The British Softball Federation Executive held a conference call meeting on the evening of Tuesday 15 March. Below is a journalistic report on discussions and decisions.
Attendance
Present: Stella Ackrell (President), Laura Burkhardt (Treasurer), Liz Graham (Tournaments Officer), Jana McCaskill (National Teams Officer), Mike Jennings (General Officer), Steve Getraer (General Officer).
Apologies: Lesley Morisetti (Administrator).
Guest: Bob Fromer (BSUK).
Financial Matters
The BSF considered a Development Grant application from Manchester Thunder, who are looking for funds to provide equipment and coaching for a new team they hope to recruit to the club. The BSF awarded £250 on condition that the club purchases relevant safety equipment for any under-18 players and reports to the BSF on how the money was used and the outcome.
National Softball League
The BSF had been planning, as decided at the AGM, to conduct an email vote among those who attended the AGM on a motion put by Manchester Maniacs to keep this year’s main National Softball League (NSL) competition open to 14 teams.
However, the Maniacs have now withdrawn their motion and the NSL in 2016 will run as a 12-team league, as the BSF had proposed.
The BSF has agreed that an NSL 2 will be put in place for this season, open to all B-grade teams, and a structure for NSL 2 competition has been agreed. The top four teams in the NSL 2 standings will receive places in the B-grade National Championships.
Nationals qualification and AGM attendance
The BSF is receiving appeals from C-grade teams who want places in the Co-ed National Championships but did not fulfil the requirement of attendance at the AGM.
The BSF will tend to look favourably on such appeals in order to grow the number of C-grade teams taking part in Nationals, and will review the regulations linking AGM attendance and Nationals eligibility.
Blitz Tournament
A major new premium co-ed slowpitch tournament for all grades of play, with a number of new features, is being planned for 2017.
It will be known as the Blitz Tournament, and the BSF has assigned a date of 24-25 June, which the organisers have accepted. More information will be available over the summer.
Team and league registration for 2016
Registration forms for teams and leagues for 2016 have been sent and registration information is available on the BSF website.
Once registrations have been completed, BSF Tournaments Officer Liz Graham will provide BSUK and the BSF with a full contact list of Team Captains and League Heads for safeguarding and communications purposes.
Tournament criteria and organisation
The BSF will shortly circulate and publish a list of criteria that tournaments have to meet in order to be sanctioned by the governing body and listed in the Events Calendar on the BSF website.
The BSF will also update and publish a Guide for Tournament Organisers.
World Series logo
The BSF would like to create a logo for the annual Softball World Series tournament, and a number of designs have been submitted by primary school children from a West London school, thanks to Canada World Series Team Captain Chris Macleod. Members of the Executive will vote to determine the most promising design, and a professional designer will be engaged to turn this into a tournament logo.
Hosting European Junior Men’s Championships in 2017
The BSF, along with other interested parties, including BSUK and the GB Under-19 Men’s Fastpitch Team, will convene a meeting shortly to discuss the possibility of Britain hosting the 2017 European Junior Men’s Championships at Farnham Park.
Although venues for many ESF tournaments are settled two years in advance, no bids have yet been submitted for the 2017 Junior Men’s Championship, and bids can therefore be made before November.
Great Britain has hosted official European baseball competitions, and hosted the European Slowpitch Championships in 1998 and 2008, but has never hosted an ESF fastpitch competition.
BSUK is keen to host more international events at Farnham Park, and it would be a thrill for an improving GB Junior Men’s Team to play a European tournament at home. But finding the necessary funding will be the main issue.
European Softball Coaches Association (ESCA)
Mike Jennings told the meeting that the ESF is in the process of forming a new European Softball Coaches Association (ESCA) to try to create a structure for European coaching and a central resource that countries who need coaches or clinics can draw on.
“Common standards for coaching are probably a long way off,” Mike said, “but even having a talking shop for coaches is a good idea.”
Pitching machine
The GB Management Committee (GBMC) is planning to buy a sophisticated pitching machine to give GB players more experience against pitches with movement and spin, and is hoping to raise most of the money from GB parents.
The GBMC has asked to divert £500 from funds already assigned by the BSF to GB Team support to help pay for the pitching machine.
The Executive agreed to the expenditure, but will need to see which budget line it should come from.
Defibrillator for Farnham Park
Plans are progressing to purchase and install a defibrillator at Farnham Park that can be used if necessary at baseball and softball events but also by other sports clubs on site. Costs will be shared by the BSF, the BBF and BSUK, and training will be provided.
Details are still being worked out, but the hope is to have the defibrillator on site for the start of the season.
Boys in the Massimo Romeo Youth Cup
A motion was passed at the ESF Congress that proposed the possibility of mixed teams at the ESF’s Massimo Romeo Youth Trophy competition for U-13s. However, the final solution arrived at by the ESF is that the tournament will have two sections: teams that include boys and teams that don’t.
A relieved GB U-13 or London Cubs team will be able to enter the all-girls’ section. It’s not clear whether the ESF will move to boys’ and girls’ sections in future since they are clearly keen on promoting male fastpitch and filling in the competition gap that currently exists below U-19 level.
Next meeting
The next BSF Executive meeting will be on Thursday evening 14 April. Anyone with matters to raise at the meeting should contact Lesley Morisetti.