Wave Baseball of Northwest Florida, Inc. Program Manual

Wave Baseball of Northwest Florida, Inc. Program Manual October 2013

Table of Contents Wave Baseball Mission 1 Program Guiding Principles 1 Wave Baseball Program Overview 2 a. General... 2 b. Playing Seasons... 2 c. Program Ages and Residency Requirements... 2 d. Mandatory Tryouts... 3 e. Open Tryouts... 4 f. Wave Program Fees... 5 g. Program Equipment... 6 Field and Training Equipment... 6 Players Uniforms and Protective Equipment... 6 h. Game Play... 6 i. Tournament Play... 7 j. Fundraising and Sponsorships... 7 Fundraising... 7 Sponsorships... 8 k. Wave Program Management... 8 l. Fiduciary and Non Profit Filing and Banking Responsibility... 8 Player Responsibilities and Guidelines 9 a. General... 9 b. Player Training... 9 c. Player Feedback and Evaluations... 10 d. Wave Program Workouts... 10 e. Team Practices... 11 f. Team Games... 11 g. Program Fundraising... 11 h. Player Discipline... 12 i. Mental Toughness... 12 Page Page i

Parental Responsibilities and Guidelines 13 a. General... 13 b. Payments... 13 c. Practices... 14 d. Games... 14 e. Mid-season and End-of-Year Program Surveys... 14 f. Program and Tournament Forms... 15 g. Parental Discipline... 15 Coach Responsibilities and Guidelines 15 a. General... 15 b. Qualifications... 16 c. Player Evaluations... 16 d. Team Practices... 17 e. Coaching Staff Meetings... 17 f. Team Games... 17 g. Coach Discipline... 18 h. Coach Payments and Management... 18 ATTACHMENTS: By-Laws, Registration Form, Medical Release Forms, Program Calendar, Fee Structure Code of Conducts Players, Parents & Coaches Cognitive Advantage Program (CAP) Definition Outline Wave Baseball Practice Guidelines Page ii

Wave Baseball Mission Wave Baseball of Northwest Florida is a non-profit 501(c)(7) organization. Wave Baseball was founded to provide players aged 11 through 14 years the opportunity to participate in a structured program that offers exposure to professional coaching, a rigorous practice schedule, structured game participation, and tournament play. The Wave Baseball program unites all coaches under one training methodology similar to a baseball academy approach. Players will learn good sportsmanship, commitment, dedication to hard work, the importance of being fit, mental and physical toughness, and the importance of character. Wave players completing the program will be well prepared for play at the high school level. Program Guiding Principles a. Only qualified players will be extended an offer to play. b. Players who begin a season are expected to complete the season. c. Wave Baseball head coaches will be required to have a thorough understanding of the game, practice fundamentals, and the experience necessary to accomplish the program mission. d. Win or lose, players, coaches, parents, and fans will show good sportsmanship. e. Coaches, players, and player families and friends will respect league rules and regulations, league officials, and umpires. f. Coaching decisions made during game or tournament play are not open for parental discussion or scrutiny. g. Players should be encouraged to interact directly with their respective coach, and parents should encourage their children to use this approach. h. Coaches will make themselves available on a regular basis to meet with players and their parents to answer questions and concerns. i. Coaches and players will show up for games, practices, and academy events on time and ready to participate. j. Players will be evaluated regularly before, during, and after each season; parental participation in that process is expected. k. All grievances are handled by the Board of Directors. l. While competitive tournament play is important to player development, Wave Baseball s goal is player development, not tournament play. Wave Baseball will provide each qualified player with Page 1 of 18

