By Maleah Morett Garrett Furnal Andrew Bianchi Matthew Rhoades

1. Recreational Adult Softball League By MaleahMorett Garrett Furnal Andrew Bianchi Matthew Rhoades

2. Types of Delivery and Systems/Area • Our softball league falls under “Recreational Sport.” • Facts about Recreational Sport • Although learning about a sport is important, the emphasis is about enjoying the experience and gaining satisfaction. • Programs may be co-ed or gender-specific. (Ours is co-ed.) • Involves a variety of ages. (Our age group is 18-50’s.) • Conducted at local sport sites such as gyms, courts, and fields. • Scheduled for times when people are most likely to attend.

3. Intramural Sports • Structured sport participation that requires design and leadership. • It’s used in recreational setting. • We fall under co-intramural sport as well. • This means we are applicable to many tournament designs, offer an avenue for fun, team spirit, and social interaction with members of both sexes.

4. Rules and Regulations • Co-Ed participation to encourage involvement of all genders. • Everyone bats. • 10 people can play the field. • Players have the option of being the base coach when not playing. • Each team will have one person that will keep the official score sheet during the game. • Drinking of alcohol is not permitted at any time during the games. • If this rule is broken, the following actions will be taken: • First offense: The team will forfeit their next scheduled game. • Second offense: The team will not be able to participate in the league tournament. No refunds will be given. • Third offense: The team will not be allowed to join the league again. • The use of tobacco products is prohibited. • Individual will be asked to stop using the tobacco product. • If they refuse, they will be asked to the leave the game and the park. • If they refuse to leave the park, the police may/will get contacted if necessary.

5. Rules And regulations (Continued) • 5 homeruns is the limit of homeruns one team can hit during a game. If they hit more than 5, the homerun will result in an out. • Two members of the same sex may not be placed in the batting order back to back. • If a team walks a male hitter, the following female has the option of taking first base as well. (This will eliminate walking male hitters on purpose to face the female hitters.) • Metal cleats are not allowed to be played in.

6. Eligibility Rules • Players must be at least 18 years of age to participate. • No player in high school will be able to play. • All players must be listed on the roster in order to play. • If an illegal player participates, the team will forfeit the game. • There must be at least 10 players on each team and no more than 20 to be able to compete. • If a team doesn’t pay the registration fees by the due date, the team will be suspended until the fee is paid.

7. Misconduct Policies • Poor sportsmanship is not allowed by the players or fans. • Any player or fan may be asked to leave the game due to poor sportsmanship. • If a player or spectator is asked to leave, they must do so immediately. • Poor sportsmanship/reasons for ejection include: • Derogatory/profane comments or statements. • Racial and sexist comments aren’t allowed. • Abusive and aggressive behavior will result in an ejection or possibly a suspension as well. • If a spectator or fan gets ejected twice in one season, they will be suspended for the remainder of the season.

8. Weather Issues/Cancellations • We will be forced to cancel the game when the players’ safety and health is in jeopardy due to the weather and playing conditions. • These weather conditions include: • Heavy rain • Thunderstorms • Lightning • Dangerous field/playing conditions in general. • The canceled games will be made-up the following week.

9. Sportsmanship • We pride ourselves in providing a softball league that regulates the game in a fair, equal, and courteous way to everybody. • We do not support any forms of unsportsmanlike behavior. This includes: • Profanity • Racism • Sexist Language • Poor behavior in general

10. League Tournament/Awards • Teams will be seeded in the tournament based on their regular season record. • If teams have identical records in the regular season, the higher seed will be based upon: • Head-to-head competition in the regular season. • Fewest runs allowed per game. • Trophies will be awarded to the team that wins the League Championship Tournament • League Champion T-Shirts will be handed out to the winning team, along with a discount on next year’s registration fee.

