OKLAHOMA CITY (June 10, 2024) – USA Softball, in conjunction with USA Softball of Southern California (SoCal) and Japan Softball, has announced an upcoming exchange series that will look to strengthen the connection between the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the LA28 Games. The exchange series will feature thrilling competition between the USA Softball of Southern California U-18 Women’s All-Star Team and Metro Tokyo Softball — with the first set of matchups set to take place in Tokyo, while a second round of games will be played in Los Angeles in 2025.
Slated for October 5-6, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan, both countries will form a roster of select athletes from local associations to create a U-18 Women’s All-Star Team. Through the High Performance Program (HPP), USA Softball of Southern California will select a roster by identifying top athletes from the surrounding areas at the 2024 Region 10 HPP Identifier in Irvine, Calif. which is set to take place July 8, while Japan will form an All-Star Team from the Tokyo metropolitan area. In return, the Metro Tokyo All-Star Team will travel to Southern California in 2025 for the second half of the competition.
Click here for more information on the Region 10 HPP Identifier »
“USA Softball of SoCal is excited to partner with Japan Softball to host these legendary legacy competitions,” said USA Softball of California Commissioner, Chris Drumm. “These historic events will allow our SoCal athletes the ability to showcase their skills internationally and provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of the athletes. This is a great way for the softball community to start celebrating that softball will be back in the Olympics in LA 2028.”
Continuing the excitement from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, these matchups join the No. 1 and No. 2 world-ranked programs in an effort to grow the sport of softball and celebrate its return to the Olympic Games.
“This is a great opportunity for our younger athletes to go compete at an international level and grow the game in doing so,” said Chief Sport Development/Performance Officer, Chris Sebren. “We are excited to have USA Softball of Southern California represent USA Softball and know they will be able to compete at a high level and help build the bridge to this legacy event.”
The Region 10 HPP Identifier in Irvine, Calif. is slated for July 8 at Harvard Park. The deadline to register is Monday, July 1. Athletes wishing to participate in the identifier can register at USASoftball.com. Selected athletes must be born between 2006-2008. An additional tryout date may be added, if necessary. Selection for the 2024 roster only guarantees play in the 2024 matchups, while a new team will be selected to compete in 2025.