Annual General Meeting of the British Softball Federation Venue: St Thomas United Reformed Church 68 Langley Road Watford WD17 4PN Saturday 28th February 2015 This is the official Notification and Information Pack for the 2015 British Softball Federation Annual General Meeting. Schedule 10.30 Registration Opens 11.00-13:00 AGM Session 1 13.00-14.00 Lunch: Tea and coffee will be provided. Lunch can be purchased from the pub across the street or bring your own. 14.00-16.00 AGM Session 2 Note: There will be no seminars or workshops preceding this year's AGM. All matters will be dealt with in the formal AGM, which will begin at 11.00 am. Page 1
AGM 2015: Agenda Session 1 11:00 to 13:00 Item Description Reference page in AGM Pack 1 Welcome 2 Apologies 3 Matters Arising from and Approval of Minutes from 2014 AGM Page 3 4 President s Report Page 16 5 BSF Financial Report Page 18 6 Q & A on Officers' Reports Page 20 7 Q & A on National Team Reports Page 22-28 8 BSF Commercial Update 9 Website and Registration 13:00 to 14:00 LUNCH Session 2 14:00 to Close Item Description Reference page in AGM Pack 10 BaseballSoftballUK Session 11 Constitutional Amendments Governance Review 12 Submissions to the AGM From the BSF Executive Committee Page 29 Page 29 13 Motions to the AGM from Members Page 29 14 Structural Review Update 15 National and International Events for 2015 Page 30 16 Election of Officers 2015 Page 33 17 Presentation of Awards for 2014 Season Page 33 18 Any Other Business Meeting Close Page 2
Minutes of the 2014 Annual General Meeting Below are the Minutes of the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the British Softball Federation: Date: Saturday 22nd February 2014 Location: The Hough End Centre, Manchester Session 1 Item Description 1 Welcome The meeting was opened with a welcome from President Stella Ackrell. A register of delegates was maintained by Liz Graham. A total of 58 people attended the AGM, representing 34 teams and 17 of the BSF's 19 affiliated leagues. Forty three voting papers were returned during elections for the BSF Executive. 2 Apologies Apologies were received from Dan Armstrong GLMSL, Ryan Griffiths Blitz, Stan Doney GB Programmes Manager, Kayleigh Green Labor Day Tournament, James Clarke Chichester Falcons and Darren Prouty SPAM. 3 Matters Arising from and Approval of Minutes from 2014 AGM There were no matters arising. The minutes from the 2013 AGM were unanimously approved. 4 President s Report The President s Report was published in the AGM Pack and circulated to members. BSF President Stella Ackrell congratulated all the national teams and clubs that had played in international competition since the last AGM, with particular mention of the GB Slowpitch Team that won the 2013 European Championships and finished second in the ISF Slowpitch World Cup, and London Angels Women's Fastpitch Team that won the European B Pool Cup in 2013. Stella mentioned that 2013 had been a special year, with the opening of the dedicated fields at Farnham Park which hosted the Single-Sex and Co-ed National Slowpitch Championships. Stella also thanked the wide and varied range of volunteers (including members of the BSF Executive) who make so many things in softball happen. No comments or questions were received. 5 BSF Financial Report BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings, in his Financial Report to the AGM, briefly went through the 2012-13 BSF accounts and the projected budget for 2013-14 and confirmed that the BSF is in good financial shape. Page 3
The final accounts for 2012-13 have been signed off by the BSF's auditors, Barcant Beardon LLP, and are available for viewing on the BSF website. [http://www.britishsoftball.org/uploads/_documents/files/bsf/agm/2013/bsf%20statutory %20Accounts%202013.pdf] Mike reported that the BSF's aim each year is to retain reserves amounting to at least 75% of the team fees paid in an average year not just for use in the case of an emergency but to help with cash flow, since many of the BSF's costs occur before the bulk of fees are received. On this basis, and because revenue exceeded expectations in 2012-13 while expenditure was less than forecast, the BSF budget for 2013-14 anticipates revenue of 74,200 and expenditure of 81,500, which will still leave reserves of 35,000. There was one question from the floor, regarding how money spent last year on a joint BSUK-BSF employee was disclosed in the accounts. The budget for 2013-14 was passed unanimously. 6 Q & A on Officers Reports The Tournament Officers' Report by Liz Graham and Fiona Thorley was published and circulated in the AGM Pack. No questions were received. 7 Q & A on National Team Reports National team reports included in the AGM Pack were: GB Women s Fastpitch Team Hayley Scott GB Men's Fastpitch Team Steve Fullan GB Junior (U-19) Women s Fastpitch Team Rachael Watkeys GB Junior (U-19) Men s Fastpitch Team Pat Weightman GB Cadette (U-16) Girls' Fastpitch Team Jeremy Thomas GB Minime (U-13) Girls Fastpitch Team and London Cubs (GB U-13 Development Squad) Caroline Champion There were no questions on these reports. The GB Slowpitch Team Report is now available on the BSF website: http://www.britishsoftball.org/news/view/gb-slowpitch-looks-back-on-a-great-year 8 Feedback from morning workshops Sports Engagement The first workshop was given by Mark Bradley, who runs The Fan Experience Company and has worked with a long list of high-profile sporting clients to improve the experience of the people who support them. The extrapolation to softball would be how to improve the participant experience. Page 4
Mark's thesis is that growth and retention in sport is not about what happens on the field as much as the total experience of being a participant or a fan. So a clear business model to achieve sustainable growth would focus on creating a culture and values that participants can share. This is then reinforced with constant dialogue, both in person and via the use of social media, and by providing consistently good delivery at the point of participant contact. BSF General Officer, Mark Munnery commented that the role of the proposed Communications Officer will be to review and enhance the BSF website and use of social media. Mark Bradley s presentation slides will be loaded onto the BSF website. Review of Slowpitch Coaching Initiatives The second workshop was a short session run by BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings to review the coaching clinics run for slowpitch leagues in the summer of 2013 by ASA coaches Steve Shortland and Cheryl Trapnell and GB Slowpitch