2019 AUTUMN CLASSIC SPECIAL EDITION WWW.COMPETESPORTSDIVERSITY.COM
TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTUMN CLASSIC 2019 ISSUE PUBLISHER/CEO Eric Carlyle, SDLT eric@competesportsdiversity.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Connie Wardman, M.A., SDLT connie@competesportsdiversity.com OPERATIONS VICE PRESIDENT Jared Garduno, SDLT jared@competesportsdiversity.com This special 2019 Autumn Classic issue of Compete Magazine was created in partnership with the AFCSL. If your organization produces or hosts a run, tournament, sports festival, awards ceremony or other type of event, please contact Compete today to find out how we can partner to produce a high-quality issue unique to your organization and its special events. Send us an email at publications@competesportsdiversity.com MISSION STATEMENT Compete unites the world through sports. Copyright © 2019 MEDIA OUT LOUD, LLC All Rights Reserved.
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AUTUMN CLASSIC CELEBRATES 36TH ANNIVERSARY 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 7 WELCOME TO THE AUTUMN CLASSIC 9 WELCOME FROM COMPETE SPORTS DIVERSITY 13 EVENT SCHEDULE
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10 FEATURE:
14 PARTICIPATING TEAMS 16 CLOUD SPORTS NETWORK LIVESTREAM
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18 REGISTRATION AND FIELDS
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WELCOME TO THE AUTUMN CLASSIC
Welcome On behalf of the Autumn Classic we welcome you to this year’s tournament held here in beautiful San Diego, California. This wonderful tournament, held annually throughout the county of San Diego on the Columbus Day weekend, brings together athletes of various levels to compete and have fun together. Our league is looking forward to providing an outstanding tournament for you, your team and all your fans. We take pride in working very hard to make your experience the best it can be – to ensure the best fields, best umpires and best experience that everyone can enjoy while visiting with us. The information in this packet should answer most of your questions regarding the Autumn Classic tournament. It also contains information on a good number of restaurants, businesses and other places you might not be aware of to visit while here. Should you have further questions, please contact us at your convenience. Our beautiful host hotel will again host our opening party this year and the tournament schedule and brackets can be found at www.autumnclassic.org/pages/ fullschedule. We look forward to seeing you in San Diego and we are working extremely hard to ensure your experience with us will be a great one. Good luck in the tournament! Sincerely, Your Autumn Classic Team www.CompeteSportsDiversity.com
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Improve endurance Build muscle Increase hydration Enhance energy production and mitochondrial function Decrease recovery time and muscle soreness Replace nutrients used up during intense physical exertion
OTHER SERVICES:
InfraRed Sauna For Weight Loss/Detox Weight Loss Programs Genetic Testing Hormone Balancing
IntraMuscular Injections: - Vitamin B12 - MIC B12 (“Skinny Shot” - B Complex/B6/B12 combination
CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE 20 MINUTE CONSULTATION: 619-239-LIFE (5433) 5210 Balboa Ave Suite F San Diego, CA 92117 LotusRainClinic.com
WELCOME FROM COMPETE
Compete is very excited to be partnering with the Autumn Classic this year. San Diego has always been a leader in LGBTQ+ sports and the Autumn Classic is one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ tournaments in the country. San Diego is also one of my favorite places. While we are proud to bring you this year’s official Autumn Classic Tournament Guide, we are already working on next year’s guide. Many local businesses are supporting the guide. A complete list is printed on page 17 of the player guide and we are looking forward to growing support for the guide for next year. While you are in San Diego enjoy the beautiful weather, sandy beaches and of course, the competition.
