North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance
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The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) is a non-profit, international association of gay and lesbian softball leagues.[1] As of 2023, NAGAAA rebranded, and currently doing business as International Pride Softball.
NAGAAA was founded in 1977 and the first elected Commissioner was Warren Shepell, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It currently has 54 member leagues in the United States and Canada. The current Commissioner is Jeff Sloan.
NAGAAA recognizes seven divisions of play, from the competitive A division through B, C, D and E, plus two Legends Divisions for players age 50 and above. NAGAAA also maintains a player rating system used to evaluate player skill levels to ensure safety and competitive play. While each member city operates independently, NAGAAA membership allows for a consistent framework for operating interleague play during numerous tournaments hosted by member cities and at the two annual NAGAAA hosted tournaments, the Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) for all divisions, and the NAGAAA Cup Invitational tournament for teams from A and B divisions and the two Legends divisions. The 2019 GSWS held in Kansas City includes "208 teams and is expected to attract more than 5,000 people."[2] The NAGAAA has grown to more than 3,000 teams and 25,000 participants.[2] The GSWS is the largest annual, LGBTQ, "single-sport, week-long athletic competition in the world."[2]
Prior to 2007, there was also a division for all female teams but the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America was formed from NAGAAA in 2007.
Current member leagues
[edit]55 member leagues:
- Atlanta: Hotlanta Softball
- Austin: Softball Austin
- Birmingham: New South Softball League
- Boston: Beantown Softball League
- Charlotte: Carolina Piedmont Softball League
- Chicago: Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association
- Cincinnati: River City Softball League
- Columbus: Columbus Lesbian Gay Softball Association
- Dallas: Pegasus Slowpitch Softball Association
- Denver: Denver Area Softball League
- Des Moines: Pride Sports League of Central Iowa
- Fort Lauderdale: South Florida Amateur Athletic Association
- Hamilton: Steel City Inclusive Softball
- Houston: Montrose Softball League
- Huntsville: NexUs Softball League
- Indianapolis: Circle City Pride Softball League
- Iowa City: Lambda Softball Association
- Kansas City: Heart of America Softball League
- Knoxville: K-Town Softball League
- Las Vegas: Las Vegas Gay Softball League
- Long Beach: Long Beach/Orange County Surf & Sun Softball Association
- Los Angeles: The Greater Los Angeles Softball Association (GLASA)
- Louisville: Derby City Pride League
- Madison: Badgerland Softball League
- Memphis: Bluff City Sports Association
- Mid-Atlantic (Norfolk/Richmond): Mid-Atlantic Softball Association
- Milwaukee: Saturday Softball Beer League
- Nashville: Metro Nashville Softball Association
- New Orleans: NOLA Softball League
- New York City: Big Apple Softball League
- Oklahoma City: Sooner State Softball Alliance of OKC
- Orlando: Central Florida Softball League
- Palm Springs: Palm Springs Gay Softball League
- Philadelphia: City of Brotherly Love Softball League
- Phoenix: Cactus Cities Softball League
- Pittsburgh: Steel City Softball League
- Portland: Rose City Softball Association
- Providence, Rhode Island: Renaissance City Softball League
- Raleigh: Oak City Softball League
- Sacramento: Sacramento Valley Gay and Lesbian Softball
- San Antonio: San Antonio Gay Softball League
- San Diego: America's Finest City Softball League
- San Francisco: San Francisco Gay Softball League
- San Jose: Silicon Valley Softball League
- Seattle: Emerald City Softball Association
- Sioux Falls: Sioux Empire Pride Sports Association
- Southern New England (Connecticut): Southern New England Friendship League
- St. Louis: St. Louis Gay and Lesbian Association of Summer Softball
- Tampa: Suncoast Softball League
- Toronto: Cabbagetown Group Softball League
- Tucson: Tucson Inferno Pride Softball
- Tulsa: Tulsa Metro Softball League
- Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul): Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League
- Vancouver: West End SloPitch Association
- Washington, D.C.: Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League
Gay Softball World Series
[edit]Each year teams representing these leagues participate in the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series (GSWS), hosted each year in a different member city.