Team staff, and to look at the community's preference for coach education and player clinics going forward. While Steve and Cheryl's clinics were meant to be for coaches (whether qualified or not) with considerable softball experience, some leagues sent novice players to their clinics, which somewhat defeated the object. But feedback from the clinics was universally good, and members at the AGM were keen to have similar opportunities in future. However, as Alan le Marquand from Maidenhead Softball Club pointed out, even more benefit could be gained if skilled clinicians like Steve and Cheryl could be available to leagues or clubs for longer than a single evening. Mike Jennings told the meeting that the BSF intends to continue to subsidise the opportunity for aspirational B-grade and C-grade teams to receive coaching clinics and game management tuition from GB Slowpitch Team coaches and players, as happened for the first time in 2013, with seven or eight teams taking part. Leagues will need to nominate teams and details of the process will be available shortly. GB Slowpitch Team Assistant Coach Mike Ashley, who worked last season with new teams and players from the Sefton Softball League in the North West, suggested that novice players might benefit even more from such sessions. Mike Jennings also told the meeting that the BSF's Bring a Bat, Give a Glove initiative, which collected a good amount of used equipment for development work in 2012 but rather less in 2013, will be re-emphasised this year with more publicity. GB Slowpitch Team Head Coach Steve Patterson suggested that signage plus bins to collect used equipment at tournaments could be effective in keeping the campaign in front of players throughout the season. Mike emphasised that in collecting used equipment, the BSF will be able to repair damaged equipment such as gloves and will filter out any bats that could be regarded as dangerous. 9 BSF Youth and Schools Strategy BSF Youth & Schools Officer Claire Waldron, presented a strategy for a BSF initiative to get more young people under the age of 14 but especially girls playing fastpitch softball. The two main objectives of the Strategy are: 1) To increase the number of girls aged 14 and under who are playing and continuing to play fastpitch softball. 2) To increase the number of girls feeding into Academy Softball, thereby increasing the talent pool for GB fastpitch youth teams. Page 5
To achieve these aims, the strategy proposes to introduce a new structured schools programme, targeted in some cases at girls-only schools in selected areas where there are exit routes to fastpitch activity, including the creation of schools competition structures. Work will also be carried out with selected baseball clubs who are interested in starting youth fastpitch sections for girls, as some are already doing. As the programme develops, the network of Regional Academy Softball sessions currently taking place only in Nottingham and London can hopefully be increased. This strategy, which will require financial, coaching and other volunteer resources, will be developed and costed over the next few weeks and then brought to BSUK for discussion about how an action plan can be put in place. The meeting suggested ideas for the programme including using Teeball and Kickball to introduce softball. In response to a question about the reason for focusing on girls under 14, it was explained that the reason to focus on girls is that four of GB's seven national teams are female teams and one is co-ed plus the fact that although the majority of softball in the UK is co-ed slowpitch, roughly 55% of players in teams affiliated to the BSF are male. The reason to focus on fastpitch for this age group is not only to widen the talent pool for national youth teams but also because young players trained in fastpitch can easily adapt to playing slowpitch, whereas the reverse tends to be less true. Over the past couple of years, some fastpitch junior players have already joined slowpitch teams. During the discussion, it was emphasised that a primary route for bringing new slowpitch players into the sport is through Further and Higher Education, an area on which BSUK is increasingly concentrating its efforts. But for this to be successful, the engagement of local softball leagues with universities and colleges in their area, and with BSUK initiatives, is essential. GB Slowpitch Team Head Coach Steve Patterson made the point that to recruit more players, especially to slowpitch, the sport needs a higher profile so that its sporting and social virtues can become better known. It is hoped that through the new position of Communications Officer on the BSF Executive, social media can be a low-cost means of driving this effort. Future Leaders Future Leaders Chair Georgiana Craciun and Billy Liu, a member of the group and the University Softball Officer at Manchester Metropolitan University's Crewe campus, delivered a session about the Future Leaders Group and university development programmes. Georgiana explained that the primary aims of the Future Leaders Group are to provide representation for all 16-25-year-olds playing softball and baseball, devise and support initiatives to recruit more young players and provide a forum for new ideas to improve the experience of playing the sports. BSUK helps members of the Group to develop the skills they need to achieve these objectives. BSUK has successfully set up softball programmes in seven or eight universities and colleges around the country and the role of University Softball Officers, many of whom are Future Leaders Group members, has been crucial. But the engagement of local clubs and leagues is also important to increase the flow of players from the FE and HE sectors into BSF league softball. Billy Liu explained the importance of expansion through recruitment by promoting softball at Freshers Fairs and other events. In the university sector, the National University Page 6
