RYFSA Mission Statement

"Through individualized instruction and appropriate competition in fastpitch softball, the RYFSA provides Rochester area youth with the opportunity to improve their individual fastpitch skills, team-building skills, and their appreciation for the sport. Team building skills include: good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, commitment, respect, cooperation, good work ethic, leadership, self-esteem and a positive attitude." 

RYFSA Team Placement System 

RYFSA recognizes that fastpitch softball is the competitive game played in high school and beyond. RYFSA is trying to provide each participant with the opportunity to improve her fastpitch softball skills.

For 8U, 10U & 12U, it is the intention of RYFSA  to create teams by age and school boundaries, keeping in consideration pitching, catching, ability and number of registrants.  

For 14U+ RYFSA be at the discretion of the RYFSA Board.  We will strive for Gold & Silver ability.

While special requests for team placement can be made, the RYFSA board reserves the right to reject these requests.

A project to expand Rochester Community and Technical College sports facilities got a financial shot in the arm from the Rochester City Council on Monday.

The council approved a request from RCTC to release funds from the 2012 sales tax extension to complete work on a stadium expansion.

The sales tax extension provided $6 million in funding to the project. In 2013, the council released just more than $5 million of that funding to RCTC. Since then, project costs have increased, and RCTC has requested the release of funds up to $5.65 million of the $6 million total.

The council also approved releasing the remaining $350,000 in sales tax funds for RCTC to improve its softball facility. While funds from the sales tax extension must be used for projects on the approved list, the council felt the softball facility was within the context of the original project.

"The project was largely to expand and enhance our athletic facilities: the stadium and things of that nature, in that vicinity. This is actually a pretty smart use of the funds to get a little bit more in terms of features and functionality for the community than we perhaps originally intended," Council President Randy Staver said.

By Ed Hruska

Jul 3, 2018
As you drive east out of Rochester on Highway 14, you probably have noticed improvements being made to the new fast pitch softball complex.

Over the past several months, numerous enhancements have been made to help develop the complex into a fully functional option for local teams and tournaments.

A partnership between RCTC (which is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system — MNSCU), the Rochester Parks & Recreation Department and the Rochester Youth Fastpitch Softball Association (RYFSA) has moved the project forward and it now nears completion.

A major component of the project was the addition of a building that consists of a concession stand, bathrooms, storage and an umpire/hospitality room.

Not only will the concession stand provide much-needed beverage options for hot summer days and snacks for players/fans, but it will also allow RYFSA to create fundraising dollars from these sales.

Why is that important? In order to assure the facility was built with important amenities, the RYFSA contributed $250,000 of their own money (to be paid at $25K over the next 10 years).

That’s a lot of hot dogs and soda sales!

In addition to the building, the facility’s fields all now have covered dugouts, electronic scoreboards with proper fencing to increase safety, and a new championship field, giving the complex six fields total. A small future “novice” field is also being added to give 8U and 10U players a field to learn and develop their skills.

MNSCU owns the land the new softball complex is built on, just as it owns the land on which the Fuad Mansour Soccer Complex, Rochester Youth Baseball Complex, and Rochester Youth Football Fields are located.

The city of Rochester and local sports associations use the complexes through agreements with MNSCU. This new softball complex will also now be the home of the RCTC Yellowjackets softball team.

The Parks Department provides control of the facility as well as maintenance. The Parks Department also oversaw the project and the disbursement of the sales tax dollars that went into this work completed.

The new complex immediately began paying dividends.

RYFSA coordinated the creation of the Southeast Fastpitch Conference. This league consists of 133 regional teams from 36 surrounding community’s teams who will combine to play approximately 1,500 games this summer.

Twenty-six of those teams are from the Rochester program, which has 425 youth participating. Nationwide, USA Softball continues to grow in strength and numbers with more than 150,000 teams now playing.

As this new facility is completed, look for more successes with additional users. Youth tournaments are already finding the facility attractive with local high schools and even some colleges viewing it now as a potential location for regional games and/or tournaments.

This combined effort in completing this complex by RCTC/MNSCU, the Parks Department and RYFSA has delivered a complex to the Rochester community that will benefit our youth and the city now and for years to come.

In July of 2007, the City of Rochester signed a letter of Joint Powers Agreement with MnSCU/RCTC where the City has a need for land to operate/run a softball/recreation facility.

Ground was broke  July 9, 2007.

Since 2007, RYFSA has, with the approval of RCTC and the City of Rochester has funded with the City of Rochester:

-The initial complex construction of five (5) fields ($199,000). City of Rochester contributed $180,066.  

- Irrigation for complex ($30,000).  City of Rochester contributed $33,240

RYFSA financial obligation for new complex was paid off in 2013.

-Dugouts, Covers & bleacher pads ($83,000)

- 5  Scoreboards ($54,000).  Rochester Sports contributed $13,000 for scoreboard on Championship Field

-Concrete path and concession pad extension

-Concession and bathroom facility (funded with City tax dollars $440,000)

-Championship Field ($250,000)