Howdy all!

The DC Vols co-ed softball team is getting started for the 2007 season, so I wanted to extend an open invitation to all Tennessee alumni in the national capital region to join us for what will hopefully be another fun and productive season!

All you old hats already know what we're all about, but if there's anyone out there whose on the fence, I'll go into a bit more detail...

We play in a 60+ team league made up of alumni associations in the DC area called the Capital Alumni Network (CAN). The teams shift a little from year to year, but we're inevitably in the same division as all the other SEC teams in the league...Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt at last count...which leads to a lot of fun and competitive rivalry games, as I'm sure you can imagine. The season runs from April through August with most of the games on weekdays at 6:30 (a few will be on weekends). We usually play on the Ellipse, at the Washington Monument, or on the fields on Ohio Drive over by the FDR Memorial. There is a $5 player fee to cover the costs of registering the team with the league, field permits and equipment. Any money we get back from the league at the end of the season will be taken out of everyone's individual player fees for the tournament at the year.

What do you need?

• Glove
• Cleats (Recommended, no metal)
• Uniforms (Available for purchase)
• A great attitude
• Bats are provided, but you may bring your own as long as it is on the approved list.

Please don't let a lack of softball experience deter you from coming out! We're more about having fun than anything else, and we pretty much always have a post-game happy hour. Though if you can play softball, we could really use you...we were 4-10 last year, and I'm tired of losing to Florida!!! So...if any of this sounds like fun (cause it is), please come see us at the Official Pre-Season Happy Hour this Thursday, March 1 at 6:30PM at Carpool in Ballston (4000 Fairfax Dr, Ballston or Virginia Square Metro stops). Andrea and I (and hopefully more than a few returning players) will be there to have a couple of beers, meet new people and talk about the team.

And in case you can't make it, here are some other key upcoming dates...

• Thursday, March 1@ 6:30PM ... Happy Hour at Carpool
• Friday, March 9 @ 7:00PM ... CAN T-Minus 30 Days 'Til Softball Party at McFadden's
• Saturday, March 17 @ Noon ... Ladies Only Practice at Angel Park in Alexandria
• Saturday, March 17 @ 2:00PM ... Full Team Practice at Angel Park in Alexandria
• Saturday, March 24 ... Pre-season tourney (3 games)
• Tuesday, April 10 ... Season starts

Feel free to e-mail either of your coaches with any questions...Brad Edmonson or Andrea Price. Updated information can also be found on our new blog. Please bookmark the link to the blog, as we will be using it throughout the season for updates. It also allows for comments, so feel free to use it as a message board.

Hope to see you all on Thursday!

Brad