Management Committee President Tony Siemens Past President Ken Sharpe Vice President of Finance David Whitehead Vice President of Policy Winston Smith Vice President of Competition Terry Couvier Vice President of High Performance Development Kevin Booker Vice President of Grass Roots Development Nicole Madsen Vice President of Umpire Development Pierre Bedard Vice President of Coaching Development Faron Asham Vice President of Marketing Vacant

Staff Executive Director Jason Miller Outgoing Executive Director Morgan de Peña Executive Assistant Brenda Horz Program Director James Zamko

2018 League Presidents

Boni Vital John McLennan Border Senior Darren Russell Brandon Minor Blake Stephens Brandon Senior Chris Campbell Carillon Minor Louis Cote Interlake Minor Ian Proven Midwest Minor Jennifer Fouillard Manitoba Junior Jamie Bettens North Winnipeg Minor Roger Langlais Oildome Minor Dallas Williamson Parkland Minor Curtis Kaleta Pembina Hills Minor Chad Foster Portage Minor Nancy Funk Red River Valley Minor Dan Cox Santa Clara Senior Warren Birch South Central Minor Dulaney Blatz Southwest Senior Mitch Olson and Jess Williams St. James Minor Jeff Turnbull WABA Minor Mike Anderson Winnipeg Senior Gerald Palidwor Winnipeg South Minor Wes Penner

2 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Baseball Manitoba 145 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2Z6 (204) 925-5763 Fax: (204) 925-5928 email: [email protected]

President 2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Tony Siemens Rosenort Sunday, March 18, 2018 Sport for Life Centre Past President Winnipeg, Manitoba Ken Sharpe Past President 2:00 p.m. Minnedosa

Vice-Presidents David Whitehead ORDER OF BUSINESS Finance 1. Call to Order Winnipeg 2. Roll Call of Delegates Faron Asham Coaching 3. Verification of a Quorum Brandon

Terry Couvier 4. Presentation of Guests Competition Winnipeg 5. Approval of the Agenda

Nicole Madsen 6. Approval of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting Sport Development Hamiota 7. Business Arising from the Minutes

Kevin Booker 8. President’s Report – Tony Siemens High Performance Winnipeg 9. Executive Director and Registrar’s Report - Morgan de Peña

Vacant 10. Program Director’s Report – Jason Miller Marketing 11. Vice-President of Finance Report –David Whitehead Winston Smith Policy 12. Committee Reports Winnipeg a) Vice-President Competition Terry Couvier Pierre Bedard Umpires b) Vice-President Grassroots Nicole Madsen Winnipeg c) Vice-President High Performance Kevin Booker Executive Director Jason Miller d) Vice-President Coaching Development Faron Asham 925-5764 e) Vice-President Marketing Jason Miller Executive Assistant Brenda Horz f) Vice-President Umpires Pierre Bedard 925-5763 g) Vice-President Policy Morgan de Peña for Winston Smith Program Director James Zamko 925-5765 13. Resolutions and Amendments

14. New Business

15. Appointment of the Auditor

16. Adjournment

3 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Baseball Manitoba 145 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2Z6 (204) 925-5763 Fax: (204) 925-5928 email: [email protected]

President 2017 Semi-Annual General Meeting Tony Siemens Sunday, November 5, 2017 Rosenort Clarion Hotel & Suites, Brandon, Manitoba

Past President Ken Sharpe Minutes Minnedosa In attendance: Tony Siemens; (MBA President); Joe Raposo (MBA, Sport Vice-Presidents Development); Faron Asham (MBA, Coaching), Terry Couvier (MBA, Competition), David Whitehead David Whitehead (MBA, Finance), Cal Hawley (MBA, High Performance), Morgan Finance Winnipeg de Peña (MBA, Executive Director), Brenda Horz (MBA, Secretary of the Meeting), Jason Miller (MBA, Program Director), Ron Shewchuk (MBA, Umpires), Jim Baba Faron Asham (Baseball Canada), Megan Foster (Sport MB), Ken Sharpe (MBA, Past President) Coaching Voting Delegates: Dan Cox (RRVSL), Tom Mirwaldt (RRVSL), Jeff Turnbull (St. Brandon James), Curtis Grieve (St. James), Ross Tycoles (Senior Council), Dallas Terry Couvier Williamson (Oildome), Tyson Anderson (Oildome), Roger Langlais (North Competition Winnipeg), Blaine Boyle (Portage), Ryan Borody (Portage), Mike Anderson Winnipeg (WABA), Jodi Romanow (Parkland), Don Sheldon (Parkland), Blake Stephens (Brandon), Shane Sanko (Brandon), Peter Perreault (Midwest), Derek Shamray Joe Raposo Sport Development (Midwest), Wes Penner (Winnipeg South), Teri-Lynn Harms (Winnipeg South), Winnipeg David Olson (MJBL), Brian Peters (South Central), Dulaney Blatz (South Central), John McLennan (Bonivital), Mitch Nadeau (Carillon), Louis Cote (Carillon), Ian Cal Hawley Proven (Interlake), Dave Meyers (Interlake), Patti Hacault (Pembina Hills), Chad High Performance Foster (Pembina Hills) Winnipeg Observers: Bobbi Bottle (Challenger), Ross Bottle (Challenger), Kevin Booker (16U Ryan Davies Prov. Coach), Colleen Mirwaldt (RRVSL), Clint Cantelo (Umpire Committee), Ferlin Marketing Asham (Umpire Committee), Aaron Tycoles (Midwest), Nicole Madsen (Midwest), Winnipeg Larry Nicholls (Umpire Committee), Susan Horwood (Brandon)

Winston Smith Policy Regrets: Winston Smith (MBA, Policy), Ryan Davies (MBA, Marketing) Winnipeg 1. Call to Order: Ron Shewchuk The President, Mr. Tony Siemens, called the meeting to order at 10:08 a.m. Umpires Minnedosa 2. Roll Call: Executive Director All attendees introduced themselves to the group. Morgan de Peña Tony welcomed Jim Baba from Baseball Canada and Megan Foster from Sport 925-5765 Manitoba

Executive Assistant Brenda Horz 3. Verification of Quorum: 925-5763 A quorum was verified by Tony Siemens.

Program Director 4. Approval of the Agenda: Jason Miller - Add 6.5 Megan Foster – Sport Manitoba 925-5764

Motion: (Curtis Grieve/Patti Hacault) “That the agenda be approved as amended.” CARRIED

4 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

5. Approval of the Previous Meeting Minutes: - Correction on page 4 2017 AGM Minutes spelling correction “Stephenson” should be “Stephens”.

Motion: (Nicole Madsen/Mike Anderson) “That the minutes of the March 19, 2017 Annual General Meeting be approved as amended. CARRIED

6. Business Arising from the Minutes None

6.5 Megan Foster – Sport Manitoba Tony introduced Megan Foster, Regional Sport Development Officer for Westman. She reviewed some programs offered by Sport Manitoba as well as Grants available. Encouraged everyone to contact their Sport Development Officer in their own regions if they have any questions or want more information.

7. President’s Report Tony encouraged everyone to read his report on page 10 of the SGM book. 2018 is the 50th Anniversary of Baseball Manitoba. We will have some events planned to have an excellent year.

8. Vice President - Finance Report – David Whitehead a) Reviewed General Income Statement – Year-to-date October 2017. Looking at some of the positives: In Competition there are more players playing baseball, for Umpires there are more umpires and good spending. In Coaching, more clinics and more trained coaches. Big hiccup in High Performance, with a $15,000 loss in 2017 for the Canada Summer Games. This could have been managed better. Everyone was reminded that this was a three-year program and the problems were recognized about half way through. We have several concurrent three-year programs running right now and must make sure these are managed better. We need to do a better job ourselves at taking the information from the coach and putting it into our plan. We did not do a very good job with it and recognize that we must improve. Mike Anderson questioned if the Executive will come back to the Board with a new plan of controls for the future. Dave responded that Baseball Manitoba will define the plan. The Team Manager will present it to the parents with their costs involved. The Team Manager must have a very close relationship with Baseball Manitoba and the VP of Finance. There should be regular reporting from the Manager to discuss at the Executive level. We will present the plan in March. Dan Cox wondered what was missed in the plan from the beginning. Cal responded that nothing was necessarily missed. Our projections were not accurate enough, the US dollar came into effect when things were pre- booked and unable to change. We failed to understand the cumulative effect of things. The three-year program was funded like a one-year program and that was not the best way to do it. Cal reiterated that the three-year plan is not a cheap or easy plan, but he believes strongly in it. He feels it works and there was evidence of that. It depends what people want from these programs. Do they want to settle with ninth place finishes? We need to get Marketing more involved to help fund raising for program like this. Going forward we will evaluate the issues and revamp the three-year plan.