ample game and tournament play opportunities while striving to protect players from physical injury associated with overuse. m. Success is measured by an individual player s improvement and not necessarily by a team s win-loss record in tournament play. Wave Baseball Program Overview a. General Wave Baseball presently works in close harmony with the City of Gulf Breeze Parks and Recreation Department, the Gulf Breeze Sports Association, and the Santa Rosa County Parks and Recreation Department to organize and manage the Wave Baseball program. The program abides by all requirements for youth travel baseball programs. Wave Baseball is managed by a Board of Directors who will set high standards for everyone involved with the program. b. Playing Seasons Wave Baseball will play in one official season from January through June or July. Additional preparatory camps designed to provide players with adequate preparation for the Annual Winter Tryouts may be held during late November and early December. Wave Baseball does not believe young players should play only baseball all year long. Players should have ample downtime from throwing, and Wave Baseball will structure all programs so as to provide all players with this important rest. c. Program Ages and Residency Requirements Wave Baseball will field four teams of 10 to 14 baseball players, each team consisting of one team for each age (11 through 14 years old). A player s team is determined by the player s age according to the appropriate date as stipulated by the applicable sanctioning body for the year following the Annual Winter Tryouts. Players from any local area are eligible to play, provided they are selected as a result of participation in the Annual Winter Tryouts and are able to commit to attending scheduled practices. Participation is NOT exclusive to players desiring to play in the Gulf Breeze High School Program. Players should strive to play at their age and grade level and not Page 2 of 18

choose to play up or down unless absolutely necessary. There are no other residency requirements at this time. d. Mandatory Tryouts Wave Baseball will advertise for and conduct mandatory tryouts for all players in the program during the first two weeks of December and prior to the organization s annual meeting. The date, time, and location of team tryouts for each age group will be publicized in advance of each tryout date. The tryouts will be advertised in local Gulf Breeze and Pensacola newspapers, as well as by way of e-mail distribution, flyers, and at the front desk of the Gulf Breeze Recreation Center. The tryouts are mandatory for all returning and new players in the program. Returning players that cannot attend a tryout due to seasonal travel can arrange with the Director of Coaching or the President of the Board of Directors for a private tryout that will follow the same guidelines for the main tryout date. Tryouts will follow a prescribed professional tryout format, which will be determined by the Director of Coaching or President of the Board of Directors and conducted by the Wave Baseball Coaching Staff. Players will be notified whether they have made the team within one week after the tryouts. Each prospective player will be required to complete the following: 1. Membership Application 2. Medical Release Form 3. Player Code of Conduct Agreement There will be a non-refundable fee due at the time of each tryout. Each player evaluated will receive a rating from each coach. The rating will be averaged and that value will serve as the player s final tryout rating. Each team coach will then receive the ratings for that team s prospective players. Accepted players will be notified by their coach as quickly as possible after the tryout date. Parents of all players invited to play will be required to attend the organization s annual meeting. This meeting will serve as an orientation meeting as well as the organization s annual business Page 3 of 18

meeting. Teams will typically take no more than 12 players to scheduled tournament play. Teams may retain more than 12 players at the discretion of the head coach and the Wave Baseball Board of Directors. Because Wave Baseball s core focus is instructional baseball, players are expected to attend all practices and learn as much as possible from the professional coaching staff. A position on a team does not guarantee playing time in tournament situations. Playing time is earned by each player and based on the performance of the player as determined by each team s head coach. Payment of fees does not result in playing time in tournaments. Should any team incur a loss in total personnel resulting in fewer than 12 tournament-ready players for any reason, Wave Baseball may do the following to restore the impacted team to a tournamentready playing level: 1. If the player loss is short-term and impacts the team s ability to participate in a single tournament, an age-eligible player or players from another age level team will be asked to play, provided that their absence from their regular team does not adversely impact their regular team s ability to play. or 2. If no player is available from another age level team or if the player loss will impact more than a single tournament, Wave Baseball will schedule an open tryout and actively recruit the needed number of players as described in the Open Tryouts section. e. Open Tryouts Wave Baseball will announce through various methods the date and time of any open tryout. Qualified prospective players will be evaluated by members of Wave Baseball Coaching Staff. Because Wave Baseball s first commitment is to instructional baseball (and NOT tournament playing time), the program strongly discourages players with current team commitments from participating in an open tryout. Wave Baseball expects its member players to honor their season commitment to their team and the Wave Baseball organization. The Wave Baseball program expects players affiliated with other organizations to exhibit the same level of commitment to their Page 4 of 18

