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of 37 2015 SPFBL Travel Handbook DRAFTv2.docx

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Baseball League

Travel Baseball Program Handbook

Revised 2015


Table of Contents

Welcome - Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3

Mission .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Major Changes for 2015................................................................................................................................ 3

A. One (1) Tryout (targeting December) for Both Spring and Summer Travel Seasons........................ 4

Details ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ..................................................................................................... 4

B. Change from Grade to Date-of-Birth for Travel Age Eligibility ......................................................... 7

Details ................................................................................................................................................... 7

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ..................................................................................................... 7

Travel Seasons ............................................................................................................................................. 10

Travel Committee ....................................................................................................................................... 13

Manager/Coach Selection ........................................................................................................................... 13

SPFBL Tryout Process and Team Selection ................................................................................................. 16

Travel Player Fees ....................................................................................................................................... 23

Uniforms ..................................................................................................................................................... 24

Player Eligibility ........................................................................................................................................... 24

Special Situations ........................................................................................................................................ 24

Sponsorship / Fundraising .......................................................................................................................... 24

Timeline of key events ................................................................................................................................ 25

Manager/Coaches Code of Conduct. .......................................................................................................... 27

Player Code of Conduct............................................................................................................................... 29

Appendix A – Post-Season Evaluation Form ............................................................................................... 30

Appendix B - SPFBL Travel Baseball Manager Application.......................................................................... 32


Welcome - Introduction Welcome to the SPFBL TRAVEL BASEBALL PROGRAM!!

This is the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Baseball League (SPFBL) Travel Baseball Program Handbook. It is intended to provide an overview of the SPFBL travel baseball program, including our:

• Mission • Overall Philosophy • Selection guidelines for managers/coaches • Selection guidelines for players/teams • Player eligibility • Sponsorship & fundraising • Timeline of key events/dates • Codes of Conduct (Managers/Coaches, Parents and Players)

We have done the best we can to capture and encapsulate the essence of how the SPFBL travel program works across all ages. SPFBL reserves the right to update this handbook as required, including (but not limited to) updates and amendments to address the special needs of a specific age group or program. It may also be necessary in some instances to waive certain provisions. It is the job of the Travel Committee and the SPFBL Board to look out for the best interests of the league and its youth ballplayers in all its dealings. This document has been updated for the start of the 2015 spring season, updates having been approved by vote of the SPFBL Executive Board.

Mission The Mission of the SPFBL Travel Baseball program is to provide SPF youth ballplayers more intensive skill development and a higher level of competition on an additive basis to the traditional house league program. SPFBL travel baseball is an extension of the SPFBL recreational youth baseball program, which is designed to promote the development of strong character, a right attitude, a sense of responsibility and citizenship in youngsters, using the game of baseball as a vehicle. It is the intent of the SPFBL Travel Baseball program to achieve this goal through fair play, good sportsmanship, congenial fellowship, and a level of competitive baseball that meets the needs of a select group of kids and their families. SPFBL travel baseball provides a unique opportunity for kids to experience competitive baseball at another level beyond the recreational leagues. However, developing players in terms of baseball knowledge, skill, character, love of the game and sportsmanship remain our top priorities - above winning.

Major Changes for 2015 SPFBL is adopting 2 major changes for 2015. They are fairly big changes, so please take note. Each is

accompanied with some brief FAQs:


A. One (1) Tryout (December timeframe) for Both Spring and Summer Travel

Seasons

Details

There will be a single tryout for each age group for both the spring and summer season.

The tryout will be held in early-mid December (target).

Once tryouts occur and selections are made, the intent is for the selected teams to go into winter

workout sessions together. They will be tailored by age group, staffed with professional instructors

and may occur in any of a number of partner indoor facilities (depending on the age group).

The selected teams will then play together for the spring travel season.

The intent would be to have the teams go right from the spring into the summer season. The Travel

Director and Travel Committee will conduct periodic reviews with the spring managers to see how

things are going. While the plan is to have the teams stay intact, there may be reasons to shuffle

players around. Player movement may occur to balance rosters in case of injury, players dropping

out for the summer (i.e. part-time spring players), or if there is strong evidence that a player may be

misplaced. Those decisions must be approved by the Travel Director and the SPFBL Travel

Committee.

In cases where an independent manager is introduced for the summer program, that will still take

place as it has in the past at the earlier possible time (based on independent manager availability).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Why is the SPFBL making this change at this time?

A: There are a number of compelling reasons for this change:

First off from a historical standpoint, it’s important to note that “spring travel” is a new concept

in the northeast. For decades, it was pretty much “summer travel” only as far as travel baseball

went. It was about 5 years ago is when spring travel first started to really gain traction. At that

time, a decision was made to treat the spring and summer travel teams differently. Therefore

the league conducted two (2) sets of tryouts, one for spring and one for summer.

Back to the present time, “spring travel” has become fairly mainstream. Some towns do not

participate in it, but the trend has clearly gone towards “the more baseball the kids can play, the

better they are likely to get”. As a byproduct of spring travel growth, is some contention with

(a) the spring “house league” program, and (b) the beginning of the summer travel season. The

house league always comes first for Babe Ruth sanctioned leagues, so that is something we try

to make sure we schedule spring travel around as much as possible. However the collision with

the summer program is one that has come about as the end of the spring travel and the

beginning of summer travel meet on or about the Memorial Day timeframe. That means spring

travel playoffs are likely underway at the same time that the summer team might normally have

been practicing and perhaps kicking off their season. And of course the team rosters could be

completely different depending on the tryout results. This has not been a great outcome for the

summer teams, keeping in mind that the summer season is considered the primary travel

season.


In addition, the tryout process itself requires a great deal of planning, volunteers and

administrative oversight to carry out. It is a tedious process, and it had to be repeated twice –

once for spring and once for summer. It was originally thought that the benefit of 2 tryouts to

evaluate whether any team movements were warranted. The unintended consequence, as

previously mentioned, was the interruption and confusion caused by going through the process

twice. It turns out that there are normally very few if any major movements between A and B

teams in the spring and summer. The ones that did occur usually took place because there were

natural openings created, not because 1 player was sent up to A and 1 player was sent down to

B, although that did happen too, but on a very small scale relative to the whole program. Most

major movements between A and B took place year to year (as opposed to season to season), as

kids hit their growth spurts or otherwise achieve a higher skill level.

There is a component of this that positions the travel program for our most committed

ballplayers. This is similar to the postures of other youth sports in town (soccer, football, etc.)

that require a full commitment from their traveling players during their respective seasons – in

this case the spring and summer baseball seasons.

Another factor was to look at what the neighboring towns in our Babe Ruth district our doing.

Turns out that many other towns have already gone to this, and several others are planning to.

So clearly there is a trend to this based on the common observations of many local youth

baseball organizations.

Q: So what is the upside of making this change (summary)?

A: The principal upsides in our view are:

(1) Continuity between the spring and summer season, with teams basically staying in tact for the

most part, and the winter training flowing into the spring travel season, and the spring travel

season flowing into the summer travel season.

(2) One set of tryouts (and accompanying administrative complexity) to plan for, coordinate, get

volunteers and independent evaluators for, and to execute.

(3) One set of tryouts for SPFBL parents to get their ballplayers to.

(4) One set of tryout costs rather than two, all of which is passed through to travel participants.

(5) Eliminates additional redundant processes that had previously been done for spring and

summer, i.e. only need 1 travel parent meeting, 1 tryout per age group, 1 uniform sizing date, 1

uniform ordering process, 1 uniform delivery and payment process, etc.

(6) Puts the focus on our most serious ballplayers, the kids who are really committed to maximizing

their learning and playing of the great game of baseball – again, not unlike some other sports

programs in town.