Softball Championships that BSUK plans to run this spring should help the game spread to more institutions, with the eventual aim of getting softball recognised as an official British universities and colleges sport by BUCS. The discussion that followed this presentation was mainly about solving the problem of steering university and college students into organised softball when they leave college in May or June, either for the summer or permanently. BSUK has set up a database to track students who are playing university softball and make them aware of opportunities that exist wherever they might end up. Comments from the meeting requested that the number of players from school and university development initiatives who progress to affiliated slowpitch and fastpitch teams be collated and published. Betsy Holden Searching for My Sport The meeting watched an inspirational nine-minute TEDx talk by GB Under-13 player Betsy Holden, who attended the AGM with her family and was the recipient of a new annual award, named in her honour, for the individual under 18 who provides the most inspiration for others in the sport in a given year. Betsy's talk can be seen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=40s4dqgmvrq. In it, Betsy gives an account of how, as someone always interested in new things, she came to find out about, try and then fall in love with softball. Monmouth Rockets The meeting also heard from Gareth Dunn, Coach of the Monmouth Rockets, which won the new Youth Team of the Year Award. Gareth announced that the school has just received at 1500 grant from Sport Wales to purchase a pitching machine. Although the school team plays slowpitch, seven of their players are currently in GB youth fastpitch team pools, and the pitching machine will be invaluable for them in terms of fastpitch training. As a condition of the grant, Gareth and his players will be required to get the game started in at least one other nearby school. Gareth also suggested an idea for getting the game going in more schools around the UK. Every BSF league could adopt a local school and, using volunteers from the league, work with the school to establish a softball programme. Meanwhile BSUK could help in setting up a competition structure for the schools involved. John Walmsley was appointed scrutineer for the elections to the BSF Executive. During the tea break, the completed Ballot papers were collected and counted. Session 2 Item Description 10 On-line Incident Reporting BSF Administrator Vicky Hall told the meeting about a new Online Incident Report Form that the BSF has developed with help from BSUK, so that any incidents, accidents or injuries that occur during softball activities can be easily reported. The form is available on the BSF website by clicking here: Page 7
http://www.britishsoftball.org/uploads/_documents/files/incident%20report%20form.pdf. Vicky asked that all leagues, clubs and teams use the form. It will enable BSF to record incidents and to analyse any trends and consider if any actions are needed to make the game safer. Completed Incident Reports will be automatically emailed back to the person who submitted them as well as to the BSF and to the relevant League Committee. The BSF asked for a contact person in each league who will receive completed forms and will support the completion of Incident Reports from league activity. At tournaments, the First Aider or team can report incidents. For those rare incidents that actually lead to an insurance claim, the Incident Report will be the first part of the process, though an insurance claim form would need to be completed as well. 11 Guidance for Pregnant Players Following requests from two leagues last year for guidance from the BSF on women playing while pregnant, BSF Administrator Vicky Hall has undertaken a significant piece of research that looks at medical opinion on the risks to mother and baby and at the advice and practice of other softball governing bodies and other sports. The report on Vicky's research was available in the form of a three-page paper to those who attended the AGM and will be available on the BSF website. The BSF has not attempted to frame specific guidelines on this issue because every woman and every pregnancy is different. Instead, the main guidance that the BSF would like to offer is that every woman who wants to play while pregnant should consult her GP or relevant medical professional and follow the advice given as to whether they should play at all and if so, for how long into the pregnancy. Vicky Hall's research makes clear that, generally speaking, risks of a traumatic injury to the mother and/or the baby from softball are theoretical and very low, especially during the first trimester. But there are changes to pregnant women's bodies which can increase the risk of injury, and risks increase later in the pregnancy as the position of the foetus changes. Some sports advise against any participation while pregnant, while others adopt the consult your medical professional approach, which is the advice offered by the American Amateur Softball Association and Softball Australia and by the BSF's insurers, Perkins Slade, who do not automatically restrict sporting participation because of pregnancy. Discussion on the issue mainly focused on how players on the opposing team might feel about playing against a pregnant woman, especially if they were involved in a play which resulted in significant harm. There was also a suggestion that players involved in a game where a pregnant woman was playing might need legal protection in case something went wrong, and that perhaps women who want to play while pregnant should sign a disclaimer. Comment was made on a woman's right to choose whether she plays or not. Some people felt that the BSF ought to take a definite position on the issue and put forward mandatory policies one way or the other (either an outright ban or conditions under which pregnant women can take part). Their call was for a position or proposal that the AGM could vote on. However, BSF President Stella Ackrell argued that this is a complex and emotive issue and asked those present to take the issue back to their leagues for consideration. Individual leagues are free to make their own policies on the issue, and there are some leagues that do ban pregnant women from playing. Stella said that if any leagues wanted to submit a formal proposal for the community to vote on, they could do so and the BSF would make this happen. Page 8