MOTION: “To accept the finance report as presented” (Nicole Madsen/Mike Anderson) CARRIED

9. Executive Director’s Report – Morgan de Peña a) This was the second year we used the Excel based forms for our registrations, and again it worked as the best process since we started taking registrations. However, as stated last year, there continue to be some issues, most often the result of a central registrar or someone entering the information from files and not the teams doing it themselves. This resulted in missed players or information for players that should have been on the roster. It also messed with some of the necessary formulas that were hidden in the files for our office use, thus making some forms completely useless.

5 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

It is important that the coach or manager of the team complete the information on the roster to ensure its accuracy. It only takes a few minutes, and because it is an Excel file, the coach has a copy of their roster. Do not use a central person to complete these forms. Once completed, the league registrar should then ensure the correct players are on the roster and that all the information is listed. We respectfully ask league registrars to ensure that all the information is on the roster before it is submitted to Baseball Manitoba b) Annually a request is made for leagues to provide our office with the names of their coaches as soon as they know them, before they are entered on a roster, as this would allow Baseball Manitoba more time to verify coach certification, and if submitted to us early enough coaches, may still have time to upgrade their certification if required. Under his report, our program director, Jason Miller, will be discussing a new process whereby we will be training people within each association to check their own coaches, so they can be verified before the rosters are submitted. c) 2018 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Manitoba Baseball Association, or as it is known now, Baseball Manitoba. In 1968, Joe Wiwchar and Murray Zuk, along with other notable baseball people around the province, merged the Manitoba Amateur Baseball Association, representing the minor teams, with the intermediate and Senior organizations. Following that merger, the MBA affiliated with the Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball (now Baseball Canada). The Management Committee is looking at a number of events and promotions for this birthday bash. More details will come in the new year. d) This year we had an overall increase of 9% increase, a very nice increase, and more than last year’s 5%. We also had a 13% increase in umpires and a 4% increase in coaches. This year had the most teams and players from Rally Cap to 15U, playing baseball in our province in the last 10 years. e) Lastly, coming soon you will be seeing a posting from Baseball Manitoba for the position of Executive Director. This is because Morgan has formally announced his retirement effective April 30, 2018. Once the position is filled he has agreed to stay and mentor the replacement and provide any assistance that he can in transitioning the position to another employee. He thanked everyone involved with Baseball Manitoba - the Management Committee, the office staff and the volunteers that he has been privileged to work with, and the opportunities that have been afforded to him over the past 24 years.

10. Program Director’s Report – Jason Miller a) Made great strides in Rally Cap and grand Slam in getting numbers up in those areas, largely thanks to people in the room, with the great volunteer work they are doing. Goal moving forward is to make them grow and be better existing programs through coach education and player development. b) Thanks to Bobbi and Ross Bottle, Challenger Baseball within Winnipeg has had substantial growth in only its second year of existence in Manitoba. Winnipeg South (36 players) joined St. James (25 players) giving the program sixty-one (61) players in Winnipeg and the surrounding area. This is 30% growth in just one season. St. James had three teams and Winnipeg South had four. All games were played out of Optimist Park and Chancellor-Matheson Diamonds. c) Highlights of High Performance are the Canada Summer Games. The outcome has been very good for baseball in the province. The 13U AAA national team, Jason Mateychuk and his staff did a fantastic job. Not only did they get 4th place, it was the way he took ahold of the program, making even the players that got cut still feel good about where they are in their baseball career. The female 16U team achieved another medal. Third one in three years which is underheard of for Manitoba in any age group at a National. Acknowledged Roger Langlais, who hosted the National 21U this year and will be hosting it again in 2018, making it even better. d) Leagues will be given access to look up their coaches in the nccp.baseball.ca system and the CAC Locker. This will enable them to see, at registration, which coaches have the proper requirements – Respect in Sport and NCCP training for baseball. League representatives should pay close attention to the Coach Requirements. There will be training provided. Jason will check with Baseball Canada to see if a spot can be put on the NCCP site for the Respect in Sport number.

6 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

11. Committee Reports:

A) Sport Development – Joe Raposo a) Joe congratulated Bobbi on her award the previous night. Over the course of the past 3 years this committee, with the hard work of Bobbi Bottle, has introduced Challenger Baseball to our programming with positive results. This year there were two (2) associations that had Challenger Baseball as part of their programming. St. James and Winnipeg South both had Challenger Baseball and helped grow this program with an increase of almost 30% more players then 2016. b) Our girls program is doing an excellent job with helping grow the game as well. Our girl’s numbers have increase in almost every age group. The work that Patti Hacault and the Girls Committee has done continues to help with the overall increase in numbers. c) Joe thanked Tim Horton’s and Dairy Queen for their continued support in our youth program. We are working on rectifying the problems with the uniforms. d) Looking at improving the Grand Slam jamboree for 2018. e) Numbers keep going up. Thanks to the committee for sharing their ideas and thoughts.

B) High Performance – Cal Hawley 2017 was a year of transition and Cal wanted to note a couple of highlights. a) First, and most significantly, our Team Manitoba exceeded all of our expectations during the Canada Summer Games – winning a silver medal and helping to set an attendance record for a single game and for the baseball event as a whole. We had 7000 people in Shaw Park in Winnipeg to watch the Gold Medal final, and about 6500 of them were cheering their hearts out for Manitoba. Tremendous credit is due to Faron Asham and his coaching staff of Blair Tweet, Glen Hunter and Ryan Borody, and team manager Aaron Tycoles, for taking a raw group of talented players and molding them into an effective and relentless team. Credit is also due to the players, and their families who supported them every step of the way, for their dedication, hard work and willingness to buy into a team-first approach to both training and to competition. Faron – you, your staff and your players have made us all proud to be part of Manitoba’s baseball community. b) Second, Cal wanted to recognize the13U AAA All Star Provincial Team that represented us ably in Repentigny Quebec. This team was a departure from our usual approach in a couple of ways – we had not sent a 13U team to AAA Nationals for a number of years, and we had never sent an all-star team at this age. He admitted – he was not in favour of the decision to put this program in place and to return to the national championships with a team this young. Truth be told, he is not sure that his personal opinion on this has changed. The program and the approach worked though, and Cal tipped his hat and congratulated Jason Mateychuk and his staff (Curt Brandt and Tyler Wiwchar) for their commitment and belief in both the program that he helped establish and the players in this province at the 13U age group. They collectively represented Baseball Manitoba and our province very well, securing a 4th place finish and opening eyes throughout the tournament. Well done. c) The remainder of the report is there for you to read beginning on page 26. As you may know, Cal is not standing for re-election to this position. In a short while you will be voting for a new VP of High Performance. For the remainder of his comments, he wanted to share some personal observations. Return for a moment to the Canada Summer Games. As you know, Cal was the Sport Chair for Baseball for the Games, and it was an amazing experience. It was hard work, and at times long hours and days, but he learned a lot and would take on a role like that again in a heartbeat. He also had the privilege to work with some outstanding people in our community, people without whom the baseball program at the Games would not have gone as smoothly or been as successful as it was. There were a great many people from our baseball community who volunteered their time to help make the Games a truly memorable baseball experience, but Cal want to acknowledge a few who were invaluable to the overall effort: • Alex Grenier – who came on board early as the Venue Chair for all three venues; • Nicole Madsen, who joined the venue management team as the Transportation lead for baseball; • Curtis Grieve, Dennis Sworyk, Pierre Bedard, Jason Cassils and Teri-Lynn Harms – all members of the Sport Operations Committee; they all rolled up their sleeves to do 7 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

