Official Bylaws of Jamestown Youth Softball & Baseball 2017 Season This organization shall be known as Jamestown Youth Softball & Baseball (hereafter referred to as JYSB ) 1. League Location Information JYSB is located in Jamestown, OH, based out of Frank Seaman Park in Greene County. a. Physical Address: 4750 Rear Cottonville Rd, Jamestown, OH 45335 b. Mailing Address: PO Box 43, Jamestown, OH 45335 2. League Play for the 2017 season, our Ram/T-Ball Division (ages 3-6) will compete within the JYSB league only. All divisions of Baseball and Softball will compete in the Clark County League. The Middle School & ACME leagues will compete based on scheduling determined by the Head Coaches in collaboration with neighboring programs. 3. Player Eligibility JYSB offers baseball and softball programs for players with a league age of 3 through 18. Players must qualify under the Clark County definition of residence, must be of the correct league age for the division, and must have parental consent. *Some restrictions apply to Middle School and ACME programs. 4. Divisions of Play a. League Age Age shall be determined by the player s age as of May 1 st for baseball and January 1 st for softball. Ram/T-ball will be based on age as of January 1 st. A player may play up one age division, as long as they have completed one year at the lower division (does not have to be in JYSB) b. Ram Ball this division is for players 3-4 years of age who want to have fun and begin to learn the fundamentals of hitting a ball off of a tee and running to first base. Each team will consist of 5-7 players of mixed gender. All players will bat and all players will field. The primary goal of Ram Ball is to have fun. c. T-Ball this division is for players 5-6 years old who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding. Each team will consist of 10-12 players of mixed gender. In T-Ball, players hit a ball off of a batting tee in the beginning of the season, but gradually shift to a coach-pitched ball. Rules of the game may be varied to accommodate the need for teaching. The primary goal of T-Ball is to have fun, to instruct children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. d. 8U Baseball/Softball this division is for players ages 7-8. Also known as Coach- Pitch. e. 10U Baseball/Softball this division is for players ages 9-10. This division will begin Player-Pitch 1 Updated December 2016
f. 12U Baseball/Softball - this division is for players ages 11-12. g. 15U Baseball/Softball this division is for players ages 13-15. h. Middle School Baseball/Softball League this division is in partnership with Greeneview School District to allow Middle School students in the 7 th or 8 th grade to participate in an inter-school season that occurs prior to the regular JYSB season. *Tryouts are required to participate in this league. i. ACME Baseball League this division is for Greeneview High School players ages 15-18 wishing to continue to play following the regular high school season.*high School players cannot participate in practice or games until the completion of the High School season or risk suspension from the High School team. 5. JYSB Board of Directors a. Composition and tenure The JYSB Board of Directors (Board) shall include a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Commissioner of Ram/T-Ball, Baseball, and Softball, respectively. One or more of these officers, other than the President, may remain vacant at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board may further appoint additional non-voting members to manage various elements of league operation. All elected officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the JYSB Board members who attend the annual organizing meeting. The term of office for each elected Board member shall be three (3) years; however, any Board member may be re-elected for an unlimited number of terms. Election years will alternate, to the best degree possible, to avoid too many positions being vacated in a given year. Minimum requirements for being nominated to an open Board position include one (1) year as a volunteer within the league (i.e. Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Concession PiC), as well as an approved background check. Any Board officer may be suspended or removed from office of the Board of Directors, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, for conduct contrary to the purpose of the Association. b. Powers The Board shall have all authority reasonable and necessary to organize and operate the league, including by not limited to: arranging registration, ensuring all teams have qualified coaches, suspending or otherwise disciplining any player, coach, or officer for misconduct, procuring umpires and scorekeepers, operating a snack bar, making necessary purchases for operation (uniforms, equipment, insurance, affiliation fees, etc.) and holding necessary meetings, etc. c. Decisions The Board members in attendance at Board meetings shall constitute a quorum for conduction of business, if all Board members received reasonable advance notice of the meeting and of the subject of the meeting. Any action taken by the Board shall have the concurrence of at least a majority of the Board members present. Meetings shall be conducted by Robert s Rules of Order, unless waived by a majority vote. 2 Updated December 2016
