NORTHEAST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 2009 SAFETY PLAN

Transcription

1 NORTHEAST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 2009 SAFETY PLAN League ID No Submitted to: Little League Baseball Headquarters P.O. Box 3485 Williamsport, PA Prepared by: Dr. Steve Petersdorf NESLL Safety Officer th Place NE Seattle, WA (206) February 2009

2 Section NORTHEAST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 2009 SAFETY PLAN Table of Contents Page 2009 Qualified Safety Program Registration...1 Where Are We Now?...5 Safety Plan...7 I. NESLL Organization...7 II. Policy Statement...9 III. Safety Code...9 IV. Safety Categories V. Medical Release Form VI. Volunteer Guidelines VII. Accidents and First Aid VIII. Skills Training IX. Emergency Contacts X. Concession Stand Standards Attachments Attachment 1 First Aid Fundamentals Attachment 2 Medical Release Attachment 3 Volunteer Application Attachment 4 Tracking Report Attachment 5 Accident Notification Form Attachment 6 Skills Training Attachment 7 Prevention & Emergency Management of Youth Baseball & Softball Injuries Attachment 8 Concession Stand Standards Attachment 9 NESLL Facility Survey 3/29/2009 Page i

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9 I. NESLL ORGANIZATION NORTHEAST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 2009 SAFETY PLAN Northeast Seattle Little League, Inc. (NESLL) is a non-profit corporation incorporated in the state of Washington and chartered by Little League Baseball, Inc., Williamsport, PA. NESLL is a tax-exempt corporation covered under Little League Baseball, Inc. s 501(c)(3) exemptions. NESLL is also a registered charitable organization under the Washington State Charitable Solicitations Act. NESLL is strictly a self-sufficient, volunteer organization and receives no monetary support from any organization. Funding is raised through registration fees, team sponsors, donations, and our annual Hit-a-Thon fundraising event. NESLL has both baseball and softball leagues with divisions of play divided by age and ability. NESLL is governed by its Board of Directors. All rules and policy changes are decided by majority vote of the Board. Our Mission To implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for authority, so that they may be well adjusted, stronger and happier children and will grow to be good, decent, healthy and trustworthy citizens. Our Values We shall strive to: Provide supervised, competitive athletic games under the Rules and Regulations of Little League Baseball. Provide, by example and effort, quality leadership for our Player Members. Provide the opportunity for our Player Members to acquire athletic skill, a sense of community, and the joy of competition. Recognize that the attainment of exceptional athletic skill or the winning of games is secondary, and the molding of future citizens is or prime importance. Operate as a nonprofit, educational organization in support of League programs. Provide excellent training and development for our Player Members, Coaches and Umpires. Treat everyone with respect and fairness. BE SAFE! HAVE FUN! Safety Safety is NESLL s top priority. Managers have the responsibility of providing a safe environment for learning and enjoying baseball at all times. Managers must obtain, read and understand all safety information and guidelines provided by NESLL. No player shall be allowed to practice, scrimmage, play in a game or otherwise participate in NESLL functions until the Manager has received a Little League Medical Release form for the player. NESLL s Safety Officer for 2009 is Dr. Steve Petersdorf. He is on record with Little League International in the Little League Data Center as our Safety Officer. 3/29/2009 Page 7

10 2009 Board of Directors Position Name Phone President Denny Cearns Vice President, Baseball Chris Merrywell Vice President, Softball Adam Gavin Treasurer Bill James Secretary Brian Ives Registrar/Information Officer Bruce Taylor Safety Officer Steve Petersdorf Player Agents Minor Division Baseball Brian Carey Minor Division Baseball Todd Korman Major Division Baseball Kim Hantz Jr./Sr. Division Baseball Jason Viydo Softball Cay del Valle Championship Day Guy Marquiss Coaching Coordinator John Pagel Division Coordinators T ball Norm Tonina normanto@live.com Coach Pitch Baseball Eric Freeman eric@lakeview-mortgage.com American Baseball Mike Matthews mjm@andersenmatthews.com National Division Baseball Jack Funes jackfunes@earthlink.net Majors Division Baseball Brian Ives ives@hcgiolaw.com Jr/Sr Division Baseball Jason Viydo viydos@comcast.net Softball Bruce Hevly aafbwh@msn.com Equipment Manager Baseball Dennis Paulson lungden@comcast.net Softball Meg Ferguson calumferguson@comcast.net Hit-A-Thon Manager Guy Marquiss marquissguy@aol.com Field Managers Scheduler Chris Merrywell chris.merrywell@theharris.com Maintenance Manager Jason Viydo viydos@comcast.net Mariner Weekend Steve Knight stevenpknight@msn.com Newsletter Manager Denny Cearns proulxcearns@comcast.net Picture Day Manager Leesa Morse jems4mtns@comcast.net Sponsor Manager Lendy Vail lendyduda@comcast.net Umpire in Chief Denny Cearns proulxcearns@comcast.net Softball Umpire Scheduler Jerry Miller cp4jm@comcast.net Uniform Manager Kim Hantz kim.hantz@gmail.com All Star Coordinator Joe Bennett joe@hendricksb.com Summer Baseball John Pagel jpagel@fhcrc.org 3/29/2009 Page 8

