Parent/Player Handbook EST. 1998 Table Of Contents 1. Introduction A. Mission Statement B. Membership 2. Organization A. Corporation B. Executive Board Titles & Responsibilities C. Board of Directors D. Committees E. Teams 3. Code of Ethics A. Organization B. Manager/Coaches 1. Player Dismissal(s) & Release C. Player 1. Tryouts 2. Practice 3. Tournaments 4. Playing Time D. Parents/Guardians 1. Complaint Procedures 4. Finances A. Bingo B. Budget C. Fees D. Fundraising E. Tax Exempt Status 5. Forms Introduction: In 1998 a small-dedicated group of individuals (Jimmy Walker, Chris Evans Walker and Jennifer St. Amand) from Poquoson decided to break off from the dog-eat-dog of the travel softball realm and develop a different breed of tournament teams. Thus the Back River Surge Girls Fast Pitch Softball Club began. As the team’s reputation for commitment and dedication grew so did the need to expand the Club. A Board of Directors was voted for and progression took hold. The current Board of Directors of the Back River Surge Girls Fast Pitch Softball Club, Inc., initiated the development of this Handbook, so that the parents and players of the Club would have a well-defined, organized guidebook. This guidebook will welcome you to the Club, as well as explain our goals, rules, regulations and general expectations. Mission Statement: The primary purpose of Back River Surge Girls Fast pitch Softball is to establish and supervise the education and training of competitive recreational program of girl’s fast pitch softball. The program will be available to all persons who, desiring to participate, are eligible according to the rules and guidelines established by BRSGFPSC. Membership: Membership in the Back River Surge Girls Fast Pitch Softball Club is open to the parents or legal guardians of players that have been selected to play on a Back River Surge Softball team. Players will be selected in accordance with policies adopted by the Board of Directors. Parents with more than one child in the BRSGFPSC will be allowed one vote of for each child currently on the roster of a registered BRSGFPSC team. Only members in good standing with the BRSGFPSC will be allowed to vote at the annual meeting and at any other special meeting called by the Executive Board. Organization: The name of this corporation is the Back River Surge Girls Fast Pitch Softball Club, Inc, (BRSGFPSC). This corporation is organized exclusively for promoting amateur athletics and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now enacted or hereafter amended, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that also qualify as Section 501(c)(3) exempt organizations. To this end, the corporation shall adhere to the by-laws of the Back River Surge Girls Fast Pitch Softball Club. All funds, whether income or principal, and whether acquired by gift or contribution or otherwise, shall be devoted to said purposes. Executive Board The Registered Agent, Jimmy Walker and the Executive Board shall manage the affairs of the BRSGFPSC. The Board shall be comprised of the following officers who shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the BRSGFPSC Membership: A. President B. Vice President C. Treasurer D. Secretary The number of members of the Executive Board may be increased or decrease by vote of the Board of Directors in order to accommodate new or special committees or functions, but no decrease in the number of members shall have the effect of shortening the term of any incumbent. Responsibilities of each Executive Board member follow: A. President: 1. Responsible for directing the affairs of the BRSGFPSC to further its purpose and objectives. 2. To be present and preside at all meetings of the Executive Board. 3. Call special meetings. 4. To sign and make all contracts and agreement in the name of the BRSGFPSC, with the approval of the Executive Board. All financial transactions shall be submitted to the Treasurer for disbursement. 5. To ensure that the records, reports, statements, and certificates required by statute are properly kept, made and filed according to applicable law and according to the requirements of memberaffiliated organizations. 6. To have the authority to cosign all notes, drafts, bills of exchange, warrants, or other orders for the payment of money. 7. To maintain a “turnover” file of all pertinent correspondence and other informational items. 8. To ensure that these bylaws are observed and to perform all other duties incidental to the position and office as required by law. B. Vice President: The Vice President performs all duties assigned by the President. During any absence or inability of the President to perform his/her duties or exercise his/her powers as set forth in the bylaws, such duties and powers shall be exercised and performed by the Vice President. When so acting, the Vice President shall have all of the powers and be subject to all of the responsibilities hereby given to or imposed upon the President. The Vice President has the authority to cosign all notes, drafts, bills of exchange, warrants or other orders for the payment of money. C. Treasurer: 1. To have the care, custody and responsibility for all the funds and securities of BRSGFPSC, and deposit all such funds in the name of the club in such banks, trust company(s), or safe deposit vault(s) as the Board of Directors may designate. 2. To sign, make and endorse in the name of BRSGFPSC all checks, drafts, warrants and orders for the payment of money and pay out and dispose of same and receipt thereof, under the direction of the Executive Board. 3. To exhibit at all reasonable times the BRGFPSC books and accounts to any member of the club. 4. To render a statement of the financial condition of the league at each regular meeting of the BRSGFPSC and at such other times as shall be required; and to render a complete financial report at the Annual Meeting of the membership. 