2015 P.L.A.Y. In-House Softball Parent Meeting April 14, 2015

1) Overview of P.L.A.Y.2) Positive Coaching

Alliance-PCA3) 2014 Recap4) New for 20155) Grade Level Overview6) Playing Time7) Equipment8) P.L.A.Y. Code of Conduct9) Questions

AGENDA

Prior Lake Athletics for Youth, services the Prior Lake Savage School District, providing competitive and fun athletic opportunities for kids. Our priority is safety, skill development, and the teaching of life lessons through sports.Our program promotes the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, and integrity. We believe learning both success and failure through competition will benefit our future generations.

WHAT IS P.L.A.Y.Program Mission

VP of SoftballKari Alhstrom

Director of In-House SoftballDebbie Aidas

Age Level Coordinators

PreK/KindergartenNicole Ulrich

1st/2nd GradeBerenice Nava

3rd/4th GradeOPEN

Tournament Director

5th-12th GradeNicki Theis

Tournament Director

OPEN

Equipment Coordinator

Becky Leonard

Administrative Director

Randy Geister

IN-HOUSE SOFTBALL BOARD

Please consider helping! P.L.A.Y. is run fully on volunteer hours.

Promote Confidence Provide Exercise Develop Team Concepts Build Individual Skills Build and Develop

Relationships Recognize with Effort comes

Accomplishment Create a Health Understanding

of Winning and Losing Learn about Sportsmanship Spend Time with Friends and

Have Fun

POSITIVES OF YOUTH SPORTSAccording to parents Surveyed

P.L.A.Y. aspires to be an outstanding educational athletic organization that provides a high quality experience to every athlete.

A high quality experience is one in which every athlete:˜ Is coached using the principles of

Positive Coaching˜Has Fun playing the game˜Feels like an important part of the

team regardless of performance˜Learns “life lessons” that have value

beyond the playing field˜Learns the skills, tactics and strategies

of the game and improves as a player

WHAT IS POSITIVE COACHINGPositive Coaching Alliance

I Make Positive Actions Count Today

Support your player, let it go and enjoy the sport

It should ALWAYS be fun…softball is a game not a job!

Next PAC Workshop:April 19, 2015 6:30-8:00 pmPLHS Lecture Hall Eric Rodine on “The Purpose of Coaching”

POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCEI.M.P.A.C.T.

Promote EFFORT: ˜Be prepared and give your

best! Enforce LEARNING:

˜Teach something new each day!

Manage MISTAKES:˜They will happen know

how to move on!

POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCEE.L.M.

Always Always Always Showing Respect for:˜Rules˜Opponents˜Officials˜Teammates˜Self

POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCER.O.O.T.S.

Tell your child to just play with their best effort and that it is okay to be nervous

Let your child know you are pleased with them regardless of how well they play

Honor the game yourself no matter what others do

POSITIVE PARENTINGBefore the Game

Let the coaches do the coaching

Cheer good plays and good efforts by both teams

Mention good calls made by the officials

Enjoy the game, do not stress yourself or those around you

POSITIVE PARENTINGDuring the Game

Thank the officials for their time and efforts in a difficult job

Thank the coaches for their efforts

Tell your child again that you are pleased with them even if the game didn’t go well your child did something well

Let you child tell you about the game avoid post game coaching unless asked

SIMPLY SAY: “I ENJOYED WATCHING YOU PLAY!”

POSITIVE PARENTINGAfter the Game

As a parent of a P.L.A.Y. athlete, I will:1. Engage in “No-Directions Cheering”, letting the players and

coaches take responsibility for the first goal of winning. I will relentlessly focus on the second, more important, goal of using sports to teach life lessons to my child and other youth.

2. Set an example for my child by Honoring the Game and will encourage him/her to remember ROOTS (Respect for the Rules, Opponents, Officials, Team & Self). This includes appropriate language, comments, dress, and actions.

3. Use positive encouragement to fill the Emotional Tanks of my children, their teammates and coaches. As I understand people perform at their best being positive.

4. Reinforce the ELM of Sports Mastery with my child, meaning that I will encourage my child to… (E) put in a high level of Effort, (L) have a teachable spirit to continue to Learn and improve, (M) to quickly rebound from Mistakes.

5. Support my child’s commitment to their team by getting my child to and from practice and games on time. I will share in my child’s commitment to the team as an in-season sport and work with coaches when conflicts arise.

6. Allow a 24 hour ‘cool down, be objective’ period before I discuss any serious concerns I have with a coach before communicating with that coach in an objective and adult manner.

Basic Parental Responsibility: I will represent Prior Lake Athletics with my personal best efforts, never bringing embarrassment or an unfavorable view to my team, coaches, family, P.L.A.Y. or communityPenalty: Abuse brings restrictions and penalties may vary from a minimum of one event suspension from P.L.A.Y. athletic events to restriction for a season and the following sport season. It is a Privilege not a Right to be in a P.L.A.Y. program.

