Bayou City Softball, Inc. Select Softball/Travel Team Guidelines For Players and their Families, Managers and their Coaches 1 Page
TRAVEL TEAM RULES, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR MANAGERS, PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES The travel teams each season are made up of many players and parents. In order for there to be some organization to the travel program, the following rules, regulations and guidelines have been approved by the Board of Directors of Bayou City Softball, Inc. These rules and guidelines apply to all travel managers, coaches, players and parents. Bayou City Softball Goal: Bayou City Softball, Inc. (BCS) was started with one goal, to make sure that ALL players regardless of level of play or financial status get a chance to play the game they love and have a positive experience while doing it. It is ultimately the goal of all BCS coaches, management staff, and Board of Directors to teach the skills, strategies, and sportsmanship of the game of fast pitch softball. All of this while teaching the girls to be respectful to their coaches, supportive to their team mates, and setting the ultimate example to all the teams they come into contact with. Winning will not be a taboo word with the Bayou City Travel Teams. We all play the game to win. Winning enhances your efforts in teaching and having fun, but we will not let it be an obsession to distract from our main goals. Managers: These guidelines are not meant to instruct you on how to teach and coach the team on the field but, rather how to manage the on-and-off field business of a Bayou City Travel Team. If you have asked to be part of the organization or have been chosen to manage the team it is because the Board of Directors has agreed that it is because of your ability to teach and coach the girls in the fundamentals and sportsmanship of fast pitch softball as well as to give the players an enriching athletic experience. Teams: Travel Teams have a very large budget (for some teams in the tens of thousands of dollars), and although we do not foresee any financial abuses, we recognize the potential for such a problem and have therefore addressed them herein to help prevent an occurrence. Players: These guidelines are for your information and for your protection while a participant in the Bayou City Softball Travel Softball program. Parents: These guidelines are meant to provide information as it relates to the goals and strategies for development of your child and their team. These guidelines should help managers, coaches, and board members with tough decisions concerning player policies, fundraising and accounting. 2 P a g e
Player Eligibility Any girl with any talent level in Harris County or the surrounding counties is eligible to try out for a Bayou City Team. At NO TIME is any girl to be turned away from try outs for a team for ANY REASON. The age of the players should be determined upon arrival to try outs to determine which team the girl should play with. The age of a player is determined by the player s age as of December 31 the year prior. Any coach or manager that knowingly places a girl older than allowed in their age group will be asked to leave the organization. NOTE: It is highly suggested that Players play for a travel team within in their prospective age group; playing up is allowed but is discouraged. Application for Travel Team Managers Applications will be available at any time on the Bayou City Softball website. If you wish to manage or coach for the organization this form must be turned in to the Board of Directors for approval. These eligible candidates must submit to and complete the following: 1. Submit a travel manager application on or before its due date. Every applicant is suggested to include his/her coaching resume. 2. Provide the organization with a copy of a current Level 1 (or better) ACE certification through ASA. ACE provides a background check which is necessary for participation in the BCS program. 3. Participate in the interview process in order for the voting board to get to know the candidate and their intentions for their team and for the board to ensure that the candidate is aware of the rules and guidelines. NOTE: Each travel season is a separate entity. Candidates must participate in this process for each designated travel season (i.e., summer travel, fall ball). These eligible candidates must demonstrate skill, experience, good communication skills as well as the following characteristics for each age division: - 8 s: Energetic and positive atmosphere, sensitivity, reinforcement of parent involvement, strong knowledge of fundamental skills and an ability to communicate the skills in an age-appropriate fashion - 10 s: Energetic and positive atmosphere, strong knowledge of fundamental skills and the more advanced skills required to manage in the 10 s age division, and knowledge and execution of game strategies, and the ability to communicate the necessary knowledge and skills to the players in an age appropriate fashion. - 12 s: Energetic and a positive atmosphere, ability to motivate, knowledge and execution of advanced level of competition, ability to deal with more challenging situations associated with coaching in the older age divisions including but not limited to discipline issues with a focus on team building. - 14 s, 16 s. 18 s: Energetic and positive atmosphere, must possess advanced softball skill knowledge and be capable of quickly resolving issues which prevent the positive direction of a team. 3 P a g e