11. Mission/ Goals • OUR MISSION • Provide a positive experience for parents, their children and fans alike. • We will do this through a clinic for participants children teaching them fundamentals of baseball/softball. • OBJECTIVES • Performance – participants and children • Program – achieved if clinic is successful and enjoyable • ASSESSMENT • Surveys • Phone Interviews

12. Product and Services • Tangible:objects you are able touch: t-shirt, food and drinks (concessions), the sports complex of fields, parking lot, raffle stubs and prizes, trivia game, playground area for children, donated equipment (helmets, gloves, bats) • Intangible:untouchable objects: games only on Sundays, fun and family oriented environment, a way to socialize (build friendships and relationships), provide services (restrooms, concessions), weekend tournament • How will we stand out against competition? • - Provide a family and fun oriented environment by raffle prizes and trivia games to keep audience interested • - Playground and area for children to work on baseball/softball skills with their parents or other children • - Continue being in the growth stage year after year • - Find out how our community members receive information • - See how competitors are running their slow pitch softball league • - Constantly and consistently research in the field and on other competitors • - Clean facility (bathrooms, concessions, raked fields, mowed lawns, no garbage left in dugouts) • - Promote family cohesion, inform people on our existence and educate them so we can target medium to heavy users (go through the promotion “steps”)

13. Product/ Service • How will the product bring in a profit over time? • An increased number of families (fans) and participants will want to play slow pitch because they enjoy the competition, analyze skill level, socialization, and fun atmosphere. Through the local newspaper and radio, fliers, and a Facebook group, we hope to increase participation. With the increased attendance and participation, more teams will be created and the number of entry fees, gate fees, and concessions sales will increase. The goal is to have a ripple effect our participation of our community members.

14. Marketing • Research Methods • Primary – Conduct survey in Story County to find proper demographics for 18 to 55 years old. • Secondary – Check competing softball leagues. Look at Census info for Story County to find our demographic. • Promotions • Promote softball league as stress free activity. • Hold clinic for participants children so they don’t have to get a babysitter • Sponsorships • Pizza Hut • Each team may have individual sponsors (but not required)

15. Facilities • We will lease a • softball complex. • 3 fields • Men and women's • bathrooms. • Concession stands • Grass area for warm up • Parking lots

16. Facilities cont. • Location: The complex is located at the center of town. Driving distance will be under 10 minutes for a majority of the participants. Due to this convenience, it may lead to increase in participants and fans. As a result, it will lead to a profit increase. • Maintenance: Lease owners cover field maintenance such as mowing the lawn. The program staff will be in charge of general cleaning of concessions and restrooms as well as chalking and raking fields before and after games.

17. Equipment Leasers Provide • Teams Provide • Gloves • Bats • We Provide • Team Shirts • (pay in fee’s) • Game balls • Chalk for lines • Rakes for fields • Concessions equipment and food. • Bathroom supplies • Mowers • Buildings • Fields • Parking Lots

18. Human Resources • Employees: one manager, 2 PR members, concessions and workers, umpires, and volunteers • Recruiting: fair and equal opportunity, job announcements & descriptions for the requirements and qualifications • -Manager: previous experience playing softball and managing a slow pitch softball league • -PR- experience working in the field of recreational/sports marketing • -Concessions: well-mannered, responsible, and willing to work for minimum wage • -Maintenance: Prior experience working on softball/baseball fields and “handy” • -Umpires: Official certifications from ASA • -Volunteers: Hard-working and genuine • *Post job descriptions/announcements in the local newspaper and in the town’s recreational facilities. • Hiring: -Applicants need to turn in cover letter of the position of their interest and a resume. • -Background check • - Interviews: given to highly recommended applicants and proceed after the initial evaluations • Interview questions:What position/s are you interested in and why? Why do you think you are a qualified for this position? Have you played in a slow pitch league before? Tell me a day in the life of your previous experience? How soon will you be able to start training? What characteristics/qualities do you have for this job? • - Volunteers: family member playing can work to help pay for their entry fee • -Selection: most qualified applicant will receive the job offer first