12 Constitutional Amendments Governance Review BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings advised that the BSF Executive would be undertaking a Governance Review, looking at introducing term limits for members of the Executive, reducing the number of Directors to a core group and developing job descriptions and recruitment criteria to ensure Officers have the necessary skills for the post. However, all Officers will continue to be elected. Governance proposals will be tabled at an Emergency General Meeting or at next year s Annual General Meeting. 13 Submissions to the AGM from BSF Executive Affiliation fees 2014 BSF Treasurer, Mike Jennings announced at the AGM that team fees for 2014 will remain at the level agreed at the 2013 AGM namely, 10 higher for most categories than fees paid before the deadline in 2013. Team 2014 BSF Affiliation Fee All Co-ed Slowpitch League Teams 175 New League Teams (not applicable to NEW Independent / Tournament teams) Year 1: 100 Year 2: 115 Year 3: 130 Year 4: Full fees Scottish Co-ed Slowpitch League Teams 140 Independent / Tournament Co-ed Teams 150 University & Youth Teams (50% of players under 18) 60 Great Britain Fastpitch League Teams 90 Single-Sex Slowpitch Teams Single-Sex Nationals (teams forming only to play in this competition) Pay for Play @ 10 per day up to max. 100 per team per year 25 Fees paid by leagues on behalf of their teams, by independent teams or by other categories of members (with the exception of pay-for-play fees at Single-Sex Tournaments) will be due, as usual, by 31 May 2014, with surcharges of 5 per week applying thereafter. Mike explained that the BSF also intends to collect more data from registered teams this year, both to give the BSF a better knowledge of the membership and build a marketing profile for sponsorship, but also to provide robust statistics for Sport England and others to demonstrate our inclusivity as a sport. However, while the deadline for payment remains the same as in past years, the deadline for leagues to register their teams through the BSF website (and for independent teams and other members to register) has been brought forward this year to 30 April. Page 9
A new registration system, and instructions for using it, should be installed on the BSF website shortly. The BSF has recognised that when affiliation fees go up, teams need time to adjust, and has promised that if any fee increases will be brought in for the 2015 season, these will be notified in good time. BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings also announced a small change to BSF insurance cover. Cover is provided at this point for teams as opposed to individuals, and because the standard ESF and ISF line-up cards for slowpitch provide for 18 players and offer gender balance, the BSF will now assume that a team consists of 18 players (rather than, as previously, 15 players). The effect of this on the optional Personal Accident and Injury insurance that leagues can purchase for all their teams if they wish to do so is that the cost, at 1 per player, will rise from 15 to 18 per team. One question was received. Kirsty Whiteford, Swindon League, queried the Tournament Coed fee of 150 for teams that only play in one or two tournaments. Mike confirmed that each uniquely named team is required to register to be covered by insurance. 14 Motions to the AGM from Members None received 15 Election of Officers 2014 All candidates were unopposed, and all were elected. BSF Executive for 2014: President: Administrator: Treasurer: Tournaments Officer/Logistics: Tournaments Officer/Statistics & Administration: National Teams Officer: Stella Ackrell Darren Prouty Mike Jennings Fiona Thorley Liz Graham Beth Perkins Marketing & Communications Officer: Mark Wigington Youth & Schools Officer: General Officer: British Association of Softball Umpires Representative (selected by BASU): Welfare Officer: London Liaison Officer: Communications Officer: Claire Waldron Mark Munnery Chris Moon Jess Casey Alan MacFarlane James Clarke All members of the Executive except for the Welfare Officer, Communications Officer and Page 10
London Liaison Officer are also Directors of the British Softball Federation Limited, a notfor-profit company limited by guarantee. 16 Feedback from Nationals Working Group The BSF Nationals Working Group, made up of representatives from all grades of softball play and with a variety of softball experience, first met on 11 January 2014, and those members who were at the AGM reconvened for a lunchtime session. BSF President Stella Ackrell chairs the Working Group, and she reported back to the AGM on conclusions reached so far. The aim of the Working Group is primarily to make the Coed Slowpitch National Championships better for all the teams that take part and to make it a pinnacle event in the British softball season, with the best teams at each level of softball playing for a meaningful title in the best possible conditions. The premise that the Nationals Working Group started with was the decision made by members at the 2013 AGM that the 2014 Co-ed Slowpitch Nationals would include all grades of play, including the Premier Nationals for A-grade/NSL teams, and that it would be played on 9-10 August 2014 at Farnham Park. Stella outlined what the Nationals Working Group feels the BSF needs to provide at National Championships: Improvements in facilities for food and drink, toilets, showers, camping and other amenities. Outfield fencing, backstops and full line-marking on all fields. Rotation of pitches at Farnham Park so that all grades of play get to compete on the dedicated diamonds. A two-umpire system and impartial scorers for all finals. Scoreboards on every pitch. A more structured and appropriate Closing Ceremony. Photographic and video coverage for social media. With the Co-ed Slowpitch Nationals, the plan in 2014 is to have eight teams in each of what will become five grades of play after the first day. Apart from the Premier Nationals, where qualification is through the National Softball League season, most of the teams taking part will be division winners from slowpitch leagues, but there will also be a points-based route to Nationals qualification through tournaments. Details to be confirmed. With regard to A-grade teams and NSL play for 2014, Stella agreed that there are too few A- grade tournaments, especially with the Pioneers Tournament not certain to take place this year, and that many of the A-grade tournaments are too closely bunched together. The Manchester Softball League has offered in the past, and offered again at the AGM, to host an NSL tournament in Manchester on a date that could help to alleviate the problem of bunched tournaments, but many NSL teams still seem reluctant to make the journey north. Page 11
