After nearly an eight-month hiatus, America’s Finest City Softball League (AFCSL) is gearing up for another season.

Sunday, Feb. 10, those interested in joining the softball league will have the first of three opportunities to attend a “new player clinic” and to sign up.

At the clinics, those interested in joining will be asked to demonstrate some basic skills (catching, hitting, throwing) so volunteers can determine their skill level. Players are encouraged to bring a pair of cleats and a glove. Bats and balls will be provided. If you don’t have either cleats or a glove, tennis shoes are acceptable, and there are usually extra gloves to go around.

The AFCSL was formed in 1981 as a way for GLBT people to come together and play softball. Over the years and with its continued growth, the AFCSL is now a place for all to have fun, meet new people and enjoy the game of softball.

Regular readers of this column know by now that I’ve been active in the league for more than a decade as a player, coach, and even former board member. I even ran for commissioner once (and lost, thank god!). This league and its members have a special place in my heart. If you’re at all interested in coming out, just to find out what the league is all about, or if you think you’d enjoy playing softball and meeting new people, then I strongly encourage you to give it a try. At the very least, you’ll have a lot of fun.

Part of why it’s so much fun is a little thing called “competitive balance.”

The league makes a tremendous effort to make sure like-skilled players are playing with and against each other, if for no other reason than to make sure players are evenly matched. Those players with advanced skills will be placed on a team in a division where other advanced players compete. Those players with more intermediate, or even basic skills, will also be placed in an appropriate division with teams where the players are also either at the intermediate or beginner level.

As a result of this divisional play format, the league is a welcoming place for those interested in playing softball regardless of skill level.

That’s why they have clinics, so they can accurately assess in which division new players would be most comfortable. As a result, the clinic is not a tryout. No one who attends a clinic will be turned away because of their skill level.

The clinic will start at 9 a.m. and will wrap up at 11 a.m. There is no charge for the clinic and it will take place at Mira Mesa’s Hourglass Park. The season begins Sunday, March 30. For directions, or more information, visit www.afcsl.org.

As much as I love my softball, it is hardly the only game in town, and the San Diego American Flag Football League (SDAFFL) is about to begin its 5th season, which promises to be the largest one yet. Clinics begin this Saturday, Feb. 2 and continue next Saturday, Feb. 9.

According to the league’s Web site, these clinics are a means for the team captains to evaluate talent, run players through various drills, and allow players to sign up and pay their league fee. The fee to play in the league this season is $100. However, that fee includes your registration, the cost of your uniform and a free league T-shirt, so it’s definitely a good deal.

Like the AFCSL, the flag football league is very specific about the purpose of the clinics. They are not try-outs. All players who register, sign the waiver and pay the league fee will be drafted to a team. Players are encouraged to attend one or both clinics to maximize their evaluation potential and ensure eligibility by season’s opening day, March 15.

The clinics will begin at 10 a.m. at the large grassy area located at the corner of Park Boulevard and Upas Street in Hillcrest. The league asks those attending to please bring shorts with no pockets, cleats, water or Gatorade, and be prepared to pay your registration fee at the time the clinic begins.

Players are encouraged to attend both clinics, to maximize your evaluation opportunity. However, only one fee will be collected, and those players only able to attend one clinic will be in no way discriminated against.

SDAFFL began in 2002 with just a handful of players who enjoyed tossing the football around in Balboa Park. What they didn’t realize was that they were all type-A personalities with a tremendous amount of organizational experience. Perhaps inevitably, the group quickly grew to 50 players after just a few months. In 2004, the group officially became a league and adopted standard flag football rules. In 2007, with eight full teams and more than 100 players, the SDAFFL is truly one of the biggest sports success stories in San Diego GLBT athletics.

For more information on the upcoming clinics, e-mail the league’s director of recruiting, Frank Yanez at frank.yanez@gmail.com. For information on the league itself, visit www.sdffl.org.