whatever work was needed in both planning and on the ground, and who were all invaluable to Cal in managing the sport side of the event; • John Hindle – co-chair and a sounding board and calming influence for Cal and the whole team. He also brought his years of experience as the general manager of the Goldeyes to bear many times as they worked through the event planning and reacted to emerging situations as the games got under way; • Our venue owners - Dave Olsen and the Elmwood Giants organization with Giants Field, Dino Garroni with Whittier Park and Andrew Collier and the Goldeyes with Shaw Park. They were key people in this whole event, and they and their teams worked very hard to make sure that their parks were in great shape for the Games, and presented outstanding venues in which to hold the games. Their efforts were very much appreciated and were noticed by all. We had nothing but compliments and kudos from all quarters – Canada Games Host Society, Baseball Canada, the teams and players and the fans who attended the games - for the venues and the professionalism of everyone involved. Cal was honoured to work with all of the folks above and all the volunteers, and thinks Baseball Manitoba and the larger baseball community owes each of them a heartfelt Thank You. d) Over the past four years that Cal has been in this position, he has worked to make some changes to our high-performance programming to improve the development of our teams and players and to see better competitive results. The most significant change was to institute a three-year program of player identification, training and competition. The first team to which this approach was applied was our Canada Summer Games team and program, and the results speak for themselves. This approach works, but it requires dedication and commitment from the coaching staff and the players and families, and from Baseball Manitoba. It is neither a cheap nor easy way to build a team, but if done properly, the results are worth the investment. We now have three more such programs underway and at various stages of the three-year cycle – teams that will compete in the 2018 Baseball Canada Cup, the 2019 Baseball Canada Cup, the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games and the 2020 Baseball Canada Cup. The Canada Summer Games team program has set the bar high in terms of both commitment and results, and the coaches and players in these next programs have their work cut out for them, but he is confident that they are up to the challenge. Cal urged Baseball Manitoba to continue with this program model for the years to come, and to provide the support and investment necessary for it to be successful. If we do, Manitoba will be seen on the podium many more times. e) Cal resurrected and reformed the High Performance Programs Advisory Committee early in his first term, and while they have not met as often as had originally hoped, he thinks they have brought together a keen group of baseball minds with an interest in and experience with our high performance programs at both the provincial and regional levels. Cal enjoyed working with all of them, and he thinks that the next VP of High Performance would be well advised to continue working with the Committee and its members. The members of the current Committee are noted in the report – Blaine Fortin, Jeremy Culleton, Andrew Collier, Cody Benson, Shane Moffatt, Jeremy Matuszewski, Faron Asham and Mike Johnson. The work was started, the change was made – the torch for this now passes not only to the new VP, but also to the Committee members. It is a responsibility that he trusts will be taken seriously and wholeheartedly. h) Finally, Cal wanted to thank everyone he had the opportunity to work with in this role over the past four years. It has truly been a pleasure – he has enjoyed the debate and the support. The work is far from done though. If we are to continue to see improvements in elite baseball at the provincial level and at the regional AAA level, we must continue to look for ways to make effective and meaningful changes and to implement those changes with resolve. Status quo is not good enough.

C) Competition – Terry Couvier a) Encouraged everyone to read his report on page 29. This past season has been a challenge with the disrespect of coaches to each other and players to each other. It has got to stop. It stops here when sanctions and penalties are imposed at the local level. b) Morgan asked everyone to refer to page 33 the Championship results. Some of the Host sites are incorrect. 8 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

• 11U “A” should read Reston not Brandon • 11U “AA” should read St. James not Boissevain • 13U “A” should read Swan River not Rosenort • 13U “AA” should read Altona not Steinbach • 15U “AA” should read La Broquerie not Altona • 18U “AA” should read Oak River not Brandon • 15U “AAA” should read Winkler not Morden

D) Umpires – Ron Shewchuk a) Tony mentioned that Derrick Dubell resigned part way through the year and Ron Shewchuk was appointed to take over until the next election. b) There was a significant increase in the number of registered umpires from 2016. We went from 474 (2016) to 541 (2017). This represented an increase of 67 umpires or 14%. c) For the first time, all AAA provincial championship tournaments were entirely umpired utilizing the three-umpire system. d) The mentorship program had our Level 4 umpires doing a total of 163 mentorships. e) Manitoba hosted a Baseball Canada Instructors Caravan that resulted in 6 new umpires beginning their pathway way to becoming instructors for our program. f) On the national front, we sent 14 umpires and 4 supervisors to various tournaments. This is the most in our history. g) Goals for 2018: • Under Mentorship, we plan to institute a comprehensive tracking system that will track all mentorships from both Level 3 and 4 umpires. • The Umpire in Chief portfolio will establish a committee of Regional Umpire in Chiefs. The purpose of this is the identification of area needs in terms of clinics and to ensure proper facilities for clinics. • The Umpire Committee will establish an online registration process that mirrors team and player registrations. • One of the areas of focus is the tracking and identification of discipline issues. This data will be used to identify if there is a need to modify clinic content to address this aspect of umpiring. • Using technology, we plan to examine areas that require more umpire and clinics. These “hotspots” will be the focus of the Clinician and Education Portfolio. • The utilization of communication medium is a focus of our 2018 plans. These include; the creation of a newsletter, a Facebook page, improved communication with our regional umpire in chiefs. • The Umpires Committee plans to create an Operations Manual. This document will mirror the Baseball Canada Operations Manual with sections specific to the needs our province. Included in this will be a restructuring of the committee to meet specific needs, i.e. Communications. • The Baseball Canada Umpire Committee will examine fund raising opportunities to supplement our current finances. • The Umpire committee looked at two possible members to replace Derrick, Ashton Liskie and Clint Cantelo. They chose to put their support behind Clint. h) Ron is very proud of the work the committee has done and will do.

Wes Penner does not approve of the recommendation of Clint being included in the Umpire report. When the reports are approved at the end it will mean that everyone approves the endorsement when some may not. He felt it should be separate. Marketing – Morgan de Peña for Ryan Davies a) The executive committee is working on a plan that could see the Marketing strategy change dramatically next season. In the proposed plan, the VP – Marketing position on the Executive would no longer exist as we know it. Baseball Manitoba would seek to employ a commission based Marketing Professional to verse the marketing platforms, budget and relationships. This contracted employee would report to the Executive Director. We plan to have more information at the AGM in March of 2018.

9 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

b) Baseball Manitoba appreciates the continued involvement of our long serving sponsors. We thank them for their commitment and loyalty to our programs and our participants.

E) Coaching Development – Faron Asham a) Very good year for coach education. b) Looking at hosting Regional and Provincial coach clinics over a full weekend in four regions in 2018. Winnipeg, Portage, Brandon and either, Morden, Winkler or Altona. c) The committee is starting to plan the Coach Convention – April 4 – 6, 2018 in Portage. Lots of interesting topics. Please spread the word to your coaches. d) There will be a couple of new rules for Provincials – The coach meeting will be held by conference call two days prior to the event. When coaches show up at the site they need to report to the registration table and show ID. They will be given a badge to wear for the tournament. e) Going to be putting forth a resolution from the Coach committee requiring a minimum of two coaches on a roster for AAA. f) From Jason’s report the ability for leagues to check the certification of their own coaches should alleviate the problems at provincials.