organizations. Any players not meeting the above criteria who wish to participate in an open tryout must petition the Wave Baseball Board of Directors in writing requesting approval to participate. No member of the Wave Coaching Staff shall have the authority to approve a player for membership or offer any player a position on any Wave Baseball team. No player will be accepted for membership until the player has: 1. Been evaluated at an open tryout, 2. Paid all applicable fees, 3. Completed a Membership Application, Medical Release Form, and Player Code of Conduct Agreement, 4. Been approved for membership by the Wave Coaching Staff; and 5. Been approved for membership by the Wave Baseball Board of Directors. Once the player has been approved for membership, that player is permitted to attend regular practices and participate in subsequent tournament play. Players approved for membership shall be retained for the duration of the season even if the player they were recruited to replace returns to the active roster. f. Wave Program Fees All players will pay a tryout fee and an annual membership fee at the start of the season. The annual membership fee covers the cost of the player s uniform and other related administrative fees. Club dues will cover tournament registration fees, coaching fees, and other program expenses. Wave Baseball may charge additional fees as approved by the Board of Directors. These fees would typically cover additional tournament play, special equipment, off-season play, and other expenses. All fees are payable by bank check to Wave Baseball of Northwest Florida or cash. All refunds are solely at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Players who become delinquent in payment of fees will not be eligible to play in tournament play until their account is in good standing. Monthly payments are due on the first of each month and late if not paid by the 15th of the month. Page 5 of 18

g. Program Equipment Field and Training Equipment Wave Baseball will provide access to all field equipment and training devices for use of the program. During the Gulf Breeze Sports Association baseball league, there may be situations when practice schedules will be impacted. Although the Wave program makes every attempt to establish a set practice schedule, there are times when other facility users will have precedence over Wave practices. Players Uniforms and Protective Equipment Wave Baseball will provide a full team game uniform for each player. A complete uniform from the Wave program will consist of game pants, belt, practice jersey, two game jerseys, and a hat. The player and parents will be responsible for game helmet and protective cup gear as well as baseball gloves, bats, proper shoes, and an equipment bag. Wave Baseball will provide the opportunity for players to purchase any additional uniform components as well as game helmets, team bags, bats, practice jerseys, batting jackets, and additional team items. Note that a small portion of the proceeds from the sale of these items will go towards fundraising to reduce the cost of tournaments and other equipment and expenses. h. Game Play Wave Baseball teams may play games throughout the season against other area travel baseball teams. These games will be played in addition to regular tournament play. These games will be played and coached with the same intent as tournament play; thus games will be played in a competitive nature with the intent to play to win. Player participation in these games is based on the determinations of the head coach. As many coaches and parents are beginning to understand, the current format for structured tournament play often places excessive physical stress on young players. In order to provide ample game experience while normalizing the impact of game fatigue and protecting players from overuse, Wave Baseball will strive to balance players schedules by playing Page 6 of 18

additional games outside tournament play. Should a league play opportunity become available, Wave Baseball will consider participation on a case-by-case basis. i. Tournament Play Wave Baseball will play in various tournaments in addition to game play throughout the season. Tournaments will be funded by player fees for the season. Wave Baseball will participate in tournament play as part of a comprehensive player development program. Wave Baseball's mission goes beyond simply providing an opportunity for tournament play; therefore, Wave Baseball uses discretion in scheduling tournament play. Wave Baseball's typical tournament play will consist of an average of 2 tournaments per month during the season with a total of approximately 8 to 10 scheduled tournaments during the season. Some tournaments will require out-of-town travel with a one- or two-night stay. All players and parents will be provided with the season's anticipated tournament schedule as early in the season as possible. All age groups will play at the same tournament location whenever possible. Be advised that in spite of the best planning efforts, some age brackets may not be able to participate in a given tournament. This scenario will result in scheduling changes for the team(s) involved. Additional tournaments may be scheduled as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors. Wave Baseball may play sanctioned tournaments governed by USSSA, Nations Baseball, Grand Slam Baseball, or any other recognized sanctioning organization. Wave Baseball will adhere to the rules in force for each given tournament. j. Fundraising and Sponsorships Wave Baseball will use a variety of activities to achieve its financial goals, including hosting tournaments, fundraising, corporate and private sponsorship drives, open clinics, and other events. Fundraising Fundraising activities will be the cornerstone of success with the program. Prior to each year, the Wave Baseball Board of Directors will define what the fundraising goals will be for the year and Page 7 of 18