PARENTS PLEDGE

Signed During Registration Players Will Make Mistakes Coaches Will Make Mistakes Officials Will Make Mistakes You are Responsible for

YOUR Family Members If Issues or Concerns Arise

During the Season˜Talk to the Head Coach˜Talk to the Age Level Coordinator

˜Talk to the Director of In-House Softball

P.L.A.Y. CODE OF CONDUCT

PreK/Kindergarten ˜6 Teams 57 players

1st/2nd Grade˜6 Teams 67 players

3rd/4th Grade˜4 Teams 49 total players

5th-12th Grade South Metro˜3 Intermediate Teams 37 players

˜2 Senior Teams 25 players

235 In-House Softball Players

2014 REVIEWIn-House Softball

Delaying season start to May 11th

Increased #s Longer season for 3rd/4th

grade Possibility of working

some games into south metro 3rd/4th

Scheduling one game per week and one practice per week

2015 PREVIEWWhat is New in 2015

Tball˜ Batters will hit off of the T for the first four

games˜ Batters can choose to have a coach pitch

(3 pitches maximum) starting in game five˜ All players bat each inning and advance

one base at a time, last batter clears the bases

˜ All players play defense no one sits, no catcher

˜ Coaches on the field to direct players Season Starts May 11th

Two nights per week˜ Mon/Wed

Two time slots per night˜ 6:00 and 7:15

Fields˜ Ponds 8, Carriage Hills, Raspberry Ridge

Season Ends July 2nd

GRADE LEVEL OVERVIEWPreK/Kindergarten

Coach Pitch˜ Coach pitches 7 pitches maximum˜ Each player bats and advance one base

at a time (2 bases on hit to outfield), last batter clears the bases

˜ If a player is out they return to the bench

˜ 10 players on defense extra players rotate sitting.

˜ Coaches on the field to direct players Season Starts May 11th

Two Nights per Week˜ Mon/Wed

Two Time Slots per Night˜ 6:00 and 7:15

Fields˜ Jeffers Pond South, Willows, Woodridge

Season Ends July 2nd

GRADE LEVEL OVERVIEW1st/2nd Grade

Pitching Machine/Player Pitch˜ Pitching distance for both pitching machine and

player pitcher is 35 feet˜ 3 outs one time through the line up or 6 runs

ends a teams at bat˜ No stealing or advancing on passed balls˜ 10 players on defense extra players rotate

sitting.˜ No coaches on the field

Season Starts May 11th

Two Nights per Week and Some Saturdays˜ Tues/Thurs/Sat

Two Time Slots per Night˜ 6:00 and 7:15 9:00 and 10:15 (Sat am)

Fields˜ Jeffers Pond North, Jeffers Pond South

Possibility of mid season tournament with South Metro League

Season Ends July 25th with Year End Tournament˜ New this year we will be joining with baseball for

a bigger more fun event.

GRADE LEVEL OVERVIEW3rd/4th Grade

Player Pitch˜ Pitching distance is 46 feet˜ 3 outs or 10 runs ends a teams at bat˜ No stealing or advancing on passed balls˜ 10 players on defense extra players rotate sitting.˜ No coaches on the field

Season Starts April 20th

Two Nights per Week and Some Saturdays˜ Tues/Thurs/Sat

Two Time Slots per Night˜ 6:00 and 7:15 9:00 and 10:15 (Sat am)

Fields˜ Practices will be at the Prior Lake High School

North Fields˜ Games are played in Prior Lake, Savage, and

Burnsville

Two Tournaments˜ Mid Season Tournament will be in Prior Lake June

20-21˜ End of Year Tournament will be in Burnsville July

25-26

GRADE LEVEL OVERVIEWSouth Metro Slowpitch League5th-7th Grade Intermediates

Player Pitch˜ Pitching distance is 50 feet˜ 3 outs or 10 runs ends a teams at bat˜ No stealing or advancing on passed balls˜ 10 players on defense extra players rotate

sitting.˜ No coaches on the field

Season Starts April 20th

Two Nights per Week and Saturdays˜ Mon/Wed/Sat

Two Time Slots per Night˜ 6:00 and 7:15 9:00 and 10:15 (Sat am)

Fields˜ Practices will be at the Prior Lake High School

North Fields˜ Games are played in Prior Lake, Savage, and

Burnsville

Two Tournaments˜ Mid Season Tournament: Prior Lake June 20-21˜ End of Year Tournament: Burnsville July 25-26

GRADE LEVEL OVERVIEWSouth Metro Slowpitch League8th-12th GradeSeniors

All games at the In-House level are for player development.

Players should have the opportunity to play EVERY position and coaches are required to rotate their players ever 1-3 innings depending on the age level.

Players must be rotated EVENLY on the bench no player should sit a second time before all the players sit once.

If playing time is reduced for attendance attitude or discipline issues (3rd grade and above) we expect coaches to communicate this with the players and parents.

Playing Time

Required Equipment˜Shoes, cleats are not required but can be worn, no metal cleats

˜Glove˜Helmet, must be NOCSAE approved

˜Pants, shorts or athletic pants should be worn

EQUIPMENTPlayer Provided Equipment

BatsBallsBasesTeesPitching MachinesCatcher’s GearFirst Aid KitUniform Jersey and Socks

EQUIPMENTP.L.A.Y. Provided Equipment

QUESTIONS