F) Policy – Morgan de Peña for Winston Smith a) The Policy portfolio deals with • Corporate meetings, Policies and Procedures, Information Services including the new website which is now up and running, Team fees, Insurance coverage • Administration of Bingo Allocations - This year, after the year end of the Manitoba Lotteries, March 31, 2017, the program of requiring volunteers to work bingos was cancelled by the Provincial Government. No longer did we receive bingo funds paid out according to the time involved to work the assigned event. In early 2017, Sport Manitoba informed us that, after March 31, 2017, the province decided the grant money paid out under the program to each sport participating in the program would continue to be paid in 2017-18 even though volunteers would not be required. Upon our receipt of the grant monies, approval was given to make payment of some of $3,000 of the funds received to each of St James, Whittier Park, Charleswood Park and Elmwood being organizations that received the bingo allocations to earn that amount in the past. The Management Committee then approved a plan to invite area associations and leagues and other organizations that also participated in the program in the past to apply to share in the remaining monies available. The policy governing the entitlement to such funds is still in place so that, based on the applications received, monies will be awarded for facility development, facility-operating costs, travel to Western or National competition, and other M.B.A. approved special projects. Sport Manitoba still does not know what will happen with these funds in 2018. • Honours and Awards Recognition – We would like to have every area recommend players for nominations for our awards. The Awards Committee is an ad hoc committee of persons who are involved and knowledgeable about our programs and the teams, players, coaches and officials participating in those programs. These persons are identified each year from the various baseball associations around the province, from the M.B.A. Executive and from the umpire committee so that the widest possible representation throughout the province is achieved to ensure validation of the award selections made by the Committee. Participants on the Committee this year included, Ross Tycoles, Patti Hacault, David Whitehead, Kevin Booker, Curtis Smith, Glen Hunter, Ken Wiebe, Nicole Madsen, Ed Kulyk, Jason Miller, Morgan de Peña and Winston Smith. Thank you to everyone.

10 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

12) Hall of Fame Report The Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame Media Conference to announce the 2018 Inductees was held on October 30. They will hold its 21th annual induction banquet and ceremony on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 5:00 pm at the Morden Recreation Centre where the Hall of Fame is located.

Individuals: 1. Faron Asham, Brandon 2. Andrew Collier, Winnipeg 3. Troy Fortin, Lundar 4. Doug Freeth, Winnipeg 5. Jason Mateychuk, Dominion City 6. Terry Mayert, Reston 7. Trevor Procter, Woodlands

Major Teams: 1. Brandon Marlins, 1999-2005 2. Morden Mohawks, 1993-1998 Small Community Team: 1. Warren Seniors, 1974-1979 Special Category: 1. Ron Shewchuk (Umpire), Minnedosa 2. Carman Goldeyes Juniors, 1971-1974

We invite everyone interested in baseball to come to our banquet and to spend a couple of hours going through the displays in our Museum. We are very proud of the facility we have in Morden.

Tickets for the occasion (Adult $70, Children $20) are available from, available from: Jack Hrehirchuk; 114-10th Ave SE, Dauphin, MB, R7N 2H1; 204-638-6923;[email protected]. David Taylor, Neepawa -204-476-3843, [email protected]. Joe Wiwchar, Morden, 204-422- 4636, [email protected]

Report Amendments a) Page 15 – Total number of teams to read 739 not 655 b) Page 33 – Updates Host sites c) Page 39 – Umpire Report – remove Endorsement of Clint Cantelo d) Page 42 – Coaching Report – change Coach Convention dates to read April 6-8, 2018 not April 4 – 6, 2018

Motion: (Blake Stephens/Shane Sanko) “That all Portfolio Reports be accepted as amended.” CARRIED

Clarification by Tony on the appointment of Ron Shewchuk for VP of Umpires. According to the By-Laws approval is required and was received.

13. Resolutions and Amendments -

One of the purposes of the Baseball Manitoba is to voice and represent the concerns and interests of the members. It is the responsibility of the membership to identify issues and to develop and carry out resolutions at the AGM and Semi-AGM in response to those issues.

A resolution is a specific statement that draws or provokes action. It should clearly state the problem or issue involved. The “Whereas” is the preamble, which states the problem and demands the action. The action should be clear and concise as well as practical in terms of the resources available to the association. The following are resolutions presented to the 2017 Semi-Annual Meeting.

11 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

2017 RESOLUTIONS FOR THE SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING

The following resolutions are put forward to the membership for approval, and if accepted will take effect January 1, 2018.

Constitutional Changes from the Management Committee:

1) Motion to change the name of the Grassroots portfolio to Sport Development. (Nicole Madsen/Patti Hacault)

Whereas The name of the Baseball Canada Committee tasked with introducing, developing and implementing programs for introductory and developing players is Sport Development, and Whereas The name Sport Development more accurately reflects the role of the portfolio, and the committee under the Vice-President Therefore Be it resolved that the name of VP-Grassroots be changed to VP-Sport Development.

CARRIED

2) Motion to amend the constitution to account for leagues that do not register with Baseball Manitoba, and thus lose their voting privileges on the Board of Directors. (Ross Tycoles/Curtis Grieve)

Whereas According to the Manitoba Baseball Association constitution (page 42, 5.2) the Provincial Senior “AAA” Age Category has voting rights (one vote) as a member of the Board of Directors, and Whereas This past year the Senior “AAA” category folded, and Whereas This creates a non-represented member on the Board of Directors Therefore Be it resolved that the constitution be changed to reflect that if a particular league does not register with Baseball Manitoba, the will be ineligible to vote. Should a league return to register another year, then their vote will be reinstated.

CARRIED

From the Management Committee

3) Resolution to provide Term Limits for Management Committee Members (Nicole Madsen/ Brian Peters)

Whereas: The Constitution of the Manitoba Baseball Association designates a set term of two years for persons elected to executive positions that comprise the Management Committee of the Manitoba Baseball Association; and Whereas: There is currently no set limit on the number of terms that an individual may serve as a member of the Management Committee in a given executive position; and Whereas: It is in the interest of the membership of the Manitoba Baseball Association to, over time, have various individuals interested in serving in the executive positions of the Management Committee; and Whereas: It is in the interest of the membership of the Manitoba Baseball Association to, from time to time, encourage turnover in the executive positions that comprise the Management Committee, and to attract new individuals to seek election to those executive positions; and Whereas: Such turnover and the election of new individuals to the executive positions on the Management Committee fosters new ideas, new management approaches and contributes to the ongoing health of the Association; Therefore Be it resolved that Section 5.3 of the Manitoba Baseball Association Constitution be amended to include the following clause: 12 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

A member of the Management Committee may serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive two-year terms in the same executive position.

Discussion: Dave Olsen wondered when this would start. He was told it will start from this point forward, and not be retroactive. Ken Sharpe stated that he is not in favor as he feels it will handcuff the Management Committee. He said that just because you have been on the committee for six years does not mean you are not valuable. Ross Tycoles thought that six years is too short. Thinks eight years will be better. Cal stated that the six years is not a magical number. This was brought forward to bring discussion and that amendments are welcome. If the term is approaching and no one is stepping forward, what are the mechanisms to deal with it? Is it left vacant or do we allow a one term extension? Mike Anderson agreed with Ken, saying what happens if you have no one step forward and you have someone in place that is willing, why not let them stay. Incumbents are seldom challenged and that is not healthy. The proposed process may work if candidates come forward, but what happens when that does not occur. Cal feels strongly enough in this kind of resolution and it was part of his consideration in stepping down. Don Sheldon was worried that everyone could be out at the same time. Morgan reminded the group that terms are staggered so only four members could be out at once. Terry still felt that this was a concern. Cal stated that he felt it is up to the membership to step up and possibly fill some of these positions. Wes Penner wondered if this is really a problem. He sees new faces on the Executive a lot. There are only two that have been extreme long term. Curtis Grieve wanted to confirm that the Executive has the ability to appoint for the remainder of a term in the case of no one. Tony confirmed that he can appoint for 1 year at a time.

Amended Resolution

Resolution to provide Term Limits for Management Committee Members (Nicole Madsen/ Roger Langlais)

Whereas: The Constitution of the Manitoba Baseball Association designates a set term of two years for persons elected to executive positions that comprise the Management Committee of the Manitoba Baseball Association; and Whereas: There is currently no set limit on the number of terms that an individual may serve as a member of the Management Committee in a given executive position; and Whereas: It is in the interest of the membership of the Manitoba Baseball Association to, over time, have various individuals interested in serving in the executive positions of the Management Committee; and Whereas: It is in the interest of the membership of the Manitoba Baseball Association to, from time to time, encourage turnover in the executive positions that comprise the Management Committee, and to attract new individuals to seek election to those executive positions; and Whereas: Such turnover and the election of new individuals to the executive positions on the Management Committee fosters new ideas, new management approaches and contributes to the ongoing health of the Association; Therefore Be it resolved that Section 5.3 of the Manitoba Baseball Association Constitution be amended to include the following clause: A member of the Management Committee may serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive two-year terms in the same executive position. To allow that in the event that no one steps forward to fill the position the incumbent may serve an additional two- year term. Maximum of one additional term.