11 II. Policy Statement The policy of the Northeast Seattle Little League is to provide a safe environment for learning and enjoying baseball. All of the volunteers involved in Little League share in this responsibility including Board members, Coaches, and Umpires. The Safety Officer is responsible for developing a safety plan for the league, disseminating safety information, and serving as a resource to the other volunteers for information about safety issues. The Safety Officer is a member of the NESLL Board. Please contact the Safety Officer if there are any questions regarding unsafe conditions or an accident. Please keep the NESLL Safety Plan available for reference. It is also available on the NESLL web site (NESLL Safety Corner). III. Safety Code NESLL has adopted the following Little League Safety Code: Responsibility for procedures should be that of an adult member of the local league. Arrangements should be made in advance of all games and practices for emergency medical services. Managers, coaches and umpires should have some training in first aid. First Aid Kit should be available at the field. No games or practices should be when weather or field conditions are not good, particularly when lighting is inadequate. Play area should be inspected frequently for holes, damage, stones, glass and other foreign objects. Dugouts and bat racks should be positioned behind screens. Only players, managers, coaches and umpires are permitted on the playing field during play and practice sessions. Responsibility for keeping bats and loose equipment off the field of play should be that of a player assigned for this purpose. Procedure should be established for retrieving foul balls batted out of the playing area. During practice and games, all players should be alert and watching the batter on each pitch. During warm-up drills players should be spaced so that no one is endangered by wild throws or missed catches. Equipment should be inspected regularly. Make sure it fits properly. 3/29/2009 Page 9

12 Batters must wear approved protective helmets during batting practice, as well as during games. Catcher must wear catcher s helmet, mask, throat protector, long model chest protector, shin guards and male catchers must wear a protective supporter at all times. Except when runner is returning to a base, head first slides are prohibited. During slide practice bases should not be strapped down and should be located away from the base anchoring system. At no time should horse play be permitted on the playing field. Parents of players who wear glasses should be encouraged to provide safety glasses. Players should not wear watches, rings, pins or other metallic items. Catchers must wear catcher s helmet and mask with a throat protector in warming up pitchers. This applies between innings and in the bull-pen. IV. Safety Categories A. ACTIVITIES: 1. Follow the rules. Many of them are specifically created with safety in mind. 2. Read and follow the NESLL Safety Code (Attachment 2) 3. Be alert to potentially hazardous situations 4. Be aware of common injury situations and teach the players to avoid them a. Bat handling b. Sliding c. Collisions d. Warm-ups e. Catching: managers and coaches are not allowed to catch pitchers, even in batting practice. 5. No player may hold a bat in the dugout or any other place on the field, except the batter at the plate. On deck batters are not allowed, except for the first batter of each half inning. The on deck batter may hold a bat, but shall not swing the bat while in the on deck area. NO ON DECK BATTERS ARE ALLOWED FOR A COACH PITCH AND T-BALL DIVISIONS. 6. Managers and coaches should take advantage of available training materials, many of which are available through the national Little League web site: B. EQUIPMENT: 1. All equipment is inspected prior to being distributed to the teams. Managers should also inspect equipment before use and periodically throughout the season. Contact the Equipment Manager if your equipment needs to be replaced at any time. 2. During the season, inspect helmets, bats and catcher s gear weekly for defects including: 3/29/2009 Page 10

13 a. Cracks in helmets b. Dents in bats c. Loose or broken straps on catcher s mask, chest protector, or shin guards. 3. Breakaway bases shall be used for all practices and games. 4. Visually impaired players should wear glasses with industrial or safety lenses 5. All male catchers must wear a protective cup and all players certainly above coach pitch should be strongly encouraged to wear a cup. 6. Mouthguards are encouraged for each player 7. Managers must be aware of and adhere to the pitch count rules established by Little League. These rules will be reviewed in detail at the managers meeting. C. FACILITIES: 1. An annual facilities survey (Attachment 10) is part of the safety plan. 2. Walk the playing field prior to each practice and game. Be alert for rocks, glass, and other foreign material. The home manager must do the inspection. 3. Be alert for activities adjacent to the field which may pose a danger to your games and practices. This may include activities adjacent to the field such as other games (such as lacrosse) or dogs that might be near and could harm your players. D. PLAYING CONDITIONS 1. All activities cease at official sunset. Do not play in the dark. 2. All games and practices must be immediately suspended if lightening is seen or thunder is heard. V. MEDICAL RELEASE FORM: The parents or guardians of each player must fill this out. It includes important contact information and health information that could be important if the player is injured. These forms must be present at each practice and game in case an injury occurs. The 2009 form is provided in Attachment 2 and is available for download at VI. VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES A. BACKGROUND CHECKS All volunteers are required to complete the approved Little League volunteer application form (Attachment 4) which authorizes the league to perform a background check. All Division coordinators are required to keep a log of the coaches and umpires to assure that every volunteer completes this application. Anyone who has contact with the children is required to complete this form. The form is included in Attachment 3 and can be downloaded from the Little League website or the NESLL website ( In addition, a copy of a government approved identification such as a drivers license must be attached to the volunteer application. A team should have at least 4-5 volunteers per team. 3/29/2009 Page 11

