STANDISH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION (SSA) BY LAWS (Official at the Annual Meeting)

Article 1 ASSOCIATION 1 Mission Statement: STANDISH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION (SSA) BY LAWS (Official at the 10 16 12 Annual Meeting) Standish Softball Association is an organization of players, coaches, parents and others who are committed to providing a learning environment for all girls and dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of softball with an emphasis on good sportsmanship and team play. 2 Membership A. Association membership is open to anyone interested in providing and/or participating in opportunities to develop the skills necessary to play softball in affiliation with the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). B. Each registered family will have one vote in electing Directors and any other Association business. 3 Board of Directors A. The Board of Directors shall consist of 11 seats (four officers and seven memberat large positions) elected by the Voting Membership present at any regularly scheduled board meeting. B. The four officers shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. See Article 2 for a listing of position descriptions. C. The seven Members At Large shall be: Fundraising Coordinator, Concession Coordinator, Coaching Coordinator, Umpire Coordinator, Equipment & Fields Coordinator, Team Parent Coordinator and Webmaster. See Article 2 for a listing of position descriptions. D. Terms for all positions are three years and begin at the Annual Meeting. E. Elections will occur on a rotational basis every three years as follows. 1) President, Concession Coordinator, Coaching Coordinator & Webmaster 2) Treasurer, Secretary, Umpire Coordinator & Team Parent Coordinator 3) Vice President, Fundraising Coordinator & Equipment and Fields Manager F. Responsibilities of the Board of Directors are: 1) To elect the directors and approve the appointed directors annually. 2) To implement & administer the policies of the SSA & ASA. 3) To meet monthly to direct & conduct business. 1

G. In the event that a seat becomes vacant in the middle of a term, the seat shall be temporarily filled by appointment of the Board of Directors at the next regularly scheduled board meeting for the remainder of the term. H. Absence of a Director for three (3) consecutive meetings may trigger sanctions up to and including removal from the Board. Sanctions will be assessed upon a simple majority vote of the Directors. 4 Standing Committees A. Board of Directors shall attempt to create Fundraising, Budget and Instructional committees annually. B. The Board of Directors may establish ad hoc committees as necessary. 5 Grievance Procedure Grievances shall remain confidential between the involved parties and the officers of the Board of Directors. Grievances must follow the appropriate chain of command listed below. A. Should a parent have a concern about a coach, the parent should first discuss the concern with the coach at a time and place away from the players. B. If the parent feels that the discussion is not feasible and/or the complaint has not been resolved after discussion with the coach, the grievance should be submitted to the President in writing. C. The President shall contact the complainant within three (3) days from the receipt of the complaint for the purpose of acknowledgement and verification of understanding the complaint. D. The President shall then provide a copy of the complaint to each Board member and to the coach in question, if applicable. E. The coach shall respond in writing to the President within three (3) Days of the receipt of the written complaint. F. After receipt of the coach s written response, a hearing on the complaint will be held at the next regularly scheduled board meeting. The complainant and the coach will be offered the opportunity to attend this meeting and to briefly address the grievance. At that time all members of the Board will review the facts of the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved, the board members shall establish a mutually agreeable time frame in which a resolution/decision shall be rendered. 2

G. This same process shall be followed for all grievances regardless of who initiates the complaint or who the complaint is directed toward, whether a player, coach, parent, or other party. H. If the complaint is against any board member, that board member must abstain from the decision making process. 6 Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting shall be held during the month of July. The Board of Directors shall set the specific date. 7 Special conditions for 501(c)3 applications A. The Standish Softball Association is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and/or scientific purposes under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. B. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall insure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for the services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements any political campaign n behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt form federal income tax under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b)by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)2 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. C. Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or a state or local government, for public purpose. 3

