, VA

October 5-7 5^th Annual ISSA Winter National, Virginia Beach, VA

October 26-28 ISSA United States Eastern Championships Myrtle Beach, SC

* Teams that play the ISSA SPRING TRAINING TRAIL at all three scheduled events (Myrtle Beach, Burlington and Columbus) will receive a PAID berth in the 11th ISF Senior World Cup at Salem, VA.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be working to finalize the ISSA Tournament agenda for 2012 and some additional tournaments will be added as venue agreements are finalized. If you are interested in ISSA hosting a senior tournament in your area, let us know so we can work toward bringing a world class event to your area.   EXCELLENCE IS OUR PROMISE.