Locations are still to be determine but will be in either West St. Paul or Mendota Heights fields. Location will be shared prior to tryouts.
** 14U/16U players will receive an email to fill out a survey on what sessions work for them and receive an invite to attend a specific session. Pitchers and catchers will be asked to stay 30 minutes longer for pitcher and catcher tryouts. You can also click here to fill out the 14U/16U survey.
Expected Teams being offered for the 2026 season:
10U
Up to 46 rostered players with 4 teams, 58 players with 5 teams. Players not making a travel team play 10U In-House.
12U
Up to 58 rostered players with 5 teams. Players not making a 12U travel team are welcome to participate in the 10U In-House program or we can help find a team at nearby associations.
14U
Up to 36 players rostered if 3 teams, 48 players if 4 teams. Players not making a team will be provided assistance, if desired, in finding opportunities with nearby programs.
16U/18U
Up to 24 players rostered if two teams, up to 36 players rostered if 3 teams. Players not making a team will be provided assistance in finding opportunities with nearby programs if interested.
Registering for 10U-16U tryouts will include a $15 non-refundable fee. The $15 fee goes toward evaluators and backup indoor facilities.
The fees stated below are estimates. The budgeting process will occur in December and may result in fees being +/- 15% from what is stated below.
Please note registration fees no longer include the cost of uniforms. Estimated cost of uniforms will depend on whether your player requires 1 or 2 jerseys or requires new socks. Black jerseys and both sock combinations will carry over into the 2026 season. Cost could be as low as $45. Pants will continue to be on your own as they have been in the past.
Starting in Fall 2025, our top 14U and 16U teams will compete as MN Warriors and will play a club schedule vs league schedule. These teams will play in tournaments only and will not participate in TriCounty league play.
Instead of a regular league schedule the team will compete in 5 tournaments with an optional 6th tournament with add-on cost, including a season-ending Nationals event such as NAFA Northern Nationals or the USSSA Midwest World Series in Sioux Falls, SD.
These teams will have 2–3 weeknight activities each week, including practices and scrimmages, in addition to weekend tournaments. The 2-3 activities may not always be team practices and may include one day of smaller group position specific skills work or hitting instructions.
Team Structure by Age Level and Skill
In some years, we may form two MN Warriors teams at a particular age level (e.g., 14U or 16U), depending on tryout results and overall player experience. If we plan to do this, we will communicate it before tryouts.
When we only form one MN Warriors team, the second team at that age level will be a Two Rivers Warriors team. These teams will:
Participate in TriCounty league play
Enter 2–3 weekend tournaments
Play in the State Qualifier and State Tournament
Have the option to participate in NAFA or Monsta Nationals (if qualified) for an additional fee
If we have enough players for a third team, it will likely play at the B level with the same structure as the second team.
In rare cases, we may field a fourth team, typically at the B or C level, following a similar structure as the second and third teams.
Why MN Warriors for Top Teams?
Over time, competition at the 14A and 16A levels in TriCounty and MN Softball leagues has shifted due to more players moving to club teams. To ensure strong competition for our top players, we are transitioning our top teams to focus on competing against other regional and gold level club teams.
Until now, conflicting age cutoffs between USA Softball and USSSA made this difficult. With USA Softball and USSSA aligning age cutoffs starting in Fall 2025, we can now streamline this model. Our top 16U team has already been operating this way for four years, and we’ve used this model in 14U in the past for a season.
We're now making this our standard approach every year for top 14U and 16U teams, and we’re excited to continue building competitive opportunities for our athletes to remain with TRAA throughout their softball journey.
After evaluations are completed, the TRAA Softball Committee works with designated head coaches to form teams, beginning with the top team in each age group. This team may compete at the “A” level or as a top “B” team, a determination made collaboratively by the committee and coaches based on overall team strength.
Approximately 50% of each roster is composed of players automatically “locked” onto a team based on:
Top 2 pitchers
Top 2 catchers
Top 2 overall evaluation scores
The remaining 50% of the roster is selected by the head coach, from a pool of eligible players determined by their evaluation scores:
If selecting 4 players, coaches receive a list of the next 8.
If selecting 5, the list includes 10 players.
If selecting 6, the list includes 12 players.
In addition to scores, prior coach feedback and player history are considered.
This process repeats for each subsequent team (Team 2, Team 3, etc.) within the age group.
Pitching and catching scores are not factored into overall evaluation scores and will not elevate or lower a player's ranking.
However, strong scores in these areas may secure a pitcher or catcher “lock” spot and improve the likelihood of placement on a higher-level team.
In rare cases, a locked player (top 2 pitcher, catcher, or overall score) may be moved down one team at the coach’s request. This requires:
A formal review and justification involving the committee.
Valid reasons may include:
Behavior negatively affecting team culture
Lack of commitment (e.g., frequent absences or prioritizing other sports)
Significant parent behavior issues
After evaluations are completed, the TRAA Softball Committee works with designated head coaches to form teams, beginning with the top team in each age group.
14U/16U Rosters are very much built around the creation of the most competitive teams based on position specific needs. While 14U/16U teams are still committed to the development of full softball players across all skills, there are many players that begin specializing at a particular position or a particular spot in the field (corners vs middle infield, outfield vs infield, beyond pitching and catching specialties).
Team selections will be based upon players being ranked at each specific position based on their defensive and offensive capabilities at that position, with players being ranked at each position they choose. Players will also have an additional utility score based on speed and ability to play multiple positions that provide a team additional value.
A players ranking will be a combination of their tryout scores along with previous summer evaluation scores. Players joining the program will be scored only on their tryout scores as well as feedback from their previous programs.
At 14U and 16U, if a player does not tryout as a pitcher or catcher, they will not play the pitcher or catcher position in the 2026 season unless the team requires additional assistance at the position. If a player wants to be a pitcher or catcher, they must tryout for the position.