5. To keep accurate and complete accounting and financial records of the BRSGFPSC D. Secretary: 1. To keep the minutes of all meetings and serve all notices of the BRSGFPSC, to be custodian of the records and the seal, and to affix the latter when required. 2. To keep the corporate records in the manner prescribed by law, so as to show at all times the names of the members of the Executive Board and voting members of the club, alphabetically arranged, their respective places of residence, post office address and the date on which each person attained his/her perspective position. 3. To retain corporate records, specifically, records that are subject to inspection. 4. To permit the President or other members to make extraction from said records to the extent as prescribed by law. 5. To be responsible for the collection of communications addressed to or received in the name of the BRSGFPSC, and present such communications to the Executive Board at their meetings. 6. To prepare and distribute all communications and correspondence required within these bylaws, on behalf of BRSGFPSC. 7. To ensure that a list of all eligible candidates for election to the Board of Directors is presented to the general membership at the Annual Meeting of the Executive Board. 8. To have the authority to cosign all notes drafts, bills of exchange, warrants or other orders for the payment of money. Elections of Officers: The Registered Agent, Jimmy Walker, shall remain at the helm of the BRSGFPSC. Other Executive Board members shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the membership, or at any special meeting called for that purpose. The slate of candidates must include all positions on the Executive Board, and the names of all eligible candidates desiring election to the Executive Board should be provided to the Secretary two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting of the membership. Nomination may be made from the floor at the time of the election. Election under this Article shall be by a show of hands, or by voice vote. Any nominee may request the casting of written ballots. A majority of votes cast or counted will suffice for election to office. The newly elected officers of the Executive Board shall assume office at the conclusion of the meeting during which the election was held. All outgoing officers shall turn over all available records following the election, with the exception of the outgoing Treasurer. The outgoing Treasurer may not turn over the corporate financial records to the newly elected Treasurer until said records have been audited. A committee composed of at least three individuals, the chairperson of which committee must be a member of the Executive Board, may perform an audit. Term of Office: The term of office of each Executive Board member shall be for one year, and thereafter until his/her successor has been elected. Vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the general membership. A nominee for the vacated office on the Executive Board shall be a member of the BRSGFPSC. Each Board member shall hold office for the term in which he/she is elected and further until a successor shall be elected. Board of Directors: The Board of Directors, while not currently covered in the BRSGFPSC bylaws, shall be amended into the by-laws at the next monthly meeting. The Board of Directors shall consist of the managers and coaches from each team and the chairperson of each committee. Committees The Executive Board may appoint and disband committees, as they deem appropriate. These other committees may be, but are not limited to, committees for tournaments, bylaws, publicity, playing rules and fundraising. The Executive Board must approve committee chairman. Committees already formed are: 1. Candidate Search Committee: The Candidate Search committee shall be responsible for assembling a list of eligible and responsible persons to fill elected positions on the Executive Board. A list of all candidates will be presented to the Secretary two weeks before the Annual Meeting of the membership as provided elsewhere in these bylaws. The members of this committee will consist of at least two members of the Executive Board appointed by a vote of the majority Board of Directors. 2. Fundraising: To include but not limited to Bingo (See Finances) Other committees may include, but not limited to, tournament, bylaws, publicity, player agent, uniforms, playing rules and special events. Teams: At the time of this writing, the Back River Surge consists of four teams (12U, 14U, 16U and 18U). Managers and coaches volunteer and are approved by the Executive Board. Each team shall have a Team Administrator. This Administrator will be the point of contact and will be responsible for keeping a “Team Notebook” to house all pertinent information including birth certificates and parent/player information sheets. Every team must submit a budget for the year to include uniforms, equipment and expected tournament dates to the Executive Board by September 1 for the fall and February 1 for the spring. Back River Surge Code of Ethics Back River Surge is known throughout the community as a family oriented organization. The Executive Board will strive to keep that reputation in tact. The Board will at no time tolerate mean, rude, nasty behavior from anyone associated with BRS. We as a Board recognize our managers, coaches and support staff dedicate many long hours of volunteer service and expect respect to be shown toward them. Good sportsmanship is a MUST and must be shown from anyone representing Back River Surge. Managers, coaches, players & parents are expected to fulfill this requirement. In addition to this general “code”, our Club expects the following: Manager and Coaches: The manager and coaches of each playing level is expected to, but not limited to, perform the following in a professional fair manner: 1. Be knowledgeable of and instruct rule and regulations for tournament play 2. Strive for team organization and unity 3. Aim to develop each player so she can become the best player she can be 4. Conduct productive practices both in and out