This is Brentt Eads of Line Drive Softball… earlier this month, my wife Shannon and I had the great opportunity to go to Central Florida to watch the biggest and longest single event in college softball, THE Spring Games, which started Feb. 27 and will end this Friday (Feb. 28).

Over that time, over 1,200 NCAA games are held and benefit the participating teams—primarily D2, D3 and NAIA schools—who get in 8-to-10 games over a week-long schedule.

While we were in Florida, Shannon and I saw that THE Spring Games benefit the 300-plus college teams in many ways including helping the participants get off to a good start in games that count prior to the kickoff of Conference play.

Here are some of the major benefits we feel come from attending an event like THE Spring Games… and they can be at all levels of the game.

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The Importance of Getting a Fast Start

For college softball teams, early season tournaments like THE Spring Games are prior to the start of conference play and help teams looking to set the tone for the entire season.

While covering the teams in this tournament, we interviewed Alison Strange, the CEO of THE Spring Games,  who shared that teams come with a variety of needs that she gladly steps up to provide. 

Teams, coaches, or players are focusing on team bonding, skill development, or preparing for national contention, and events like THE Spring Games provide invaluable opportunities.

Alison understands this impact well.

“What happens here at THE Spring Games is oftentimes very significant to what happens either during conference play or post-conference play,” Strange explains.

“We have some teams that come out here and they’re on a trip that is a fun way to get games in. Some teams are here to be able to spend time with family, do team bonding, maybe start preparing their culture or reestablishing their culture in their teams. And then we have other teams who are actually here to prepare for regionals and potentially nationals.”

Why Early Season Tournaments Matter

Early tournaments offer teams a chance to play outside of their conferences, exposing them to different playing styles and levels of competition. Unlike conference games, where schedules are predetermined, teams can give input on who they play during these early-season match-ups.

“Teams really can’t control what happens in their conference play—they have a required number of games that they have to play in their conference,” Strange says.

“But their voluntary games? They can choose where to go and where to play, and I am humbled and proud to be able to say that we schedule about a quarter of most of these teams’ entire season.”

With over 300 teams attending THE Spring Games each year, the tournament provides matchups suited to every team’s competitive level.

“And when you have 300 teams to choose from, you can pretty much give everybody what they want,” Strange adds.

How THE Spring Games Keeps Teams Playing

So how does Alison and her staff do it? 

We learned out that one of the biggest challenges of organizing such a massive event is managing the unpredictable nature of weather, travel delays, and last-minute changes. With so many moving parts, flexibility is key.

“We do play an outdoor sport,” Strange says. “

So whether it’s wind or rain or blizzards up north or flights or something, usually there’s something that impacts the schedule every day. Basically, the way it works for us is we have such a good relationship with the coaches that when something changes, we do our best to actually communicate with the coaches and problem solve.”

Her goal when adjusting schedules? Making them even better.

“In most cases, my goal is when I have to make a change, I try to make a team’s schedule even better than it was before.”

How Teams Can Prepare for Major Softball Tournaments

For teams looking to make the most of their preseason or start-of-the-year tournaments, preparation is key.

At THE Spring Games, teams are already planning months in advance to secure housing and finalize schedules. In fact, that process has already begun a year in advance of the next (2026) THE Spring Games.

“A lot of coaches are already booking their housing for next year,” Strange says. “Our registration is already open for 2026, and we’ve got several teams who have already signed up and they’re booking their housing.”

We’ve talked around and gathered some valuable tips. 

Coaches looking to maximize their experience at events like THE Spring Games could consider the following:

• Plan Early: Teams are booking 12 to 14 months in advance, so securing lodging and travel arrangements ahead of time ensures smoother logistics. But Alison points out, she works with teams’ needs at any time because there are so many circumstances impacting season scheduling.
• Clarify Team Goals: Some teams come for development, others for national preparation. Knowing the team’s focus helps coaches make strategic scheduling decisions.
• Stay Flexible: Weather and unexpected events can impact game schedules, so teams should be ready to adjust on the fly. 

Conclusion

A massive event like THE Spring Games, we got to see in persons, isn’t just another tournament—it’s is (or can be) a crucial part of a team’s journey through the season.

Whether a team is bonding, fine-tuning their skills, or preparing for a championship run, events like these kick off their season.

As Strange puts it:

“I take great pride, and I feel a very heavy weight, to make sure that the games I’m assigning are games that they are capable of playing, that they desire to play, and that they’re at the level they want to play.”

With strong preparation and the right mindset, teams can use preseason tournaments like THE Spring Games to build a successful season from the very first pitch.