Players will never be "moved down" because of a pitching or catching score. If anything, it helps them improve their chances of making a higher level team. That being said, if a pitcher or catcher makes a higher team because of their capabilities at another position and it is anticipated their pitching or catching innings will be low, the player can choose not to accept the position on the higher team and play one level lower for more pitching and catching innings.
The term “politics” is often used when tryout outcomes don’t align with expectations. In reality, most decisions are not based on favoritism or bias, but on a broader view of what will make teams successful both on and off the field.
It’s important to note:
Tryout performance and previous seasons' performance are key, but not the only considerations.
Behavior matters—your child’s and your own.
Coaches and committee members are volunteer parents committed to the betterment of the program and community. Their decisions often reflect not just skill level but what will create the most cohesive, committed, and positive team environment.
We are proud of our association and grateful for the families who make it special. These concerns are rarely issues in our community, but we believe transparency is essential to maintaining trust and continuous improvement.
If you are disappointed with your child’s team placement, we respectfully ask that you wait 24 hours before reaching out. Taking time to reflect can provide important perspective. After that, you're welcome to contact us.
Thank you for supporting TRAA Softball.
There is a lot of very unreliable information that floats around within our softball community as it relates to the advantages and disadvantages of trying out as a pitcher or catcher. Some parents try to "scheme the system" or gain an advantage for their player by not having them tryout as a pitcher or catcher.
We can unequivocally inform you that it is terrible advice for your player to skip pitching and/or catching tryouts if your player is a pitcher or catcher.
1. A player's overall score cannot go down or up based on their pitching or catching score. The scores remain separate.
2. A player whose overall score places them as a lock for the team they've made based on their overall score will never be moved down to a lower team because of a pitching or catching score.
3. A player whose pitching or catching score places them on a higher team than their overall score dictates will have a family member contacted by the committee to ensure they would like to accept the position earned on a higher team based on their pitching or catching score. The family and player can choose whether they want to accept the position they've earned based on pitching or catching, knowing that their overall skills may put them in more challenging position, they have the option to move down to the next team if they choose to do so.
4. A player whose pitching or catching score places them on a lower team than their overall score does might be in a scenario where they may pitch or catch less because of other players who scored higher than them at pitcher or catcher. In those scenarios, a family member is contacted to inform them of the situation. The family and player can decide to participate on the higher team they made based on overall score, or choose to move down to the next team to have more pitching or catching opportunities.
Based on all of the above, there is no scenario in which we force any players to move up or down based on pitching or catching tryouts. However, as a result of misinformation provided by some families within the association, we have experienced a number of 10U-14U players that have chosen to bypass being evaluated at the pitcher and catcher position. The result of those decisions backfires. Due to less players trying out at those positions, we are forced to move up pitchers and catchers that would otherwise not have made an A or B team up to the A or B teams because other A or B pitchers and catchers chose not to tryout.
Furthermore, the players that were moved up to serve as the team's pitcher or catcher due to players not trying out for the position may end up receiving less innings at those positions because of those A or B level players than deciding to play the position after tryouts. This hurts the development of the players that did choose to tryout for the position and made the team due to trying out at that position. This is extremely unfair to those players.
No one wins if you're a pitcher and or catcher and choose to not tryout to gain some sort of advantage. The team is not better off, your player is not better off, and their peers are not better off.
That being said, if your young 10U or 12U player has never pitched or caught, has never learned how to pitch or play catcher, and you're uncertain whether or not they even have the skill set to do so, trying out at pitcher or catcher is not a requirement and tryouts is not the right place for them to try it for the first time. Young 10U teams and lower level 12C teams will find opportunities for kids to develop as pitchers even if they didn't tryout for the position.
As we head into tryout week there will be thousands of girls trying to make the team of their dreams. A lot of girls will make the team they are dreaming about, yet many will be left disappointed and discouraged. As parents we often want the BEST for our kids. But sometimes the top team isn’t the best thing for your daughter.
If your daughter is a "BUBBLE" player, playing on that 2nd Tier Team could just save her career ESPECIALLY with a positive attitude from herself, her coaches and most importantly her parents. Most parents will be tempted to go down the road of consoling their daughter and giving her excuses like "it's all politics" or the tryout wasn't fair. Yes, sometimes these things are true, but this doesn't help your daughter. Try to get your daughter to look in the mirror to find out what she really needs to improve on to take that next step as a player. Let her know you will be right there with her. If you can turn the frustration of not making the team into fuel to "show them", you are now on your way to making it a great year.
There will be many players that make the desired team that will rest on their laurels. Now is the time to start working to pass those players up.
My favorite example out of thousands of players was Chrissy Sward. Chrissy was on the North St. Paul "C" Team at 14U. Chrissy wasn't the most coordinated player but had all sorts of athletic ability and speed. She worked extremely hard with her father Bill to get better. Eventually Chrissy grew into her body she became very coordinated. Fast forward 4 years later and Chrissy was the Metro Player of the Year and had a scholarship to play softball at the University of Minnesota. I was lucky enough to Coach Chrissy for two years at North St. Paul.
Here are benefits of a bubble player playing on a Lower Tier Team.
1. More playing time at prime positions.
2. More at bats and being near the top of the order.
3. More innings for pitchers and catchers.
4. Great opportunity for working on leadership skills.
5. Less stressful situations. Making it easier to go out and have fun playing. This makes it easier to perform.
6. The higher the level the more teams are focused on "winning". This isn't necessarily good for skill development.
If your one of those players/parents that didn’t make the team that you wanted take the High Road. “Look in the Mirror” and get to work. It may be the best thing that ever happened to your daughter. Good Luck!