Article 2 STANDISH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER POSITIONS 1 President: It is the President's duty to oversee the entire league. The President is responsible for appointing all coaches, and umpires, with Board approval. The President is also responsible to ensure that all players are of the correct age. The President's main responsibility is to interact with the other towns and ASA to make certain that all paperwork is completed in a timely fashion. This includes all rosters that must be submitted to ASA. The President is also in charge of conducting all board meetings. 2 Vice President: Takes ownership of all aspects of the softball program; ensures coaches are aware of inter league rules; ensures coaches are aware of the expectations of the Board (playing time, taking care of equipment, concession involvement, etc.). The Vice President assists the President as needed. The Vice President shall assume the responsibilities of the President when the President is not available. 3 Treasurer: Maintains accurate records of all financial transactions; prepares yearly report for General Membership meeting; pays all bills; deposits all monies collected from registration, sponsors, concessions, files association taxes, etc. Helps prepare budget for next season. 4 Secretary: The Secretary needs to keep the minutes of all meetings. It is also the Secretary's responsibility to conduct all correspondence for the league. The secretary is responsible in assisting the President in creating the rosters which are supplied to ASA. The Secretary prepares/mails General Membership meeting notices; returns calls; and picks up mail from the league Post Office Box. 5 Coaching Coordinator: The Coaching Coordinator represents all coaches in the league. The Coaching Coordinator is responsible for: presenting a coach training budget to the Board; gain the support and funds to implement a league wide training program; order and distribute training materials to coaches; arrange and conduct coaching clinics. The Coaching Coordinator is responsible in insuring that all coaches have completed the necessary ASA training and background checks. 6 Umpire Coordinator: The Umpire Coordinator is one of the most important and thankless jobs in the league. Finding umpires is one of the most challenging positions there is. Scheduling umpires whether for a division or the entire league is a difficult, but rewarding task, when fulfilled. The Umpire Coordinator should take the opportunity to not only schedule umpires for games, but to also train the volunteer umpires. Umpire clinics are very important to not only train, but to find new umpires. 7 Equipment & Fields Manager: Keeping an inventory and holding down the league's costs are this officer's first priority. Making certain that all teams are properly equipped with safe gear is also a priority. The Equipment Manager should not only take inventory, but ensure that all equipment is in good working order. The 4

Equipment Manager is responsible for everything from the balls, bats, and catcher's gear, to the rakes and equipment used to maintain the fields. Is in direct contact with the Town of Standish for any field maintenance problems/issues. 8 Concession Coordinator: The Concessions Coordinator will ensure concession stands are clean; maintain proper inventory levels; calculate cost of items/generate price lists; post instructions on how to open/close stands; ensures "banks" are prepared for each night it s opened. 9 Team Parent Coordinator: The Team Parent Coordinator plays a very important role to ensure that information is distributed to the league. The Team Parent Coordinator is the main interface between SSA and the teams. This position has the responsibility of making the team picture schedule and works with the Fundraising Coordinator on any fundraising activities. The Team Parent Coordinator and Fundraising go hand in hand. 10 Fundraising Coordinator: The Fundraising Coordinator is responsible for sending sponsorship renewal letters to previous sponsors and soliciting new sponsors. Responsible for collecting all sponsorship fees and distributing plaques to sponsors. Responsible for finding ways to raise money for the operation of the league. 11 Webmaster: Responsible for keeping the web site up to date. Article 3 POLICIES & PROCEDURES 1 Player Eligibility A. It is open to all girls from age four (4) to 14 as of January 1 st. B. Players can be granted a waiver to play down a division if their skills and abilities do not match that of the division that their age assigns them to. a. This request must be made at registration but no later than evaluations. b. Players requesting this must be evaluated with the age appropriate division. c. This decision is the discretion of the board. 2 Divisions of Fast Pitch Softball A. Rookies (T Ball) ages 4 5: This Division introduces softball to very young girls who have likely never played before and whose skill and coordination are just developing. This is a combination of coach pitch and tee ball. Players are taught the very rudiments of how to throw the ball, field a grounder, swing the bat, and which way to run around the bases. No scores are kept and everyone bats every inning and plays the field. Two practices during the week in the pre season, and then one practice a week with a game on the weekend after the season starts. 5