14 The background check will be performed as follows: 1. The primary background check will be done by the Safety Officer and/or the League President using Little League s preferred nationwide background search vehicle, Choicepoint. All applicants who have a positive check will be notified by the Safety Officer or League President and will receive a letter from Choicepoint. 2. For those background checks that are not clearly negative or have ambiguous results, a second search will be performed on the Department of Justice National Sex Offender Registry at 3. All little league volunteer forms are shredded at the conclusion of the season. B. SAFETY PARENT: 1. It is difficult, if not impossible, for the Coach to be able to supervise all activities and pay close attention to safety at all times when he/she is busy coaching. Assigning a parent the task of watching out for overall team safety can be very helpful. Specific responsibilities of the Safety Parent should include: a. Bringing ice (for injuries) to games and practices; b. Assuring telephone access (e.g. cell phone) for games and practices; c. Assisting the Coach with basic First Aid when needed; and d. Exerting peer pressure on other parents who are unruly or rude to players, coaches and umpires, and if necessary reporting recalcitrant individuals to the League Officers. VII. ACCIDENTS AND FIRST AID: First Aid training will be provided at the Managers/Coaches meeting by Dr. Steve Petersdorf on March 3, Managers/Coaches must document presence at the NESLL First-Aid training once every 3 years and each team must have one representative annually. The safety officer will keep track of attendance at the safety meeting. (The only individuals exempt from this training are medical doctors, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and paramedics). A First Aid Guide (Attachment 1) is also discussed and is also available on the NESLL website. Please take time to review this information. Please keep this available and located with your medical release forms. The best way to avoid injury is prevention and awareness of surroundings. Dr. Steven Anderson will be discussing injury prevention at the managers/coaches meeting. All injuries and accidents should be reported promptly to the League Safety Officer or President. Little League carries accident insurance that may help with medical costs that are not covered the by private insurance of the injured player or volunteer. Claim forms are available from the Safety Officer and should be completed as soon as possible after the injury. 3/29/2009 Page 12

15 VIII. SKILLS TRAINING 2. Appropriate fundamentals instruction to the players will result in improved safety. 3. In order to provide appropriate instruction, managers and coaches must attend a formal education session once every 3 years and at least one manager or coach from each time must attend annually. Flyers are included in Attachment 6. a. John Pagel, NESLL Coaching Coordinator, will be holding skills training sessions for all managers and coaches at all levels on March 11, b. The Big Al (February 8, 2009) and Tom Dedin (March 14 and 15, 2009) Coaching Clinics are suitable fundamental sessions. c. Dr. Smoll s clinic will be held March 10, 2009 and fundamentals of coaching effectiveness will be discussed. d. The Michelle Smith softball coaching clinic will be held March 15, IX. EMERGENCY CONTACTS A. REPORTING 1. For medical emergencies, call After the emergency has been addressed and the injured player treated appropriately, injuries must be reported to the League Safety Officer and League President. The Little League approved Incident/Injury Tracking Report (Attachment 4) and Accident Notification Form (Attachment 5) must be completed and submitted to the Safety Officer within 48 hours of the event. These forms will be completed and signed by the NESLL Safety Officer and submitted to the District 8 Safety Officer and Little League Headquarters. If there are recurrent situations that appear dangerous, but do not cause an accident, please inform the Safety Officer. Safety Officer: League President: B. RESOURCES Steve Petersdorf (spetersd@comcast.net) (206) (cell) (206) (home) Denny Cearns (president@nesll.net) (425) (cell) (206) (home) 1. To report equipment problems, contact the League Equipment Coordinators: Baseball: Dennis Paulson: (206) Softball: Meg Ferguson: (206) /29/2009 Page 13

16 2. To report field problems, contact: League Fields Coordinator: Jason Viydo: (206) X. CONCESSION STAND STANDARDS NESLL does not operate concession stands at NESLL games or practices. However, appropriate guidelines are included in Attachment 8. In addition, should a concession stand be opened or operated at special games or events, a permit from the King County Department of Health is required. 3/29/2009 Page 14