Another idea was for the BSF to stage some additional NSL tournaments in May, though that would have severe consequences for the Great Britain Fastpitch League. While the 2014 calendar is largely set, the BSF intends to address these problems next year by putting all dates on the calendar out to tender by tournaments, with minimum standards required for BSF sanction and with the BSF controlling how tournaments are spread across the season. The ensuing discussion focused mainly on the needs of A-grade teams. For 2013 National Champion Chromies and 2013 NSL winners H2O, who have qualified to play in the new European Slowpitch Super Cup, there is a problem with the fact that Diamond 3, the European Cup and the Nationals fall in consecutive weeks, which they feel will put too much of a physical strain on players. For this and other reasons, a number of A-grade teams would like the Co-ed Slowpitch Nationals to happen at the end of August or in early September rather than the first half of August; or, if that's not possible, for the BSF to re-visit the decisions made last year and hold the Premier Nationals as a separate tournament. Stella explained that the problem with holding the full Co-ed Nationals at the end of August or in September is that the majority of venues large enough to hold the event, including Farnham Park with regard to grass pitches, revert to football play at that time. Reverting to separate Nationals tournaments also creates the problem of the eight Premier teams playing a small tournament without all the planned enhancements and atmosphere that make a pinnacle tournament. Stella will take the comments back to the Nationals Working Group for discussion and the BSF will shortly announce a final decision on the Co-ed Slowpitch Nationals for 2014. For future years, the BSF will consider options suggested during the AGM: that the Premier Nationals are played separately when there is a European Super Cup but that the Co-ed Slowpitch Nationals will include all grades of play in one event in the years in between; or that a combined Nationals is played a week later in August. 17 Presentation of the Awards for 2013 season: Nominations from the softball community were received for four of the standing seven award categories. In addition the BSF has created two new awards for Youth team of the Year and the Betsy Holden Award. The 2013 BSF Awards were: President's Club Award: This went to Maidenhead Softball Club for its range of youth and adult development activities in 2013. Adult Coach of the Year: This award went to GB Slowpitch Team Head Coach Steve Patterson, who led the team to a ninth straight European Championship in July 2013 and to a silver medal at the ISF Slowpitch World Cup in January 2014, while getting the best from all his players and building an outstanding ethos within the squad. Page 12
Youth Coach of the Year: The award went to GB Under-19 Women's Team Head Coach Rachael Watkeys, who, in her first year in charge, instilled a much more positive and professional outlook in the programme and led the team to a very creditable ninth place in its first-ever appearance in the ISF Junior World Championships. Tournament of the Year: This award went to the ever-growing and ever-improving East Midlands Labor Day Tournament. Youth Team of the Year: The award went to the Monmouth Rockets from Monmouth School in Wales, who have developed a strong and imaginative softball programme over the past few years under the leadership of physics teacher Gareth Dunn. The team, made up of students from Years 10-12, have competed with success in a number of national tournaments and in the Bristol Softball League, and currently have seven players in GB Youth Fastpitch Team pools. The Betsy Holden Award: This award will be given each year to an under-18 individual from the softball community who has done the most to inspire others in the sport. The first award went to GB Under-13 Team player Betsy Holden herself, for her inspirational TEDx talk on how she discovered softball. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40s4dqgmvrq). The AGM also recognised two awards made recently to young members of the softball community by the BSUK Future Leaders Group: Volunteer Softball Coach of the Year: The Future Leaders have given this award to GB Under-19 player and GB Under-13 Assistant Coach Jodie Rushin for outstanding work with and dedication to the GB Under-13 programme. Softball Young Volunteer of the Year: This award went to Billy Liu, the University Softball Officer at the Crewe Campus of Manchester Metropolitan University. Billy, who was one of two Future Leaders who spoke at the AGM about what the group is doing, has single-handedly brought a successful softball programme into being at his university. 18 Hall of Fame Inductions 2014 Six new members three players, a coach and two administrators were inducted into the BSF Hall of Fame at the AGM, bringing the total membership of the Hall after four sets of inductions to 41. Player David Baird former GB Slowpitch Team player. Player Martin Cartledge former GB Slowpitch Team player. Player Stacie Townsend former GB Women s Fastpitch Team pitcher. Coach Russ Snow - former GB Men's Team and GB Women's Team Head Coach. Administrator Stuart Houghton - first President of the BSF's predecessor organisation the National Softball Federation. Administrator Lesley Morisetti - a key figure on the BSF, BASU and Edinburgh Softball League Committees. Page 13
Full background information on the new inductees can be seen on the BSF website: http://www.britishsoftball.org/news/view/six-new-members-join-the-bsf-hall-of-fame. 19 National Kickball Day Saturday 4 May 2014 Bob Fromer provided information about a recruitment and fundraising initiative based on leagues and clubs running a Kickball Tournament, ideally on 4 May. Kickball is a popular variant of softball played in North America. The rules are mainly the same as slowpitch softball, but instead of hitting a softball with a bat, batters kick a rubberised football-size ball rolled to them by the pitcher. BSF is proposing that all money raised is split 50:50 between the local league or team organising the tournament and GB Softball Teams. The BSF will supply official kickballs for each tournament. Further information on Kickball rules and how to run such a tournament is available from James Clarke: jsclarke85@googlemail.com. Comments from the meeting suggested that if Leagues prefer, the same venture could be run using Teeball or Wiffle Ball. 20 BSF Commercial Update BSF Marketing Officer Mark Wigington reported to the AGM that the BSF has set up a partnership with a uniform and clothing supplier called Aswani, based in Wales, to offer a range of BSF, GB, tournament and team clothing, hats, wristbands, mementoes etc in an attempt to pull all merchandising efforts together through one distributor. GB players now order all their uniforms and other GB clothing from an online distribution site set up by Aswani, and other members of the softball community will be able to order from the site as well. When softball clothing produced by Aswani was introduced via a stall set up at last September's Softball World Series, over 2500 in sales was recorded over the weekend. Revenue obtained by the BSF through the site will go back into the sport. More details will be published on the BSF website shortly. 