With You,
Eric Carlyle, SDLT Publisher/CEO eric@competesportsdiversity.com @CompeteEric
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FEATURE
The Autumn Classic sports festival is back for its 36th consecutive year. Always held in San Diego over the Columbus Day weekend, the event is organized by America’s Finest City Softball League, perhaps better known by its initials, AFCSL. This year’s games are being played at Poway Sportsplex, Santee Sportsplex and Mt. San Miguel (in Chula Vista), all within San Diego County. The league is made up of 26 teams that are broken down into 18 Open Division teams and eight teams in a Women’s Division. While the Open Division consists primarily of men, it is also open to women. The Women’s division is also open to men as well as non-binary adults. What’s particularly impressive is the age range of the league players. The youngest AFCSL player is 18 (the youngest allowable age for league play)
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and the oldest player is 71. Now that’s diversity and inclusion on display, something that highlights AFCSL’s long-standing commitment to sports diversity. The Autumn Classic, AFCSL’s signature event, is a sports festival that openly promotes an environment of inclusiveness. It includes all gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, racial and ethnic identities, religious values and identities, and “all
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FEATURE
other distinctive attributes which make us who we are as individuals.” The AFCSL’s statement of inclusion includes the following: We value and celebrate uniqueness and believe, by bringing together diverse individuals and by sharing the common experience of competition, we can create a sense of togetherness and community. As such, the Autumn Classic asks all participants to contribute to providing a safe, affirming environment for all competitors. Throughout history gay athletes have looked for a place to play the games they loved without needing to hide their sexual orientation and gender identity. And thanks to the influence of the Stonewall Riots that occurred 50 years ago in June, a number of national gay sports organizations began, including one for gay softball – NAGAAA. The predominantly male North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance was founded in 1977. ASANA, the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America was founded in 2007 as a then all-female offshoot of NAGAAA. As the sports diversity movement has grown, especially around an expansion of gender identity, both organizations are welcoming to all who want to play, including allies.
And while the AFCSL belongs to both leagues, its history is mirrored by many local teams and leagues that were intuitively practicing sports diversity before they knew there were other organizations involved in the same mission. The AFCSL Open Division joined NAGAAA in 1983 and its Women’s Division is a charter member of ASANA. According to AFCSL member and former league commissioner George Biagi, the league’s history of sports diversity is deeply rooted. It was back in 1982 when Tim Nelson decided to put together a gay softball league. As the driving force behind the idea, he and Roan Mei became the first co-commissioners of the new San Diego Gay Softball League. Kicking off its inaugural year with 200 players and six team sponsors, the new league began to grow with help in the early years from Richard Clark, Patricia McDonald, Judy Thompson and Michael Passante. And in only two years the first Autumn Classic was held at Morley Field at San Diego’s Balboa Park. Men and women all played together in the Open Division until 1987 when the league offered both a men’s division and a women’s division. That year the league also decided to change its name to America’s Finest City Softball League (AFCSL – many San Diego visitors would certainly agree with the city’s nickname). Since its founding, AFCSL has hosted the NAGAAA Gay Softball
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FEATURE
World Series (GSWS) twice; in 1997 and 2005. As a fun fact, Biagi shares that in 1997 AFCSL was the largest league in NAGAAA, the GSWS tournament was the largest-to-date with 112 teams and other than the GSWS, the Autumn Classic was the largest softball tournament in the world that year with 72 teams. (Anyone rushing out to buy a lottery ticket right now?) However, the AFCSL is about much more than softball! It donates to the San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center) and in collaboration with other LGBTQ+ sports leagues in San Diego it also participates in the charity event “WeCare” in support of local schools and The Center. The league makes NAGAAA and ASANA Hall of Fame donations and helps with Trans Family Support Services charity events; AFCSL members also make personal donations. The league maintains the AFCSL Hall of Fame for
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past and present members and hosts its annual induction ceremony. With its proximity to the Mexican border, the AFCSL also participates in the collection of toiletries and other useful items for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers awaiting entry to the U.S. This is done in collaboration with Casa Arcoiris, the LGBTQ+ shelter in Tijuana. And fun? It’s hard NOT to have fun if you’re with some of this San Diego crew; the city and surrounding areas are awash in places to be and things to do, and if you play softball, well, you’re already best buds! The league offers weekly bar sponsor events after games and they also participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the annual Out at the Park in collaboration with San Diego Pride and the San Diego Padres. You're sure to have a wonderful time at the Autumn Classic!