The board chooses all Coach/Manager candidates by a majority vote. The selected candidates will be notified immediately following the vote. Travel managers are prohibited to speak with a player and/or her family regarding play on his/her team prior to the designated travel team try-out date. The choosing of a travel manager is a daunting task and from time to time there will be changes in managerial positions for any number of reasons, therefore speaking to players and family members prior to selections is a practice that may confuse parents and players. If a manager from a previous year has questions regarding players intentions for an upcoming season, the manager should wait until he/she is selected to the position for the upcoming season first. The Selection of a travel manager comprises many different abilities that are expected of a manager at a travel competition level, some of the attributes that board members may look for in making their choices for travel manager are listed below. This list is not all-inclusive, but a sampling of some of the positive attributes necessary to assist board members in decision-making. These attributes are in no particular order. A. A teacher of the game. B. Administrator. C. Motivator. D. Experience. E. Positive attitude. F. Manages an enjoyable atmosphere for all. G. Follows BCS guidelines. H. Demonstrated history of working well with both parents and children. NOTE: Once a travel team has been approved and is part of the BCS family, the team, their name, its logo, provided coaching gear, and all proceeds become the property of BCS. Travel Team Contracts/Pledges Managing a Travel Team is a serious commitment. Every manager/coach for BCS must sign a Travel Team Coach/Manager Contract. Each player must sign a Player Pledge and each parent(s) must sign a Parent Pledge. You should keep a copy of these documents in your TEAM BOOK and provide a copy to the BCS Secretary BEFORE your first tournament is played. All Travel Team Managers/Coaches must abide by the Contract, the By-Laws of BCS, and the enclosed guidelines in order to remain with BCS as a Team Manager or Coach. Criminal Background Check/Waiver Any and all parents, managers, or coaches that have ANY contact with the young ladies on your team are required to complete the current year ASA A.C.E. Certification. This certification gives each of them an extensive background on the game AND provides a 4 P a g e
criminal background check. A copy of the registration card MUST BE provided to BCS before ANY interaction with the girls on your respective teams. Coaches/Managers The manager shall submit a list of his coaches to the Board for approval as soon as possible. All managers and coaches must have a current ASA A.C.E. certified and have a Travel Team Coach/Manager Contract on file with BCS to be eligible. Team Years Prior to the start of each season each coach will be required to claim a year. This will determine team eligibility and the age of the player on his/her team. Team Tryouts Tryouts will be held on the date(s) set by the BCS Board of Directors in conjunction with each of the respective coaches. A schedule will be given to all managers and their coaching staffs. If available, we ask that all other age group coaches assist with the tryouts for the other teams. BCS and its coaches will hold open tryouts every August and when necessary every January. All try-outs should include the assessment of the following skills: hitting, fielding, running, throwing, pitching, and catching. The potential players should also be observed extensively during any open practice participation. The team coaches will select their players based upon player ability, player performance, known player attitude, personal conduct, AND THEIR PARENTS. The managers may select their team based on many other factors as well, including positions needed and team dynamics. Player Dues Player Dues will be a $250.00 up front fee and $125.00 per month (Sept-July) for all participating players. These dues are to be paid in full before the 5 th of each month. No player will be permitted to play/practice unless these dues are paid and up to date. Any checks should be made out to Bayou City Softball, Inc. NOTE: Players who quit or are removed from a Bayou City Softball Travel team for any reason are not entitled to a refund from the team or BCS, and are responsible for any outstanding monies owed. Utilization of Dues and Fund Raising Funds Team dues, fund raising, and *sponsorships are to be used for uniforms, equipment, umpire fees, batting cages, clinics, and tournament dues. They may also be used for team parties, team travel needs, team incidentals, and necessary softball equipment. NOTE: All money collected is TEAM MONEY. There are not individual accounts for each player. This includes all dues, donations, and individual team fund raisers. Any team monies not used by the team/coach prior to August 31 st of each team season will 5 P a g e
