OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. --- The Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) continues its preparation for the 78th Annual Council Meeting as it is just days from kicking off the meeting in Reno, Nev. Hosted at the Peppermill Resort, Nov. 6-14, the Annual Council Meeting brings together administrators, players and tournament hosts from around the country to evaluate the needs of the association along with proposed rule and code changes for all divisions of softball.

The majority of the council meeting will consist of breakout sessions for the different committees and regions. However, several special events will be held throughout the week including the Wilson Sporting Goods Awards Luncheon on Monday, the “Fun Walk” sponsored by Central Screen Printing on Tuesday morning (click here for a flyer) and the National Softball Hall of Fame banquet and reception on Wednesday evening.

More than 100 exhibitors from throughout the United States are expected to attend the annual ASA Trade Show, which will be held Saturday evening in the 2nd Floor Tuscan Tower. The show will feature exhibits from cities bidding on the ASA National Championships, equipment manufacturers and softball suppliers with more than 1,000 council members, association delegates and visitors passing through.

A silent auction will also be held throughout the week at the Peppermill with various items, including those autographed by the 2009 Women’s National Team as well as other standout athletes, up for bid. The proceeds will be donated to the special programs fund.

Also on Tuesday at the general session, cities across the country will make their pitch to the 280 plus ASA Council members to try and win their support to bring one of the 2011 ASA National Championships to their respective cities. The decision of the host cities is one of the most anticipated decisions made by the council as each ASA National Championship has the potential to have thousands of dollars in economic impact.

A complete list of the hosts for the 2010 and 2011 ASA National Championships as well as the host city of the 2011 ASA Annual Council Meeting will be available on the ASA Web site www.asasoftball.com following the council meeting. Rule changes will also be announced on the site.

For more information on the 78th Annual Council Meeting, visit www.asasoftball.com/about/meeting.asp.

About ASA

The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation's largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 77 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit www.asasoftball.com.