Q: What are the downsides of making this change (summary)?

A: 2 issues that could be considered possible downsides, depending on your perspective:

(1) There is likely to be little to no movement between spring and summer teams. So unless the

Travel Committee feels that a mistake in team placement was made for the spring season that

should be corrected in the summer, most teams will basically stay intact, i.e. if you were on a B


team, you’ll probably stay on the B team; if you were on the A team, you’ll probably stay on the

A team – all things being equal and barring any Travel Committee concerns.

(2) Ballplayers who only intend on playing either the spring or the summer, but not both, will be

affected. Those players will be considered “part-time” travel players. Part-time players must

tryout with everyone else in December, and they will be placed on the B-waitlist for their age

group for the appropriate season. The part-time process is expanded on further below.

Q: What happens to a youth ballplayer who wants to play in the spring, but not the summer?

A: That player will be considered “part time” and must:

(1) Declare themselves as a part-time SPRING-ONLY travel player.

(2) Tryout with everyone else in December.

(3) Accept placement on the B-waitlist for a SPRING B team.

Q: What happens to a youth ballplayer who wants to play in the spring, but not the summer?

A: That player will also be considered “part time” and must:

(1) Declare themselves as a part-time SUMMER-ONLY travel player.

(2) Tryout with everyone else in December.

(3) Accept placement on the B-waitlist for a SUMMER B team.

Q: What if a part-time player is a really good player for his/her age? Will he/she have to play B? Or is

there a chance to move to A?

A: We are presuming that travel players good enough to make an A team will be full-time travel players

for both spring and summer seasons. The times when we have a part-time player who is well into the

A-caliber range will be minimal. Our recommendation would be that if a ballplayer is a dedicated A-level

travel player, that he/she should become a full-time travel player so that this placement issue is not a

problem.

Q: What does “wait list” really mean? I mean my kid is going to try out, only wishes to play one season

(either spring or summer), but not both. But he/she really wants to play! So will he/she be able to play

or not?

A: We respect the fact that there are some players, although a minimal amount, that are “baseball

lovers” but only wish to play one season. We are calling it a wait list, but really what we’re saying is we

will try to maximize participation in B travel baseball as we always have. However we will be giving

deference to travel players who commit for full program, which includes both spring and summer. This

is not dissimilar to other youth sports in town. So a part-time player is going to be subject to availability

of available roster slots.

Q: Will there be any exceptions made to any of these policies?

A: SPFBL policies will be adhered to. Any exceptions would be rare, and have to be approved by the

Travel Director and the Travel Committee.


B. Change from Grade to Date-of-Birth for Travel Age Eligibility

Details

Last year, we were only one of a couple of towns in our Babe Ruth district that operated under a

Grade-based eligibility system. The overwhelming majority of towns in our district operate under an

Age-based eligibility system, which falls right into Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken guidelines.

The Grade-based system has put SPFBL at a built-in disadvantage to most other towns. It’s not that

we believe “winning is everything” or anything like that. But for example, the Grade-based system

has all 4th graders playing in the 10U age division. However in the Age-based eligibility system that

most towns use, almost ½ of those 4th graders would be eligible to play 9U. The result is teams that

have 9U players forced by our own rules to play 10U. And the teams we’re playing in 10U would be

a mix of 4th and 5th graders, playing against our 4th graders, some of which really 9U age per the Babe

Ruth guidelines. It means we’re playing against teams where ½ of their team is a grade higher than

our players.

As a result, the SPFBL Board of Directors has approved the change from Grade-based age eligibility

to Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Age-based eligibility for SPFBL travel baseball.

The key to understanding this is the cutoff birthdate, which is April 30th. It is used in this fashion:

Whatever age the ballplayer is on April 30th, that’s the age group they are eligible for. So for

example: A ballplayer that is 9YO on April 30th (typically a 3rd grader) is eligible for 9U (which means

“9YO and under”). However a player who is 8YO on April 30th is eligible for 8U, even if though they

are also in the 3rd grade.

Additional Example: A 4th grader who is 10YO on April 30th is eligible for 10U. However a 4th grader

who turns 10 after April 30th (like on May 2nd for example) is eligible to play 9U.

Additional Example: A 6th grader turns 12 on March 10th. He/she is 12 on April 30th, so he/she is

eligible for 12U. Had that 6th graders birthday been on May 10th, he/she would have been eligible

for 11U.

GRANDFATHERING IN 2015 (FOR 2ND GRADE AND ABOVE ONLY): SPFBL will allow grandfathering for

ballplayers wishing to stay with the age group associated with their grade, even if they are eligible to

play the next age group down PROVIDED THAT (a) The ballplayer declare in advance their desire to

stay with their grade, and (b) Commit to that decision regardless of the outcome of the tryout

process. Once the declaration is made, it cannot be undone until the following year.

Grandfathering this year only applies to the current 2nd graders and above. Next year (2016), it

would only apply to 3rd graders and above, and so on.

Grandfathering does not apply to 1st graders and below. HOWEVER since we do not have a full 6U

travel program, SPFBL will permit 1st graders who are 6U age eligible (i.e. turn 7YO after April 30th) to

play 7U travel baseball, PROVIDED THAT they acknowledge that they will also be 7U age next year

(2016).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are the actual birthdate ranges for each age group 7U thru 13U?

A: Here are the birthdate ranges for Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken rules for 2015:


7U is birthdates from May 1, 2007 through April 30,2008, regardless of grade.





12U example – Any 6th grader with a birthdate of May 1, 2003 or later is eligible for 11U.

Anyone April 30, 2003 or earlier stays 12U only.



Q: Are there any special situations or exceptions?

A: YES, there are 3 special situations for SPFBL:

7U example – A 1st grader who is 6U age-eligible may tryout for a 7U team. HOWEVER that

player must acknowledge that they understand that they will also be 7U next year (2016). 6U

(and younger) kindergartners are not permitted to try out for 7U.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR 7U TRAVEL PROGRAM – The 7U spring season will entail a clinic-like

atmosphere, with a full season of games coming only in the summer season.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM exception – 7th graders who make an SPFBL Middle School Team who

are technically 12U eligible, are required to play SPFBL 13U in the summer. We imagine this

would be desired anyway as we don’t recommend high-caliber players who go to the 90’

diamond in the Middle School program go backwards to 12U 50/70 diamond in the summer.

This only applies to 7th graders who make one of the two Middle School teams. Other 7th

graders who are 12U age eligible may exercise there option to play 12U should they so desire.

Q: What if my ballplayer is in 3rd grade, he/she was on the 8U ‘A’ team last year, and desires to stay

with his/her grade and play 9U on the same team this year. Can he/she do that?

A: Unfortunately it’s a multi-edged answer that really ends up in an “it depends”:

Yes, your ballplayer can exercise their grandfathering option and declare they want to stay 9U

even though they are 8U eligible.

However if they don’t make the 9U-A team, then they will be considered for 9U-B. In other

words, it depends on how the tryout goes. We can never guarantee a ballplayer will make a

certain team.

Q: It’s understood that the tryout dictates whether a ballplayer makes an A or B team. That’s always

been the case every year. What’s different this year with this change?

A: What’s different is in the above example, there may be young 4th graders also trying out for the 9U

team this year, instead of 10U. And that means that the 9U tryout dynamic is going to change

somewhat. So let’s say a ballplayer was in the bottom 25% of last year’s A team ability-wise. The fact

that additional higher grade players will be trying out this year may push those that were in the bottom

25% of the A-team onto a B team. It’s also possible that this may not happen, and that the ballplayer


makes the A-team. What we’re saying is we just don’t know until we have the tryouts, see the results

and select the teams. We’re just pointing out how the change MAY affect the process this year.

