Rep team program guidelines

Background

Mission

To provide a positive, supportive and competitive environment for players with higher levels of commitment and ability.

Objectives

To provide players an environment with advanced skill and development opportunities.

To encourage an environment where positive attitude, team work and team spirit flourishes.

To ensure coaches are constantly upgrading their skills and abilities to enable players and teams to reach their desired potential.

Rep Committee members

The Rep Committee is comprised of the North Shore Girls Fastpitch Association (NSGFA) Board of Directors and the Rep Coordinator.

The Committee has sole authority regarding oversight of the Rep Program and interpretation and application of the guidelines outlined herein. All decisions made by the Rep Committee are final.

In the event of a conflict between these guidelines and any other publication/communication these guidelines shall take precedence, subject to final interpretation by the Rep Committee.

 

Player development

Player development and retention are major emphases of the program.

A coach is expected to use their acquired skills and abilities plus other resources available to maximize player development and retention.

A coach should also use the regular season to maximize player development.

t is understood priorities can and possibly will change during any and all tournament situations. As noted in the "Coach expectation" section this should be communicated to the players and parents at the initial team meeting.

Unsportsmanlike and/or unacceptable behaviour exhibited by a player at practices, games or tournaments will not be tolerated by the NSGFA and may lead to repercussions up to and including removal from the team.

Try-outs and formation of teams

Evaluation of Players

Barring unexpected or unforeseen events, try-outs for the upcoming season will be conducted in September on the weekend after Labour Day.

Notification is to be sent out to all association players in advance of the try-out dates.

Players with exceptional reasons for being unable to attend the initial try-out must apply, in writing, to the Rep Committee prior to the initial try-out. The Rep Committee will decide on the request prior to the try-out and notify the player. Additional documentation may be requested by the Rep Committee.

Those players who are unable to participate in the initial try-out due to injury are, to the best of their ability, required to attend their potential team’s try-out.

Assembling teams with players of the same age is the preference of the association.

Players will be grouped by age for evaluation purposes and must try-out in their own age group.

Player evaluations will be conducted by neutral evaluators with a minimum of two (2) at each station and the evaluation will determine player rankings.

Evaluators should be neutral; they should not be coaches within the division being evaluated or have family members trying out within that division.

Evaluators are to be available to the coaches should they require further information.

Evaluators are to respect the Conflict of Interest guidelines.

Evaluators should have softball or related sports evaluation experience.

All Rep and potential coaches and assistant coaches must attend the try-outs to assist in the activities and be evaluators when called upon.

Evaluation scores will be forwarded to the coach within seven (7) days of the evaluation.

The ‘five top’ ranked players from the North Shore Girls Fastpitch Association are automatically placed on the team of their age group.

EXCEPTION:

1. If a coach, with appropriate documentation, can prove a top five returning player failed to attend 80% of the team’s regularly scheduled practices and games during the previous season (starting January 1st) the coach can apply to the Rep Committee to strike the player in question from the roster.
2. If a coach, with appropriate documentation, can demonstrate a top five player and/or parents of that player have a documented history of disruptive and/or abusive behaviour in connection with the NSGFA the coach can apply to the Rep Committee to strike the player from the roster.

Should either exception noted above occur or a top five player(s) choose not to play, the coach is to pick the next highest ranked NSGFA player(s) not in the top five until the top five is filled.

The balance of the team is chosen by the coach and assistant coach(s) of the team.

To have two (2) teams in the same division there should be a minimum 24 players at the try-out who the Rep Committee and coaches deem capable of playing at the Rep level.

In the event a single age group is unable to form a team those players will be eligible to be selected by an existing team within the same division if applicable. Should this situation arise, the coach of the age group in that same division that DOES have enough players to form a team is not obligated to pick up any players from the age group without enough players regardless of the player finishing in the top five of their age group.

Alternatively, upon agreement by the Rep Committee and the age group coach that DOES have enough players, the age group coach without enough players may select from players not chosen by the other coach.

1. The selection of players should be made according to age groups to promote long term team development and thereby the coach with enough players within the age group has first choice of players.
2. The players chosen to fill out a team should have evaluation scores high enough to rate rep team selection.

A team playing in the ‘A’ division will have priority to select players from both age groups within the division that team competes in.

A player in either age group who is selected is under no obligation to play ‘A’ and can instead be selected by the ‘B’ coach should a team exist.

Preliminary rosters will be forwarded by the coach to the Rep Committee within 7 days of the evaluation.

The Rep Committee will provide final approval of the roster within seven (7) days of receipt from the coach.

When approved by the Rep Committee the head coach will notify try-out attendees within 48 hours of their status.

Secondary try-out

If a coach has reason to believe that a secondary try-out will benefit his/her team, the coach may submit a request to the Rep Committee for a secondary try-out for his/her team.

All secondary try-outs require approval by the Rep Committee, which shall be granted only when the Rep Committee determines a secondary try-out is necessary. If a secondary try-out is granted, it will be for only the specific teams for which the Rep Committee has approved a secondary try-out, and players will not be permitted to try-out for teams for which a secondary try-out has not been granted.