6. Elected Officers and Functions a. President The President shall act as a chairman, chief administrator and representative of the Board of Directors and JYSB. The President shall be ultimately responsible for the proper functioning of the League. The President shall call and publicize Board meetings to the Board members; preside over and carry out all business of the Board and perform such other business as may be delegated by the JYSB. The President shall call a minimum of four (4) Board meetings per calendar year. The President may make all decisions and take all actions on behalf of the JYSB not otherwise provided for in this Agreement including but not limited to the following: i. Borrow money and incur indebtedness on behalf of the JYSB and cause to be executed and delivered for the League s purposes, in the name of JYSB, promissory notes, bonds, debentures, deeds of trust, mortgages, pledges, hypothecations, and other evidences of debt and securities; ii. Call a meeting, annual or special, of the Members at any time upon notification; iii. Enter into, make, and perform contracts and agreements which bind the League that are necessary and appropriate in the ordinary course of business of the League; iv. Work with the Treasurer to open and maintain bank and investment accounts and designate additional authorized persons to sign checks or drafts or give instructions concerning those accounts; v. Maintain the assets of the League in coordination with the Treasurer; vi. Collect sums due and owing to the League; vii. Pay the debts and obligations of the League; viii. Acquire, use, and dispose of assets during the ordinary course of business b. Vice President The Vice President shall have the authority to act on behalf of the President when the President is unable to conduct League business. The Vice President shall assist the President and the Board of Directors in carrying out various assignments as determined by the President. The Vice President will act as liaison on behalf of the league in coordination with Greene Count Parks & Trails to obtain necessary permits for the season; communicate needs; collaborate on improvement projects, etc. c. Secretary The Secretary shall manage many of the administrative functions of the league, including but not limited to: i. propose the agenda and keep minutes of each meeting, based on input from collective Board ii. manage all elements of player registration in coordination with Webmaster iii. maintain accurate rosters of all teams iv. prepare the coaches packets for coaches meeting and player draft v. perform other duties as determined by the President. 3 Updated December 2016
d. Treasurer The Treasurer shall handle all accounting/financial activities, including but not limited to: i. creating and maintaining League budget in coordination with the President ii. establishing and maintaining the League s non-profit status and all mandatory federal and state filings iii. establishing and maintaining the League s bank account(s) and reconciling monthly bank statements against budgeted spending iv. filing any appropriate tax information v. tracking revenue and expenditures including providing monthly or quarterly financial statements for Board review vi. pay League bills/obligations including maintaining a current insurance policy vii. creating and maintaining 3-year capital/financial plan in coordination with the President e. Commissioner Ram/T-Ball, Commissioner Baseball, Commissioner Softball The Commissioner roles be responsible for the following activities: i. managing player draft at coach s meeting in March ii. collecting all required, completed forms from coach s prior to Opening Day (i.e. liability release) iii. determining practice schedule iv. fielding questions/issues from coach s of their respective divisions, escalating to President if/when needed v. communicating information/updates to coach s as needed vi. managing collection/disposal of trash from related fields on a weekly basis f. Appointed Positions and Functions (non-voting members) under the direction of the League President, and in an effort to successfully conduct the affairs of the League, the Board of Directors may designate one or more positions that are not subject to a majority vote by the Board of Directors. These positions may include: Equipment Manager, Field Supervisor, Head Umpire, Concessions Manager, and Concessions Person-in-Charge (PiC). Duties and functions of these and other appointed positions shall be under the direction of the President. 7. Volunteer Eligibility - As a condition of service to JYSB, all Board members (voting & nonvoting), Coaches (head & assistants), Team Moms, or any other persons, volunteers or hired workers, who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with players or teams, must annually complete a background check (provided by the league) as well as read and sign our Code of Conduct. These must be completed prior to participating in any official capacity. Refusal to annually complete the background check and signing the Code of Conduct will prevent the applicant from participating in the league. a. This does apply to Concession PiCs but does not apply to occasional volunteers such as Concessions shift volunteers, scorekeepers, etc. 4 Updated December 2016
