Coaches' Poll Voting Instructions and FAQ

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How to vote

PM me (TheRinger) your top 10 teams ranked in order 1 thru 10 after each weekend.

Example:
1. Big City SuperDupers
2. Bugtussle Red Slammer Beaters
3. MyTeam
.
.
.
10 The Whoevers

Include who you coach for.
Votes must be in by Tuesday night.


FAQ

Q. Who is eligible to vote?
A. Coaches and assistant coaches of travel ball teams. However, only one ballot per team is counted. There is also certain number of special exception voters that cast ballots. These are addicted status OFC members who have coached and voted in the past but do not necessarily coach a team this year.

Q. What if I want a special exception to vote?
A. PM me why you think you should be included in the voting. You must have addicted status. Those that do vote with an exception are "pillars" in the OFC community and know Ohio softball. The comments I receive with their votes indicate they take it serious.

Q. How are the points calculated?
A. First place votes get 10 points, 2nd place gets 9 point, so on and so forth with 10th place getting one point. Point are totaled and ordered.

Q. Can I vote for my own team?
A. Yes, if you feel you deserve the ranking then by all means.

Q. Do you modify the results?
A. No, I tally the votes and let the chips fall where they may.

Q. How much politics are involved in the voting?
A. From the votes I get, I would say very little. Most voters are honest with their ballots. I'm sure there is some politicking going on here and there but nothing that is overly blatant or even noticeable.

Q. My team is very good but we are not even noticed. The same teams always seem to be on top. How do we get noticed?
A. If your team is very good, then you will be noticed before long. However, your team must play a decent schedule with some visibility and signature wins. Early season polls reflect history and "street cred" built up from their past history. Once the season swings into full force, if you are truly the cream, you will rise to the top. (see Tigerlillies of last year)

Q. What are these polls for? What do they mean? Why should I care?
A. The polls are strictly for fun and a way to raise awareness of the teams around the state. They are conversation starters plain and simple. There are no awards and no big crystal softball trophy at the end of the season. Even if your team is not in the poll but knocks off a top 10 team, I guarantee your team will get some pub.

Q. Can we see who votes and how?
A. No. In order to maintain an honest poll, all votes are private.

Q. Who named you the Poll Czar?
A. Me.
 
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Q. Who named you the Poll Czar?
A. Me.

And...

Admin
Johnnies
Bear

Mike does the forum a great service putting together and maintaining the polls. It is one of the most popular areas on OFC.

Thaks Mike!
 
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Does anyone know if The Ringer is running the Coaches Poll again this year. I know last year there was a preseason poll out already?
 
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I would certainly hope for. I don't qualify because I don't coach travel anymore, but it was great seeing where teams fell.
 
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Last year there was a preseason poll already out. This year looks to be in trouble unless The Ringer is waiting or someone else takes it over
 
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Last year there was a preseason poll already out. This year looks to be in trouble unless The Ringer is waiting or someone else takes it over

Think we can get Ringer to do this again this year?

We all do appreciate your hard work Ringer....
 
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I believe that Ringer has successfully completed a 12 step program for rescuing one's life back from OFC (j/k) and won't be taking on this time-consuming project this summer.

I have a proposal. Let's give Ringer two weeks to let us know whether he wants to do the polls again this year (after all, having introduced the tradition, he is entitled to first crack). If we don't get a "yes" back from Ringer, then people can volunteer to take one age division and post the results. I'd be willing to do the 16U poll, if I pass muster with the admins.

I just reread the Ringer's FAQ's and Rules and I wouldn't think that anything would need to be changed. Those "special addicted voters" would have to let the new pollster know of their status unless Ringer is willing to pass that info on.

BTW, rereading those materials ALSO very much reminded me how much I miss Ringer's humorous contributions to this forum. So I'm hoping he will make an appearance and tell us he is on board for Travel Ball 2011.
 
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Oh Ringer . . . Are you out there? Please please please baby please, tell us that you will reappear for THE POLLS. (Silliness aside, we'll have you covered if your real life makes it hard for you to return as The Pollmaster).
 
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Ringer, ringer, ringer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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I say go for it....someone just needs to step up and say they will do it.:D
 
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I said 14 days from the May 7th date that I posted. But I am lasered in on the age groups where HS softball means no travel ball until much later than for the younger groups.

If we have a loose agreement that should Ringer show up to take control of what is rightfully his, he will be The Pollmaster for the remainder of the travel ball season, then the first volunteer in each of the young ages should probably go for it (though I have no official status on this recommendation).

What I am going to do, for the 16U if Ringer doesn't come back, is create a 16U sub-thread on the Polls forum for coaches to post specific information about where and who they played and the results for the team. Hoping by doing that some teams will get recognition based on results rather than just on the name. This may well end up with the team that I'm affiliated with losing a spot on the poll, but if we would only be there based on name recognition, I'm thinking we'd rather not be there at all.
 
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Last season I offered for me and Jay to write a web app that will handle this ... should not be hard.. coaches would 'register' their team, age, etc and be verifed - which would get them a password - once verifed they could come back every week - enter their picks and the 'system' track it.

We would need someone to 'load' all the teams eligible in each age bracket - that should not be hard... once it is done, we would need a person in each age bracket to verify coaches, assign pwds (head coaches only) and watch over it.. thoughts?
 
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Sounds good to me. If no one objects I'll do it for 12u then, and when Ringer comes back and wants to take back over that will be fine.
 

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