SSUSA Response to LVSSA

Oct. 1, 2020

SACRAMENTO – Senior Softball USA (SSUSA) is taking the highly unusual step of answering an incomplete and extremely misleading message posted on the Las Vegas Senior Softball Association’s (LVSSA) home page and in their fliers concerning the 2020 World Masters Championships (WMC).

The misleading message concerns fees paid to LVSSA by SSUSA in an agreement covering both the Southwest Championships and the WMC.

“It is really very simple: Most of the per-team payment to LVSSA is based on the labor LVSSA provides in the form of field preparation and assistant directors to handle registration,” said Terry Hennessy, SSUSA’s chief executive officer.

“This year we were not able to use the Las Vegas fields because the Nevada governor shut down all team sports play in that state because of the global pandemic.  The fields we used outside of Las Vegas provided – and charged -- for their own prep.

“In addition, the major sponsor of the tournament, Las Vegas Events, provided no funding for the same reason: the tournament was not held in Las Vegas.

“We offered to pay LVSSA a stipend for use of the LVSSA name in the title of the tournament,” he said.

The LVSSA Board message also misstates why the fourth session (50 men and women) of the WMC had to be moved to Phoenix at the same time as the LVSSA Bullhead tournament.

“The only place SSUSA could acquire enough fields was in the Phoenix area and the only dates available were Oct. 29- Nov. 1,” said Hennessy.

In addition, the last WMC division includes only 50s, and the LVSSA Bullhead City tournament includes all age divisions.  SSUSA has been promoting the LVSSA tournament for all age divisions.

“We feel senior softball players deserve the whole story,” said Hennessy.