8. Coaches (Head and Assistants) a. Head Coaches - Individuals interested in being the Head Coach of a team shall make note of this on their players registration form. They may also contact a board member. In the event there are not enough Head Coaches, the Board may begin to contact those designating interest in being an Assistant Coach and/or others in the community they believe would be interested. b. Duties Head Coaches shall serve as primary instructors and role models to assist players in achieving the JYSB Mission Statement. They shall draft a team, coordinate assistant coaches for their team, conduct regular practice sessions for players, finalize game lineups, assign player positions and substitutions, appropriate playing time in an equitable manger, and be responsible for assigned team equipment. They will also be responsible for active communication and fielding questions from their players parents. c. Assistant Coaches Assistant Coaches shall be selected by the Head Coaches. Head Coaches will be provided a list of parents who indicated they were interested in being Assistant Coaches. Only two (2) Assistant Coaches may be selected. Assistant Coaches are subject to the requirements of Volunteer Eligibility as outlined above. Head Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their Assistant Coaches. d. Limitations An individual may serve as Head Coach on one (1) team within a given division per calendar year. Head Coaches wising to manage teams across divisions require Board Approval. e. Coaches Meeting & Player Draft In March, there will be a coaches meeting, where information on the upcoming season and confirmation of all Head Coaches will occur. The player draft for 8U/10U/12U/15U will occur immediately following this meeting. The player draft will be conducted by the following: i. Head Coaches for each division will sit together and be issued a roster of all players for that division. ii. If the Head Coach has Assistant Coaches already selected, they will each first identify the players of the Head Coach and the Assistant Coaches. iii. If any players have a specific sponsor, these players must also be identified. This may also occur prior to draft day. iv. Once this is completed, the team with the fewest players already selected will select from the remaining players. For example, team A s Head Coach & Assistant Coaches have 4 players & team B s has 6, while team C only has 3. Team C will select first. Once the teams are evened up, a round-robin approach may be used for subsequent selections until all players are selected. 5 Updated December 2016
v. If a player is selected that has an eligible sibling(s) playing in the same division, the sibling(s) will be placed on the same team. The next round the team receiving the sibling(s) will be skipped in order to even up the rosters. Round-robin selections will resume once teams are evened up. vi. All Head Coaches should review all rosters following the selection process. If anyone feels there is an unfair advantage, too many skilled players to a team, this is the time to address. vii. Once all Head Coaches are in agreement, the final selection list will be turned in to the Board. Finalized rosters for each team will be sent back out to the Head Coaches by email, including all relevant contact information. f. Practice Schedule during the draft, the Commissioners and the Secretary will begin to collect information from all Head Coaches on preferences for practices days/times. Every effort will be made to meet these requests; however, in some cases it may not be possible. Practice schedules will be communicated when final rosters are issued. g. Parent Communication once Head Coaches receive their final rosters and player contact information, they can begin to contact parents. It is strongly recommended this initial contact is made by phone, rather than text. Introduction, practice schedule, and information on coaching style should be presented. Following this initial communication, group texts are generally accepted as a method of communicating with parents. h. Coaches Conduct: i. The coach will conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times. This includes abuse (verbal or otherwise) of another coach, player, umpire, or a spectator. ii. No coach will shout instructions of any kind to an opposing player or manager/coach. Any coach removing their team from the field without the instruction of an umpire will forfeit the game. iii. The base coaches must remain in the coaching boxes. Any runner assisted by a coach while running the bases is OUT. iv. Except for base coaches, all coaches must remain in the dugout area unless a time out has been granted by the umpire. First offense will be a warning. Repeated offenses will result in ejection from the game. v. The HOME team coach is responsible for the field preparation before the game (Field markings, wet areas, placement of bases, etc.) vi. Coaches must maintain control of all players at all times. Do not allow players to harass umpires or other players. All players must remain on the bench when not on the field. No player, coach, or spectator will be permitted behind the center portion of the backstop. 6 Updated December 2016