19. Human Resources • Training: -In-service training (meetings, clinics, workshops, and individual sessions as well as on the job training for manager 6 months prior to season • - Continual education for the manager, PR, and umpires • - The manager will perform training for all new employees (introductions, tour, overview/goal/, mission statement, risks, information on payroll, taxes, and time sheets, responsibilities, question and answer time period, mentorship each new employee in the specified job (on-the-job training) 1 month in advance • - Umpires will be contracted out because we want the best in the business • Evaluating: This process will consist of individual meetings with the manager and each public relations • -Checklist of the mission statement and expectations as a program specified for each job evaluated every 2 weeks • - Survey given to each team and fans regarding the slow pitch softball league as a whole • -Drop box for complaints/suggestions concerning the league or workers • Firing: - A formal complaint regarding an employee not performing up to their standards will be given a warning • - Any legal actions of employees first receive warning and speak with the manager • - Two complaints the individual’s performance or serious legal actions (sexual or verbal abuse) will be fired •  How to show the investors how we plan to use our human resources to make your business a success? • Each individual worker and volunteer is to represent the mission statement through their actions, accomplish the program’s goals, and portray evidence of ethical behavior.

20. Risk Management • What waivers, contracts, documents will be required? • Who will sign? • Waivers, contracts, inherent risk documents will be signed at the beginning of each season by the manager. • Liability forms will be signed by participants. • Sign rent/release contract for using the complex. • Signs posted to warn people of foul balls, handicap parking signs, wet floor signs, and sanitation signs in bathrooms. (Ex. Employees must wash hands before dealing with food.) •  What special risks for your event/program (dealing with facility, equipment, rules, nature of sport, participant characteristics, fan placement characteristics, instruction, officiating, age, etc.) • Balls in stands, flying balls, hit-by-ball during the game. (Ex. Pitcher getting hit by a line drive.) • Field maintenance: making sure the field is safe to play on. (Fixing pot holes in the outfield, dragging the infield.) • Concession and food regulation documents. (Cleanliness of concession stands, food poisoning documents, etc.) • How will we deal with these risks? • Post signs and quick announcements for games. • Make sure that the field is safe to play on, and won’t cause injuries that are preventable. • Have the food inspected periodically. • Make sure the workers are following a checklist for sanitizing purposes.

21. The Bottom Line • How will our business turn a profit for investors? • - Earn money entry fees, gate entries, raffles, and concessions • - Expect an increase in fan attendance and participation on the number of teams each year • - Increase fees and prices gradually each year • Revenues: user segmentation (family passes) entry fees, admission prices, concession and raffle sales, pizza hut sponsors, TPX donors • Expenses: (Fixed) - salary, utilities, rent, liability insurance (Variable) – food, supplies, equipment, prize money • How long will it take before we see investment growth? - The goal will be 3 years, but we hope to see a profit consecutive years as well as an increase in participation and attendance rates - • -First year: inform and educate people about the existence fun and family oriented environment for playing slow pitch softball, use little media, earn a little profit • 2nd- use more media, increase the participation, earn bigger profit • 3rd year: key on heavy to high users, greatest profit

22. The Bottom Line • Elastic? Yes, our market (small Iowa town and conservative people of the middle economic status) right now will affect the prices. • -Playing slow pitch softball is leisure and an extracurricular activity where people can free themselves from their everyday lifestyle would not be necessary. As a result, the demand of people “needing or wanting” it is determined by each individual. • -However, it is a small town with not a lot to do, so people will be looking for activities to improve their quality of life. •  How will you work with this type of market? • We are hoping to spread the word through the local newspaper, local radio station, fliers at our recreational center, and through Facebook. Also, our goal is to have a successful year (profit, participation and audience growth & feedback knowing people enjoy the program) so word of mouth referrals will help future years. In addition, it is important to involve a ton of people, so the demand to play or watch is high. We will also set the entry fee of participation, door fees, concession prices, and raffle tickets at affordable prices. Over the years, the prices will increase gradually. • Cost: physical inactivity demonstrated by team members, participants and observers having fun vs. not having fun, players and fans yelling at umpires, good vs. bad sportsmanship, winning vs. losing, time, gas, concessions, raffle tickets, high vs. low confidence and self-esteem, concessions •  Price: team entry fee, gate admission fee,