21 BaseballSoftballUK Q & A session A question was raised asking for clarification on the different roles of the British Softball Federation and BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK). BSUK Chair John Walmsley put forward a brief overview of the formal and legal relationships between BSUK, the BSF and the BBF (British Baseball Federation), but there wasn't time to expand on this further. The BSF will work with BSUK to put together an information sheet on this topic to be posted on the BSF website. Dave Jones, Swindon League, asked what assistance BSUK can provide them as they are not in one of the Sport England-funded areas. John will make enquiries. 21 Any Other Business Safety equipment for Under 18s Page 14
Mike Jennings reminded the meeting that all adult slowpitch or fastpitch teams that include under-18 players on their roster need to comply with the BSF Regulations for Under-18 players, passed as mandatory at the 2013 AGM. The regulations can be found on the BSF website at: http://www.britishsoftball.org/uploads/_documents/files/bsf/exec/bsf %20Requirements%20for%20Under-18s.pdf. One of the main implications of the Regulations is that any slowpitch team with under-18 players has to have helmets available for the use of those players when batting, baserunning, coaching or umpiring and a catcher's mask in case an under-18 player is asked to play that position. The BSF is currently working with The Baseball & Softball Shop to source this equipment at a discount cost, and the more equipment is bought, the greater the amount the BSF will receive to put back into the sport. Thanks from GB Slowpitch Team GB Slowpitch Team Head Coach Steve Patterson thanked the entire softball community for the support the team received during the recent ISF Slowpitch World Cup in Florida, where GB finished with a silver medal. The meeting closed 5:30pm Page 15
2014 President's Report Stella Ackrell I would like to start the 2014 review by thanking the membership of the BSF that s you the players, coaches, umpires, tournament organisers, leagues, clubs, managers and volunteers for your continued support of the BSF Executive and our sport in 2014. Without the volunteers on the Executive Committee, the organisation and administration of our sport would not be possible. I want to thank all of them for their time and efforts in 2014, but with particular reference to both Darren Prouty and Fiona Thorley, who are stepping down this year. Both of them have made significant contributions and successfully delivered within their roles. I would again like to acknowledge the continued support of Libby Moss for her work with British national teams and clubs competing in Europe Mark Wigington has resigned suddenly from the committee recently due to ill health. It's not until someone leaves unexpectedly that you realise the major contribution and impact they have made on the running of the sport. A very special thank you from the BSF executive to Mark Wigington for his tireless work on the BSF Executive, BSUK Committees and the GB Management Committee. His drive, determination and pragmatic approach to tasks has been instrumental in driving through many of our initiatives over the last four years. We wish him and his family well in 2015. Executive Activity The BSF has continued to meet monthly by conference call, plus face-to-face meetings twice a year. Mike Jennings and I attended the ESF Congress in Dublin in February 2015, a joint meeting with the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). Highlights from the Meeting in Dublin included: A new ESF Coaches Committee will be set up to mirror the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) in the USA. The ESF Congress approved an increase in its 2015 media budget to 20,000 euros for additional webstreaming of its tournaments. Alternate funding for softball in Europe initiatives in Europe may be possible through two European Union programmes: Erasmus + and Erasmus+ Sports. Erasmus+ can be applied for within your own country and Erasmus+ Sports funding directly from the EU. It was suggested that applicants try to organise training camps or educational sessions/workshops around a major tournament. The inclusion of other countries and youth in projects will mean a better chance of funding. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the baseball/softball body recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Those who attended the ESF and CEB Congresses were presented with an overview of how both the International Softbal Federation (ISF) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) will work within the WBSC. Both ISF and IBAF will remain as independent groups to run softball and baseball but they are now looking at how their current structure and Constitutional documents can be amended in line with the WBSC. International Competitions Both clubs and national teams took part in international competition in 2014. This is made possible by the commitment and dedication of the players and their coaches, managers and support teams and in many cases, their parents! The GB Women's Fastpitch Team were given a wild card entry for the ISF World Championships, which were held in Haarlem, Netherlands the first time this competition had ever been held in Europe. The GB Under-19 Women's Team finished fourth in European Championships held in Rosmalen in Holland, their highest-ever placing. They will be going to the ISF Junior World Championships in the United States in 2015. Page 16