of season 5. Secure a team Administrator 6. Oversee team tryouts 7. Maintain an open communication with the Executive Board 8. Keep positive honest communications with players during practice and tournaments 9. Strive to keep conflict off the playing field at practices & games 10. At no time shall a manager/coach curse and/or degrade players Team Members: 1. Superior playing skills, academic acumen, respect for other players, willingness to learn and excel are the personal traits of Back River Surge players. Players are also expected to: 2. Commitment: All players must commit to playing for Back River Surge. (See Commitment Form in Form section) Playing for other teams such as city leagues or little leagues is not banned. However, Back River Surge must be a family’s number one priority. (Please note: School athletics are exempt.) Team members must communicate with her manager to ensure no other commitment interferes with Surge functions. Not abiding by this rule can lead to dismissal from the organization without any refund of money received by BRSGFPSC. 3. Every player must participate in a tryout before signing the Commitment form. A tryout may be conducted either as a large event or an individual tryout. 4. Every player/family will agree to pay all fees. 5. Every player/family will agree to support/work required Bingo to support our fundraising 6. All players are expected and shall be at all tournaments unless an emergency arises 7. Practice is not a choice. All players are expected to attend all practices unless otherwise agreed by the coaching staff 8. Players are expected to show good sportsmanship at all times. Teamwork is a must. A positive attitude towards coaches and teammates is mandatory. At no time may a Back River Surge player show ugliness toward opponents, opposing coaches, opposing fans or umpires. 9. Use of tobacco, alcohol or illegal substances IS NOT ALLOWED on the playing or practice field. 10. Players are expected to maintain a positive self-image in school, the organization and her community. 11. Once a player becomes a member of the Back River Surge family, she is guaranteed a spot on a roster from year to year. However, this does not mean the player will have a position on the field every year. It is the discretion of the coaching staff to field the team in positions best suited for their team. 12. Playing time is not guaranteed. On behalf of the Organization, the coaching staff reserves the right to play what/where players play. At the time of the decision, it may or may not seem fair. Our coaching staff will strive to do what is best for the players, the team and the organization. 13. Concerns and/or complaints are handled in a specific manner (Please see below and COE Agreement in the back of this book) Parents/Guardians & Fans: As stated before, the Back River Surge Fast Pitch organization is known for it’s family orientation. We know how important our parent support is! For without our parents, we would have no girls! Therefore we, as an organization, believe parents should be supportive but not demanding. Our coaching staffs demand full-out play and hustle from his/her players and need parents to support our efforts as well as observe the following: 1. Parents/guardians, family member and fans must never curse or put down any player on or off the field 2. Never curse or put down our coaching staffs or Organization’s staff. We are all are volunteers and work very hard to deliver and maintain a wonderful place to grow and learn the game of fast pitch softball. 3. Support the goals of BRSGFPSC in all efforts, including fundraising, to the best of their ability. 4. We understand vacations are an important part of family living. However, tournaments are played during the same time vacations are normally taken. Please keep that in mind when planning your vacations. Playing for a tournament team can mean you make sacrifices in vacation time. 5. Please Note: Playing tournament ball for Back River Surge does not guarantee any player a position on any high school team that may be represented in the coaching staff of BRSGFPSC. Complaint & Player Removal Procedures: Should a parent have specific complaints they must first contact the manager away from the playing/practice field and not during a tournament. If the situation cannot be resolved, the parent may bring the complaint in writing to the Executive Board and the complaint will be handled, again away from the field and the tournament scene, as promptly as possible. If a manager or a coach has a specific complaint with a parent, they must talk to the parent first away from the field and tournament scene. Then if the situation cannot be resolved, they must then bring it in writing to the Executive Board and the complaint will be dealt with as promptly as possible. (See COE Form in the back of this book) Finances Player Fees: Each player’s family is expected to pay in full the total amount of the “player fee” determined by the Executive Board. In the past the player fee was not due until August. However, the Executive Board, in a special meeting held on August 15, 2005, unanimously voted to change the due date to September 15th of every year. The player fee will be $250.00 per player. Budget: Beginning in August 2005, each team manager is to submit in writing to the Executive Board a fall budget by September 1st. This budget must include the expected tournaments of play and hotel costs. Likewise, a summer budget must be submitted no later than February 1st. Fundraising (Bingo): In prior years, Back River Surge had no regular source of income. We depended our carwashes; pizza sales, garage sales and what ever else presented itself. Now, however, we have a regular source of income. Our organization is currently working Bingo at Bingo City on Route 17. This our major source income and it is imperative it be fully supported by each player’s family. In fact, it is a prerequisite in playing for our organization. Bingo eliminates the worry of how we are going to pay for tournaments and equipment. In other words, it pays the bills. You must support it. Some people have volunteered to “pay” their way out of working bingo. We cannot accept that. Your family must be represented the night you are scheduled to have bingo. Bodies are what we need to earn the cash! All bingo funds are deposited into the organizations account. If each team wants to earn its own funds for special items, they may still have car washes etc… for their own accounts. BACK RIVER SURGE Player Information Sheet 1. Player Name: 2. Player Address: Street City State Zip 3. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Name: 4. Home Phone: Parent Cell: 5. Any Known Drug/Food Allergies: Yes or No (Circle One) If yes, please explain: 6. Any Known Medical Conditions: Yes or No (Circle One) If yes, please explain: 7. Primary Doctor Name & Contact: 8. Medical Insurance: 9. Emergency Contact & Phone # BACK RIVER SURGE PLAYER/PARENT BINGO AGREEMENT Welcome to the exciting family of Back River Surge Fastpitch Softball. If you are reading this agreement your daughter & your family have become a part of a community based family oriented tournament softball tradition. Our Organization has been around for 7 years. We have continued to make improvements to better serve and equip our players to become the best softball players they can be. After many years of each team doing different fundraisers to make money needed to play tournament ball, our Organization started working Bingo as it’s sole fundraiser. While bingo may not be the most pleasant work atmosphere, it does make funds needed to run a successful tournament organization. Therefore, it is imperative every player/parent (guardian) be aware of this commitment up front when their family joins ours. Our Bingo Manager has arranged a schedule where each team will work bingo 9 Fridays a year. Each player will need one or two representatives at their bingo session. Since a worker must be at least 14 years of age, the parents of the 12U & 14U teams will share the same bingo night. The parents & players of 16U & 18U teams will have their own night. The players of 16U & 18U are expected to work unless prior arrangements are made. The Executive Board of BRSFPSB has set the following guidelines for those who do not carry out their commitment: 1. Verbal Warning: One verbal warning will be given if you do not participate 2. Written Warning: A written warning will be issued to the player/parent for nonparticipation 3. Termination: Unfortunately, a player will be let go the third time her or her parents do not participate. We do not want to have anyone let go from our Organization. But EVERYONE MUST participate in Bingo in order for our Organization to become a first rate tournament team. Please understand it is manpower that is needed to carry out working bingo. Paying extra fees to get out of working bingo is not an option. By signing this agreement you acknowledge this commitment and accept the responsibility to carry through with it. If you are unable to work bingo due to an extenuating circumstance or an emergency, you MUST contact your bingo manager immediately. All workers under the age of 18 MUST have permission slip on file in order to work Team Age Group: Manager Name: Player Name: Parent Signature: Date: Date: BINGO PERMISSION SLIP We , the parent(s)/guardian of do hereby give permission for our daughter to work Bingo to earn funds necessary for her to play fastpitch softball with Back River Surge. We understand bingo will be worked at Bingo City on Route Signature: Date: Date: BACK RIVER SURGE Medical Release Form I/We the parents of understand that softball is a contact sport and minor injuries may occur anytime the sport is played and/or practiced. Our family is covered by _______________________ insurance and we do hereby release the coaches and/or staff of Back River Surge Fastpitch Softball organization, or any association where winter conditionings with the Back River Surge Fastpitch Softball may be held of any medical liability. Signed: Relationship to participant ___________________________________ ______________________________ ___________________________________ Date BACK RIVER SURGE PLAYER, MANAGER & PARENT CODE OF ETHICS Back River Surge Fastpitch Softball Organization is dedicated to providing the best managers and coaches for their players. In return players must commit to playing up to their best potential. Players are not guaranteed specific amounts of playing time or positions. Players will be played and coached in a manner that will benefit the player, the team and the organization. Back River Surge is known throughout the tournament realm as a family organization. We strive to keep the atmosphere positive and community based. Therefore, parents must agree to let the manager and coaches of their daughter’s team do their jobs. NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND “SIDELINE COACHING” WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Should a parent have specific complaints they must first contact the manager away from the playing/practice field and not during a tournament. If the situation cannot be resolved, the parent may bring the complaint in writing to the Executive Board and the complaint will be handled, again away from the field and the tournament scene, as promptly as possible. If a manager or a coach has a specific complaint with a parent, they must talk to the parent first away from the field and tournament scene. Then if the situation cannot be resolved, they must then bring it in writing to the Executive Board and the complaint will be dealt with as promptly as possible. We have read the above Code of Ethics and will agree to support Back River Surge in their quest to maintain a positive family atmosphere. Team Age Group: Manager’s Signature: Date: Player’s Signature: Date: Parent/Guardian Signature: Date: BACK RIVER SURGE FASTPITCH SOFTBALL EQUIPMENT REQUEST FORM TEAM AGE GROUP: MANAGER NAME: TOURNAMENT YEAR: ITEM REQUEST NO. REQ’D COST