B. Juniors (8U) ages 6 8: This Division seeks to explain and demonstrate the sport of softball to its players by introducing more of the sport s rules. This division is coach pitch, but pitching is introduced to the girls and the emphasis is on good fundamental throwing, fielding, and hitting skills. Playing time is evenly distributed because everyone bats and plays the field every inning. Opportunities for the girls to pitch will occur, but only between the Standish teams and towards the second half of the season. Two practices during the week in the pre season, and then two practices a week with a game on the weekend after the season starts. C. Minors (10U) ages 9 10: Fundamentals are still the focus here but some competitive spirit begins to show among players in this division. More advanced rules are introduced and pitching development is a major priority. Some finer points of hitting are developed and bunting is introduced as an important part of softball. Base running skills and team defensive play are introduced, while basic throwing, fielding, and hitting skills are reinforced. Scores and team standings are kept. The full complement of ASA rules is in effect. Two practices during the week in the pre season, and then two games a week with one practice on the weekend after the season starts. This division will have an all star team. D. Majors (12U) ages 11 12: While skill development, team play, and fun are still the emphasis, girls become noticeably more competitive in this division. Pitching development is still encouraged for anyone willing to put in the extra effort needed at this level. More advanced hitting, bunting, and base running techniques are taught. Team play is emphasized on defense while a consistent demonstration of fielding fundamentals is now the goal. The full complement of ASA rules is in effect. Two practices during the week in the pre season, and then two games a week with one practice on the weekend after the season starts. This division will have an all star team. E. Seniors (14U) Ages 13 14: The objective of this level of instruction is competitive play by ASA rules in local leagues and ASA sanctioned tournaments. This level is open to all players ages 13 14. Two practices during the week in the pre season, and then two games a week with one practice on the weekend after the season starts. There is an A team in this division that girls have to try out for to make. 3 Team Selection A. Registration and Evaluations 1) A registration night shall be held on a suitable date, as determined by the Board of Directors. 2) Evaluations and try outs, for the purpose of appropriate team placement, shall be held no later than the last Saturday of March. 6

3) Registrations may be accepted up to the date of tryouts. 4) Late registrations (those received after the tryout date) will be accepted only on a contingent basis. Every effort will be made to place a player on an appropriate team. 5) A registration fee may be assessed to help defray the costs of operating the association. The Board of Directors shall set the fee. The fee is due and payable at the time of registration. B. Team Selection 1) Automatic placement: The following situations will result in an automatic placement on a team: a) Player is the child of a coach b) Player is returning player at the same level c) Player has a sibling already on the team 2) Player draft: All players who are not automatically placed on a team will participate in a player draft. After the first (1 st ) round, the number of draft picks may increase to balance the number of players per team. a) At the 14 under and 12 under levels, all players will be placed on a team. The draft will be conducted in reverse order of the prior year s standings (i.e. the team with the worst record gets first pick, and so on). b) At the 10 under level, all players will be placed on a team. The draft will be conducted in reverse order of the prior year s standings (i.e. the team with the worst record gets first pick, and so on). c) At the 8 under level, all players will be placed on a team. The first draft pick belongs to the team with the least number of current members on the roster, then picks will alternate between teams until the rosters are full. Recognizing the desire to have teams of relatively equal ability, a coach may pass on a draft pick that would otherwise give the team an excessive number of players from a specific age group. d) At the T Ball level, all players will be placed on a team. C. All Star Team Selection 1) Head coaches will be selected by the board. 2) Head coaches can select their assistant coach, and those individuals must meet with the board s approval. 3) Coaches at each level select their teams, and their selections must meet with the board s approval. 7