9. Financial Policy Jamestown Youth Softball & Baseball vii. All games will be played as shown on the official schedule. All games rescheduled due to weather will be announced by a league official to the home team coach. If a game is to be canceled due to bad field conditions, it is the responsibility of the home team coach to contact the visiting coach to both notify him/her of the cancellation as well as to agree on a potential make-up date. The Head Coach or designated Scorekeeper must present to the opposing team a roster of the players he/she has present at the start of the game. This will be the batting order for the game. viii. The coaches should have the teams ready to play prior to game time. The defensive team must be ready to play within 2 minutes of the last out. This will enable more playing time and keep the game on a steady pace. a. General Policies All JYSB income, including registration fees, sponsorship, snack bar proceeds, donations, and other sources shall be deposited into one of two league accounts: Security National Bank in Jamestown or the electronic PayPal account. These accounts must be assigned to JYSB and shall not be a personal bank account. Separate records and balances shall be kept for each different source of income and expenditures on a regular basis by the Treasurer and reviewed by the Board at subsequent meetings. JYSB shall obtain bids on all major expenditures in order to best utilize funds. All bills shall be paid with reasonable promptness. b. Registration Fees The registration fees for the 2017 Season shall be $35 for Ram Ball and $75 for T-Ball/8U/10U/12U/15U. Age appropriate players wishing to participate in both the Middle School League and the regular JYSB season with have a $100 registration fee. The ACME League registration fee is also $75. No player shall be permitted to enter the player draft until the player s registration fees have been paid. c. Late Registration Fee A late registration fee of $10.00 per player will be assessed for all players registered past the Final Registration deadline. d. Refund Policy Refunds will be granted, either full or partial, up until certain milestones during the pre-season. A 100% refund will be granted up until the uniform order date. From this point until the final insurance payment, a 50% refund will be available. Following the final insurance payment, no refunds are allowed. e. Return Check Fee JYSB will accept personal checks for player registration fees; however, if a personal check is returned due to insufficient funds, a return check fee of $25.00 per occurrence is applied. f. Concession Stand A Concession Stand will be operated by JYSB under the discretion of the Board for the sole purpose of generating revenue necessary for the operation of the league. Contracted or volunteer workers, or a combination of both, may staff the Concession Stand. The Board will determine menu, pricing, hours of operation, etc. All daily revenues will be accounted for by a minimum of two (2) board members and deposited in the JYSB bank account, less petty cash left to begin the next day s operation. 7 Updated December 2016
g. Fund Raising The Board may choose to sponsor one or more fundraising activities throughout the season. Players may be asked to participate in an effort to raise appropriate funds for the League. 10. General League Rules a. Location of Games Unless directed otherwise by the Board, all Blast/T-Ball games and home games for 8U/10U/12U/15U/Middle School will be played at Frank Seaman Park. The home games for the ACME league will be played at the Greeneview High School Baseball field. Away games will be located within greater Clark County. Addresses and locations for all venues will be posted on the league website. b. Rescheduling Games Any games cancelled due to weather or other reasons shall be made up at a mutually agreeable time. It is the responsibility of the home team s head coach to schedule the make-up game. The head coach needs to coordinate the make-up game and field availability with the appropriate Commissioner. c. Umpires JYSB shall supply umpires for all home games based on the rules of the Clark County League. d. Roster Rosters for Ram/T-Ball will be randomly generated by the President. For the 8U/10U/12U/15U divisions there will be a draft that occurs following the coaches meeting in March. The Middle School leagues will host tryouts. The ACME league will be based on current Greeneview High School players interested. The Secretary will be responsible for maintaining accurate records for all team rosters. e. Season Schedule Number of games, dates of games and