Discussion: Dave Olsen stated he somewhat approved but when you are looking at someone with expertise you do not want to replace with someone that has no background. He also felt that there should be another position on the Executive of “President Elect” that can train for six years to take over the job. Ken agreed and feels that the past present position should be replaced with the President elect position. Tony stated that he intends to make the past president position a valuable one on this committee. Terry wants the rules of order checked to see how long the past president position lasts. Wes Penner echoed Dave’s comments in the case of someone with expertise but agrees with a possible change in leadership. 13 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

“To accept the amendment to the Resolution” CARRIED

“To pass the amended Resolution” DEFEATED

Request from the floor that the Executive prepare a discussion paper with the Pro’s and Con’s of the term limits to be presented prior to the AGM for discussion at the AGM. To include how to go forward with transition in the case of mass roll overs.

4. From the Baseball Manitoba Girls Committee (Roger Langlais/Dan Cox)

Motion to allow 21U Female Provincial Team Players to compete in the 18U age

Whereas Baseball Manitoba allows female players to play in male events one calendar year older than the males (Rule 1.05.01 in the handbook). Whereas Baseball Manitoba operates a 21U Provincial Team which has players at 20 and 21 years old. Whereas The 20 and 21-year-old female players have no relative competition throughout the season. Playing against 20 and 21-year-old men is not appropriate in skill level. Playing at the 18U level is much more relative and would enhance development. Whereas Baseball Manitoba should promote their Female Programs and provide appropriate competition for all players. Therefore Be it resolved that Baseball Manitoba add Rule 1.05.04. Any female players, who are directly involved with Baseball Manitoba’s 21U Women’s Provincial Team, may compete in the 18U age category. Therefore Be it resolved that the addition of Rule 1.05.04 be implemented.

To clarify eligibility – if a player is going through the process of trying out for the 21U team then they are considered eligible.

CARRIED

5. From the Coaching Committee (Don Sheldon/Tom Mirwaldt)

Motion to impose a $50 fine for leagues not sending a representative to the Coaching Committee meetings:

This is an amendment to Rule 18, page 56 of the Baseball Manitoba Handbook.

Whereas The responsibility of a league to its membership (players, coaches, umpires, etc.) should be more than just competition based, and Whereas There are two major meetings each year (AGM and SGM), and leagues attend these as one of their requirements of membership, and Whereas Baseball Manitoba has three major committees – Coaching, Competition and Grassroots, that meet two to three times a year to determine rules and programs that impact all members, Therefore Be it resolved that a fine schedule be imposed on leagues as follows:

Leagues will be assessed the following fine for failure to attend the following meeting: • Coaching Committee Meetings $50 per meeting (to a maximum of 3)

Notes: a. The $200 Performance Bond will remain as is. This bond is revoked should a team or league not fulfill their obligations at Provincial qualifying or championship competition. b. Since the Senior “AA” Leagues, as a group, have only one vote at the AGM and SGM, each Senior “AA” League would pay a $200 Performance Bond only. The individual Senior “AA” Leagues will not be fined for missing any meetings. 14 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

c. All voting eligible Minor Leagues must meet the requirement of having someone on the Coaching Committee. There will be a $50 fine for each meeting missed.

Discussion: Terry Couvier is concerned that some meetings are on the same date at the same time. i.e. Sport Development and Coaching. Response that the leagues should not have the same person on both committees. Cal wanted clarification of what has been done in the past. Sport Development and Competition, which both have the fines currently in place, have never been held on the same day. It was felt that it be up to the discretion of the Vice-President’s involved to make sure we are not doing that and that if it does happen that exceptions should be granted for the fine. Dave Olsen asked that if we want WABA and MJBL to attend the coach committee meetings, please let them know when they are. Mike Anderson was curious as to the rationale as to why certain committees have a penalty structure in place and other do not. Faron replied that he feels it serves a purpose to get information back to the leagues. Not all committees were structured to have regional representation, and the coaching committee was one of those, along with Sport Development and Competition. However, the format has changed now to make sure there is someone from each region. Some other committees do not have members from each region. There will always be the opportunity for acceptable regrets.

CARRIED

6. From the Competition Committee

Motion to allow the use of portable mounds at the 11U and 13U Provincial Championships. (Curtis Grieve/ Tom Mirwaldt)

Whereas There are instances where a host site has multiple use facilities that limit the capability to build mounds for provincial championships, and Whereas Weather concerns may make clay or dirt mounds unplayable Therefore Be it resolved that the use of portable mounds be permitted at 11U and 13U Provincial Championships. The mounds must be at the expense of the host site, and must be commercially purchased and approved by Baseball Manitoba. Homemade mounds will not be approved.

Discussion: Ian Proven had some safety concerns as they have tried the portable mounds. They also take a long time to bury and level and need to be done properly to be safe. Not against it just a lot of work and expensive. Dave Meyers agreed and said they are very slippery which makes them dangerous. CARRIED

7. Motion from the Floor – As a result of discussions at the 2017 Hot Stove session: For 2018 Baseball Manitoba will conduct an 8 team Provincial Championship at 18U AAA (Ross Tycoles/Mike Anderson)

This motion requires 100% approval to bring to the floor for discussion DEFEATED

8. Motion from the floor – from the Coach Committee – To mandate there is a minimum of two coaches on a roster at the AAA level. (Ryan Borody/Blaine Boyle)

This motion requires 100% approval to bring to the floor for discussion CARRIED

No discussion CARRIED

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14. Nomination Committee Report – The Executive Committee has resurrected the Nominating Committee this year that consisted of Cal Hawley, Louis Cote and David Whitehead. Cal Hawley was appointed Chairman and reported that the following persons have consented to allow their names to stand for election for a two-year term in the positions set forth as follows:

Vice President, Marketing Vacant Vice President, Sport Development Joe Raposo and Nicole Madsen Vice President, High Performance Aaron Tycoles and Kevin Booker Vice President, Policy Winston Smith Special election - Vice President, Umpire Development Pierre Bedard and Clint Cantelo 1 Year term

15. Election of Officers – The Chair then advised the meeting that: (a) there are no nominees for the position of Vice President, Marketing and called three times for further nominations from the floor. There being no further nominations, the Chair then declared the position will remain vacant.

(b) the nominee for the position of Vice President, Policy was Winston Smith and called three times for further nominations from the floor. There being no further nominations, the Chair then declared Winston Smith elected by acclamation.

(c) the nominees for the position of Vice-President, Sport Development were Joe Raposo and Nicole Madsen. He called three times for nominations from the floor.

There being more than one nominee, the Chair provided each candidate an opportunity to introduce themselves to the voting delegates. This was followed by a call for ballots to be distributed to the delegates for election by secret ballot.

Brenda Horz and David Whitehead, being a non-voting delegates in attendance, were appointed by the Executive as scrutinizers to verify the ballots cast, count the verified ballots and report the election results to the Chair for announcement to the delegates.

Upon receipt of the report from the scrutinizers, the Chair announced that Nicole Madsen was elected.

MOTION: “To destroy the ballots.” (Olsen/Anderson) CARRIED

(d) the nominees for the position of Vice President, Umpire Development were Pierre Bedard and Clint Cantelo. He called three times for further nominations from the floor.

There being more than one nominee, the Chair provided each candidate an opportunity to introduce themselves to the voting delegates. Pierre Bedard was not in attendance but was allowed to have a recorded video speech to be played. This was followed by a call for ballots to be distributed to the delegates for election by secret ballot.

Upon receipt of the report from the scrutinizers, the Chair announced that Pierre Bedard was elected.