4 Coaches 4) Each team will carry a minimum of 10 players but not more than 12 with two alternates. 5) Once selected, players and parents must sign a contract agreeing to the practice schedule, tournament dates, etc. 6) Each player pays a uniform fee of $30. 7) Standish Softball Association will provide equipment and pay the entrance fee into the State Tournament for each division. 8) Any additional tournaments will require additional fund raising by the team. A. Each team shall have one Head Coach and one Assistant Coach. All coaches are subject to review and approval by the Board of Directors. B. Coaches shall exhibit outstanding moral character at all times and encourage the same behavior from their players. C. All coaches must: 1) complete the necessary ASA training, 2) pass the ASA background check, 3) attend all trainings for coaches, 4) agree to all association policies and procedures, and 5) assist in all fund raising activities to assist the association. D. In the event of a vacancy of a Head Coach, preference shall be given to an Assistant Coach to fill the vacancy. E. There shall be no drinking of alcoholic beverages, smoking or use of profanity on, or around the playing field. 5 Rules of Play A. Rookies (T Ball) Rules: 1) No score will be kept. 2) Bases are set at 50 feet apart. 3) Games and/or practices shall be a maximum of 1.5 hours in length. 4) Batter and runners will wear helmets during games and practices. 5) All team members shall bat during each inning. 6) Coaches will pitch five (5) balls to each batter. If no hit occurs, play will resume using the batting T. B. Juniors (8U) Rules: 1) Score will be kept. 8

2) Bases are set at the ASA standard length for 8U play. 3) Practices will be twice during the week and cannot last longer than 1.5 hours. 4) Games will be 2.0 hours in length, with no inning to start after 2 hours. 5) Every player will be provided an equal amount of playing time, averaged during the season. 6) Games will be a maximum of six innings. 7) Coaches pitch to their own team. There s a 7 10 pitch maximum for each batter. Extra pitches can be added in lieu of foul balls, but within reasonable limits. 8) Player pitchers can be used at a coaches discretion, but they should not slow the progress of the game. 9) Two defensive pitchers one on each side of the coach who is pitching. 10) Everyone bats / everyone plays (within limits). Both teams should bat the same number of girls. Coaches must meet prior to the start of the game to discuss the number of batters, etc. 11) Rolling line up, the order does not matter. 12) No extra bases on an overthrow. 13) An 11 safety ball is used by the league. 14) Catchers need to wear protective gear. 15) Defensive team needs to place an adult behind the catcher to help stop balls in order to keep the game moving quickly and can have a coach on the field. 16) When Standish teams are playing each other, they should allow player pitching during the last half of a season and play at least two innings with a real softball during those games. C. Minors (10U) Rules 1) Full complement of ASA rules will be used except those amended and adopted by the league (all participating towns). 2) Games will be officiated by ASA umpires when available. 3) Every player will play at least two defensive innings and get two at bats per seven inning game. 4) A player may be benched for a game, at the discretion of the coach. 5) Games will be scored and league playoff positions will be determined by league standings. 6) No new inning after 8pm on weeknight games. D. Majors (12U) Rules 1) Full complement of ASA rules will be used except for those amended and adopted by the league (all participating towns). 2) Games will be officiated by ASA umpires when available. 9

3) Every player will play at least two defensive innings and get two at bats per seven inning game. 4) A player may be benched for a game, at the discretion of the coach. 5) Games will be scored and league playoff positions will be determined by league standings. 6) No new inning after 8pm on weeknight games. E. Seniors (14U) Rules 1) Full complement of ASA rules will be used except for those amended and adopted by the league (all participating towns). 2) Games will be officiated by ASA umpires when available. 3) A player may be benched for a game, at the discretion of the coach. 4) Playing time is 100% the coach s discretion. 5) Games will be scored and league playoff positions will be determined by league standings. Article 4 AMMEDING OF THE BYLAWS A. These by laws may be amended only at the Annual Meeting by a majority vote of the membership in attendance. B. Notification of new and proposed amended by laws shall be made to the Board of Directors thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting. C. The board must post any proposed changes or amendments to the website ten (10) days prior to the Annual Meeting. 10