outline a plan for fundraising. Fundraising will include but not be limited to tournament hosting, concession sales, special events (i.e., clinics, car washes), program merchandise sales, private and corporate donations, grant writing activities via the program s 501(c)(7) non profit designation, and other activities. Each family in the program will be required to assist in the fundraising activities for the benefit of the teams. The use of the funds from fundraising will be to retain top coaches in the program, subsidize tournament fees, purchase new field and training equipment, and cover operational expenses, program administration, and other activities. Sponsorships To build a program that is a showcase for national youth baseball programs, Wave Baseball will need to secure individual and corporate sponsors to offset the cost of running the program to keep the cost down for families in the program. Wave Baseball will solicit local and national businesses in addition to local private donations that will benefit the program. A sponsorship program geared at meeting the annual fundraising objectives of the program will be developed and approved by the Board of Directors. The sponsorship package will be sent to local and national businesses for participation in the program and will include benefits to the sponsor. Because Wave Baseball has 501(c)(7) tax exempt status, it can provide sponsors tax relief on certain donations as allowed by the federal government. Wave Baseball will only accept sponsorships from those organizations, firms, or companies whose activities or products are not detrimental to the welfare of the players. k. Wave Program Management Management of the Wave Baseball program will be accomplished by a Board of Directors as defined in the organization s by-laws. The Board of Directors will meet monthly during the active baseball season and bi-monthly, at a minimum, during the remainder of the year to discuss the program s annual goals, finances, program evaluations, and other organizational activities. The Board of Directors will oversee and work in close cooperation with the Director of Coaching and the Wave Baseball coaching staff. l. Fiduciary and Non Profit Filing and Banking Responsibility Wave Baseball of Northwest Florida, Inc. is a registered non profit organization in the State of Florida and has obtained 501(c)(7) tax exempt status from the federal government. Wave Baseball will meet all federal and state filing requirements for non profit 501(c)(7) corporations. Wave Page 8 of 18

Baseball will also conduct any audits required to maintain 501(c)(7) status. Financial reports are available to all members upon request. Player Responsibilities and Guidelines a. General Players selected to play Wave Baseball must abide by player code of conduct for good sportsmanship and must be committed to the success of the team and program. Players must understand that the aim of the program is to prepare players through structured and organized practices to be accepted at higher levels of competition such as high schools and universities. As a player, success in Wave Baseball will only be as good as the individual and family commitment to the program and instruction by coaches. The coaches will count on players full attention during practices and games. b. Player Training Wave Baseball training will be structured and rigorous. Players will develop skills in fielding, batting, pitching, base running, baseball strategy as well as the mental aspects of the game. It is the player s responsibility to be at practice and games on time, or risk being penalized by additional training or limited game time. Players will be expected to complete additional work on their own, outside regularly scheduled practice times. Such work may include additional bullpen sessions, cage sessions, and other drills designed specifically for that player. Players and parents should understand that training in other school, recreational, or travel teams and not training with the Wave Baseball program is detrimental to the team. It will be at the coaches discretion to determine if the outside training is sufficient to set a player at risk and whether to impose penalized game time for not attending practices. Wave Baseball strongly discourages players from participating in recreational or travel baseball outside the Wave Baseball program. Fourteen-year-old and older players are expected to participate in their respective high school baseball program; therefore, Wave Baseball opportunities for high school players are scheduled around freshman high school baseball opportunities. Page 9 of 18