revert to the Team Coach Reserve to be used at the discretion of the coach. This Team Coach Reserve will remain available to that teams coach as long as that coach remains with BCS and part of that team. Once the coach departs and monies left in the Team Coach Reserve will transition to BCS for the betterment of the players in the organization. *Players may utilize individual sponsorship monies for player dues. Sponsorships BCS will allow for team sponsorships. Please see the BCS Sponsor Form for more information. NOTE: BCS will not allow for sponsor names on Jerseys. BCS Fund Raising Each team will be required to participate in 2 BCS fund raisers per year. 100% of these proceeds will be used for team building, clinics, equipment, and other BCS needs that benefit the young ladies that play for the organization. Note: There will be opportunities at each of these find raisers for the teams to raise money 100% for the team. IE: Baskets, raffles, etc. NOTE: THIS IS A REQUIREMENT AND ALL PLAYERS MUST PARTICIPATE! Team Fund Raising Each team may do as many or as few fund raisers as they wish throughout the season based on the team needs. However, these fund raisers MUST BE approved by the BCS Board of Directors and all funds MUST BE turned in to the BCS Board Treasurer upon completion of the fund raiser. These funds may be earmarked by the coach for anything needed for the team. IE: Tournament Fees, team travel expenses, team party, necessary training gear, team building opportunities, batting cages, clinics, etc. BCS Fees Each BCS team will be required to pay $100.00 per month as BCS Dues. This will cover the cost of all incidentals for the organization. This includes but is not limited to team insurance, D&O insurance, molestation insurance, team management website, and other incidentals necessary to run the organization. Tax Filings BCS will handle the tax filings for any and all BCS teams. Ethical Issues During the course of a BCS Travel Team season, any ethical issues or conflicts must be handled with the following course of action. NOTE: This does not apply to issues based on strategic coaching decisions. 6 P a g e 1. The player and/or the family must attempt to communicate with the manager away from the team and at an appropriate time. During a pre-game warm-up, game, post-game meeting or ongoing practice is not considered an appropriate time. Additionally, the communication should be limited to adults only and not
encourage the involvement of children. To that end a location conducive to having a discussion should be selected that allows conversation outside the range of younger ears should be utilized. 2. If the primary attempt is unsuccessful or the issue remains unresolved, the player s family must submit a written letter to the BCS Team Liaison with the specific issue and their account of their attempt(s) for resolution. 3. If the concern is still not resolved after the second attempt, the BCS Board will conduct a formal inquiry whereby they will notify the coach, discuss the issue, and a final decision will be made. The BCS Board of Directors decision will be final. 4. If necessary, the board will entertain discussion from all parties involved and then take the action deemed appropriate. Regardless of the resolution, all complaints will be addressed, closed, and finalized with either a written or verbal response to the participants and a written letter of resolution in the league s files. Player or Parent Dismissal Players or Parents who are dismissed from the Travel Team for disciplinary reason of any kind by the Travel Manager or Board of Directors are not entitled to a refund for any reason and are subject to pay any outstanding debts that have been incurred by the player or their family. Travel Managers need to put in writing the reason for the dismissal and place it on file with BCS. The player and their parents may appeal the decision in writing to BCS. It is hoped that travel managers experiencing problems that may result in a dismissal come to the BCS board prior to the dismissal and try to get help in ironing out any problems. Incident Reports must be turned in to BCS to substantiate any misconduct. These reports should be filled out and turned in to the Team Liaison within a week of when the incident took place. Coach Dismissal Any coach that fails to follow the guidelines set forth by Bayou City Softball, Inc. or that fails to meet the terms of his/her Travel Team Coach/Manager Contract may be removed from the coaching staff and replaced with another coach. This can only be done by majority vote of the BCS Board of Directors. NOTE: Any coach asked to leave the organization for any reason will return all equipment purchased with team money to the BCS Board of Directors. Any dues or fund raising monies collected prior to departure will stay within the organization for the benefit of the players on the team effected. BCS Practices 7 P a g e
Practices may begin as soon as the team has been selected; however, all teams are restricted to no more than three practices per week. During the school year coaches will do their very best to limit weekday practices to 2 hours and weekend practices to 3 hours. Practice time limitations are merely a guideline for the coaches and not a requirement as practice is over once the coach dismisses the players. NOTE: For the sake of these guidelines, a Tournament will be considered a single practice. Tournament Schedule Team managers/coaches will determine the tournaments to be played. However, when possible the BCS board would like the teams to play in as many tournaments as they can as a group. NOTE: All coaches/managers should be mindful of their funding when determining what tournaments will be played. BCS Select Team Season The BCS Travel Team season will be from September to December (Fall Season) and January to July. It is MANDATORY that no practices our tournaments be played the two weeks following ASA Nationals for their respective age groups. It is strongly suggested that no tournaments