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Game
and Practice Time Rescheduling
Each year a number of requests are
submitted by coaches and parents regarding the rescheduling of games and sometimes
practices to try and work around the busy, busy schedules that we (and our kids)
all keep. While wanting to remain as flexible as possible, there also comes
a time when a certain amount of structure becomes very important due to the
size of the baseball program and trying to accommodate 100 teams and 1,500 games
which have to be played in a given time frame. With that in mind, here is how
we will operate.
1. Practice time rescheduling - A basic practice schedule is given to each team
to help accommodate everyone in finding a time and a place to hold your team
practices. From there it is up to the coaches to decide if that works or if
they need to make changes. You can trade with another coach on time and place
or you can find your own place to practice on a time frame that fits your schedule
- provided it does not infringe upon the time and place of another coach and
their team. It is wide open for you as a coach to make this work.
2. Game Rescheduling - There is not a lot of flexibility with this part of the
program. We have learned in the past that our best bet on running a smooth program
is to schedule the calendar full with plenty of games for each team. Then if
there is a "rain out", we do not reschedule unless we get so many
that it becomes real important to get more games in. This process eliminates
a huge nightmare when it comes to scheduling umpires and volunteers to work.
Most of the time when we get requests for rescheduling games it revolves around
conflicts with soccer games. Here is our position regarding soccer conflicts:
Every school sport has its in-season and off-season time frames and programs.
When you look at the school calendar and sports programs, soccer is a fall sport.
We understand that most sports also offer off-season opportunities, as we do
with baseball, but do not feel that off-season sports should interfere or take
precedent over another sport's regular season activities. Soccer has pretty
much become a year round sport with a fall season, a winter season, and a spring/summer
season. That situation has made for conflicts with many kids who also want to
play baseball and basketball. We have no problem with off-season opportunities
for the kids, we think it's great, as long as it does not interfere with or
pressure the kids to be at an off-season activity when they have in-season activities
to be at. Certainly, we are not going to tell a child, parent, or coach which
activity they need to be at. However, missing in-season activities when others
are counting on you will be noticed and used in selection criteria for playing
and coaching spots in the future. With 30 to 45 coaching requests for only 12
spots in a grade level, we expect a high level of commitment from our coaches
and players when baseball's regular season is going on.
We want you at each of your scheduled baseball activities if at all possible.
We understand that sometimes it's not possible - that's OK. We usually have
enough assistant coaches who can step up and if need be, you can pull players
up from the grade below you if your team does not have enough players to play
- (but not a good habit to get in to).
As far as rescheduling games - it has to be a really unique situation, or we
will not be able to reschedule games. We schedule the calendar and fields almost
full at the start. Finding a field and time that works for both teams (and lining
up umpires for games that require one) will be difficult. Can you find a place
and time on your own if you don't need an umpire? You could, but we would highly
discourage that. You need to remember that any time you do not fulfill your
commitment at the park; you are hurting the program as a whole. We would encourage
you to reschedule your off-season activities as your first option. This issue
is not just to address the soccer conflicts, but also addresses issues with
school carnivals, space camps, and summer basketball and football activities.
We do not and will not ask you to put our off-season baseball activities ahead
of your other activities and hope that you will use the same decision making
process when baseball is in-season. Noblesville Youth Baseball is the largest
youth program in the community and we have to have a certain amount of structure
to operate effectively. We have GREAT FACILITIES, GREAT PARENTS, GREAT VOLUNTEERS,
GREAT COACHES, GREAT KIDS, AND AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT. THANKS
FOR ALL YOU DO!!
Noblesville Youth Baseball Board of Directors
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