The annual BSF Softball League Heads Forum convened on Saturday 16 November in Birmingham and discussed a wide range of topics relevant to slowpitch softball, including umpiring, safeguarding, registration and insurance, preferred suppliers, development and National Championships.
A total of 18 people attended, representing the BSF Executive, BASU, BSUK and the following leagues: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Greater London Softball Mixed League (GLSML), the London Advertising Softball League (LASL), Oxford, Solent and Windsor.
In attendance for the BSF were President Stella Ackrell, Treasurer Mike Jennings, Tournaments Officer Fiona Thorley, National Teams Officer Beth Perkins and General Officer Mark Munnery.
Announcements
A number of announcements and decisions were made during the course of the meeting:
BSF AGM: BSF Executive members told the meeting that the provisional date for the 2014 BSF AGM (subject to securing a venue) will be Saturday 22 February in Manchester. The preferred venue is the Hough End Police and Social Club, where the AGM was held in 2011. Among topic suggestions for morning workshops or discussion groups were plans for developing and extending coaching in slowpitch softball and a report from the BSF's Nationals Working Group that will meet in January (see below).
London Ad League anniversary: Alan MacFarlane announced that the London Advertising Softball League will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, and will hope to hold its summer tournament at the league's weeknight venue, Regents Park, if agreement can be reached with the Park authorities.
Weekend tournament results: The feeling of the meeting was that it's useful to have weekend tournament placings posted on the BSF or BSF Nationals Facebook page. Among other uses, these results can help the BSF to assess the correct levels for teams that enter National Championships.
Single-Sex Slowpitch play: Those present at the meeting were keen for the BSF to maintain opportunities for single-sex slowpitch play beyond the Single-Sex Nationals. However, there was a strong feeling that at least some single-sex tournaments should be run in the North, perhaps on the same dates as single-sex tournaments in the South. There was a suggestion of discounted entry fees for new teams. Reviving and expanding single-sex play should generate more teams and better competition at the Single-Sex Nationals, which in 2014 will return to Birmingham.
Farnham Park sponsorship: It was announced that the BSF is sponsoring the purchase of a scoreboard for one of the dedicated pitches at Farnham Park and the purchase of a small tractor to facilitate maintenance on the fields.
BSF Board: Sport England currently favours restricting the size of sports federation Boards in the interest of efficiency. As a result, the BSF may move to a system of having an Executive Board whose members are Directors of BSF Ltd, while other members of the Executive will not serve as Directors.
Provision of fences: BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings announced that the BSF can provide outfield fences for any league that hosts a National Championship, and those fences can then remain as property of the league.
National Kickball Day: The BSF has named Sunday 4 May 2014, when there are no softball events currently on the calendar, as National Kickball Day. Kickball is a fun version of softball where a rubberised soccer-size ball is bowled and the “batter” kicks the ball into play – otherwise, softball rules prevail. The aim is that all leagues will run a Kickball Tournament on or around that date for the purpose of attracting new players to the league but also to raise money for the league and for GB Softball teams, with proceeds being split 50:50. Early in the new year, the BSF will issue materials to help leagues organise and run a Kickball event, and the BSF will be willing to supply official kickballs to leagues that do so.
Registration, fees and insurance
There has been some confusion around whether a one-off tournament team made up of players who have registered and paid fees through another team (typically a league team) need to register and pay again for the tournament team.
The answer, as BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings pointed out, is that “the team registered is the team insured”. In other words, if the one-off tournament team retains the name of the league team that has provided all or most of its players, it is regarded as registered and the players are insured. If the team has a different name, with players from a variety of sources, then it needs to register and pay a fee – but the BSF does have a special fee of £25 for teams that form to play in just one tournament, and this fee will provide insurance cover.
Independent tournament teams that represent leagues need to register and pay the independent tournament team fee.
The BSF is thinking of moving to a system whereby registered (and paid-up) teams receive a number, and tournament organisers can ask for that number as a means of ensuring that all teams playing in their tournament are covered at least by the BSF's basic civil and public liability insurance.
One question raised was whether a single-sex slowpitch team with the same name as a co-ed team should have to pay the one-off fee to play in, say, the Single-Sex Nationals. The BSF will take this question under advisement.