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TEAMS
PARTICIPATING TEAMS OPEN D DIVISION SOFTBALL HOU Dynasty LA Cartel LA Cleats N Cleavage LA Swingers LA UMAD LB Cruizers LB Havoc LB Hooks LB PDQ LB SBW NY Eagle PHX Monsoon PS Gorillas PS Ignis Fatuus PS Sandstorm PS Tiki Warriors SD Over the Limit SD Rebels SD Shade SD Sharks SD Storm SD Tsunami SEA Sinners VAN Bat Attitude VAN Batmen VAN Brewjays
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OPEN C DIVISION SOFTBALL BOS Club Cafe GG Crew LA Cartel LA Morning Wood LA Rocket City Trash Pandas LB Crushers LB Pegasus LV Grease Monkeys PHX West Coast Sucias POR Growlers PS Greyhounds PS Stingers SD OMG SD Renegades SD Scorpions SD Shameless SD Wicked
CLOUD SPORTS NETWORK
SMILE – YOU’RE LIVE VIA CLOUD SPORTS NETWORK BY HARRY ANDREW
live broadcasts from NAGAAA’s Gay Softball World Series in Kansas City, Missouri and ASANA’s annual World Series in Long Beach, California. For all of you who love gay softball but can’t make it to this year’s 36th annual Autumn Classic, your problem is solved! Cloud Sports Network (CSN) is “on the ball,” making sure that our global audience of softball fans don’t miss a single homer, run, strike out or error. For the second year in a row CSN is streaming games live on the internet from this year’s Autumn Classic. With players traveling to San Diego from all over North America, it means that family, friends and loved ones back home can still watch the tournament live in a format accessible from any internet-connected device in the world. CSN is the first live-streaming broadcast company dedicated to providing professional level broadcasts of LGBTQ+ amateur sports. With multiple cameras, on-field microphones and professional play-by-play and color commentary, Cloud Sports Network is finally bringing gay amateur athletes the coverage they deserve. The company is young but growing quickly thanks to its highend broadcasting equipment, its broadcasting experience and its sports knowledge and experience with softball, in particular. CSN recently did
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“Unlike baseball, softball at this level is fast-paced,” said Roman Jimenez, founder of CSN. “Each game lasts only about 50 minutes; that means less time between pitches, between batters and less time between innings. It’s an incredibly exciting game to watch on a screen, even for non-softball fans.” Viewers appear to agree with Jimenez’ assessment. CSN’s early test broadcast received thousands of views for an average of more than six minutes per view, more than three times the average viewing time of an online video. A statistic that also has caught the attention of potential advertisers. “Using our state-of-the-art livestreaming capability,” Jimenez continues, “we bring the purest form of competition today to your smartphone, tablet or computer, completely free of charge. No monthly fees, no subscription fees, no kidding. “ To learn more, visit Facebook.com/ cloudsportsnetwork, on the Cloud Sports Network YouTube channel or www.cloudsportsnetwork.com.
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COMPETE AUTUMN CLASSIC 2019 GUIDE SUPPORTERS
EDITION SPECIAL Y.COM CLASSIC DIVERSIT AUTUMN SPORTS 2019 OMPETE WWW.C
Compete would like to thank the following businesses for supporting the tournament guide.
Gold Package Advertisers
Silver Package Advertisers
Bronze Package Advertisers
Chase Ragazzi Mr. Hankeys Cloud Sports Network Sin City Classic
Bully's East Lacy Italiano LotusRain Stacked Restaurants
Dr. Keeny, DDS Met Church
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REGISTRATION & FIELDS
REGISTRATION Friday, October 11, 2019 Starts at 6 pm 8757 Rio San Diego Dr, San Diego, CA 92108 FIELDS Games will be played at the following fields: 1. M t. San Miguel 2335 Paseo Veracruz, Chula Vista, CA 91914 2. S portsplex USA Poway, 12349 McIvers Ct., Poway, CA 92064 3. S portsplex USA Santer, 9951 Riverwalk Dr., Santee, CA 92071
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