The GB Under-16 Girls and GB Under-19 Men's Fastpitch Teams were not in international competition in 2014. The GB Under-13 Girls travelled to the ESF Massimo Romeo Youth Cup. This tournament provides a great first tournament for the youngest of the GB national squads. This is many of the players' first tournament, and the feedback from players and parents is always positive regardless of where they finish. The GB Men's Fastpitch Team finished outside the qualification places for the ISF Men's World Championships in 2015 when they competed in European Championships in the Czech Republic in 2014. However, they have recently been given a wild card entry to the World Championships. This is great news for a team that consistently performs well in the international arena. In 2015, all seven national teams will be entered in official ESF or ISF tournaments, including the GB Slowpitch Team, which will travel to Bulgaria to defend their European Championship title. The Domestic Season The 2014 domestic season was once again very successful, with more tournaments being added to an already packed calendar, often resulting in more than one tournament on a weekend. The BSF Single-Sex Nationals, held in Birmingham, was oversubscribed and had a record number of entries. The final results for each category can be found in the Tournament Officers' reports. The Co- Ed Nationals, held on 10-11 August at Farnham Park, included teams from many leagues across the UK. Eight teams competed in the Premier Nationals at the end of August, which was won, once again, by the Chromies. In 2015 the BSF Co-Ed Nationals will be one event, with all grades of play, on the weekend of 22-23 August In 2014, the BSF, BBF and BSUK entered into a Structural Review, facilitated by Alistair Gray from the consultancy firm Renaissance. The aim was to determine what is the best working strategy for our sports for the future and members from the BSUK, BBF and BSF Boards have been working with Renaissance on the project. The output from the recent participant survey and interviews with individuals representing different sections within the sport have been analysed. We anticipate the output from this project in the second quarter of 2015. The future of our sports and the way they are organised within the UK will be pivotal in growing participation and enhancing coaching, umpiring and performance of national teams. One of the best chances for raising the profile of softball will be to get back into the Olympics in 2020, which seems to be a distinct possibility. The 2015 season is just around the corner, and the BSF looks forward to another successful domestic, national and international season. Page 17
Financial Statements BSF Draft Accounts: Year Ended 30/09/14: Rounded for presentation BSF Draft accounts: year ended 30/9/13: Rounded for presentation Year-ended 30 Sept 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 Budget Actual Budget Actual Budget Actual Budget Actual Fees 45,000 35,650 51,000 55,100 54,100 52,126 53,000 Nationals 17,000 11,725 13,000 14,400 14,000 17,245 21,500 NTL in 3,000 2,510 3,500 4,100 3,500 3,390 3,500 Insurance 2,000 2,347 2,500 2,500 2,600 2,418 2,500 TOTAL INCOME 67,000 52,232 70,000 76,100 74,200 75,179 80,500 Nationals 19,500 14,039 15,000 13,000 17,000 16,443 25,500 NTL Out 3,500 3,500 3,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 4,000 Insurance 4,250 4,077 4,000 4,500 5,800 5,756 6,000 BSUK Service fee 4,500 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 Development 14,000 6,497 12,500 10,800 11,000 5,965 9,500 GBR teams 26,500 20,475 28,500 23,700 25,300 22,622 20,550 Marketing / Events 4,000 3,255 4,000 5,900 4,600 3,436 5,500 Meetings / Travel 4,000 5,057 5,000 5,200 5,600 7,017 5,650 Financial costs 2,250 2,278 2,500 2,500 4,700 4,846 5,800 TOTAL COSTS 82,500 63,178 79,000 73,600 81,500 73,085 86,500 RESULT FOR YEAR - 15,500-10,946-9,000 2,500-7,300 2,094-6,000 BALANCE SHEETS Actual Forecast Actual Forecast Actual Forecast Actual 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 Assets 48,577 53,575 51,619 Liabilities - 8,771-11,292-7,242 Net Assets 39,806 42,283 44,377 Reserves b/f 50,752 39,806 39,806 42,283 42,283 44,377 44,377 Profit / -Loss - 10,946-9,000 2,500-7,306 2,094-6000 Reserves c/f 39,806 30,806 42,306 34,977 44,377 38,377 Page 18
In addition to the statement above, a complete set of draft company accounts for BSF Ltd will be available on BSF website. It is anticipated that these accounts will have been signed by the auditor by the time of the AGM. Page 19
Officers' Reports Tournament Officers' Report Liz Graham & Fiona Thorley In 2014, the Single-Sex Nationals returned to Birmingham after a few years' absence, and the venue was well received, with a record number of entries and a waiting list. The tournament will be held at the same venue again in 2015, with hopefully improved facilities. Entry forms have already been requested, which is a good sign that the tournament will continue its popularity. The Co-Ed Nationals were held at Farnham Park, using the dirt pitches and fully-fenced grass pitches. The facilities were much appreciated by teams that hadn't necessarily had the chance to play on the dirt fields before. Apart from torrential rain on the Sunday halting the proceedings for an hour, the tournament displayed some great softball and was enjoyed by the players. The Premier Nationals were also held at Farnham Park on the two dedicated softball pitches. Due to the reduced number of fields, the schedule had to be amended from previous years. This didn t stop the competitiveness or great softball witnessed by players and spectators alike. New for this year was the webstreaming of the final a great start to hopefully bigger things in 2015. The Co-Ed Nationals and Premier Nationals will be heldtogether in 2015 on the same weekend at Farnham Park. The date is 22-23 August and the BSF is already working on getting things in place to provide teams with a great experience. Single-Sex Nationals 2014 http://www.britishsoftball.org/news/view/bsf-celebrates-record-single-sex-nationals Venue: Moor Lane Sports Ground, Moor Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands, B6 7AA Record number of teams and all places filled within two weeks of entries opening. Men's Platinum Winner: Hoggs (Manchester) Runner-up: Blue Steel (London) Final: Hoggs 29, Blue Steel 24 MVP: Michael Lott (Hoggs) Men's Gold Winner: Teabags (Leeds) Runner-up: Godzillas (London) Final: Teabags 15, Godzillas 14 MVP: Tyler McGoveran (Teabags) Men's Silver Winner: Pulse (East Midlands) Runner-up: Barbarians (Birmingham) Final: Pulse 18, Barbarians 2 MVP: Shannon Henry (Pulse) Men's Bronze Winner: Gargoyles (Oxford) Runner-up: Pyros (East Midlands) Final: Gargoyles 16, Pyros 15 MVP: Pete (Gargoyles) Women's Platinum Winner: Cupcakes (London) Runner-up: No Balls (London) Final: Cupcakes 18, No Balls 3 MVP: Rolien Van Heerden (Cupcakes) Women's Gold Winner: Bunnies (East Midlands) Runner-up: Lady Heath (Lakenheath) Final: Bunnies 9, Lady Heath 8 MVP: Samantha Henley Women's Silver Winner: Raiders (London) Runner-up: Chavs (London) Final: Raiders 9, Chavs 8 MVP: Sarah (Chavs) Women's Bronze Winner: Sheriffs (East Midlands) Runner-up: Batting Divas (Leeds) Final: Sheriffs 9, Batting Divas 4 MVP: Jenny Pooley (Sheriffs) Page 20