Each member city is allowed to send (a) an unlimited number of teams in the A and B divisions, (b) up to three team in each of the C, D and E divisions based on the size of the local league, with larger cities allowed more teams, and (c) two teams in each of the Legends C and Legends D divisions. Members cities are encouraged to send at least one team to the GSWS each year.
Future sites for the Gay Softball World Series
2024 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2025 - Houston, Texas
2026 - Columbus, Ohio[3]
2027 - San Francisco, California (50th GSWS)
Gay Softball World Series Champions
[edit]| Year | Host City | A Division Winner |
B Division Winner |
C Division Winner |
D Division Winner |
E Division Winner |
Legends Division C Winner |
Legends Division D Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | San Francisco, CA | |||||||
| 2026 | Columbus, OH | |||||||
| 2025 | Houston, TX | |||||||
| 2024 | Las Vegas, NV | Phoenix Charlie's AZ Toros |
Seattle Cascades |
Atlanta Aces |
St. Louis River Rats |
Houston Cub-ees |
San Francisco Hearts of Fury |
Ft. Lauderdale Silverhawks |
| 2023 | Twin Cities, MN [4] | San Francisco Fury Unleashed |
San Francisco Sharks |
Columbus Pandas |
Ft. Lauderdale Riptide |
Orlando Liberty Baggers |
Palm Springs Greyhounds |
Atlanta Daddies |
| 2022 | Dallas, TX | Phoenix Charlie's AZ Toros |
Atlanta Primetime Elite |
Orlando Liberty |
Dallas Green Sox |
Birmingham Sliders |
Orlando Swag |
Washington DC Big Blue |
| 2021 | Columbus, OH | Phoenix Charlie's AZ Toros |
Columbus Grizz |
New Orleans Skittles United |
Columbus Capitals |
Columbus The Columbus Ban'd |
Palm Springs Grayhounds |
Orlando Swag Sportswear |
| 2020 | Cancelled [5] | |||||||
| 2019 | Kansas City, MO | Phoenix Charlies |
Los Angeles Rebels |
Atlanta Wet Demons |
Dallas Devils |
Atlanta Chargers |
Ft. Lauderdale Alive & Kicking |
Ft. Lauderdale Silverhawks |
| 2018 | Tampa, FL * | Orlando Unicorns |
Knoxville Cyclones / Orlando Voltage |
Mid-Atlantic Thunder |
Mid-Atlantic Norfolk Gunners |
Houston Hey Daddy! |
Palm Springs Desert Dogs / Philadelphia Triple Play Legends | |
| 2017 | Portland, OR | Palm Springs Rounders 2.0 |
Austin Hot Flash |
Twin Cities Steel |
Long Beach Pegasus D |
Dallas Fossil Fuel |
Ft. Lauderdale Code Blue | |
| 2016 | Austin, TX | Dallas Texas Force |
Los Angeles Thunder |
Kansas City Cocktails |
Phoenix Saints |
New York Cranky Yankees |
||
| 2015 | Columbus, OH | Houston Force |
Columbus Grizzlies |
Austin Outlaws |
Tampa Pitch Slapped |
San Diego Marine Layer |
||
| 2014 | Dallas, TX | Palm Springs Rounders 2.0 |
Atlanta Show Stoppers |
Las Vegas Grease Monkeys |
Los Angeles Swingers |
New York Cranky Yankees |
||
| 2013 | Washington, DC | Houston Force |
Boston Blizzard |
Orlando Fury Unleashed |
Mid-Atlantic Lightning |
Southern New England Cranky Yankees |
||
| 2012 | Twin Cities, MN [6] | Atlanta Sluggers |
Long Beach Rounders 2.0 |
Tampa Venom |
Seattle Inferno |
Seattle Strokes |
||
| 2011 | Chicago, IL | Atlanta Venom |
Boston Alley Gators |
Las Vegas The Rat Pack |
Boston Good Times |
|||
| 2010 | Columbus, OH * | Los Angeles Vipers / Orlando Force |
Dallas T K O |
Austin Shady Ladies |
Boston Ramrod Machine |
|||
| 2009 | Milwaukee, WI | Phoenix Toros |
Chicago Spin Cougars |
Ft. Lauderdale Cyclones |
Nashville Players |
|||
| 2008 | Seattle, WA | Los Angeles Vipers |
Boston Crew |
Dallas Woody's Xplosion |
Seattle Atomic |
|||
| 2007 | Phoenix, AZ | Atlanta Venom |
Orlando Force |
Memphis Heat |
Atlanta Wet Demons |
|||
| 2006 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Los Angeles Vipers |
Los Angeles Killer B's |
Nashville Tribe |