Meanwhile, the BSF is very keen that all affiliated teams not only register their team next season, but also roster at least their core group of players and provide contact details for them. The BSF, as a national governing body, needs to be able to count and communicate with its playing members on topics connected to the sport, though strict data protection requirements will be observed.
The BSF is currently working with BSUK to create a system whereby teams can register and roster their players, and those to wish to can also use the team management functions provided on the BSF website without having to input team data a second time.
Two questions posed to the League Heads Forum by a corporate league in London that did not attend the meeting were: 1) whether the BSF could extend the period of reduced fees for new teams, which currently operates over three years, and 2) whether smaller leagues could have smaller fees. The consensus among those at the meeting was that neither request was reasonable.
However, Manchester Softball League Head Harry Somers suggested that leagues need a long lead time when affiliation fees change.
For the BSF, Mike Jennings pointed out that the planned rise in affiliation fees that was decided at the 2013 AGM will only come into effect for most teams in 2014, and in 2013 only affected those teams that missed the June 1 payment deadline.
Umpiring
There was a lengthy discussion on how umpire recruitment, training, assignment and payment is carried out by different leagues, sparked by a question from GLSML Head Dan Armstrong about how other leagues train their umpires. Although the GLSML is one of the largest and best-organised leagues in the country, it has very few BASU umpires relative to its size and struggles at times to provide umpire coverage for its own league games. Although the league funds and runs numerous umpire courses, there seems to be a gap between umpires attending courses and feeling comfortable umpiring games.
“The issue is around offering support at a post-training stage,” Dan said. “People do courses, but then are not confident enough to call games.”
Practices around the country vary:
A number of leagues require all teams to have one or more umpires trained to at least league standard. This principle of making team umpires mandatory has taken longer to be accepted in some leagues than others – and some leagues aren't there yet.
Some leagues run a two-umpire system, specifically to provide mentoring for newer umpires and help them get through their initial games.
The East Midlands League does a variation on this theme: it uses mainly new umpires at its April Firstball tournament, and lets the competing teams know to go easy on them, meanwhile using experienced umpires as mentors.
Bristol runs a system whereby teams provide umpires for games in other divisions – but teams are allowed to find proxy umpires as long as their obligations are fulfilled.
Edinburgh does not make umpiring mandatory, but relies mainly on volunteers who come forward to umpire because they want to do it.
The London Advertising League self-umpires (ie, players from the batting team call the game) – but the Pack it gives to all teams at the start of the year has a scorebook with a page containing a streamlined version of the rules.
The GLSML has issued well-received help sheets on rules.
Some leagues particularly encourage new players to take umpire courses, as a way of fast-tracking their knowledge and understanding of the rules.
BSUK National Development Manager Chris Rawlings suggested that perhaps newly-qualified umpires, whether at BASU or league standard, could umpire at BSUK development activities to get some experience before taking on league or tournament games. “This is an opportunity,” Chris said, “that BSUK might be able to provide.”
Safeguarding
A number of topics were discussed under the general heading of safeguarding.
Incident report forms: The BSF will shortly be providing a new and simplified Incident Report Form on the website that will need to be completed when an injury at training or in league or tournament games requires medical attention. Copies of submitted forms will be held by the BSF and BSUK. Whereas previous forms were designed from an insurance point of view and tended to be long and complicated, the new form will only take a short time to complete, and the longer insurance-based forms will only need to be used if claims are made.
Use of helmets in adult slowpitch play: Manchester Softball League Head Harry Somers asked if there was any possibility of the BSF legislating in the near future to make the use of helmets mandatory in slowpitch play for adults (helmets are already mandatory for players who are under 18). While the BSF is unlikely to do so given that helmets are not mandatory under ISF rules – unless a motion to that effect were to be passed at a BSF AGM – their use is certainly encouraged.
Harry reported that the Manchester AGM voted to make it mandatory for teams to have four helmets at all games – but it's not mandatory to use them. The East Midlands League has made helmets mandatory, and claims to have lost only one player as a result.
One suggestion was for leagues to phase in the use of helmets by requiring new players to wear them during their first season.
New softball specification: For safety reasons, the Amateur Softball Association in the United States (ASA) and the ISF are now recommending a softball with .52 COR and 300 compression. This ball has a higher COR but lower compression than the .44 or .47 balls with 375 compression currently in widespread use in this country. Reports from America are that the ball performs well and is long-lasting, but a slightly softer outer surface means it does less damage when players are hit by it.
