Organizational tips?

UBCuts

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Looking to possibly start a club going into the next year. Anyone have any organizational do's and don'ts? We are kind of located an hour from every major organization and would like to compete on a larger scale. Any helpful tips would be appreciated.
 

TheSoftballZone

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What exactly is your programs Goals? Short term and Long term?

If your going to succeed with your new club and you haven't any player's yet. Your going to have to offer something unique and different to compete with all the other organizations in your area.

If I was in your shoes I would first write down my goals for my programs short and long term and how I will achieve them. Then I would talk to Coaches that have failed and been successful at doing what you want to accomplish.
Learn from thier mistakes and success then move forward with your plan.
 

Davemy

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Why do you want to start a Team or Organization? Is Travel Time a issue with Practices? You want to be a Head Coach? You don't have to start an Organization to get a Team from another Organization. Get 11 Girls and there is a Organization out there that will give you uniforms!!
 
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Softballfarm

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As a start-up, finding players is a big hurdle...unless you already have a core group you would be leveraging. If your core positions are in place...two pitchers, catcher, Middle Infield, things will get a whole-lot easier on you. DaveMY is on to something however where I am sure...if you have a plan...there is an existing organization that will back you and give you enough autonomy to operate the team they way you want it to be. Regardless, be positive and don't let anyone discourage you. This is a great game and growing this sport is all our roll.
 

UBCuts

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We've had a team for 3 years, consisting of local girls. Started in 10u and are now playing 12u. Added a new 10u team this fall. Just looking to go from rec tourneys and leagues to something a little more devoted. Been involved in other organizations before with an older daughter. Travel isn't the issue with us, as much as getting to practices with some of the bigger teams. We are an hour+ away from everyone.
 

wvanalmsick

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We've had a team for 3 years, consisting of local girls. Started in 10u and are now playing 12u. Added a new 10u team this fall. Just looking to go from rec tourneys and leagues to something a little more devoted. Been involved in other organizations before with an older daughter. Travel isn't the issue with us, as much as getting to practices with some of the bigger teams. We are an hour+ away from everyone.

You need to learn the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) by-laws and Sports regulations. These rules apply to Middle School and High School girls. If you have a bunch of local kids that means they probably all go to the same high school or middle school. If you have more than four girls from the same high school or middle school on the same travel team, they are in violation of the OHSAA rules and their High School eligibility will be jeopardized. You need to become well versed with these regulations.

This is one of the main reasons it is hard to get a travel team started in rural areas. To make it succeed, you will need to draw girls from other areas.

http://ohsaa.org
 

daboss

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The people posting have your best interest at heart. Please don't get defensive. They want you to think it thru. It has an effect on the girls as well as yourself and things can get ugly very fast. It can be done. Just do it for the right reasons.

FYI, people can't always have what they want in their backyard. An hour travel does not seem that bad to me. Heck, I drive 40 minutes to get to a Walmart or Tractor Supply out here in our area!
 

Slammers06

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Please correct me if Im wrong and I very well probably am. But if Im reading this correctly the 50% rule is not in effect or waived during the time laid out which is essentially travel ball season.

The 50 percent team limit is not in effect for the sports of baseball and softball from the Friday before Memorial Day through July 31 provided the members of the school team
have completed their school team’s season.
d.) A member of a school team may continue to participate with a non-school team in a
national qualifying tournament after July 31 until the team is eliminated from the tourna-
ment but no later than Labor Day
 

Stedman00

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the problem is that you cannot have more than 4 girls on the same travel team, play on the same school team. and also the no contact period with any travel team once school team has their first game or scrimmage.
 
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Captain_Thunder

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Please correct me if Im wrong and I very well probably am. But if Im reading this correctly the 50% rule is not in effect or waived during the time laid out which is essentially travel ball season.

