About the NLWSL

League Fees | About ASANA

The Northern Lights Women's Softball League was created by women, for women, and is governed by women. We were founded in four basic principles:
  1. Women committed to and promoting softball.
  2. To provide lesbians an opportunity to play softball in a comfortable, friendly, and safe environment.
  3. To provide networking for lifelong friendships.
  4. To enhance lesbian pride and commitment through the support of other lesbians.

Northern Lights Women's Softball League is open to ALL women - regardless of age, ability or sexual preference.

This league was established in 1987, and is currently one of the largest independent women's lesbian softball leagues in North America; in the previous season (2007) 23 teams competed in four divisions:

  1. Competitive (A and B)
  2. Alternative (C and high D)
  3. Alternative (C and high D)
  4. Recreational (low D)

Our league runs from late April through July, on Sundays during the late afternoon and evening, at Dunning Fields off Lexington Avenue and Interstate 94 in St Paul, MN.

League Fees

Sponsorship Fees are $325/team (includes 6 balls) and Individual Player/Membership fees are $20/person.

Competitive, Alternative and Recreational champs earn a berth to ASANA World Series.

NLWSL is affiliated with the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America (ASANA) .

What is ASANA?

Created in 1977, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance is a non-profit, international organization comprised of men and women dedicated to promoting amateur athletics for the gay and lesbian community. NAGAAA was formed to encourage the participation of gay and lesbians in organized softball competition. In 2007, NAGAAA moved in a new direction forming two organizations. The women’s division of NAGAAA became Amateur Sports Alliance of North America (ASANA) and will continue to support the women’s division and move into new exciting directions. Currently, 26 cities in the United States are members of ASANA. Teams representing these leagues participate in the ASANA Softball World Series hosted each year in a different member city. ASANA offers softball for the Women’s Division. The Women’s division has four divisions -- A, B, C, and D. These division designations pertain to the competitive level of play, with "A" being the most skilled and the "D" supporting the more recreational levels of play.

The Benefits of ASANA

So, why should your team and league join the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America? Because ASANA:
  • sponsors annually the Gay Softball World Series and, through fund-raising activities at these games, supports national and local AIDS organizations
  • give participants from member cities the opportunity to travel to other cities across the United States and Canada to meet new people, and form bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime
  • promotes the idea of athletic competition and good physical health in support of the gay lifestyle
  • provides a clearinghouse for the individual leagues to share ideas as well as problems and their solutions
  • encourages the formation of new gay softball leagues and assists in their start-up
  • enhances pride in oneself as part of a proud, open national gay organization
  • provides an opportunity for gay men and women to work and socialize together for common goals
  • provides a communications link between the leagues and the gay community in member cities as well with other gay organizations within the member cities and
  • strives for high standards of sportsmanship and conduct to attain fair play on and off the field.