Coaches Meeting

1. Coaches Meeting Please Sign In Grab Some Pizza

2. Welcome! Introductions Who We Are BPAA/CRAA/CDAA/Maple Grove Committee Members League Overview Rules Season info Q & A Equipment and Uniform Handout

3. Who We Are! Volunteers! Softball Committees: BPAA/CRAA/CDAA Softball are sub-committees of their respective Athletic Associations, non-profit organizations comprised of volunteers Maple Grove teams are formed through their Park & Recreation program Purpose To benefit the physical, mental, moral, and character development of its members and of the youth in our communities by providing major sports programs and activities for boys and girls, regardless of ability or financial status.

4. BPAA Slow Pitch: Board • Andy Ganoe Chairman • Anthony Brinda Treasurer & Secretary • Bill VerkuilenScheduling & Scores • Todd Nelson Umpire Coordinator • Brian Grant Equipment Coordinator • Andy Ganoe Webmaster • Andy Ganoe Registration • Todd Nelson Concession Coordinator • Brian BachandUniform Coordinator • Katie Marlin Volunteering & Fundraising • Matt Pilsner Special Projects • Commissioners • 6U: Matt Pilsner • 8U: Anthony Brinda • 10U: Brian Grant • 12U: Katie Marlin

5. BPAA Slow Pitch:Board Positions • We need you! • Great volunteer opportunity • Help shape the future of the BPAA Softball Program • To join the board, contact any of the current board members • Monthly meetings kept to 1 hour

6. Slow Pitch Boards CRAA Jeffrey Busse Brian Anderson Craig Hess CDAA Linda Hensel Todd Hensel Maple Grove Chris Morrow

7. Game Days Opening Day Weekday games:

8. Game Schedule Conflicts Check with your parents immediately for schedule conflicts on your regular game weeknights. Know you will be significantly short of players on a night? Contact the League Scheduler (Bill Verkuilen, slowpitchscheduler@gmail.com) IMMEDIATELY (before the season schedule is announced!) and we will attempt to work around it. (No guarantees!)  Note: Game schedules will not be changed if you will only have one or two players absent, or a coach absent!  Find ways to work with such absences.  This offer is intended for situations where, for example, half your team is in a school band concert, or on a school field trip. Let us know those, ASAP, and we'll adjust, if we know early enough!!

9. Tournaments Tournaments will be held at Zane Sports Park in Brooklyn Park

10. Pictures (BPAA teams) May 7th and 8th Picture forms available at event. More details and schedule will be emailed closer to event.

11. Required Forms Background Check Completed online once a year for all BPAA sports Concussion Training Completed every 3 years for all BPAA sports, attach your certificate to the online Background Check/Concussion Training Form. Code of Conduct Complete and return to your coach. Coaches return to concession stand opening weekend. All players must complete Emergency Release Form For coaches

12. Background Check & Concussion Training

13. Safe Sport SafeSport is the Olympic community’s initiative to recognize, reduce and respond to misconduct in sport. The six primary types of misconduct are: Bullying Harassment Hazing Emotional Misconduct Physical Misconduct Sexual Misconduct

14. Safe Sport – Mandatory Reporters • Coaches are mandatory reporters. • What does being a Mandated Reporter mean? • According to what the Safe Sport Act says, if you see or hear a report of any form of abuse, whether it is sexual, physical, mental or any other type of abuse you are required to report that abuse within a 24-hour period. • Who in an organization is considered a Mandated Reporter? • The Safe Sport Act expands the list of individuals required to report child sexual abuse. Now, it is any adult who is authorized to interact with youth athletes will be required to report suspicions of abuse to the appropriate law enforcement agencies within 24 hours.

15. Conduct & Sportsmanship Harassment Policy Disciplinary action Players, Coaches, Fans Coach sets the tone Recreational League= FUN

16. Umpires Umpire Coordinator: BPAA - Todd Nelson Regular Season: Paid umpires for 8U and up & 6U Parent Umps Tournaments: Umpires 6U and UP USSSA rules, with league-specific exceptions Many umpires are high school students Treat them with respect Head Coach/Umpires responsible for inappropriate fans, coaches, or players

17. Parents/Coaches Ideal Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child Model appropriate behavior Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach/others Know your role – player, coach, fan Be a good listener and great encourager Nightmare • Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship • Having different goals than your player • Treating your player differently after a loss than a win • Undermining the coach • Living your own athletic dream through your player

18. Coaching “There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them” – Tom Krause “When you feel like giving up, remember why you started in the first place”

19. Rules: Baserunning Baserunning rule for 6U/8U: The maximum bases that the batter and baserunners may advance is based on how far the batted ball is hit: Ball hit to the yellow or green areas: When the defense returns the ball to the red area, time will be called and all runners must stop advancing, even if no defensive player is in possession of the ball at the time. “Red is dead.” The intent is to teach fielders to “get it in.” See the 6U/8U rules supplement for further details.

20. Weather Communication Text/email message sent out via www.rainedout.com Coaches, parents, and players can sign up to receive messages: To receive messages via text—Text “SLOWPITCH” to 84483. To receive via text or email—go to www.rainedout.com to register: Search for any of the following: BPAA, CDAA, CRAA, MGPR Click on “BP/CD/CR/MG Slowpitch Softball” Follow instructions on screen. Cancel at any time: If receiving via text—Text “STOP” to 84483. Via text or email—go to www.rainedout.com and follow instructions. Updates will also post to league websites and Facebook sites.

21. BPAA Concessions & Volunteering Other youth sports organizations will work our opening day and BPAA hosted tournament concessions this year! A parent volunteer needed each game to run scoreboard Contacts Todd Nelson – Concessions Coordinator Katie Marlin – Volunteer Coordinator

22. Memory Book Free for each player Distributed at end of season tournament Your pictures make the picture book Take pictures throughout the season to share Additional copies available for purchase Business sponsors needed! Ads Available Business card size: $25 ¼ page ad - $50 ½ page ad - $100 Full page ad- $200.

23. Slow Pitch Websites BPAA: bpaasports.org/slowpitch CRAA: craakids.com CDAA: cdaasports.org Winning coach is responsible to enter scores on BPAA’s site, thereforeeach coach (or a team manager) must create a Sportsengine Account Please setup ASAP Send your account details to bpaaslowpitch@gmail.com Coaches/team managers will be provided: Access to enter game scores – All Organizations Edit-access to team website–BPAA Only Access to Coaches Corner–BPAA Only Access to reserve pre-season practice fields (DIBS)–BPAA Only

24. Slow Pitch Websites Utilize the website! Fun way to keep parents/kids engaged Parents appreciate good communication Pushing parents to the site also pushes them to other valuable information – fundraisers, etc. Too much administrative work? Ask your parents You will likely have at least one parent that would enjoy managing the team page

25. Uniforms Jerseys (All leagues) and visors(BPAA Only) Jerseys are numbered already Each team responsible for lettering, embroidery, etc.--OPTIONAL Jerseys will not all fit perfectly

26. Equipment Please take care of the equipment! BPAA Brian Grant – Equipment Coordinator Bag and bucket assigned to each team Equipment handed out after meeting

27. Coach Question and Answer

28. Next Steps Setup Sports Engine Account and send your email to bpaaslowpitch@gmail.com or your Commissioner identifying division and team number along with the head coach and jersey color. Contact your team Setup an initial meeting to allocate jerseys Team Ice Breaker Decide on name on jerseys Pick a team name Email team name, colors, etc., to bpaaslowpitch@gmail.com Complete forms Setup practice schedules

29. Uniforms & Equipment Pickup