c. Player Feedback and Evaluations Coaches will conduct formal evaluations of each player at the beginning of the season, mid season, and end of season using a comprehensive feedback survey on all aspects of the players baseball skill sets. The evaluation feedback will be used to create a player improvement plan over the course of the season. All evaluations will be reviewed with each player, their parents, and their coaches. Wave Baseball will adopt a standardized evaluation format that will be used for players at all age levels. In addition, player progress reports will be kept for players that remain in the program until the player enters high school baseball. The Director of Coaching or the Secretary of Board of Directors will work with players and parents to prepare a resume of accomplishments for the player to assist with high school baseball tryouts. In addition, coaches will use video footage from time to time to assist with improving player performance. d. Wave Program Workouts It is the players responsibility to show up to workout sessions on time and ready to practice. Ready to practice is defined as baseball ready in proper baseball attire. Tardiness to workouts affects the entire program. Players that cannot attend a workout will be personally responsible for calling their coach directly whenever possible to explain their absence to the coach. Early season workouts will focus on group drills, employing an academy style in a spring training format. All selected players will participate as a group without regard to their team. Initial workouts will serve to condition players, develop agility, and prepare them for the rigors of the upcoming season. Group sessions will focus on five areas key to baseball success: arm strength, agility, speed, hitting for contact, and hitting for power. Group sessions will prepare individual players for team play by developing pitchers and catchers as well as providing players significant opportunity to develop their individual hitting skills. As the season progresses, practices will transition from a spring training format to a blend of academy sessions and individual team workouts. Games and tournaments will be added as well. Page 10 of 18

e. Team Practices It is the players responsibility to show up to practices on time and ready to practice. Ready to practice is defined as baseball ready in proper baseball practice attire and properly equipped. Coming late to practice affects the entire team. Players that cannot attend a practice will be personally responsible for calling their coach directly whenever possible to explain their absence to the coach. Players and parents should plan their schedules for a two-hour practice two to three times per week until games start. Practice schedules will posted as early in the season as possible but are always subject to change due to weather, etc. All practices will be held at the Gulf Breeze Recreation Center fields unless players are notified otherwise. f. Team Games Players must arrive to scheduled games one hour before game time for warm up and position assignments unless specifically directed by a coach to arrive at a different time. If player tardiness becomes an issue there is the potential that the players who is continuously late could be disciplined and playing time limited in game situations. Players committed to the Wave Baseball program will prioritize Wave Baseball games over any recreational, non school sports. Players that cannot attend a tournament or game must notify the team coach at least 48 hours before the game so the coach can prepare the appropriate changes to the line up. Parents should encourage their child to contact the coach directly whenever possible. In addition, if the coach determines there are insufficient players to field the team for a game, the coach will, at their discretion, add players from the next junior team for that game. g. Program Fundraising Fundraising for the Wave Baseball program is a requirement of every player in the program. Fundraising is an obligation, for both players and parents. Team fundraising strengthens the team bond while teaching social responsibility, the value of earning your own way, and giving back to the community. Parents or players who habitually fail to perform their fair share face the possibility of being assessed additional fees as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors. Page 11 of 18

h. Player Discipline Players will read and sign the Wave Baseball Player Code of Conduct (see attached) at the beginning of each season. Players that break the Wave Baseball Player Code of Conduct will be disciplined according to the severity of the infraction. Wave Baseball will not tolerate players that show disregard and disrespect for teammates, the coaches, or the program management. The Wave Baseball program will foster a family-friendly environment where serious competitive players can reach their full potential and excel. i. Mental Toughness Mental toughness is the game of the mind. Players that are mentally tough are not only successful in baseball but in life. If a player is not mentally tough, the player will not be able to deal with the individual and team adversities that are certain to arise. Wave Baseball will develop mental toughness in individual players to prepare players to recognize and be prepared to face challenging situations as they arise throughout the games and season. Examples of such challenges include when the team or players are down due to bad at bats, errors, inadequate pitching, and scores that are or are not reflective of the effort that the team or the player is making on the field. These self-help definitions of success (excerpted from the Cognitive Advantage Program (CAP) manual, 2003 2007) will assist players in developing positive mental toughness. Definitions of Success in Baseball If I act for the team, then I am successful. If I perform with confidence, then I am successful. If I compete on the pitch, then I am successful. If I concentrate on the pitch, then I am successful. If I learn from the situation, then I am successful. Player Commitment As a player in the Wave Baseball Program, I will... play in the moment, pitch by pitch! challenge myself to play better! be positive, for my team and myself! leave my bad at bats at the plate and store my power in my bat for the next at bat! play two games, offense and defense! be a leader, no matter how I play! take what I learn from baseball to be a better person! NEVER GIVE UP in baseball and in life! Page 12 of 18