Chicago Jackhammer Heat |
|||
| 2005 | San Diego, CA | Los Angeles Vipers |
Washington D.C. Disturbance |
Seattle Blue Sox |
Tampa Titans |
|||
| 2004 | Dallas, TX | Atlanta Venom |
Phoenix Calamus/IONSZ Crush |
Virginia Beach Evil Empire |
Memphis Barflies |
|||
| 2003 | Washington, DC | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Seattle Monarchs |
Chicago Cougar's |
Los Angeles El Dorado Knights |
|||
| 2002 | Portland, OR | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Ft. Lauderdale Alibi Demons |
Mid-Atlantic Norfolk Cavaliers |
Chicago Little Dog Properties |
|||
| 2001 | San Francisco, CA | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Los Angeles Destroyers |
Ft. Lauderdale Chardees Stingrays |
||||
| 2000 | Toronto, ON | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Boston Jackhammers |
Ft. Lauderdale Chardees Stingrays |
||||
| 1999 | Kansas City, MO | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Kansas City Dixie Belles Sharps |
San Francisco Posse |
||||
| 1998 | Atlanta, GA | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Dallas Sting |
Boston Southenders |
||||
| 1997 | San Diego, CA | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
Twin Cities Gay 90's Bandits |
Toronto The Crew |
||||
| 1996 | Twin Cities, MN | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
New York Sunny Day Knights |
San Francisco Murderer's Row |
||||
| 1995 | Seattle, WA | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
San Diego Rich's ACES |
Washington D.C. JR's Gamecocks |
||||
| 1994 | Nashville, TN | Los Angeles Stray Cats |
New York Dugout |
Dallas JR's |
||||
| 1993 | Philadelphia, PA | Mid-Atlantic Norfolk Outlaws |
Seattle Elite |
San Francisco Aids Foundation Golden Bears |
||||
| 1992 | Los Angeles, CA | Boston Fritz |
Philadelphia Woody's |
Atlanta Ritz Sluggers |
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| 1991 | Boston, MA | Los Angeles Griffs |
Los Angeles Blaze |
|||||
| 1990 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Francisco Uncle Bert's Bombers |
Philadelphia Blue Parrot |
|||||
| 1989 | Atlanta, GA | Los Angeles Griffs |
San Francisco Galleon |
|||||
| 1988 | Dallas, TX | Twin Cities Cloud 9 |
New York Ty's Chelsea Breakers |
|||||
| 1987 | San Francisco, CA | Twin Cities Cloud 9 |
||||||
| 1986 | New York, NY/New Haven, CT | Los Angeles Slammers |
||||||
| 1985 | Milwaukee, WI | Houston Briar Patch |
||||||
| 1984 | Houston, TX | Twin Cities Gay 90's |
||||||
| 1983 | Chicago, IL | Chicago Sidetrack |
||||||
| 1982 | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco Pendulum |
||||||
| 1981 | Toronto, ON | Los Angeles Griffs |
||||||
| 1980 | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles Griffs |
||||||
| 1979 | Milwaukee, WI | Los Angeles Rusty Nail |
||||||
| 1978 | New York, NY | Los Angeles Griffs |
||||||
| 1977 | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco Badland |
- Co-Champions have been declared in 2010 and 2018 for some divisions due to inclement weather.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Home". North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ a b c "Gay Softball World Series draws 5,000 people to Kansas City". KMBZ FM. September 3, 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ [https://www.columbussports.org/press-releases/post/2026-gay-softball-world-series-columbus/#:~:text=The%20largest%20annual%20LGBTQ%2B%20single,Softball%20World%20Series%20(GSWS).
- ^ Minneapolis Region to Host 2022 Gay Softball World Series | Sports Minneapolis
- ^ NAGAAA News | GSWS 2020 Update
- ^ NAGAAA 2012 Gay Softball World Series | Lavender Magazine