Q: Okay so let’s say my kid, who is really good, doesn’t make the 9U-A team because of what you

mentioned previously. But I know that he can make the 8U-A team again. Can he be put on the 8U-A

team instead of a 9U-B team?

A: Unfortunately, the answer is NO. The reason is simple: All of the teams will have been selected and

announced already. That’s why the pre-declaration of what age group the ballplayer wants to be in is

crucial. Trying to accommodate a move like this after selection has been done would mean displacing

kids that have already been notified they are on a certain team. We will absolutely not be doing that.

We need to know in advance, and the commitment the ballplayer makes by declaring an age group in

advance is that they will stay in that travel age group for the year, regardless of the tryout outcome.

Q: SO, my son is a young 5th grader who is technically 10U eligible. However he played 10U-A last year in

the grade-based system. I’d like to see him play 11U-A travel this year so that he can move up and stay

with his grade. What should I do?

A: Unfortunately, we can’t make that decision for you. All we can do is lay out the scenarios, because it

depends. If he moves up to 11U this year, the risk is that there will be 6th graders trying out also. That

doesn’t mean that your son will not make the A team, it just means that it’s a possibility depending on

what that 6th grade 11U talent pool looks like. And we don’t know that either. In reality, even if your kid

declares 10U, if the 10U age group is particularly strong, it’s possible he won’t make that A team either.

And at the same time, he might be capable of making both the 10U and the 11U A teams. So really

anything is possible. You should consider what your son would like to do, perhaps what you know about

both age groups, and then help your son make the right decision for him.

Q: What is the upside of making this change (summary)?

A: The principal upsides are:

(1) Matching up with Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken age-eligibility

(2) Matching up with what the overwhelming majority of other towns in our district are doing.

(3) Our programs will become more competitive when competing against our neighboring towns

because we will be on the same age-eligibility footing as they are, versus the self-imposed

disadvantage we had been putting ourselves in prior years.

Q: What is the downside of making this change (summary)?

A: The principle things that could be considered downsides by some are:

(1) It’s not quite as clean as grade-based. The travel teams are going to end up including some

older kids. Some kids who enjoyed playing with friends in the same grade, may choose to play

an age group younger if they are age-eligible. ON THE OTHER HAND, it’s possible that some of

those grade-higher kids who may have been B players will be A players when they go to the

lower age group. There are upsides and downsides in everything I suppose. The important

thing is that we’re now on equal footing with other towns in our district.


(2) Since there is a grandfathering option, and since some will invariably execute that option, we

won’t truly be on exactly equal footing with other towns. However we are taking a solid step in

this direction with the rule change.

(3) Since there is no grandfathering for players new to the travel program, this rule affects incoming

1st graders who are 6U eligibile. HOWEVER, we are addressing this issue by allowing 6U eligible

players to tryout for 7U as long as they understand that next year they will also be looking at

trying out for 7U again.

Travel Seasons SPFBL operates the following seasons:

Winter Training – Leads up to the spring season. Typically organized by age group for travel players in the travel program the previous summer. Professional trainers are used at nearby indoor facilities. Focus solely on player development, skills training, etc. in a clinic environment.

Spring season – Tryouts are targeted for the December/January timeframe. Practices/winter workouts start in the January/February timeframe. The games usually begin end-of-March / beginning-of-April timeframe through Memorial Day (May). The spring travel program typically runs ancillary/secondarily to the SPFBL House League recreational program, usually on days when the house league program is not playing. Focus on player development and getting players their “reps”, often at multiple positions. House league games should take precedence over spring travel, spring travel teams are encouraged to schedule around the house league.

Summer season – Of the travel seasons, summer is typically the longest and most competitive. The games usually begin right around the end of the spring travel season, around the end-of-May / beginning-of-June timeframe, and continue through the end of July. Focus on player development and getting players their “reps”, often at multiple positions – especially in league play. Tournaments and playoffs are more competitive.

Fall season – Typically an optional add-on to the summer season, winding down the travel year.

The fall season practices begin in the August timeframe. The season usually goes through the

end of October, possibly into the beginning of November with the playoffs. The exact process

for Fall travel selection varies depending on the age group. It has typically been a carryover of

the teams from the summer season (i.e. no tryouts). Focus on player development and getting

players their “reps”, often at multiple positions.SPFBL Travel Baseball Philosophy

SPFBL travel baseball is an extension of the SPFBL recreational house league baseball program, which is designed to promote the development of strong character, a right attitude, a sense of responsibility and citizenship in youngsters, using the game of baseball as a vehicle. It is the intent of the SPFBL Travel Baseball program to achieve this goal through fair play, good sportsmanship, congenial fellowship, and a level of competitive baseball that meets the needs of a select group of kids and their families. Goals & Objectives SPFBL travel baseball provides a unique opportunity for kids to experience competitive baseball at another level beyond the recreational leagues. However, developing players in terms of baseball knowledge, skill, character, love of the game and sportsmanship remain our top priorities above winning. The common goals and objectives across all age groups in the travel program include:

Competitiveness


Skill & confidence building

Player development

Baseball intelligence (“Baseball IQ”)

Teamwork at a higher skill level

Breaking the bad, learning the good

Sportsmanship

Fun SPFBL intends to accomplish these goals and objectives with the following formula:

Quality instruction

Opportunity management

Patience and encouragement League-Play / Tournament-Play For the summer season in particular, SPFBL has chosen to have all of its travel teams compete in league play, with tournaments optional. Most of the time, the A-team(s) in an age group will compete in some tournaments, including the Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth District Tournament for that age group. The B-teams may compete in tournaments also, but they will compete in B-tournaments as they are available and deemed appropriate on a team by team basis. For the spring and fall seasons, league play will be the primary direction. Playing Time Expectations Every player should have an equal opportunity to participate and develop. This does not necessarily equate to equal playing time. Actual playing time may vary based on positions played, age level, roster size, and other circumstances such as attendance at games (i.e. a player who misses frequently will never end up with the same number of plate appearances as someone who was at every game). Managers must use judgment in balancing the needs of individuals and the needs of the team. Player development is #1. League play facilitates that. Tournaments tend to stress winning more. Winning is a factor in tournaments and the playoffs, but only within the context of individual and team development. Practice/Game Schedule Expectations The SPFBL stresses attendance at all practices and games so that the ballplayer gets the most out of their travel experience. Skill building often builds on itself – meaning that skills taught later will be built on top of foundational skills covered earlier. So being there and being focused is important at every travel level of play. Teams will typically start practicing right after the teams are selected (after tryouts). Practice schedules will vary, but you can expect there will be 2-4 practices per week leading up to the start of the season, and then 1-2 practices from there on. For games, you can expect a season of 10 – 16 league games (varies by age, league), plus playoffs (if applicable) and any tournaments the team may have entered during that season. Commitment Regardless of the level of a travel team, a certain level of commitment is required from the player (and therefore the player’s family):

Baseball As A Priority - The SPFBL Travel Program caters to ballplayers at a higher level of skill, and who place BASEBALL FIRST, only after school and family emergencies.

Attendance expectations – Every attempt should be made to be at every game. For example: A ballplayer who knows he/she will be on vacation 3 weeks out of the summer season should


consider reconsidering summer travel. The expectation is that every ballplayer will be at every practice and game as they all build on each other. Any absences must be entail notification to the manager, and much like a classroom the ballplayer may need to “catch up on their homework”.

Conflicts with other travel/club teams – It is the position of the SPFBL that SPFBL travel teams should come first, and other teams that ballplayers may play on should be a supplement to SPFBL. Any other arrangement that is different than that should be discussed in advance with the Travel Director.