Co-Ed Nationals Farnham Park (20 teams) http://www.britishsoftball.org/news/view/north-and-south-share-prizes-at-co-ed-nationals PLATINUM Winner: Mescalitos (London) Runner-up: Lions (Manchester) MVPs: Tori Hewlett and Devin O Shaugnessy (Mescalitos) GOLD Winner: Chalfont Phoenix (Windsor) Runner-up: Blitz (London) MVPs: Natasha Humphries and James Cavalier (Chalfont Phoenix) SILVER Winner: Cheeky Monkeys (Leeds) Runner-up: Outlaws II (Manchester) MVPs: Melissa Molles and Jarl Lascomb (Cheeky Monkeys) BRONZE Winner: Tigers (East Midlands) Runner-up: Brewers (East Midlands) MVPs: Rachel Green and Harvey Pryor (Tigers) Premier NSL Nationals 2014 Farnham Park (8 teams) http://www.britishsoftball.org/news/view/chromies-power-to-nationals-three-peat Winner: Chromies Runner-up: Pioneers MVPs: Laura Brockman-Hill (Pioneers) and Ales Mravlje (Chromies) Page 21
National Team Reports GB SLOWPITCH TEAM Head Coach Stephen Patterson GB Slowpitch has had an active and productive year in 2014, which started in quick fashion with Team GB s participation in the ISF Slowpitch World Cup in Florida in late January. We also saw the introduction of the GB Open North in March, which was a rewarding experience for participating teams and the GB players hosting the event. Team GB continued its partnership scheme with the BSF in conducting the B/C Team Coaching Scheme. We sent coaches all over the country to work with individual teams and leagues, travelling as far afield as Glasgow and Southampton. Not only does the scheme provide skills development for the participants, it gives Team GB a grassroots presence with players who may not be familiar with the national programme. The B/C Coaching Scheme has grown each year, and we saw the number of teams that signed up in 2014 double from the previous year. The scheme is fully financed by the BSF and free to all teams participating. BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings has been particularly supportive of this scheme, which we would like to recognise, along with his ongoing support for GB Slowpitch. In preparation for the ESF European Championships, to be held in Dupnitsa, Bulgaria at the end of July, plans are well under way to hold the bi-annual GB Challenge, a competitive environment training tournament to showcase player talent and contribution. Top-tier performances by the GB Development Squad in the Softball World Series at the BA Concorde Club continued in 2014, when the team placed fourth, following its runner-up performance in 2013. In both the ISF Slowpitch World Cup and the World Series, the standard of play was worthy of the Great Britain logo across the front of the uniforms. From the logistical challenges of a January tournament and throughout the year, the contribution of the GB coaches and staff was tremendous. I must thank the efforts and dedication of Sara Vertigan, Martin Cartledge and Mike Ashley. ISF Slowpitch World Cup January 2014 in Plant City, Florida Team GB competed in the third ISF Co-ed Slowpitch World Cup from 23-26 January 2014. There were seven countries in the competition: Team GB was joined by two teams from the USA (Fort Walton Beach and Ink Daddyz) as well as first-time entries by teams from Canada, Bulgaria, Curacao, France and the Turks & Caicos Islands. This was a spectacular effort by the GB Slowpitch Team players and it displayed the overall health of the GB Slowpitch programme. Several of the players had not played together as a unit, with many others only recently successfully coming through trials in September. The squad consisted of ten players who had not competed at the Europeans the previous summer, and nine of them were GB rookies. As a result of Team GB s performance, we have earned the position of a #2 world ranking. The roster for the World Cup was: Brad Gilmour (Vice Captain) David Lee Chris Yoxall Ian Kulka Adam Haywood Mike Williams Lucy Binding (Captain) Emily Clifford Claudine Snape Kirsty Leach Katherine Golik Areej Almaazi Page 22
Richie Browne Ben Taylor Ed Watkinson Chloe Llewelyn Ruth MacIntosh Gelske Huyer A report on the World Cup was featured at the 2014 BSF AGM. Other Player News In addition to the ISF World Cup, Stephen Patterson was named the Head Coach of the first-ever pan European men's slowpitch softball team. Team Europe Softball had a number of Team GB players selected to compete in a tournament against Team USA, Team Canada, and several other elite teams. These players were Dan Spinks, Steve Hazard, Chris Yoxall and Brett Gibbens. Shortly after this tournament, Brett Gibbens shared the news that he would be retiring from GB Softball. As both a fellow player, friend and most recently his coach, I wish to thank Brett for all he has given to the GB Squad and the GB programme. Support for Team GB Throughout the year, GB players did a strong job of securing funds through a variety of individual fundraising channels. The support for the inaugural GB Open North, held at Manchester s Parrs Wood fields, was outstanding. The host player was GB veteran Danny Gunn, who emceed the event. GB coaches and players conducted bite-size instructional sessions during game breaks and offered drop-in advice to participating teams about skills and game strategy. The Diamond Series organisers again showed their commitment to GB Slowpitch by allowing us to conduct some key fundraising activity. This was coordinated by GB infielder Claudine Snape, who did a stellar job of organising the Diamond Two GB Raffle. On behalf of the team, I wish to thank all of those who supported our players in the many ways that they did. Looking Forward As we look forward to 2015, we have a number of milestones and challenges ahead of us. We are currently seeking out new talent by conducting a series of spring trials, culminating in the GB Challenge Tournament on 19 April. Shortly thereafter, the selection process will commence to determine which players will represent Great Britain in Dupnitsa, Bulgaria this summer. We are aiming to continue our relationship with the wider softball community, by holding GB Opens on either side of the Watford Gap, as well as continuing with the well received GB Coaching Clinics and the B/C Team Coaching Scheme. Thereafter, additional fundraising will commence, both collectively and individually, to gain funds to assist out travel and training commitments both at home and abroad. Two further opportunities to compete will occur again in the autumn with the World Series (GB Development) and the potential for another ISF World Cup (TBC). In conclusion, in what would have traditionally been an off-year, 2014 competitions and activities kept Team GB Slowpitch very busy! Page 23