Secondary try-out procedures will be the same as for the initial try-out. The secondary try-out should be held within a reasonable time from the initial try-out. Players who have already been chosen for the team need not appear at the secondary try-out. The top five from the initial try-out will not change as a result of the secondary try-out.

If, after the secondary try-out, the Rep Committee and/or the coach feel there are inadequate players to form a viable team the Rep Committee and the coach will meet to determine whether or not to fold the team for the next season.

65. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

1. Should a coach wish to add a player after the roster is finalized the coach will provide their request and reasons in writing to the Rep Committee. The coach cannot remove an existing player, the new player will be an addition to the roster.
2. Should a secondary try-out be necessary for any player noted above they will be required to participate in an evaluation.
3. The evaluation process will be followed including notification of players, if any, who did not make the roster.
4. Team classification and re-classification

If a ‘C’ or house team, by reason of Provincial Championship success, is required by Softball BC rules to move to ‘B’ the next season, that team will be able to take its complete roster of same aged players from the previous year to ’B’. The players listed on that team’s roster via the Softball BC Registration form will not have to be evaluated.

The coach is under no obligation to take the entire roster to the ‘B’ classification and players on the previous year’s ‘C’ roster are not obligated to play ‘B’.

The coach may augment the existing roster via the evaluation process.

Should there be an existing ‘B’ team of the same age group, those players will have to attend and participate in the evaluations as per guidelines above.

Should there be players at the evaluation that did not play for either team the previous season and both teams coaches want to select one or more of those players the coaches will do so on an alternating basis. The first selection will be determined by a coin toss.

• The selection order will be: 1–2–2–1–1–2–1–2, etc.

An existing ‘A’ team, or a ‘B’ team that is required to move to ‘A’ via the Softball BC rule noted above, will have priority to select players from both age groups within the division that team competes in.

Should an existing ‘B’ team request a move to the ‘A’ classification, all players must attend and participate in the evaluation and are subject to try-out guidelines.

Should an existing ‘C’ or house team request a move to either ‘A’ or ‘B’ all players from that existing team must attend the evaluation and are subject to try-out guidelines.

Queries

Parents or players requesting information on the team selection should initially contact the team’s coach.

Should further information be requested the Rep Coordinator should be contacted in writing.

Playing up

The association rules for playing up an age group are based on Softball BC guidelines located in the NSGFA handbook on the association’s web page.

The playing up rules will take precedence over all other rules.

Team designation and look

The Rep Committee will approve the classification of all teams as either ‘A’ or ‘B’ by the end of November.

The classification can include input from coaches, players and parents of the team in question.

Team name

All teams representing the NSGFA will use the team name “Stars”.

Uniforms

“Stars” teams must wear the designated NSGFA Rep colours: navy, red and white.

The “Stars” logo may not be applied to clothing, hats, equipment bags etc. that is not one of the designated Rep colours.

• The official “Stars” logo and NSFGA logo can be obtained from the Rep Coordinator.

All coaching attire must be approved by the Rep Committee before ordering.

Fees and fundraising

All player fees are due and payable by the date requested by the NSGFA.

A player will not be able to practice or play with a team and will not be issued a uniform until all such fees are paid in total.

The NSGFA board will approve, annually, a budget that contains an allocation for Rep teams.

Funding levels may vary from year to year; the Rep Coordinator will be advised prior to the calendar year end of the allocation

A Rep team’s funding may be reduced if the team does not adequately participate in the NSFGA Opening Day activities such as the banner parade, opening ceremonies, team photos, and ball toss; or fails to submit the team’s ball toss summary and funds raised to the treasurer by the established deadline.

Each Rep ‘B’ team’s funding shall be limited to the lesser of:

1. The amount otherwise allocated to the Rep teams per the annual budget.
2. Two (2) times the amount raised by the team in connection with the ball toss fundraiser.

Each Rep ‘A’ team’s funding shall be limited to the lesser of:

1. The amount otherwise allocated to the Rep teams per the annual budget.
2. Three (3) times the amount raised by the team in connection with the ball toss fundraiser.

The Vice-President Finance will approve and reimburse expenses only upon the presentation of receipts.

Funding is limited to the following: tournament registration fees, clinics and equipment.

Clothing items, training and facility fees are not eligible for funding.

At no time may a team purchase goods from a supplier (e.g., Prostock Athletic Supply) and request the company forward the invoice to the NSGFA

Teams seeking outside sponsorship or to engage in fundraising activities must consult the guidelines in the NSGFA handbook

Conflict of interest guidelines

It is expected that all members of the NSGFA should strive to use general conflict of interest principles.

Should a situation arise where any NSGFA member have a family member or equivalent associated with the team(s) and/or player(s) in question or that stands to be affected by the decision that member shall remove themselves from the situation or issue at hand.

Should the NSGFA member removed be on a committee charged with making the decision that member will be free to submit their opinion to the remaining committee members but must not be present if and when a vote takes place.