THIS WEEKEND IN SOCAL
One free Saturday letter for SoCal travel families, 10U–18U. Three things: parent, player, weekend.
Open the WatchlistWritten by a travel-ball dad in Orange County.
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Sept 12–13
Open the Watchlist →Sample letter
Sept 12–13 weekend sample. Hold send. Times NOT POSTED.
Sample · Sept 12–13 weekend · not a send
THE CUT
SOFTBALL NEWSLETTER
SEPT 12–13, 2026
Two parks this weekend: Lake Elsinore and Fountain Valley.
Lake Elsinore hosts TCS Fall Classic. Fountain Valley hosts USSSA Autumn Classic at Mile Square. Times post Wednesday night. Thursday update coming.
Parent — Heat is still the job. Water on the hip. Shade on the break. Fluids before, during, after. Energy drinks are not hydration.
Player — Lake Elsinore is turf: pack turf shoes. TCS says 10U and 12U no metal; 14U and up can unless the facility says otherwise. Ask the TD before warm-ups.
Weekend — Lake Elsinore (TCS, Rosetta Canyon, 10U–18U): gate NOT POSTED, turf shoes. Fountain Valley (USSSA, Mile Square, 10U–18U): gate TBA, OC Parks parking $5 Sat–Sun. Times NOT POSTED both parks.
Lake Elsinore — TCS Fall Classic
Rosetta Canyon Sports Park, 39423 Ardenwood Way. 10U–18U. Saturday and Sunday, Sept 12–13.
Times: NOT POSTED (Wednesday evening before the event).
Gate: NOT POSTED.
Surface: turf. Pack appropriate shoes.
Tryouts
Age first. Club pages only. If it isn’t posted, it isn’t here.
Nothing posted for this week yet. Check back.
Player care
Short notes for the stands and the lot. Not a blog. Not medical advice. Not a supplement pitch. SoCal: heat > rain.
Water on the hip. Shade on the break. Don’t grind through a 92-degree park.
Show up hydrated. Water at least every 15–20 minutes, in the shade if you can. Take pads off on the break. Build heat work up over 7–14 days. Change the plan when it’s extreme. Energy drinks are not hydration.
Heat first. Then the reps.
Add time and intensity over 7–14 days. Water on a real break, in the shade. If the day is too hot, change the plan. Don’t save the water for the end.
Food first. Eat for the day you have. Fluids before, during, after.
A well-balanced diet helps replace what you lose in the heat. Skip drinks with stimulants or high caffeine as “hydration.” Meet needs with food, not supplements. Spread carbohydrate and protein through the day, especially after play.
See it. Feel it. In real time. Keep it useful.
Imagery works best when it is vivid, uses more than one sense, runs in real time, and stays on a positive picture of the skill.
Nominate
First name only. We hold every nomination for review. No public last names.
If we use it, we use first name + age group only (example shape: “Maya, 12U”). Never a full name on the site or in the letter without a separate Tim yes.