The BSF is recommending the use of this ball in British softball, and the usual retailers should be able to supply it, though it may initially be slightly more expensive.
Application of Under-18 rules by tournaments: BSF President Stella Ackrell reminded the meeting of the mandatory safeguarding rules regarding Under-18 players playing in adult softball that were passed at the 2013 AGM. While most leagues have been doing a good job of applying these rules, Stella said, very few tournaments have done so, and this needs to be tightened up in 2014. Umpires need to be more aware of the requirements as well to help make sure that tournaments are enforcing them.
The BSF has a new Welfare Officer, Jess Casey, who will work with BSUK Welfare Officer Jenny Fromer to deal with any incidents that arise. A list of BSUK safeguarding requirements was circulated at the meeting and can be obtained from Jenny Fromer.
Preferred supplier
BSF National Teams Officer Beth Perkins told the meeting that the BSF has adopted Aswani Cricket (www.aswanicricket.co.uk) as their preferred supplier for team uniforms and clothing as well as some playing equipment. The company, based in South Wales, outfits the teams in Indian Premier League cricket, but is very keen to become involved in softball and has connections to the sport.
A stall at the Softball World Series tournament in September offering a range of softball clothing from Aswani sold out of most items, and the BSF may undertake further marketing efforts based on what Aswani can supply. The company has shown itself to be reliable, and offers quality products at reasonable prices.
Other suggestions for potential preferred suppliers will be welcomed by the BSF: contact Marketing and Communications Officer Mark Wigington.
Development
BSUK National Development Manager Chris Rawlings attended the meeting to give a short presentation on BSUK development work.
A quick way to look at BSUK's aims and aspirations, Chris said, was that approximately 10,000 people were playing softball and baseball in 2009, but BSUK has succeeded in doubling that number to around 20,000 in 2013. The goal for the end of the current Whole Sport Plan funding cycle in 2017 is 30,000 participants.
As far as slowpitch is concerned, BSUK's focus has been on club and league-based growth, new teams within universities and colleges, new adult leagues and new youth play through schools-based work. Behind this is what Chris called a “club and league-centric approach”, based on the idea that it's easier to build on something that already exists.
In order to foster more softball development in Further and Higher Education, BSUK is keen to learn about young players from softball leagues who are progressing to college or university, in hopes that they can get involved in building softball at their institutions. BSUK is also planning to track where students go once they have left education, to see if they can be linked to local leagues where they decide to live.
BSUK currently has Development Managers in its four focus regions – London, the South East, the Midlands and the North West – and they are attempting to tie different strands of development work together by providing one person as a focal point in each area. Leagues in those regions are invited to let their Development Manager know what kinds of support they would like BSUK to provide in terms of growing the league or enhancing the softball experience for participants.
The point was made from the floor, however, that BSUK in turn needs to notify leagues about grassroots development activities being run in their area. Leagues might be able to help, and some leagues are already doing so – but leagues are also keen to provide exit routes from those activities and pick up new players.
National Championships
BSF Tournaments Officer Fiona Thorley confirmed to the meeting that the BSF Single-Sex Slowpitch Nationals will return to Birmingham in 2014, on the weekend of 19-20 July, which should lead to more entries from Northern teams.
The Co-ed Slowpitch Nationals – for all grades of play including the Premier Nationals – will be held on the weekend of 9-10 August at Farnham Park.
Meanwhile, on 11 January, the BSF will convene the first meeting of a new Nationals Working Group consisting of players and tournament organisers from different grades of play and different areas of the country. In addition to looking at how BSF Nationals can be improved in terms of atmosphere and facilities, the group will look at questions such as how teams (and players) qualify for the Co-ed Nationals and how the grading categories of Premier, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze correspond to league and tournament team classifications.
Suggestions from the floor for topics the Working Group should consider included:
- Dealing with teams that self-select into divisions lower than their ability.
- Providing a route for independent teams (below the NSL) into the Co-ed Nationals.
- Harmonising places available in the Co-ed Nationals with league divisional structures.
- Allowing small leagues to send a composite team to the Co-ed Nationals rather than the league winner.
Harry Somers from the Manchester Softball League raised a key question. “Why are some leagues not taking up their places at Nationals,” Harry asked. “Shouldn't all leagues send their winners?” The Nationals have to be something different,” Harry added, “and teams should have to get there on merit.”