MOTION: “To destroy the ballots” (Grieve/Proven) CARRIED

(e) the nominees for the position of Vice President, High Performance were Aaron Tycoles and Kevin Booker. He called three times for further nominations from the floor.

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Upon receipt of the report from the scrutinizers, the Chair announced that Kevin Booker was elected.

MOTION: “To destroy the ballots” (Penner/Hacault) CARRIED

The chair was then turned back to the President, Tony Siemens.

16. New Business – a) Mike Anderson thanked the office staff for providing the SGM material ahead of time. It was appreciated. b) Terry wanted to point out that almost all Provincial Host sites have been taken except the 13U and 15U AAA Qualifiers. If there are interests please let him know. c) If anyone is interested in hosting the 13U AAA Prospects tournament let Terry know. Louis Cote has committed to doing it again in 2018 but if someone else wanted it he would give it up.

17. Installation of Officers – There would be a brief meeting of the Management Committee immediately following the adjournment of this 2017 Semi-Annual General Meeting for the purpose of confirming and installing the persons elected at this meeting in their respective offices.

18. Adjournment: The 2017 Semi-Annual General Meeting having completed the business of the Agenda as approved, the Chair called for a motion to adjourn, which was moved by David Olsen and, accordingly, the meeting was adjourned at 11:42 PM.

Next meeting – AGM – Spring 2018

______Chair and M.B.A. President Secretary of the Meeting and M.B.A. Executive Assistant

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President’s Report

We will be creating memorable baseball experiences in Baseball Manitoba’s 50th anniversary year! There will be events throughout the year to help celebrate this milestone for our organization. Amateur Baseball Week will be in early June!

Baseball Manitoba has an exciting year ahead and there are many opportunities to take part. Sport Development events like Mosquito Monster Mania and the Grand Slam Jamboree are where our sport’s younger and beginning participants get to enjoy playing and learning our game. Challenger Baseball is increasing in popularity and is gaining teams again this season in different regions for the upcoming season: what exciting growth for the league!

Baseball Manitoba will again hold 14 Championships across the province. There will be hundreds of players each weekend in July striving for their teams to come out on top. All of them playing hard and creating memorable baseball experiences they will be able to reflect on for a lifetime. This year of celebration will also include two national championships and four Western Canada titles being contested in our province.

Stonewall again is hosting the 21U Women’s Baseball Canada Invitational. The tournament committee put on a successful event last year and this year promises to be the same. Support this tournament with your attendance August 9-12, and see some great baseball.

The 13U AAA Western National is hosted in Brandon beginning August 16. Three teams will be representing Manitoba playing for a Championship. Manitoba has gotten the opportunity to host the 15U AAA Western Canada Baseball Association Championship and as this was a late development we are still determining a host site. La Broquerie will be host to the AA WCBA Championships. This is three events in one with teams at 13U, 15U, and 18U each competing for titles.

Baseball Manitoba had great success last year, from showcasing our sport on the field at the Canada Summer Games and the 21U Women’s Invitational to demonstrating our baseball community’s passion and commitment to our sport. Compliments on these baseball events are still being conveyed to me personally and I could not be more proud of you all.

Baseball Manitoba is always grateful to our sponsors. We have faithful sponsors and we appreciate their generosity.

As I am sure many of you are aware, Morgan will be retiring this year as Executive Director. I cannot express my full appreciation for all he has done for Baseball Manitoba. I believe we have convinced him to convene some tournaments, so you will still see Morgan at the ballpark.

With retirements come new opportunities and Jason Miller has been hired as the new Executive Director. Jason has been at the forefront in developing Baseball Manitoba programs for the past 8 seasons as Program Director. The next 50 years start now.

Fifty years of creating baseball memories at Baseball Manitoba… there have been many changes and we will continue to change and grow and display how our game ignites our passion. I invite each of you to all our events this year; to get the dates see our website baseballmanitoba.ca.

Find Baseball Manitoba on twitter and facebook. I am on Instagram and twitter @BaseballMBPrez

Tony Siemens President

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Executive Director’s & Registrar’s Report

New Office Staff While this is the Executive Directors report, I am no longer officially the Executive Director, as I have announced my retirement. I am now the former Executive Director, and this is my last report. Jason Miller, who for the past 8 years was our Program Director has accepted the Executive Director position. Jason’s move to the position starts a new frontier for our association, and I am excited for the future of baseball in our province. We have also hired a new Program Director, and I welcome James Zamko to Baseball Manitoba.

Registration numbers Our sport has seen a resurgence of interest the last few years, partly buoyed by the Toronto Blue Jays success, and by the Sport Development Program Rally Cap and Grand Slam. Manitoba had a 9% increase in player participation in 2017, along with a 13% increase in umpires and 4% increase in coaches. The spring-summer sport season is very competitive, with several sporting options available for children. We need to continue to be proactive in promoting baseball and ensuring that the sporting environment for the players is a positive one, encouraging them to return to the game. We also need to make sure we have the capacity and facilities to meet the potential increases.

League Registration Forms Leagues are asked to complete the League Affiliation Form clearly and completely and submit to Baseball Manitoba. We require this form to verify the number of teams, players and coaches and to process fees. We will double-check your registration numbers and compare them to the rosters that we receive to ensure that both are correct.

Team Rosters We again will use the Excel based form for our registrations. We require the rosters so we can communicate with our membership, justify our demographics to Sport Manitoba for funding purposes, and provide the participants with valid insurance. Roster are completed in the following way: • Coaches (or Team Managers) will be emailed an Excel roster file by their league. • The coach/manager will complete the roster, then email the file to their community or leagues registrar for approval. Some leagues may have the rosters sent by the coach to a central registrar, while others will have the roster go through the community or community centre before going to the league registrar. • When received, the league registrar should then ensure the correct players are on the roster and that all the information is listed and accurate. • After confirmation by the league, the forms will be emailed to Baseball Manitoba where we will store the information in our database • Because the information will be completed sooner, and signatures are not required on the rosters, leagues will be able to submit the “AA” and “A” rosters by May 15. Junior, Senior and “AAA” rosters can still be submitted by June 15. • It is important that the coach or manager of the team complete the information on the roster to ensure its accuracy. Last year some league used a central registrar or someone entering the information from files, and not the teams doing it themselves. This resulted in some missed players and information, and messed with necessary formula that were hidden in our files for office use resulting in some completely useless rosters. So, no cut & paste. It only takes a few minutes, and because it is an Excel file, the coach has a copy of their roster. • The parent’s signature is on the Baseball Manitoba privacy content disclaimer forms when they register their children. There is no signature on a roster. Leagues are asked to use the Baseball Manitoba Personal Information Acknowledgement Form when registering players. The forms are available on our website.

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Coach Certification This spring, leagues are being trained on how to check their coach’s certification. Coach Certification documents are on the Baseball Manitoba website. Leagues must check to see if their current “AAA”, “AA and “A” coaches are properly certified. Go to the Baseball Manitoba website (www.baseballmanitoba.ca), click on “Coaches”, then “What do I need so I can coach?”. This will show what is required for the various age categories.

For leagues to check their coach’s certification, training will be conducted via webinars so that the league can verify what certification a coach has. This easy process will speed up the verification and eligibility of the coaches. Jason has already begun training some leagues on the process.

Registration Kits A main part of the Annual General Meeting is the leagues picking up their team registration kits. Note that there are different kits based on the age division. Please try to ensure that each team receives the correct kit – all kits are labeled as to what category they are. There are specific kits for: • Rally Cap • 15U & 18U • Grand Slam (9u) • 21U and Senior • 11U • Rural “AAA” • 13U

Some of the material in the kits is the same regardless of the age division (e.g. Rulebooks, Handbooks, promotional material), while other have very specific contents. An example is the Rookie kits, which have Rookie practice plans, while the Rural “AAA” kits have the “Intent to Play AAA” forms.

We ask that leagues only take the number of registration kits you require. It seems that every year we make more kits than we have teams, but rarely get the material back. Please return all unused kits.

Baseball Manitoba 50th Anniversary This year is Baseball Manitoba’s 50th Anniversary, and we will be celebrating this anniversary through some events, contests, coaching opportunities Amateur Baseball Day. More details are available in the Marketing report.

