Oak City Softball League was organized by a group of friends in 2021 to promote a friendly, recreationally competitive environment for our LGBTQIA+ family and allies in the Raleigh metro area to participate in the sport of softball. We acknowledge and celebrate that there are many options existing outside this organization for playing softball in this region, however, we have created this league as a special place at the intersection of diversity and community service, all the while promoting good sportspersonship among people of all sexual orientations. We are proud of achieving our nonprofit status in North Carolina in September 2021, and we are a now (designated by the IRS in December 2021) a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
Our first season of play occurred in November and December 2021 with six teams, which was a great success. We then were thrilled that our league grew to eleven teams in Spring 2022, including a brand new Women’s+ Division; with the addition of the Women’s+ program, we presented our league to ASANA (Amateur Sports Alliance of North America), the pinnacle of Women’s+ amateur softball in the United States, and were voted in by commissioners (from across the country) and organization leadership as a member city. With this affiliation, our league now represents Raleigh on the national stage, including participation in the annual ASANA Softball World Series!
We look forward to continuing to provide a positive experience for our players, teams, and fans; all games are played at municipal fields in Raleigh, North Carolina (and surrounding areas, as warranted by field availability). We look forward to having you play in our league!
Safe Spaces Alliance Pledge
Having been first made aware of this via the social media accounts of sports icon and hero Billie Jean King, we have taken the Safe Spaces Pledge via the Safe Spaces Alliance, whose mission “is to curate safe spaces locally, nationally, and internationally, so our LGBTQ+ community knows where they are safe, welcome, and valued”. We emphatically support this vision!