Mindset and commitment expectations – When you’re at the field, you are focused on baseball… not any other distractions. Mind on baseball.

Sportsmanship expectations – No throwing equipment. No deriding the other team, the umpires or players on your own team. If you don’t know how to be a good teammate, you may not belong in the SPFBL travel program.

SPFBL will be having its Managers committed to teaching. But for that to work, each ballplayer must be committed to learn! Safety Issues The selection committees, Travel Committee and the SPFBL will use its judgment relative to legitimate safety issues. This is a very sensitive subject having to do with a real concern with a particular player whose skills lead to a conclusion that allowing the child to participate in the travel program could be a significant risk to the child’s safety. In making these determinations, we do not take this responsibility lightly. Our goal is to be able to offer travel level baseball to players at both A and B levels. But in either case, this program is intended for the more highly skilled players in the house league. Participant & Spectator Behavior It is strictly against the policy of SPFBL Travel Baseball program for any person, either as a participant or a spectator, to engage in arguments, to use abusive language, to harass umpires, or to exhibit any behavior not in concert with the general intention of this policy statement. Furthermore, we will be asking our parents to go a step further and refrain from “coaching from the sidelines”, in order to give our SPFBL managers and instructors unfettered access to the team, both as individual players and as a whole. As representatives of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood community, team coaches, players and parents are required to abide by this policy statement as well as additional codes of conduct since we represent our Scotch Plains-Fanwood community across Union County, as well as elsewhere in and outside of the state of NJ throughout our various seasons. Example – Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Philosophy for Freshmen & Junior Varsity Programs To keep the SPFBL philosophy in perspective relative to the balance between player development and winning, listed below is a summary of the current Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School philosophy for Freshman & Junior Varsity sports programs. As a feeder program into the high school program, it is desirable to ensure a smooth transition into the school program’s philosophy:

Freshmen & Junior Varsity (JV) athletics are an integral part of the success of the varsity program.

Transition from recreation sports to a High School sport that requires 6 days of practice per week as well as an increased amount of games.

Enables student athlete to mature in competition with other athletes who are in similar physical and mental conditions.


Designed to allow for student athletes to grow and mature in their sport through a coaching philosophy that IS NOT FOCUSED ON WINNING CONTESTS. The primary purpose is to foster the growth of the student athlete in competition.

Teams that have a sub varsity level are encouraged to create situations that allow for all of the students to have game experience throughout the season. The Administration encourages all sub varsity programs to follow a plan to ensure that student athletes have game experience.

For Freshmen and JV sports, the season should be divided into three (3) parts. The first part allows all athletes to have significant playing time. The second part begins to limit the playing time based upon effort in practice and games, talent level, and game situations. The final part will see more playing time for athletes who have maximized their effort in practices and games, their talent, and their knowledge of the strategies of the coach.

Travel Committee A travel committee will be selected by the President to oversee manager, coach and team selection and operate the travel program day-to-day, as well as make recommendations to the SPFBL board on major issues and decisions.

Manager/Coach Selection 1. All SPFBL Travel Baseball teams from the youngest (7U currently) to the oldest (middle school,

high school age, etc.) shall come under the purview of the SPFBL Board. Managers and Coaches are selected/confirmed annually and shall be viewed as “custodians” of the team for each season. These positions are 1-season positions only, and should not be construed as long-term assignments. In other words, every SPFBL team belongs to SPFBL, the Managers/Coaches must follow SPFBL’s guidelines and procedures, and the SPFBL board will review, supervise and make its decisions on team managers/coaches in the best interest of the SPFBL league as a whole.

2. Managers and Coaches (asst) must adhere to the guidelines set herein and by the SPFBL Board in regards to playing time, managing all of the individual player’s opportunities, and the overall philosophy of player development over winning. This is mandatory, violations are subject to disciplinary action including immediate removal. All Managers and Coaches must sign the Managers/Coaches Code of Conduct.

3. Manager and coach candidates (including managers/coaches currently coaching SPFBL travel teams) will complete a SPFBL Travel Coaches application form (unless there is one already on file). Candidates will indicate whether they are interested in a Manager or Coach position, and identify preferences if they want to coach with a specific person.

4. In addition, candidates will provide additional information (via addendum to the current application or a separate travel form) in the following areas: Desire to coach travel baseball, qualifications and definition of success as a travel baseball team:

a. Coaching philosophy. In terms:

i. dealing with/communicating with parents ii. selecting your players (awareness of eligibility rule)


iii. working with your players (playing time, discipline, player development, handling pitchers, etc.)

iv. dealing with your coaching staff v. other

b. Coaching experience. Provide 3 references that we can contact in regard to your coaching background/experience (at least 1 must be from a coach that you have never coached with).

c. Coaching conduct. In the last 5 years as a coach, manager, or parent, have you ever been removed or ejected from a youth sports game or activity by the umpires or officials, or have you been suspended from your youth coaching/managing duties by any local or state governing youth sports organizations or athletic association? If so, please explain.

5. Candidates shall complete an application submit it to the SPFBL Travel Director. Candidates may either be parent managers or independent managers. Ultimately the Travel Committee will make the decision as to which type is best for each team. The application form will be required for new managers/coaches, and may be waived under certain exception conditions by the Travel Committee.

6. Candidates may be requested to interview with the SPFBL Board, or selected members of the Board. The SPFBL Board reserves the right to contact and obtain input regarding the candidate within and outside the Scotch Plain-Fanwood community, including parents, coaches and/or umpires.

7. The Travel Director will recommend travel coaches/managers for each age group. The Travel Committee will approve the recommendations, work with the Travel Director to resolve any concerns and make the final decision. NOTE: If candidates are members of the selection committee, they will be excused from the decision process.

8. Parent Travel Managers and Coaches will be required to attend at least one SPFBL-sponsored coaching clinic each year.

9. At the end of each season, Coaches and Managers will review feedback on the prior season with the Travel Director. Parents will be encouraged to provide feedback during the season, but at least at the end of the season as well. Parent feedback is intended for the benefit of the managers and coaches.

10. SPFBL Travel Teams will represent the SPFBL baseball league. Teams will wear uniforms as prescribed by the SPFBL Board of Directors. Each team will also be referred to as the “Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders” or the “SPFBL Raiders”.

11. Selection is ultimately at the discretion of the Travel Director and the SPFBL board. Some selection factors are:

a. Baseball knowledge b. Prior coaching experience c. Coaching philosophy d. Communication, Organization skills & professionalism


e. Integrity / character

12. Also note the following: a. In the Spring, it’s typically Parent Managers who will not be selected until after the

team(s) are selected. And while it may be that the same Parent Manager can be the Manager in consecutive spring seasons, this parent is typically not a Coach (asst) in the summer season.

b. Summer season – The goal is independent Managers for all teams. That independent Manager would typically stay with the team for one (1) season.

c. Young Age Groups (9U, 8U, 7U, etc.) – These groups may be managed by a Parent Manager during the summer in 1-year voluntary positions.

MANAGERS/COACHES NEED TO FOLLOW TRAVEL CURRICULUM – OUTLINE All Managers and Coaches need to follow the Travel Program curriculum that will be distributed. Among others, the curriculum includes:

An acknowledgement that ballplayers and their parents have all paid the same fee to play on a given team during a given season. While that won’t equate to equivalent playing time across the board, it does require consideration as follows below.

Managers mapping out “opportunity management” for each player on the team – to include positions played, including pitching and catching as applicable.

The Spring, Summer and the Fall seasons are all focused heavily on player development.

If the league or tournament allows roster batting, the Manager must roster-bat.