Sport Manitoba Governance Manual As mentioned last year, Sport Manitoba has created a Sport Governance Manual for use not only by Provincial Sport Organizations, but also by leagues and associations. Sport Manitoba and the Sport Law and Strategy Group have been working together over the past year to create this. The manual will provide information, tools and templates for topics such as Governance, Financial Management, Human Resource Management, registration templates, samples, waivers, etc. It is truly a great resource for all sport partners. If you would like a copy, contact Jason at the office and it will be sent electronically.

Lastly, this is my last AGM as a staff member of Baseball Manitoba. Over the last 24 years it has been my pleasure to work with all the leagues, the dedicated volunteers around the province, and the committed Management Committee members. There have been some great times, and some frustrating experiences, but everything we did, together, was for the benefit of the game, and that is the way it should be. I would like to thank Baseball Manitoba for the opportunity to be a part of this great community, and I trust the membership will continue to provide Jason, Brenda and James with the support they have shown me.

Spring will soon be here (Tuesday, March 20)! Let’s get ready for a great year of baseball.

Respectfully submitted, Morgan de Peña Outgoing Executive Director

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Program Director’s Report

Program Director This report is one of my last official duties as Program Director. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with everyone in this wonderful organization. I have truly enjoyed working with all the program delivery persons and committee members and feel that I have made some lasting relationships. I look forward to continuing those relationships as my focus will now change to Executive Director roles and responsibilities. I hope that the newly hired Program Director will be as accepted and respected as I was.

Sport Development We are excited to kick off 2018 with the new VP – Sport Development, Nicole Madsen. Nicole brings many years of baseball experience as local registrar, host and great advocate of the sport. She has also been the Midwest League’s representative on various Provincial committees. Her wisdom and guidance will be very important as we welcome the new Program Director.

We are fortunate to have access to National Programs, such as; Rally Cap, Grand Slam, My First Pitch and Challenger Baseball. With the support of some great volunteers, these programs are more recognizable and accessible throughout our Province. Through the encouragement of the Sport Development Committee we have developed a Manitoba Grand Slam Coaches Guide, to encourage quality participation, which has been inserted into every coach kit. Manitoba Girls Baseball has been developed as an all-girls program designed to encourage and support girls looking to try baseball in a fun and comfortable environment. Finally, Challenger Baseball continues to thrive under the leadership of Bobbi and Ross Bottle. Additions include spring camps and new leagues; Carberry and North Winnipeg.

Coaching Our NCCP Program remains strong as we build on monitoring requirements and clinic delivery. We plan to have more clinics delivered than ever before and increase the average attendance within each clinic, maximizing our resources and training more coaches in the process. We have also encouraged leagues to assign a person to check all coaches before they are put on the roster, thus ensuring that coaches have the required training to coach all season long. We are providing multiple training webinars and supporting the project monetarily to ensure quality and consistency. The Coaches Committee continues to advance the coaching portfolio through new endeavors, such as the new Coach Apprenticeship Program.

High Performance We are honored to have Kevin Booker as the new VP – High Performance. Kevin is a long time elite player and coach in our Province, who will offer some great guidance and support for the many Provincial Team Programs slated for the next few years. There will be 7 Provincial Teams in 2018 (4 male and 3 female) and 2 development programs (14U boys and 12U girls). These teams and programs will need support from staff and volunteers to be successful. Kevin has put together a very knowledgeable committee who plan to set the table for Baseball Manitoba’s Provincial Teams as we move forward.

Notable Dates for 2018: • Baseball Manitoba Coaches Convention (Portage) – April 6-8 • Manitoba Girls Baseball Kick Off - May 5 (Brandon and Winnipeg) • Mosquito Monster Mania (Little Mountain Park and Simplot Park) – May 12 • Baseball Manitoba – Winnipeg Goldeyes Coach Symposium (May 26) • Winnipeg Goldeyes – Baseball Manitoba 50-year Anniversary Game – May 28 • Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet (Morden) – June 2 • Baseball Day in Manitoba (Province Wide)– June 9 • Grand Slam Jamboree (Shaw Park) – June 30

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• 13U Prospects Showcase (Steinbach) – July 20-22 • 21U Women’s National Invitational Championship (Stonewall/Selkirk) – August 9-12

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to Morgan and wish him all the best in retirement. I truly respect and admire him for all he has done for baseball and for myself. Morgan has been an excellent role model and true friend for the past 8 years. He will be missed in the office, in meeting rooms and in the entire baseball community. His legacy will be forever present on the baseball fields of this province.

Respectfully submitted,

Jason Miller Program Director

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Finance Report

Baseball Manitoba currently utilizes a monthly financial reporting cycle for its management committee. Annual and Semi Annual financial reports for our membership at the Annual and Semi Annual Meetings.

2018 Affiliation Fees

The individual fees will apply to players and coaches, and will be as follows.

Age Group Fees Rally Cap $12.00 per player Rookie $15.00 Mosquito $25.00 Pee Wee $25.00 Bantam $25.00 Midget $25.00 Senior AA $30.00 Junior $30.00 Senior AAA $30.00

Coaches $15.00 per coach (except Rally Cap - $5.00 for 1 coach)

The only increase will be for the Rally Cap players. The team fees will remain the same at $5.00 per Grand Slam/Rookie team and $10.00 per Mosquito to Senior team. This will help offset the cost of handbooks, rulebooks, line-up cards newsletters rosters Grand Slam/Rookie coach’s manuals and practice plans.

Provincial Fees

Each league is charged the following fees based on the number of teams entering Provincials competition in each classification. These fees are not changing for 2018. • Provincial AAA All Classifications - $400.00 • Provincial AA All Classifications - $250.00 • Provincial A All Classifications - $250.00

Recap of 2017

Many thanks to the volunteers, staff members, and committee members for delivering a quality baseball program in Manitoba while at the same time keeping an eye on the cost of delivery.

We look forward to the continued growth of our great sport in the 2018 baseball season.

I look forward to working with the new Board members and our new Executive Director and Program Director.

Having said that, Morgan, you will be missed.

Respectfully submitted David Whitehead, CPA, CMA Vice-President of Finance

23 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

2017-2018 Income Statement

REVENUE Actual 2017 Budget 2017 Budget 2018

ADMINISTRATION 86,670 86,800 86,800 COMPETITION 288,059 299,600 283,795 UMPIRES 37,503 30,480 32,700 MARKETING 28,842 35,000 41,500 POLICY 51,289 51,600 55,600 HIGH PERFORMANCE 170,148 194,218 167,077 COACHING DEVELOPMENT 74,840 63,285 79,300 SPORT DEVELOPMENT 106738 111,500 95,500

TOTAL REVENUE 844,089 872,483 842,272

EXPENSES

ADMINISTRATION 302,901 (314,479) (314,116) COMPETITION 93,559 (109,400) (76,300) UMPIRES 43,002 (34,800) (29,300) MARKETING 37,619 (31,700) (50,700) POLICY 42,062 (41,070) (49,400) HIGH PERFORMANCE 171,808 (166,500) (162,700) COACHING DEVELOPMENT 44,053 (43,770) (55,560) SPORT DEVELOPMENT 108,313 (105,874) (100,850)

TOTAL EXPENSES 843,317 (847,593) (838,926)

SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) 772 24,890 3,346

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Auditor’s Report

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Competition Report

The 2017 Manitoba Baseball Season was not without many challenges and has lead me to think about the future of Baseball in our Province.

The 2018 Manitoba Baseball Season is close to getting started and there are changes in the wind. This is a great game and is not just about “winning” even though that does accompany every sport. There can be only one winner, but that is no reason not to make it a great success for every participant. This season let us try to remember why we spend so much time getting our kids and even ourselves to the ball park for many days this upcoming summer. Let us also remember the game is about all of the players not only our own kids.

Please, as in the past years, remember to have all of your coaches accredited to the appropriate level for the team and competition that the team will be competing in.

I want to wish everyone all the best for this Baseball Manitoba’s 50th Anniversary and let’s have a great year.

See you all at the ball park!

