WELCOME FROM GSWS EXECUTIVE

Welcome to the 2021 NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series and Columbus, Ohio! For many of you, you’re returning to our city. Welcome home! If this is your first time visiting, we hope you enjoy the time you spend here.

It was over 3 years ago this journey began for our Host Committee, and we had no idea what was ahead of us. Having successfully hosted the GSWS twice previously, we felt confident then. We knew what it took to be successful. We had ideas. We had a plan. We had a team. We were ready…or so we thought.

And then COVID happened.

Just as COVID disrupted all of our lives, it threw our then 2020 GSWS planning into a tailspin. As you can imagine, postponing that World Series for a year - while the right decision - left us with much uncertainty, forced us to wipe the board clean and begin again. Everything we knew about hosting this week-long event went out the window, and we had to start fresh.

Back in 2018, we decided our tag line for this World Series would be More Than A Game. We didn’t understand then how the pandemic would expand the symbolism of our brand. While we knew about the relationships that extend well beyond the ball field and the role softball plays in helping people find their support system and chosen families, we underestimated how much our NAGAAA family depends on softball as part of their mental health strategy.

It seems appropriate that we decided to partner with the Trevor Project internationally and Kaleidoscope Youth Center locally to expand our understanding of the mental health issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community and promote programs that better prepare our community to recognize and respond to individuals who may need greater support. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the US Department of Health and Human Services, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24. Moreover, LGBTQIA+ youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.

We can impact these numbers. The CDC's National Youth Risk Behavior Survey identified that regular exercise decreased suicidal thoughts by 23%. Additionally, the opportunity to create positive relationships and be part of a team has a positive impact on the reduction of suicide attempts. In short, softball can save lives.

The impact of LGBTQIA+ softball leagues was never clearer than when our member cities were forced to modify or cancel their regular seasons because of COVID or when NAGAAA had to decide whether to postpone the 2020 Gay Softball World Series. We heard from many of you on both sides of the decision.

The one thing that was shared across the continuum of perspectives was that you not only wanted a GSWS, but also needed it.

The GSWS has become more than a game, more than a tournament, more than a competition. The Gay Softball World Series has become for many of you a part of your mental health strategy and support system.

While it has been challenging, we’re extremely proud to welcome you back to the GSWS and our city. We’re also proud of our community. Their financial support traditionally has allowed us to present events that have continued to raise the bar for the GSWS. Bars and restaurants have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, so we were reluctant to ask for their financial support this year. However, giving back is part of the Columbus way, and our local and national businesses have really stepped up to the plate. We couldn’t do this event without them.

Dallas Aldridge, Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) 2021 Executive Director