Playing time should be relatively equivalent with minor discrepancies. At the younger age groups, the playing time should be distributed more equally. Pitching should be encourage and instructed!! That may change slightly once the age of 13U is reached as some players become more specialized - see the SPFHS Freshman & JV guidelines (included earlier in this document).

Focus is on developing well-round baseball players – not SS’s, 2B’s, Catchers, etc.

Guarantee of a platoon for the player fee under most circumstances.

Any notions of equivalent playing time should be tempered with attendance – i.e. a player who makes ½ the games cannot be expected to end up with the same # of at-bats as someone who showed up for every game – and shouldn’t.

Interim reports shall be conducted (similar to those carried out in school) with each player at mid-season to generally review proficiency in areas covered in the Post-season Evaluation criteria.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR PAID INDEPENDENT MANAGERS The following additional guidelines shall apply for paid independent managers:

1. Independent managers must be approved by the Travel Director and the SPFBL Board.

2. Independent managers shall be assigned as deemed appropriate by the Travel Director, and also

in the best interest of SPFBL and the Travel program as a whole. Such appointments are also subject to SPFBL Board approval.

3. Payments: Independent Managers shall be paid for a single season as follows:


a. The total amount of compensation for a single season shall be recommended by the Travel Director, and approved by the SPFBL Board.

b. The first 1/3 of the total compensation shall be paid to the Independent Manager at the start of their season. The 2nd 1/3 shall be distributed at the “halfway point” of the season. The halfway point shall be defined as the sooner of (i) The first game of the 2nd half of the travel league schedule (i.e. if a 12 game schedule, then game #7), or (ii) the halfway point in calendar days as measured from the first game played by their team to July 31st.

c. The last 1/3 of the total compensation shall be paid to the Independent Manager at the conclusion of the season.

4. Independent Managers may not outsource or otherwise delegate any of their managerial leadership duties any of their duties to other individuals without prior consent of the Travel Director and/or the SPFBL Board of Directors.

SPFBL Tryout Process and Team Selection 1. The Travel Director and the Travel Committee shall oversee travel team/player selections. The

SPFBL Board will determine the final number of travel teams that will participate, and which will hold open tryouts. If held, they will be held prior to the upcoming season and sufficient notice will be provided to the SPFBL community.

2. The number of travel teams will be determined for each age group, each year based on a

number of factors, including:

player/parent interest

number of qualified coaches

the ability to field multiple competitive teams

competitive balance with the recreational teams/program

3. Tryout dates will be announced, and each age group will be assigned one or more dates for tryouts. Often the age groups are broken up further, and each sub-group is notified of the specific time of their tryout on the tryout day. There is some time flexibility on this provided that SPFBL is notified well in advance of a time assignment issue. Attendance at the tryout is mandatory for all players.

4. Players trying out will be assigned number (#) that will be how they will be known for the duration of the tryout. Independent evaluators will only know the #’s of the players trying out. The assigned number will be given to each player when they show up, and a sticker placed on their back so the evaluators can see easily. Players ARE NOT PERMITTED to wear any baseball-reference clothing at all, including: travel uniforms/jerseys, travel hats, house league jerseys, t-shirts with baseball references on it, any clothing with their name on it (last or first), etc. Players SHALL BE ALLOWED to wear: baseball pants, baseball hat (not a travel hat), plain t-shirts that have no baseball references. They MAY ALSO USE their own batting helmet, even if it does have team references on it. PLAYERS DRESSED INAPPROPRIATELY (i.e. travel jersey, etc.) risk being turned away from the tryout.


5. SPFBL Travel Baseball may use the previous year’s post-season evaluations that have been provided by the player’s last year managers. While it is true that youth ballplayers can change greatly on a physical basis from year to year, the post-season evaluations help give a perspective on the player’s skill level in live situations, something that is less easy to measure in a short tryout session. The goal of this, and every player evaluation criteria, is to place players at a level that gives them the best chance for both the player and the team to succeed. New players get a median score for their first year only. The post-season evaluations are only used after the player’s 9U season.

6. The SPFBL Travel Baseball Board selects the number of teams by the number of player registrations, coaches, and available fields. To be eligible to play SPFBL Travel Baseball, a player will live within the designated boundaries determined by SPFBL and Babe Ruth Baseball International, and be of a specific age or grade as specified by SPFBL. Players may not participate in tryouts for SPFBL Travel Baseball if they live within the boundaries determined by SPFBL, but have participated in another community’s travel baseball or AAU program in the same calendar year.

7. The SPFBL Travel Baseball Board determines the playing level of A-teams, B-teams, etc. by the number of teams, the perceived player talent, and the tryout outcome with the goal of forming effective teams.

8. Evaluation of skills will consist of hitting and fielding at the tryout facility to TBA. Players will be ranked according to their assessed tryout scores as apportioned by the weighted percentages described in the tryout guidelines. Missing a tryout or portion of a tryout is strongly discouraged. However, if this is necessary, the tryout director must be notified a minimum of seven (7) days in advance. Makeup tryouts shall take place at the Travel Director’s discretion.

9. It is our intent to place players on teams commensurate with their tryout placement. This is not an exact science but historically players have not been dramatically misplaced. Our intent is to group skill level as accurately as we can and assign players to teams as close to that level as possible in forming teams. It is our goal to form effective teams.

10. The Director of Travel Baseball shall make interpretations and clarifications of these procedures when necessary.

Detailed Tryout and Team Selection Guidelines: SPFBL acknowledges that no tryout process is perfect. SPFBL has tried to conduct all of our tryouts with the highest integrity, while being a thorough as possible (subject to time and facility constraints). As the youth player are brought into the tryout, they are encouraged to relax and do their best. No one expects any more than that. Unfortunately it is part of life that these evaluations need to be done to select competitive teams placed at the right level. No matter how the tryout goes for a child, they are encouraged and complimented for their focus and hard work during the session. This section starts to detail the SPFBL Travel Baseball program’s tryout process and team selection guidelines. PLEASE NOTE: The SPFBL, Travel Director and/or Travel Committee reserves the right to alter the percentages below as it sees fit in the interest of improving the evaluation process. In addition, the


tryout components may be changed slightly due to variations in the facilities available to carryout effective evaluations in each area. Example- Indoor facilities often create challenges for a throrough outfield evaluation because of the size of the facility, roof preventing high flyballs, etc. Therefore that component may be reduced in some cases to compensate for such a situation. Overall player rating is based on the following %’s:

TRYOUT COMPONENT 10U & under 11U & up

Hitting – Live Pitch 20% 20%

Hitting – Mechanics 20% 20%

Infield 20% 20%

Outfield 20% 20%

Post-season EVAL n/a 20%

Running 20% n/a

Hitting – Live Pitch The following are the general guidelines for the HITTING – LIVE PITCH segment of the tryout. Note that there may be some adjustments to this process made based on the age group.

2 impartial evaluators with no association to the age group. No evaluators ever evaluate their own child.

Approxiimately 3 swings for practice – no grade.

Up to 10 swings live - evaluated.