Parental Responsibilities and Guidelines a. General Parents role in the Wave Baseball Program is an important one, not only from a player-financing perspective, but also to help players start learning a commitment to the team and coaches. It is important to establish a dialogue with the program administration and coaches early in the season in order to understand and set the proper expectations for a player s experience in the program. In addition, parents need to understand that the Wave Baseball program teaches competitive baseball, and coaches will coach the team to win. Likewise, coaches will field the team and players to win baseball games. Players must understand that playing time is earned through performancebased work and effort, with dedication to constant improvement. Parents are provided with ongoing opportunities to positively discuss a player s development, coaching strategies, and practice format with coaches. However, it is first encouraged that players (not parents) should interact with the coaching staff to discuss any issues relating to player time and player improvement. Wave Baseball also provides ample means for structured evaluations that include time for parent-coach interaction. Discussing practice, game, or coaching strategies in a negative manner with a player is strongly discouraged. Doing so erodes the player s confidence in the coaches and leads to delayed player growth. If a player has any questions or issues, it is best to direct the player to discuss the matter with the coaches. (What did your coach say about that? is a great response!) Teaching personal responsibility to young players is a major goal of the program, and parents play a big part in making that happen. b. Payments It is the parent s responsibility to provide payment to the Wave Baseball program on time. Wave Baseball is dependent on your payments to run the operation as a business. Each family will have to sign a registration form at the beginning of each season with their commitment to pay fees on time. Page 13 of 18

c. Practices The players are ultimately responsible for attendance at practices and games. Consequently, it is also the parents responsibility to ensure that the players are held accountable to their commitment to the team and themselves throughout the season. Parents should understand that a player s absence or tardiness at practice or games may have consequences for the player. Any player that cannot avoid being late or absent for a legitimate reason must call the coach directly to discuss the tardiness or absence. Attending a recreational sport practice session is not an acceptable reason for being late to or missing a Wave Baseball practice. Parents need to plan for the player to be at all practices for the full two-hour session. d. Games Parents are responsible for having players at the field of play one hour before game time for warm up and position assignments. Failure to do so without notification directly to the coach may result in discipline or lack of playing time for the player. If for any reason the player cannot attend a game, please have the player call the coach 48 hours prior to the game to explain the reason. This is one way the program strives to teach discipline and commitment to the players. Wave Baseball provides an anticipated tournament play schedule at the beginning of each season. It is important to understand the player s game schedule and to review e-mails and the Wave Baseball web site periodically for game times and dates, rainout notices, and schedule updates. In addition, please be sure the team parent has all of the current contact information your player. Lastly, parents need to understand that all players need to be prepared with sufficient drinks and other necessary items before the game time. Parents should refrain from contact with players once they have entered the dugout for game play. Continuous drink requests throughout the game are a distraction for the coaches and players. Players heads need to be in the game for the entire game and should be prepared for each game prior to entering the dugout. e. Mid-season and End-of-Year Program Surveys It is important for players and parents to provide feedback on the Wave Baseball program so that its approach can be adjusted as the program evolves. The Wave Baseball program strongly Page 14 of 18

encourages players and parents to complete the feedback surveys within one week of receiving them. f. Program and Tournament Forms Parents are responsible for filling out and compiling all Wave Baseball liability waivers and registration forms, including payment forms. Each player who is new to the program will also be required to provide a copy of the player s birth certificate. All signed and completed documents must be given to the program director before January 15 for the spring season. Upon acceptance into the program, Wave Baseball registration forms will be online at www.wave-baseball.com. g. Parental Discipline Parents must also be aware of their behavior at games and practices. Parents that have been around baseball for any given time understand that umpires will make suspect calls. Parents that are asked to be removed from the game for unruly behavior also reflect badly on the image of the Wave Baseball program. It is the coaches (not the parent s) responsibility to discuss the suspect calls with the umpires and, if need be, with the tournament director. In addition, each parent will need to sign the Player and Parent Code of Conduct worksheet at the end of this manual before each season. Parents may be asked to assist coaches during practices or assist with minor coaching duties during games, but under no circumstances will parents of players be permitted to coach any Wave Baseball team. Coach Responsibilities and Guidelines a. General Aside from its players, the Wave Baseball program is only as good as the talent of the coaches who are attracted to the program. The Wave Baseball program will recruit, hire, and maintain the training of experienced coaches. The coaches in the Wave Baseball program will set the example of leadership. Page 15 of 18