The 50 percent team limit is not in effect for the sports of baseball and softball from the Friday before Memorial Day through July 31 provided the members of the school team
have completed their school team’s season.
d.) A member of a school team may continue to participate with a non-school team in a
national qualifying tournament after July 31 until the team is eliminated from the tourna-
ment but no later than Labor Day

If only playing & practicing in that time frame - they are good to go! No Fall Ball, etc.........
I am hoping that the High School team who lost to a Travel team yesterday, as was posted on this site, were playing indoors!!! Cause I think if they were outside, they broke a few rules!!!!
 

cobb_of_fury

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Will Ohio ever give up these draconian rules? - Not sure why it's in the peoples interest to monitor what softball travel teams girls play for or who they are practicing with...
Just speaking as an outsider - Seems like fairly arbitrary rules with no real good basis -

High School Coaches are free to say - "You cant play with your travel ball teams from X till Y or you wont play on my team" why are these rules even necessary?
Other than being a bane to Travel ball coaches?
 

Fairman

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The HS teams in the Pittsburgh area have a nice fall season. The larger schools will have two separate teams, use school equipment and even the high school coaches. The smaller schools will recruit an extra pitcher and all get to go at each other. The Fall season could easily last 3 or 4 weekends; almost as long as the regular spring season.

The world didn't stop turning and a lot of girls got a chance to play. The Ohio rules do seem anti-rural, and anti-small-school in their implementation.
 

UBCuts

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The people posting have your best interest at heart. Please don't get defensive. They want you to think it thru. It has an effect on the girls as well as yourself and things can get ugly very fast. It can be done. Just do it for the right reasons.

FYI, people can't always have what they want in their backyard. An hour travel does not seem that bad to me. Heck, I drive 40 minutes to get to a Walmart or Tractor Supply out here in our area!

Totally not defensive. Otherwise I wouldn't have posted the original question. This is a great place to pick people's brains for ideas and suggestions. You sound like you understand the travel issue and face the same dilemmas we do. That's why I asked the original question. We'd love to provide something for area girls to continue their journey in softball. We have several kids that participate in travel ball from our area and we know that it is a huge time commitment for parents and families. It's all about providing an outlet to play a sport that kids love and increasing their abilities and their love of the game.
 

coachjwb

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Some good advice above. I would also add that if you're starting an organization instead of just a team, that you set some rules/guidelines and standards ... select coaches carefully as they will be the face of your organization and can build it up or tear it down very quickly, have a system in place for the collection/spending/reporting of moneys, decide how funds will be raised at least initially, determine how players will be recruited and tried out, etc.
 

daboss

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Totally not defensive. Otherwise I wouldn't have posted the original question. This is a great place to pick people's brains for ideas and suggestions. You sound like you understand the travel issue and face the same dilemmas we do. That's why I asked the original question. We'd love to provide something for area girls to continue their journey in softball. We have several kids that participate in travel ball from our area and we know that it is a huge time commitment for parents and families. It's all about providing an outlet to play a sport that kids love and increasing their abilities and their love of the game.

My concern away from the rules and guidelines and a host of other issues you will face is that I haven't seen you answer the question as to where are your girls coming from? If your answer is that you plan to offer a new team to local girls that have already committed to others for 2017, than my advice is don't do it now. Loyalty and commitment are a few of the character traits the girls should learn from the experience and few on here would support any plans for you to recruit kids from other clubs this late. If you have an entire team of non-committed girls, I suggest you find out how serious their commitment is by getting their money for the season collected and place it in an account that takes 2 people to endorse the check. That will go a long way to show the families your intentions are pure. You'll need that money as soon as you can get it collected because teams are already entering next year's tourneys. Let's not get the cart before the horse before you know their level of commitment.

Be sure they understand that as a first year team they will have to travel to play and most tourneys will not be local. Many big tourneys will only have a limited amount of slots because they are going to be faithful to teams that have played without incident in the past and their check is good. You'll need a few seasons to build that trust.

Don't concern yourself with the development of an organization until you know you have teams ready to commit and put in a season actually playing.

We're not against a new organization. We're actually doing you a huge favor. Many "teams" are lucky to play a scheduled season due to players and families not understanding how much time, travel, and money it truly takes to make things work. Insure that first. Build your organization and set up tryouts when others are doing the same. I'd be willing to do a sit down with you if you remain on course to make it happen. Just send me a personal message and well coordinate a meeting. I drink sweet tea---------you'll be buying. lol
 
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