Evaluators will score: 0-No contact; 1-Marginal Contact (tick, pop-up, foul ball); 2-Below average contact (weak grounder, infield pop); 3-Average contact; 4-Above average contact (solid base hit in fair territory); 5- Excellent contact

Approximate pitching speeds:

AGE / GRADE

EFFECTIVE SPEED

8U and under 35 mph or less

9U 38 mph

10U 40 mph

11U 45 mph

12U 50 mph

13U 50 mph

14U 55 mph

15U 60 mph

NOTE: Tryout pitcher volunteers will be selected that hopefully provide a reasonable opportunity for the ballplayers to get enough strikes to swing at. Kids should be patient, but aggressive. In other words if they get a few balls out of the strike zone in a row, they can let those go and be patient until the balls


are coming into the strike zone. On the other hand they should not be waiting for the “perfect pitch” and in the process let strikes go by. If this becomes an issue, the judges may count strikes that are not swung at as misses and count them in the evaluations. To get to effective speeds listed above, the distance from the pitcher may be lengthened or shortened. Hitting – Mechanics The following are the general guidelines for the MECHANICS segment of the tryout. Note that this portion may consist of a front toss stations, OR it may be conducted as a Live Pitch session at the same time as the other Live Pitch session. THE PURPOSE OF THIS is to score mechanics versus the actual outcomes of the batted balls. Example: A player with good mechanics may get good scores on this portion, even though they didn’t make great contact with the ball in the previous component (i.e. sometimes players have a bad day or bad batting round).

2 impartial evaluators with no association to the age group, typically hired professional evaluators.

Approxiimately 3 swings for practice – no grade.

Up to 10 swings live - evaluated.

Scoring rated 0-5 in the 3 categories: Contact Power/Bat speed Swing mechanics.

Infield The following are the general guidelines for the INFIELD segment of the tryout. Note that there may be some adjustments to this process made based on the age group.

Judging will typically be performed by: 1 impartial evaluator with no association to the age group, and 1 paid professional evaluator No evaluators will evaluate in their child's age group.

Several practice balls, no grade

A MAXIMUM of 8-10 balls.

Typically, fielders will get a maximum of 4 balls at 3rd Base, and maximum 4 balls at shortstop SS with throws to First Base.

WHAT EVALUATORS WILL BE LOOKING FOR: FIELDING POSITION - Attack the ball, knees bent, feet apart, field ball out in front and in

center of the body; CATCH - 2 handed, head down, funneled in; THROW - Strong, Accurate, quick and fluid

HOW EVALUATORS WILL SCORE: CATCH (0 - 5 POINTS):

- 0-Complete miss / poor positioning; - 1-Glove error / poor positioning; - 2- Glove error / fair positioning; - 3-Average catch / fair positioning;


- 4-Above average catch & positioning; - 5-Excellent catch & positioning;

THROW (0 - 5 POINTS): - 1-Inaccurate throw / missed target; - 2-Throw pulls 1st baseman off the base; - 3-Rainbow throw to the 1st baseman's area; - 4-Strong throw to 1st baseman without pulling him off the base; - 5-Strong throw straight to the 1st baseman's chest.

Outfield The following are the general guidelines for the OUTFIELD segment of the tryout. Note that there may be some adjustments to this process made based on the age group.

Judging will typically be performed by: 1 impartial evaluator with no association to the age group, and 1 paid professional evaluator No evaluators will evaluate in their child's age group.

Several practice balls, no grade

A MAXIMUM of 6-8 balls.

WHAT EVALUATORS WILL BE LOOKING FOR: FIELDING POSITION:

- Circle the ball - Position for the throw

CATCH: - 2-handed - Shoulder high

THROW: - Strong and accurate - Hit the designated cut-off position

HOW EVALUATORS WILL SCORE: CATCH (0 - 5 POINTS):

- 0-Complete miss / poor positioning; - 1-Glove error / poor positioning; - 2-Glove error / fair positioning; - 3-Average catch / fair positioning; - 4-Above average catch & positioning; - 5-Excellent catch & positioning;

THROW (0 - 5 POINTS): - 1-Throw not complete, is wild or inaccurate; - 2-Rainbow throw causing cutoff to move more than a few steps; - 3-Rainbow throw or several bounces, but accurate to the cutoff; - 4-Strong throw to cutoff (accurate, but neither straight nor rainbow); - 5-Strong throw straight to the cutoff

Running The following are the general guidelines for the RUNNING segment of the tryout. Note that there may be some adjustments to this process made based on the age group.


This segment may include one or more of the following timed components: A timed homerun run around all bases. Running from home to 1B with overrun. Running from 2nd Base to Home.

The total time combined for each run is used to calculate the score.

The running score can be used as a tiebreaker in close situations between multiple players that are within a small margin of each other.

Pitching The following are the general guidelines for the PITCHING segment of the tryout. Note that there may be some adjustments to this process made based on the age group.

Pitching is a non-core component of the tryout. The scoring is additional information that can be used for evaluation purposes, along with the other fielding and hitting components.

2 impartial evaluators with no association to the age group. No evaluators ever evaluate their own child.

5-6 warm-up pitches, no evaluation;

Up to 12-15 evaluated pitches;

Scoring rated 0-5 in the 3 categories, and weighted as follows: Mechanics – 35% Control – 35% Velocity – 30%

All players trying out will be encouraged to participate in the pitching portion of the tryout regardless of whether they have ever pitched before.

NOTE: Pitching is an area of baseball that changes and gets more specialized as the ballplayers get older. As such, there may be changes to this part of the tryout process at the older age groups.

The pitching score can be used as a tiebreaker in close situations between multiple players that are within a small margin of each other.

Post-season Evaluations A portion of the selection criteria shall be the post-season evaluation as provided by the prior travel manager or in some cases the house league manager, in the form of general written or verbal feedback or via the post-season evaluation form (attached in Appendix A). The purpose is to allow a component of the scoring to include the ballplayer’s performance in live game circumstances to be factored in. The live component is something that is difficult to realistically ascertain from an abbreviated tryout process. General Information for “TRYOUT DAY”

1. Parents will be allowed to accompany players to register and get them safely into the facility. There will be a small waiting area to pick-up your player after tryouts. No parents will be allowed into the tryout space with the players.


2. Evaluations will be done by a mix of impartial evaluators from our community not associated with the age group they are evaluating and paid professional evaluators.

3. At the discretion of the Travel Director, Manager/Coach candidates may or may not be made an offer to observe the evaluations. Managers and Coaches may not be chosen until after the ballplayer selections are made anyway, so this may not be possible anyway. Manager/Coach candidates typically will not be scoring the tryout participants.

4. For any tryout event (hitting, infield or outfield), the number of hits/balls may be adjusted to facilitate the evaluation process.

5. All players in a given age group will receive the roughly same number of hits or balls in each specific tryout event.

6. The weighted percentage will not be impacted if the number of hits or balls in a tryout event is adjusted.

7. As referenced earlier, ballplayers trying out will not be allowed to display a reference to baseball

on their clothing (such as clinics, team jerseys). In addition, ballplayers will not be allowed to display their names on their clothing..

8. Players are allowed to use their own batting helmet (even if it is labeled “SPF” or “Fanwood”) and bat. SPFBL will also supply batting helmets and bats for any player needing one.

Team Selection for each age group:

1. In most situations, and based on the talent level of the age group pools, each age group will consist of 1 A-team, and 1 or more B-teams. Our intent is to provide each player with the best chance for success based on his/her skill level determined from the tryout process and post-season evaluations. It will also increase SPFBL travel baseball competitiveness in an increasingly competitive environment.

2. The top 16 players from the tryout must make either the A or B teams.

3. The top 55% of the ranked players should be placed on an SPFBL travel baseball team.

4. A-team selection will be based on the following rules: a. Pool will consist of the top 16 ranked players. b. No locks for A-team. c. Selection committee will select under the following guidelines:

1. 8 of the top 12 must be selected for A. 2. The final 4 players are selected from the remaining eligible players. 3. The Selection committee has the discretion to select 1 player ranked outside the

A pool. The player must meet 1 of the following 2 criteria: i. Played on the A-team previous season, or

ii. Ranked in the post-season player evaluation as 1 of the top 3 players on the previous season’s B team.