Wave Baseball will provide one set of league uniforms for all coaches as well as travel expense reimbursement. Additional replacement uniform items will be at the expense of the coaches. All coaches will submit the proper I-9 government paperwork to receive their paychecks. A background check will be conducted on all coaches. b. Qualifications Coaches new to the program must be U.S. citizens. Coaches must have a basic knowledge of baseball and have coached a competitive team previously. Coaches must be committed to the Wave Baseball program and be available for 5 to 20 hours per week to coach Wave Baseball teams for both practices and tournaments. Coaches must come to the program with a specialty in training such as fielding, batting, pitching, player conditioning, and mental toughness in baseball. In addition, new prospective coaches must provide a minimum of three references where they have coached or other references highlighting their involvement in the professional baseball world. New coaches must interview with the Board of Directors and will work on a trial basis for the first season with no commitment on future seasons. Parent survey results will be used as one feedback mechanism to evaluate the success of the coaches. The Wave Baseball Board of Directors will have sole authority in all decisions relating to coach employment. Each new coach in the program must take the NAYS youth coaching training at www.nays.org. c. Player Evaluations Team head coaches will be responsible for conducting individual player feedback surveys at the beginning of the season, mid-way through the season, and at the end of the season. Based on the player surveys, coaches will create and monitor a player improvement plan over the course of the season. In addition, coaches will use video recording to analyze pitching, fielding, and batting performance of the players. Coaches will organize individual family meetings at the beginning and mid-way through the season to share the training plan with their player s parents. All copies of player evaluations will be kept on file with the Wave Baseball program director. The Wave Baseball Board of Directors will work with the coaching staff to provide a consistent evaluation methodology across all age levels. Page 16 of 18

d. Team Practices Coaches are required to be at practice 15 minutes prior to the start of the scheduled practice to discuss the organization and objective of the practice. Coaches that arrive 30 minutes late to each practice starting at 15 minutes before official player arrival will not be paid for that practice. Coaches that cannot attend practice during the week on a given day must inform the program director and Director of Coaching at least 72 hours before the practice to determine who will coach the practice. Coaches need to understand that practices will occur for a minimum of 90 minutes and a maximum of 2.5 hours. Any practices less than 90 minutes will warrant a reduced payment for the practice. The Wave Baseball Board of Directors will set practice times after consultation with the Director of Coaching, if possible. Practice times will be set so as to balance player school schedules, facility availability, and coach availability. As much as logistically possible, practice schedules will remain consistent throughout the season. Team practices will address, at a minimum, the basic fundamentals of baseball, with emphasis on improving the team s weaknesses. Coaches will submit practice plans to the Director of Coaching or the Board of Directors on a regular basis. Practices will be conducted in accordance with the Wave Baseball Practice Guidelines. e. Coaching Staff Meetings At regular intervals, the Director of Coaching or the Board of Directors will schedule a mandatory staff meeting for all coaches to discuss practice strategies, player development, and other coaching issues. Coaches will be accountable to the Director of Coaching/Wave Baseball Board of Directors and are responsible for implementing all recommended changes to the practice regimen. f. Team Games Coaches are required to be at all games a minimum of one hour before the game start and need to be prepared with a pre-game warm-up routine and game line-up. In addition, after every tournament, coaches are required to complete a post-game assessment that can be used to prepare for the next week s practice plan. Page 17 of 18

g. Coach Discipline All coaches must sign a pre-season Coaches Code of Ethics as well as any other required forms. Coaches need to understand that this is a youth program, and tempers on and off the field need to be controlled. In addition, the use of profanity during practices and games is discouraged. Coaches are role modules for the youth in the program and need to represent that role well. All coaches will answer to the Director of Coaching and the Board of Directors. h. Coach Payments and Management All coaches will have a signed contract with the Wave Baseball program for each season. Coaches are paid according to the terms of their contract with Wave Baseball. All coaches will report to and be managed by the Director of Coaching or the Wave Baseball Board of Directors. Page 18 of 18