By MARIELLA COLLINS

The 2016 South Boston Girls Softball League (SBGSL) season is underway. Established in 2007, the SBGSL is a registered Amateur Softball Association (ASA) organization that continues to provide mentorship and competitive play for hundreds of girls and young women ages five through 17 in the South Boston area and neighboring communities.

The SBGSL offers house league programs at the eight and under, instructional, 10 and under, 12 and under, and 14 and under levels during the spring season. It is the program’s goal to motivate players to participate and compete with positive attitudes, integrity, and good sportsmanship, while simultaneously offering opportunities to academically and socially empower its members.

For the second year, the Fighting Irish 16 and under competitive travel team will represent the SBGSL playing against teams across the Northeast from June through August. The current schedule includes bi-weekly games and four tournaments in Eastern New England. This program has seen success in its first year and continues to grow into a competitive program beyond the Boston community. The tournament system provides a forum for the development of a higher level of play and opportunities to be scouted by local colleges, private high schools, and post-graduate institutions.

The Fighting Irish 16 and under club sees a return of over eleven players and has roster spaces available for additional athletes. The birthday cutoff for the 16 and under program is 16 years or younger on 12/31/2015. Interested players are encouraged to contact Mariella Collina at mariella.collins@yahoo.com or Kathleen Wallace at kathleen12wallace@gmail.com.