5. B-team selection will be based on the following rules (ONLY 1 B-TEAM):

a. Pool will consist of the top 16 ranked players remaining in the entire pool after the A-team is chosen.

b. The Selection committee will select under the following guidelines: 1. Anyone in the A-pool but not selected is locked into this team. 2. 8 of the remaining top 12 ranked players must be selected. 3. Selection committee must then pick from the remaining B-pool players. 4. Selection committee has the option to select 1 player ranked outside the B-

pool. Must meet one of 2 criteria to be eligible: i. Played on B or A team last season, or

ii. Ranked in the post-season evaluation as one of top 2 players on one of the previous season C- teams (if applicable).

6. B-team selection will be based on the following rules (MORE THAN 1 B-TEAM): a. The FACTOR is the number of teams as determined by the Travel Director and the SPFBL

Board (i.e. if there are 2 B-teams, the FACTOR=2X). b. The B-team selection rules for 1 B-team (above) shall be executed, but using the

FACTOR as a multiplier. c. EXAMPLE: 2 B-teams FACTOR=2X

1. Pool is top 32 players (16 x 2X) 2. A-pool players leftover must go on a B-team 3. 16 (8 x 2X) of the remaining top 24 (12 x 2X) must be selected (adjust for

actual roster size) 4. Fill out remaining slots from remaining B-pool eligible players 5. Selection committee can reach outside the pool for 2 (1 x 2X) players outside

the B-pool as described in the B-team selection rules for 1 B-team. 6. End up with 24 ballplayers across the 2 contemplated B-teams (adjust for

actual roster size) d. The Selection committee will then split the teams equally down the middle.

7. C-teams: At this time, SPFBL does not support the creation of C-teams. This may change in the

future.

8. NOTE: In some cases, based on the talent pool in an age group, there may be a decision to deviate from the 1 ‘A’ team and n ‘B’ teams rules, by allowing multiple ‘A’ teams OR no ‘A’ teams and all ‘B’ teams. At the younger ages (7U and 8U), it may be that the multiple ‘A’ team guideline makes sense. And at the older ages (9U and above), deviations would be based on special circumstances only as determined by the Travel Committee and the SPFBL Board.

Travel Player Fees All ballplayers given an invitation to play for SPFBL travel teams will be required to immediately pay the Travel Player Fee to secure their reservation on that team. Non-paying ballplayers will not be permitted to participate on the team until the Travel Player Fee is paid. The fees typically run from $350 - $475 (at the current time) per season (i.e. spring, summer, fall and winter are all separate “seasons”), but it is totally based on all of the expense components for that age group that make up the Travel Player fee:


League fees for team entry

Tourney fees for team entry

Umpires to be supplied for home and tournament games

Baseballs and other equipment needed

Independent manager fees (where applicable)

Indoor training/tryouts facilities charges Some of these are costly items. Keep in mind that the Travel program is an elite program. And as such, we try to provide the best instruction and overall experience we can. Achieving this objective costs money, and these costs are passed through in total to the players as the travel program stands separate from the house league program.

Uniforms All players at the tryout sessions shall be measured for uniforms at that time. Only in the case where a player is absent from a tryout will the ballplayers measurements be needed from the parent. Uniform costs will vary. The price list shall be provided on an annual basis by the Equipment Director. It is important to note that the league has changed uniforms in the past. We are sensitive to the cost of the uniforms, and the desire of some families to reuse past uniforms (presuming the ballplayer has not grown out of it). However we do make these changes at times, and it will be required that all ballplayers abide by the changes. We will do the best we can to minimize the financial impact to our travel families as much as possible. But in the end, we make no guarantees to keep past uniforms in tact.

Player Eligibility All of the players on each team must be from the SPFBL program. An SPFBL player is defined as a player who is currently enrolled in the SPFBL house league program. In addition, an SPFBL player must have played in at least 60% of his/her house league games, per Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken guidelines. THIS MUST BE ADHERED TO STRICTLY!

Special Situations In the event of a special situation, the manager may petition the board to obtain and exemption from the Player Eligibility rule. These may include being sick, injured, just moving into town, etc. Example: An SPFBL player leaves the league and wants to come back. Players and managers have the ability to petition the board to waive the eligibility requirements. The request should be made in writing and clearly define the situation that caused ineligibility along with the reasoning for the waiver.

Sponsorship / Fundraising Travel baseball requires a substantial financial commitment in terms of uniforms, league fees and tournament fees. To help travel teams meet these financial commitments while protecting the financial needs of the house league, SPFBL has adopted a series of policies designed to balance both interests. Specifically, the purpose of the fundraising policy is to:


• Help ensure compliance with the solicitation laws of the Township of Scotch Plains, Borough of Fanwood, Union County and the State of NJ

• Establish fair and reasonable guidelines for travel baseball fundraising • Help ensure that the travel team fund raising efforts do not conflict with the SPFBL sponsorship

program and house league sponsors and avoid potential confusion with local merchants or businesses being solicited by both the SPFBL house league and the travel program.

The SPFBL travel program will adhere to the following fundraising guidelines:

1. All fundraising efforts by SPFBL Travel Program shall be governed by any and all applicable statutes at the local, state and federal levels.

2. Commercial activity of any kind by any vendor, agent or representative is strictly prohibited, unless granted prior approval by the SPFBL Board of Directors. However, in order to remain competitive with other leagues in the pursuit of hosting tournament play, the SPFBL Board’s approval of commercial activity and the use of vendors will generally be reserved for sanctioned SPFBL, Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth or other baseball tournaments involving teams from outside the local league. This is intended to minimize the appearance of excessive or conflicting fundraising efforts from our existing sponsors and families.

3. Prior to soliciting any funds to support travel teams or beginning fund raising efforts of any kind,

the Travel Program shall submit their fundraising plans to the SPFBL Board. At a minimum, the plans will: - describe the nature of fund raising event(s) – location, dates/times and brochure/materials

to be distributed, web ads, etc. - identify target companies/individuals that they plan to solicit - identify plans to hang advertising banners on field dugouts

4. Travel fundraising efforts (including ad material, brochures, web sites, etc.) must have full

disclosure statements that clearly state that they are soliciting funds for the SPFBL travel program, not SPFBL in general. Checks from individual sponsors shall be made out to “SPFBL”, with a note in the Memo field indicating it is for “Travel Baseball”.

5. Prior to conducting any fund raising activities at SPFBL sponsored events or other locations where SPFBL games/events take place, travel teams will require advance approval from the SPFBL Board.

6. The SPFBL Board will have the final authority to resolve any disputes for travel fundraising issues or failure to adhere to the above stated guidelines.

Timeline of key events SPRING TRAVEL

1. Travel Parents Meeting: Late November/December 2. Coordinate application/ interview process for managers interested in leading a SPRING travel

team: November/December


3. SPFBL decision on the managers/coaches for the upcoming spring season – after tryouts: December/January

4. Spring tryouts: December (maybe January) 5. Spring travel selections: January 6. Winter workouts: January/February 7. Travel team scheduling – sketch out: February

SUMMER TRAVEL

1. Coordinate application/ interview process for managers interested in leading a SUMMER travel team: February/March

2. SPFBL decision on the managers/coaches for the upcoming summer season: April 3. Summer travel team adjustments (if necessary): early May 4. Travel team scheduling – sketch out: April / May

FALL TRAVEL

1. Coordinate application/ interview process for managers interested in leading a FALL travel team: July

2. SPFBL decision on the managers/coaches for the upcoming fall season: August 3. Fall travel selections: late August 4. Travel team scheduling – sketch out: August


Manager/Coaches Code of Conduct. Managers and Coaches will to the best of their ability:

1. Come prepared to every practice. Lead by example, be present for all practices and games (less family emergencies). Be available and follow through on practicing frequently as per the guidelines set forth by the Travel Director and according to this Handbook and other related documentation. Manager presence at all practices and games is crucial (i.e. they are paying for you as the Independent Manager!).