be played or practices held past the first week in December so that families can spend holiday time with their loved ones. Uniforms The travel teams will be representing Bayou City Softball. Each year the BCS board will meet with the Managers/Coaches and recommendations will be made for uniforms to be used in the upcoming travel season. The BCS board will have final approval on all travel uniforms and colors. Colors: The following has been decided regarding uniform colors for the following teams: - Bayou City Flash Red, Black, Yellow. - Bayou City Freeze Navy Blue, Columbia Blue, White - Bayou City Freedom Red, White, Navy Blue - Bayou City Force Orange, Navy Blue, White NOTE: These colors can be changed with BCS Board approval. Provided Equipment BCS Helmet 2 Game Jerseys 2 Pairs Softball Pants BCS Bat Bag 2 Practice Jerseys 2 Pairs of Softball Socks Team Binder Each team shall have a team binder with them at every team function, practice, and tournament. This binder should include the following: - Player Registration Form - Player Medical Release Form - Player Birth Certificate - Picture of the Player 8 P a g e
- Player Pledge - Parent Pledge - A copy of the BCS Certificate of Liability - A copy of the team official roster (Including name, DOB, player #). NOTE: This binder MUST BE with the team at every team function. Travel Team Accounting Guidelines 1 - Team bookkeeper: Each team should select an adult individual to serve as team bookkeeper. This person serves as the team s record keeper and collector. They will be the financial liaison between the team and the BCS Board Treasurer. All revenues and expenses MUST flow through this individual. 2 The designated team bookkeeper must keep a team ledger of any and all payments made to the team and any fund raising money made by the team. At all times the team ledger and the BCS ledger for the team should match one another. 3 All funds will be monitored and maintained by the BCS Board Treasurer. Any monies turned in to the team parent or designated parent should be turned over to the BCS Board Treasurer ASAP. 4 After each and every tournament a Tournament Tracker must be turned in showing all expenses for the tournament played. This will also be turned in to the BCS Board Treasurer. 5 Paying for tournaments can be done in one of 2 ways. 1. Coach/Manager can pay for everything out of pocket and get reimbursed based on the tournament tracker that is turned in with all applicable receipts attached. 2. Coach/Manager can request prior to a tournament a check for the entry fee and cash for umpire fees. All monies will be deducted from the team account at that time. A tournament tracker will still need to be turned in at the end of the tournament. At that time the coach/manager will need to turn in any unused cash or will receive a check/cash if he/she had to come out of pocket for additional games. 6 Unless they are personal funds, no more than $100.00 is to be spent on anything without BCS Board Treasurer approval. If you are not sure that money should/should not be spent, air on the side of caution and ask a Board Member. 7 Non-tournament related reimbursements: A Bayou City Softball Reimbursement Request will need to be filled out and turned into the BCS Treasurer with all applicable receipts attached. NOTE: Any coach, manager, or team representative found utilizing team funding for anything other than approved expenses may be subject to dismissal and legal action to the fullest extent of the law. Annual Meeting BCS will hold an Annual Meeting to go over any changes that need to be made to the organization. We will ask that all current coaches/managers attend this meeting to have 9 P a g e
input on the future of the organization. This meeting will be held on the first Sunday August prior to tryouts for the upcoming fall/spring season. Social Media Policy Bayou City Softball, Inc. its Board of Directors and coaches are to be mindful of all postings, pictures, and comments made on Social Media. At no time is anything to be posted on behalf of BCS without the express written consent of the BCS Board of Directors. Any social media posted by a representative of the BCS organization that is deemed to be questionable by the BCS Board of Directors will be investigated and corrective action will be taken. This is including but may not be limited to permanent removal from the organization. Alcohol & Drug Abuse Policy Bayou City Softball prohibits the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs at any team function at any time. There will be NO alcoholic beverages consumed during a tournament or on breaks between games. Any coach/parent/player that violates this policy will be removed from the team. If there are any questions regarding team guidelines please reach out to the BCS Board of Directors at (281) 541-8649 or e-mail us at bayoucitysoftball@gmail.com. BCS Contacts: President/Executive Director Thomas Jowers (407) 908-4025 Vice President Director Casey McCarthy (832) 377-9334 Team Liaison Director Wilson Hebert (281) 740-6875 Team Parent Coordinator Aimee Hebert (281) 726-1048 BCS Secretary Errica McCarthy (832) 444-4499 BCS Treasurer Kimberly Jowers (281) 541-8649 Coaches Acceptance of Guidelines: I, have received a copy of the Bayou City Softball, Inc. Travel Team guidelines and agree to follow them to the best of my ability. I further understand that any deviation from these guidelines may result in my dismissal from the BCS Coaching Staff. Coaches Signature Date 10 P a g e