The “FUN”nies…

The “Realities” and “Championship Myths” Surrounding the Ad Softball World Series

We are not a tournament for everybody; we are an event that represents far more than the game we love to play.

Every co-ed team will play 12 games (4 games a day), and no team will ever be eliminated. Although games are played on quality, large ball field complexes, we limit the number of team entries, because game times only run from 8am until about 3-4pm.

We end early, giving everybody time to head back to our 4-star resort, perhaps enabling them to hop in the pool first, shower second, and then be able to change clothes and get ready for our dinner parties.

So, in effect, the resort pool deck becomes our off-field headquarters. You won’t find concession food served at our elaborate dinner buffets that also includes entertainment, competitions and adult beverages, and for those reasons alone… coupled with lodging at a top tier resort explains why not everybody is able to afford our 5-day, 4 night ultimate softball vacation… and we are okay with that. The link titled: “We Are Different” describes our event multiplicity.

Reno-Lake Tahoe marks our 41st annual, so we must be doing something right to continue to attract players from around the Western world including across the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and Paris, France.

It is expected the Ad World Series will have 4 to 5 divisions of play in Reno-Lake Tahoe, and every division winner will receive the identical prize package. The good teams will play the good teams, the lower teams will play against other lower-rated teams and everybody is good with that because nobody will ever be happy playing in blowout games. At the end of three days of play, everybody will know the best team on the field, yet that squad might not be crowned “overall” champions.

At the ASWS, a non-division winning team can actually claim the mythical “overall” championship. That champion and three runner-ups will win team credits totaling $2,000.00 that will be applied to each team’s entry fee the following year - $1,000 (1st), $500 (2nd), $250 (3rd), $250 (4th).

Every team qualifies for the overall championship. Of course, a winning on-field record helps, a division championship adds bonus points, but that only represents 50% of a team’s score.

F-U-N represents the remaining 50%. Team competitions include: Best Jersey, and the Opening Dinner Party Jersey Parade. Earlier that day starting with the Captains Meeting and New Player Orientation and extending into player registration and the afternoon Beer Gardens, the video team known as Bob & Jim will always be awarded coins and cards for doing outrageous things that they are able to turn into funny videos.

The ASWS staff should always be looking to award coins for impressive plays they see - from key hits, to diving catches, to double plays, for taking the extra base, even for hitting cut-offs and great tags.

There are also multiple ways for teams to win more coins during mystery party competitions. It is really simple: participate and win coins, don’t participate and nothing,

Competitions actually begin months prior via Facebook participation. Sometimes it involves writing a photo caption, perhaps a pop-up trivia contest or softball quiz, and sometimes points are awarded just for posting a funny photo…and all those contributions add 10% to your team’s overall score.

Don’t get this wrong. We remain a very competitive softball tournament, teams come to win, but victorious or not, the ASWS promotes itself as a memorable, fun “vacation” an event that players, guests, and those who even bring children will never forget.