The Bats Plus Icebreaker I that is being played tonight at MapleZone will be the 1st USA Softball tournament ever played after the renane and rebranding of the ASA became effective on January 1, 2017 and after checking with the national office in Oklahoma City.

Andy Ruhf the USA of PA District 6 slow pitch player representative from Delaware County will have the honor of being the first umpire in the country to work a sanctioned USA Softball event under the new name at tonight's tournament.

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ASA/USA Softball announces organization rename and rebrand to USA Softball and unveils new logo

June 30, 2016, 1:12 p.m. (ET)

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America/USA Softball, the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the U.S., announced today their organizational rename and rebrand to USA Softball and new logo, which will be effective January 1, 2017. As the sport of softball continually evolves, focusing on the USA Softball brand better reflects the legacy that ASA/USA Softball has established over its 80 years as the leader in the sport of softball.

“This is an exciting time for ASA/USA Softball as the rebrand to USA Softball reflects our vision for the growth of the sport,” said ASA/USA Softball President Warren Jones. “For over 80 years, ASA/USA Softball has been the driving force behind the sport of softball, and this new logo truly embodies that character and legacy. I encourage all of our members to embrace the change of rebranding our organization to USA Softball that the ASA/USA Softball Board of Directors approved during its September, 2015 Board Meeting. As the National Governing Body of Softball, USA Softball will continue to serve as the leader in the sport of softball while helping foster the passion and love for the game to all.”

When ASA/USA Softball entered the softball picture in 1933, the sport was in a state of confusion with no unified set of playing rules and no NGB to provide guidance and stability. ASA/USA Softball changed all that by adopting softball's first universally accepted rules of play and by organizing consistent and fair competition across the nation. Since its founding, ASA/USA Softball serves the softball community as the leader in certified equipment standards, coaching education and umpiring while providing the best-of-the best in softball at all levels. Whether as a coach, athlete, umpire, administrator or fan, ASA/USA Softball provides the most exciting, level and competitive fields of play.

ASA/USA Softball has left an everlasting imprint on the sport, athletes and officials, creating many historic “firsts” for the game, including the first set of unified rules, the first standardized uniforms for officials, a Hall of Fame to honor those individuals who have left an impact upon our sport and fielding the first U.S. Olympic Softball team in 1996. From this beginning, ASA/USA Softball has become one of the nation's largest and fastest growing sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations. In its long history, ASA/USA Softball has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 160,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.2 million. That legacy will continue to live on through the USA Softball brand, providing a clearer identity of what USA Softball stands for, represents and embodies.

“The evolution of our brand to USA Softball showcases our organization to its fullest potential,” said ASA/USA Softball Executive Director Craig Cress. “Rebranding shows our members, teams, umpires, players and fans that we are continually evolving and furthering the softball community while connecting and unifying them under the USA Softball brand. I’m excited for our fans, members and administrators to connect and identify with our new look and the USA Softball brand.”

In addition to rebranding, ASA/USA Softball has also unveiled a new redesigned logo, approved by the ASA/USA Softball Board of Directors at its April 2016 board meeting, which will replace the ASA/USA Softball split logo throughout the transition to USA Softball. The redesign contains several key elements of previous ASA/USA Softball logos, while clearly identifying the USA Softball brand as the organization evolves towards the future. The home plate shape embodies the sport, while bold, block USA Softball lettering symbolizes USA Softball’s authority as the NGB. Along with the redesigned prominent features of the logo, the stars and stripes pay homage to the U.S. flag and classic American iconography, connecting fans and members with the USA Softball brand. Several subtleties also lie within the new logo, as the three red stripes reference 1933, the year ASA/USA Softball was founded, and the stars represent the four territories of ASA/USA Softball.

For more information on ASA/USA Softball, please visit www.ASAUSASoftball.com.

USA Softball Rebrand Key Points

About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.2 million. ASA/USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.