The BSF Executive held a conference call meeting on the evening of Thursday, September 1. Below are highlights of discussions and decisions.
Present: Stella Ackrell (President), Mike Jennings (Treasurer), Liz Graham (Tournaments Officer), Mark Wigington (Marketing Officer), Vicky Hall (General Officer), Debbie Moores (General Officer), Chris Moon (BASU Representative).
Apologies: Julie Calver (Website Officer).
Guest: Bob Fromer (BSUK).
ISF Slowpitch World Cup
The BSF has made a decision not to send a GB Slowpitch Team to the Slowpitch Co-ed World Cup that the International Softball Federation plans to run in January 2012 in Plant City, Florida along with a Men's Masters competition. Softball Ireland appears to have made a similar decision, and the two countries will send a joint communication to the ISF explaining their reasons.
The main reason is that the event, like those held by the ISF in 2002 and 2005, does not appear to have attracted many entries. For the first time, there will be a session at the ISF Congress next month specifically to discuss slowpitch, and both GB and Ireland hope that a large number of countries can help to define the way forward for international slowpitch development and competition at that meeting.
ESF slowpitch competition
Entries to both the European Slowpitch Championships and the European Slowpitch Cup were down in 2011, and a series of proposals to address this through changes to ESF slowpitch competition has been created by ESF Development Commissioner Totoni Sanna and Bob Fromer, who oversees slowpitch development for the ESF.
The BSF Executive gave its approval to the proposals with some small additions, and they will now go forward for consideration by the ESF Executive when it meets in November. BSF support for the proposals should provide further encouragement for the ESF to adopt them.
The main points of the proposals are:
1) The European Slowpitch Championships and Cup will both be held every two years, and in alternate years (the Cup is currently held annually). It is hoped that having just one ESF slowpitch competition per year will make it easier, logistically and financially, for European countries to send teams (and to host the events).
2) Both tournaments will be scheduled, as far as possible, so as not to conflict with senior fastpitch competitions, since in many European countries, national slowpitch team players also play in European fastpitch competitions.
3) Initial rosters for slowpitch competitions will be expanded and entry deadlines will be extended.
4) Countries on the European continent that host an official ESF Slowpitch Clinic in the year of a slowpitch competition will get a discount on their entry fee for that competition.
5) Up to three teams per country will be allowed to enter the European Slowpitch Cup, and the ESF will be asked to consider relaxing nationality and "pick-up player" requirements for this competition.
ESF Slowpitch Commissioner
For the past several years, Bob Fromer has acted as a quasi-official Slowpitch Development Officer for the ESF, with the aim of increasing the number of people playing slowpitch on the European continent and the number of countries sending teams to European slowpitch competitions.
A good deal of progress has been made, with the number of entries to European competitions peaking in 2010 and the number of slowpitch leagues in Europe increasing. Several countries have hosted an ESF Slowpitch Clinic run by British coaches and umpire-trainers, and an ESF Slowpitch Development Pack was published earlier this year.
Bob is now resigning from this position, and the BSF Executive accepted the recommendation that former Softball Ireland President John Austin, who now heads the Irish Federation's coaching programme, should be nominated for the position by Britain and Ireland. This recommendation will be made to the ESF Executive meeting in November.
League Heads Forum and National Softball League
Proposals for adding a second tier to the National Softball League at B-level have now been floating around for almost a year, and the BSF would like to give key members of the softball community a say in shaping the future of the NSL before final decisions are made.
Accordingly, the BSF will be holding an "NSL Workshop" as part of the 2011 League Heads Forum, scheduled for Saturday, November 26 (location to be confirmed).
The BSF will hold its own discussion on the NSL at a weekend face-to-face meeting scheduled for November 12-13, but will come to the League Heads Forum with an open mind. In addition to the normal invitation extended to Softball League Heads and tournament organisers to attend the League Heads Forum, others with a stake in the future of the NSL concept will also be invited.
Like last year, the BSF will pay travel expenses for a representative from each league to attend.
Development grant
The BSF Executive has approved an application for a Development Grant from the Greater London Softball Mixed League (GLSML) for £240, to cover coaching fees for the very successful development evenings that the league runs throughout the summer in Regents Park.
These sessions generally produce one or more new teams that enter the league in the following season.
Ambassador to the Dutch Women's World Championship bid
The Netherlands is bidding to host the 2014 ISF Women's World Championships, and if the bid is successful when considered at next month's ISF Congress in Oklahoma City, it will mark the first time the ISF's pinnacle competition has been held in Europe.
The Dutch have requested that each ESF country appoint an "Ambassador" to support the bid and preparations for the tournament, and Bob Fromer has volunteered to carry out this role on behalf of the BSF. Mike Jennings will also be available to offer support.
BSF banners
The BSF has agreed to order 10 banners that can be used to promote the Federation and the sport at national championship and other events, though they will not be ready in time for use this season.
International Influence Strategy Grant
BSUK makes an application each year to UK Sport through the Sport and Recreational Alliance for an International Influence Strategy Grant for baseball and softball, to be used to support attendance at international meetings and Congresses and also for projects that can enhance international relations.
In the past, grants of over £5000 per year have been received for the two sports, but government cuts run deep, and this year's award is only £1624.
The money will be split evenly between the BBF and BSF and will be used by the BSF to help its delegates attend the ISF Congress in Oklahoma City next month and the ESF Congress in Malta in February.
The Baseball and Softball Shop
The BSF has received a proposal from The Baseball and Softball Shop to become its "preferred" or "approved" equipment supplier, and Marketing Officer Mark Wigington and Tournaments Officer Lesley Morisetti will negotiate terms for the arrangement, which will primarily cover softballs.
Wickes Finals
The BSF Executive was invited to the Finals Day for Wickes softball teams on Sunday, September 4 at AFC Cobham, and four Executive members planned to attend.
More than 60 teams from the DIY chain's stores took part in league competition this year and Wickes Softball Leagues, which are supported by BSUK and the BSF, raise significant amounts of money for the charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
The six teams that won regional titles competed at the Finals Day, which was further supported by BASU and BSUK umpires.
Next meeting
The next BSF conference call meeting will be on Thursday evening, October 6. Anyone with an item for the agenda should email General Officer [encode=vahall@hotmail.co.uk title=Vicky Hall}.