2. Be organized and communicate frequently with the parents regarding expectations, practice and game schedules, changes to schedules due to bad weather, etc. Communicate courteously with individual parents and the parent group when issues arise that require discussion, either on an individual basis or for the team as a whole.

3. Execute and fully carry out the SPFBL Certified Travel Curriculum for the age group, utilizing the Player Agent, Travel Director and/or the Travel Committee as a guide.

4. While winning is desirable, continually stress in words and practice drills that player development is primary, and that it is through that player development, learning and teamwork that the team’s share of wins will come as a result of solid development and improvement.

5. Carryout and execute according to the philosophies and directives contained in this SPFBL Travel Handbook and in other documentation/curriculum that will be made available to the Manager.

6. Continue to learn as much about the game (including outside instruction) to be a more effective coach.

7. Not use profanity, embarrass, or humiliate players (or parents).

8. Not use tobacco or alcohol products while around players.

9. Not pitch private lessons to ballplayers or their parents during a season for which they are coaching/managing in the age group.

10. Publicly praise player performance whenever possible.

11. Strive to make the season a positive and enjoyable learning experience.

12. Enforce discipline for unsportsmanlike conduct, lack of hustle or disrespect for coaches, teammates or opponents (extra conditioning activities and / or loss of playing time during the next game).

13. Maintain an open line of communication with parents and coaches.

14. Prepare players so they are not put in game situations they are not prepared for.

15. Provide players with proper conditioning and exercise.

16. Teach and enforce proper warm up techniques

17. Prevent overuse injuries to pitchers by monitoring number of pitches thrown and providing pitchers with ample rest.

18. Be a Role Model to the players. Lead by example, through good sportsmanship at all times.


19. Instruct and coach players in a way that encourages them to embrace the game of baseball.

It is mandatory that all Players, Parents and Managers/Coaches sign their respective Code of Conduct agreements prior to their participation at any SPFBL Travel Baseball sanctioned event. Persons refusing to sign the agreement may be withheld from competition. Any violation of the Code of Conduct may result in temporary or permanent banishment from SPF Travel Baseball events.


Player Code of Conduct. Players will:

1. I will not use profanity.

2. I will not throw equipment.

3. I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, game administrators, volunteers and umpires at every game.

4. I will not berate the umpires or “trash talk” the opponents or their fans.

5. I will treat other players, coaches, fans and umpires with respect.

6. I will demand a sports environment that is free from drugs, tobacco, alcohol and will refrain from their use at all games.

7. I will express my concerns through the proper channels in a dignified manner.

8. I will respect and adhere to the rules governing eligibility and competition.

9. I will take responsibility for my guests and ask they adhere to the above.

10. Come prepared to focus and play hard at every practice and game.

11. Give full attention when the coach is teaching or addressing the team.

12. Be a leader in the dugout, on the field and in the classroom at school.

13. Do their best at all times on the field and in the classroom at school.

14. Make parents, coaches, friends and neighbors proud of the way they conduct themselves while wearing the SPFBL uniform.

15. Practice at home to improve their skills.

16. Compete hard, and win or lose, hold their head high and congratulate opponents.

17. Exercise good sportsmanship and composure on the field and in the dugout.

18. Treat all umpires, coaches and players with respect.

19. Cheer teammates when they are having difficulties fielding or batting.

20. Do their best to make the season enjoyable for all of their teammates.

21. Understand that when I am at the ballfield for a practice or game, that I can only take direction from my Manager or Coach, not from anyone in the stands.

It is mandatory that all Players, Parents and Managers/Coaches sign their respective Code of Conduct agreements prior to their participation at any SPFBL Travel Baseball sanctioned event. Persons refusing to sign the agreement may be withheld from competition. Any violation of the Code of Conduct may result in temporary or permanent banishment from SPF Travel Baseball events.


Appendix A – Post-Season Evaluation Form


Appendix B - SPFBL Travel Baseball Manager Application


SPFBL Travel Baseball Manager Application

Instructions: Complete all sections. If particular sections do not apply to you, list the answer as not applicable. Print legibly or type the response to the question. In order to process this application, it is your responsibility to provide responses that can be read and understood without difficulty. Return the completed application to the Travel Director in a sealed envelope or via email. Age Group / Grade Requested:_______ (9U-3rd grade, 10U-4th grade, 11U-5th grade, etc.) Name:________________________________________________________________

(First) (Middle initial) (Last) ADDRESS: Street:________________________________________________________________ City:_________________________ State_________________ Zip________________ Home Telephone (____)__________________ Cell Phone (____)__________________ Work (____)_______________________ Occupation:_____________________________________________________________ Current Employer Name:__________________________________________________ Supervisor Name & Telephone Name: _____________________

Tel #: ______________________ Current Employer Address, City, State, Zip_________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ If Employed less than 5 years at this location, list prior employer name, telephone number, and address:______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Have you been certified in any sports related associations? If so, please describe ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Have you managed or coached a traveling athletic team? _________ (yes / no) If so, what sports(s) and what age group(s)? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________


List in detail all your managing/coaching experience that you believe qualify you to manage/coach an SPFBL baseball team, including:

dates (by month and year)

type of sports activity managed coached (baseball, basketball, etc.),

age groups managed/coached,

team name(s)

base rules affiliations for each team managed/coached (for example: Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth, HS, collegiate, etc.)

locations ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________


Explain your coaching philosophy in terms of:

dealing with/communicating with parents

selecting your players (plans for SPFBL vs. non-SPFBL based players)

working with your players (playing time, discipline, player development, handling pitchers, etc)

dealing with your coaching staff

other ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Please share your definition of “success” for a travel baseball team and summarize what you believe it takes to be a successful baseball travel team manager. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________


In the last 5 years as a coach, manager, or parent, have you ever been removed or ejected from a youth sports game or activity by the umpires or officials? Or have you been suspended from your youth coaching/managing duties by the local or state governing youth sports organizations or athletic association? __________ (yes / no) If so, provide any and all dates of occurrence. List the details of the event(s), athletic association where the event occurred, and sports activity that you managed, coached, or attended as a parent. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Please submit three (3) personal references who have personal knowledge of your character. They must have known you for at least two (2) years, must not be related to you by blood or marriage. At least one (1) must be from a coach you have never coached with. 1)____________________________________________________________________

Name, Address, Telephone Number 2)____________________________________________________________________

Name, Address, Telephone Number 3)____________________________________________________________________

Name, Address, Telephone Number


I submit that the information I have provided is true and accurate. I understand that the information which I have submitted will be evaluated and checked by the NYBSA Travel Baseball Commissioner and/or his/her designee. In addition, I understand that as part of this evaluation process, I may be personally interviewed by the Travel Baseball Commissioner and/or in conjunction with the travel baseball committee. By submitting this application, I agree to abide by the by-laws and rules set forth by Scotch Plains-Fanwood Baseball League and recreation departments of the Township of Scotch Plains and the Borough of Fanwood. Furthermore, I understand that if I am granted a baseball travel team, all my coaches must complete a SPFBL coaching application form and be approved by the Travel Director. I understand that my application will be denied if I have submitted false information, and, if I am granted a travel baseball team, I understand that any failure to comply with any of the SPFBL rules and by-laws contained within the Travel Baseball Handbook or recreation department rules and statutes of the Township of Scotch Plains and the Borough of Fanwood will result in the immediate withdrawal of my privileges as manager of the SPFBL travel baseball team. Applicants Name (please print) __________________________________________ Applicants Signature___________________________________________________ Date_______________________________________________________________

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