April 14, 2015

1)Overview of P.L.A.Y. 2)Positive Coaching Alliance- PCA 3)2014 Recap 4)New for )Grade Level Overview 6)Playing Time 7)Equipment 8)P.L.A.Y. Code of Conduct 9)Questions

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. Program Mission

VP of Softball Kari Alhstrom Director of In-House Softball Debbie Aidas Age Level Coordinators PreK/Kindergarten Nicole Ulrich 1 st /2 nd Grade Berenice Nava 3 rd /4 th Grade OPEN Tournament Director 5 th -12 th Grade Nicki Theis Tournament Director OPEN Equipment Coordinator Becky Leonard Administrative Director Randy Geister 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 According 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 Positive 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, :30-8:00 pm PLHS Lecture Hall Eric Rodine on “The Purpose of Coaching” I.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! E.L.M.

 Always Always Always Showing Respect for: ˜Rules ˜Opponents ˜Officials ˜Teammates ˜Self R.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 Before 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 During 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!” After 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 community Penalty: 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.

 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

 PreK/Kindergarten ˜6 Teams 57 players  1 st /2 nd Grade ˜6 Teams 67 players  3 rd /4 th Grade ˜4 Teams 49 total players  5 th -12 th Grade South Metro ˜3 Intermediate Teams 37 players ˜2 Senior Teams 25 players 235 In-House Softball Players In-House Softball

 Delaying season start to May 11 th  Increased #s  Longer season for 3 rd /4 th grade  Possibility of working some games into south metro 3 rd /4 th  Scheduling one game per week and one practice per week What 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 11 th  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 2 nd PreK/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 11 th  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 2 nd 1st/2 nd 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 11 th  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 25 th with Year End Tournament ˜New this year we will be joining with baseball for a bigger more fun event. 3 rd /4 th 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 20 th  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 ˜End of Year Tournament will be in Burnsville July South Metro Slowpitch League 5 th -7 th 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 20 th  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 ˜End of Year Tournament: Burnsville July South Metro Slowpitch League 8 th -12 th Grade Seniors

 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 (3 rd grade and above) we expect coaches to communicate this with the players and parents.

 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 Player Provided Equipment

 Bats  Balls  Bases  Tees  Pitching Machines  Catcher’s Gear  First Aid Kit  Uniform Jersey and Socks P.L.A.Y. Provided Equipment