the frequency of games shall be determined by the Board for Ram/T-Ball and a schedule will be provided to each Head Coach prior to Opening Day. Schedules for all divisions playing in Clark County will be generated by the Clark County Board. Schedules for the Middle School & ACME leagues will be determined by the Head Coaches in coordination with the other Head Coaches of their league. f. Trophies / Awards End of season awards will be given to all participating players in the Ram/T-Ball division only. For all other divisions, the 1 st and 2 nd place teams of the League Tournament will receive awards. Participation awards are not given above the Ram/T-Ball division. g. League Championship Tournament The Clark County League typically has an end of season tournament for all divisions. There are no guarantees this will occur every season. 8 Updated December 2016
h. All-Stars / Post Season Play The 8U/10U/12U/15U divisions will be eligible to compete in at least one (1) All-Star tournament sponsored by the league. The Head Coach with the best record within JYSB for each division will be elected the Head Coach for the All-Star team. The Head Coach may select up to three (3) assistant coaches from the pool of coaches from the regular season for that division. If the elected Head Coach is unable, the remaining Head Coaches may work together to elect a replacement. Twelve (12) players will be selected for the All-Star team, with a minimum of one (1) from each team within that division. These selections will be agreed upon by the Head Coaches. The Board may approve additional Assistants and/or players for a given team at its discretion. The scheduling and selection of All-Star tournaments will be communicated to the Head Coaches in early June. i. Equipment JYSB will provide each team the necessary equipment needed to compete in league play; however, players and/or coaches may wish to utilize their own equipment in some instances. Personal equipment will be used at the risk of the individual, and is not insured or endorsed by JYSB. If personal equipment is damaged, lost, or stolen, JYSB will not be held liable for replacing it. Head Coaches are responsible for making sure all personal equipment used meets the standards and requirements for the given division of play. 11. Player Rules and Expectations a. Players are not permitted to question a call by an umpire b. A player may not use profanity or any tobacco products on the playing field c. A player damaging any equipment in a malicious act will be ejected and must reimburse the sponsoring entity before being reinstated. A player throwing a bat or helmet will be called out and may be ejected from the game d. Any intimidation of any player by another player will not be tolerated. The offending player or players will be ejected. e. A player ejected from a game for any reason, must leave the field and will be suspended from the next scheduled game(s). f. A player or players fighting while in a uniform before, during, or after a game while in the park will be suspended from play for a number of games set by the Board g. All players must wear the full uniform provided by the League. All shirts and or jerseys must be tucked in and worn properly, hats facing forward. h. All players must remain seated on the bench during the game except when required to be on the field of play. No players or spectators are allowed directly behind the backstop 9 Updated December 2016
i. All batters and runners must wear helmets. Any player intentionally removing their helmet will be called out. Helmets must be worn during batting practice. Catchers must wear a helmet, a throat protector and a mask during the game and while warming up a pitcher. A player acting as a base coach must wear a batting helmet. j. A base runner attempting to overrun a defensive player in a legal position will be called out. All base runners must slide or give themselves up if a play is being made on that runner at 2 nd, 3 rd, or home plate. The offending player will be called out. k. Metal cleats are prohibited for Ram/T-Ball/8U/10U/12U. For 15U/Middle School/ACME metal cleats may be permitted. Check with Head Coach for final ruling. l. For Ram/T-Ball/8U/10U/12U/15U all players must be given a reasonably equal amount of playing time except in cases where the player does not have a reasonable excuse to be absent from practices. Efforts should be made for players to attempt both the infield and the outfield throughout the season. The coach must report reason for a player not playing to their League Coordinator. i. Equal playing time does not apply to Middle School/ACME divisions, nor will it apply to All-Star teams postseason. m. A player or coach ejected from a game must be reported to the JYSB Board as soon as possible following the incident or end of game. Good luck to all coaches, players, and parents. Thank you for being a part of the Jamestown Youth Softball & Baseball League. Version History Revised: December 2016, Board of Directors Original: Created February 2013, Stephanie Stephans, following dissolution of Little League membership 10 Updated December 2016