Respectfully submitted,

Terry Couvier VP Competition

34 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

2018 Provincial, Western Canada and National Sites

Category Date Location Contact

Baseball Manitoba Provincial Championships – “A” & “AA” Nicole Madsen 204-764-0172 11U “A” (Zone 2) July 6 - 8 Hamiota [email protected] Kristy Hildebrand 204-362-3078 11U “AA” July 13 - 15 Morden [email protected] Don Meilleur 204-612-3886 13U “A” (Zone 2) July 6 - 8 Seine River [email protected] Brent Mahoney 204-510-3658 13U “AA” July 13 - 15 St. James [email protected] Shawn Eidse 204-746-4765 15U “A” (Zone 2) July 6 - 8 Rosenort [email protected]

Colleen Mirwaldt 204-792-0337 15U “AA” July 13 - 15 E. St. Paul [email protected]

Curt Letkeman 204-324-1820 18U “AA” July 20 - 22 Altona [email protected] Wes Taylor 204-868-6555 13U “AAA” Qualifier July 20 – 22 Minnedosa [email protected] Roger Langlais 204-268-3172 13U “AAA” August 3 - 5 W. St. Paul [email protected] Dwayne Wall 204-362-6636 15U “AAA” Qualifier July 20 – 22 Winkler [email protected]

Brent Mahoney 204-510-3658 15U “AAA” August 3 - 5 St. James [email protected] Teri-Lynn Harms 204-290-6990 18U “AAA” July 27 - 29 Winnipeg South [email protected] Darcy Stewart 204-825-4073 Senior “A” August 10 -12 Clearwater [email protected] Rodney White 204-476-6044 Senior “AA” August 10 -12 Neepawa [email protected] Adam Kirk 204-461-0593 Senior “AA” All Stars July 20 - 22 Stonewall [email protected] Derek Shamray 204-566-2385 Senior “AAA” June 22-24 Oak River [email protected]

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Category Date Location Contact

Western Canada Championships

13U “AAA” Scott Ramsey August 16-19 Brandon, MB Western Region [email protected] Chris James 14U “AAA” Girls August 16-19 Spruce Grove, Alberta [email protected]

15U “AAA” August 16-19 TBD, Manitoba

Dave Spears 18U “AAA” North Vancouver, B.C. August 16-19 [email protected]

Kurtus Millar 21U “AAA” St. Albert, Alberta August 10-12 [email protected]

Brett Walchuk 306-690-9884 Senior “AA” Moose Jaw, Sask. August 16-19 [email protected] 13U “AA” Louis Cote 204-346-3370 15U “AA” La Broquerie, MB August 16-19 [email protected] 18U “AA” Baseball Canada National Championships Mike Doucette 17U Canada Cup August 8-12 Moncton, NB [email protected] Jeremy Jeanson 13U “AAA” August 23-26 Woodstock, ON jeremyjeanson@woodstockminorba seball.com Ken Babcock 15U “AAA” August 23-26 Oshawa, ON [email protected] Holly LaPierre 16U “AAA” Girls August 23-26 Halifax, NS [email protected] Michael Marousek 18U “AAA” August 16-19 Ft. McMurray, AB [email protected] Derek Brooks 21U “AAA” August 16-19 St. Thomas, ON [email protected] Gail and Roger Langlais 21U Women’s August 9-12 Stonewall, MB 204-268-3172 [email protected] Jim Swanson Victoria, BC Men’s Senior August 23-26 [email protected]

36 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Sport Development Report

The Sport Development Committee (SDC), formerly known as the Grassroots Committee, is comprised of sixteen (16) regions across Manitoba. The group is dedicated to implementing productive ideas that will foster the development of our current members, maintain players, and recruit new participants. The Sport Development Committee members are encouraged to implement introductory skill development programs for players in leagues and associations. It is the responsibilities of this committee to ensure that members deliver relevant information to their leagues and associations, be the motivational engine for the Baseball Manitoba endorsed programs and be a resource to their areas membership. The committee members will provide feedback and direction to the Committee as far as concepts, programs and future ideas for the development of Manitoba’s young players. It is a culmination of inspiring, innovative ideas from Committee members, in collaboration with Baseball Manitoba and Baseball Canada, which creates programs in the sport that allow growth of the game.

LTAD • Developed to maximize a participant's potential and involvement in our sport • Principles aim to define optimal training, competition and recovery throughout an athlete's career to enable him / her to reach his / her full potential in baseball and as an athlete. • All of our programming is designed with the LTAD ideologies; thus it is important for all committee members to be familiar with LTAD principles and how they relate to baseball in their region • Committee members are encouraged to research the LTAD model on our website and become comfortable speaking about the principles with others in their region.

CHALLENGER BASEBALL • A program that allows players with cognitive and physical disabilities to participate in the sport of baseball and experience the comradery of a team setting. Players have access to team uniforms, equipment, and play on a diamond. Although a relatively new program with Baseball Manitoba, it appears that the Challenger program is gaining momentum. Spring camps are scheduled in Winnipeg and in Hamiota. • More associations are creating a Challenger Division in their local area and associations. Information regarding this program can be found on the Baseball Manitoba website.

WINTERBALL • Winterball is aimed at promoting the sport of baseball, in addition to introducing the sport to some students for the first time. It is an introductory program used in the schools to help promote the sport of baseball from K to 6. Thank you to the sponsors; Major League Baseball, Home Run Sports and Baseball Canada. • 29 Winterball kits have been spoken for and have been delivered them to schools across the Province.

WINTER ACADEMY • This is the 8th year that Baseball Manitoba has operated the Winter Academy. • We have camps in Winnipeg (Home Run Training Center and U of W Rex Plex) and Brandon, in their 3rd year, is offering camps at Green Acres School. • Winnipeg and Brandon camps are full and both started February 19th. • Winter Academy covers physical activity, technique, play, and competition

37 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

SPRING BREAK CAMPS • This is the 12th year Baseball Manitoba, along with Triple Crown Baseball, has operated Spring Break Camp. • The camp is held out of Winnipeg Soccer Federation Building (U of M) • Day camps run from March 26 to March 29 from 9am to 4pm for players 6 to 12 years old. • Cost for the day camps is $285.00 and need a minimum of 50 participate to have the camp run. • Evening camps run March 26 to March 29 from 5pm to 6:30pm for ages 13 to 15-year olds.

GOLDEYES HOLIDAY CAMP • Was held in December at HRSTC and went well.

BLUE JAYS SUPER CAMP • Scheduled July 11th -12th in Iles Des Chenes. • Registration is now open. Please encourage players to sign up quickly.

RALLY CAP PROGRAM • This program targets players aged 4 – 7 years (7U). • Rally Cap Program is an introduction to players in the sport of baseball. • The program continues to help increase player involvement in baseball, as well as helping increase player numbers in the older age groups. • Dairy Queen became Baseball Canada official sponsor for Rally Cap. • T-Shirts will once again be provided for players for 2018 from DQ. • It is very important to send Rally Cap player numbers to the Baseball Manitoba office to ensure th all players have a t-shirt for the season. April 15 is the deadline. • For MBA’s 50th Anniversary, the Committee is looking into a Province wide rally Cap Jamboree

GRAND SLAM PROGRAM / JAMBOREE • This program targets players aged 8 – 9 years (9U). • The program helps develop physical literacy by using a modified game to teach the basic baseball skills to children and ensure success. • It is hoped that all regions in the province will hold a local Grand Slam Jamboree. • Tim Hortons is the sponsor for this program. They will provide jerseys for all players. Teams must provide Brenda player numbers by April 12th. • Grand Slam teams involved must be registered with the Baseball Manitoba. • Provincial Jamboree will be a twelve (12) team event at Global Park. The date we are targeting is Saturday, June 30, 2018

MOSQUITO MONSTER MANIA (MMM) • This program is for players 10 and 11 years old (11U) and is in its 12th year. • This will be a Jamboree type of tournament with modified rules that encourage player development. • The Committee hopes to make this event a success for all regions and encourages the regions to organize their own MMM. • Little Mountain Sportsplex (Winnipeg) will play host to a one (1) day event on Saturday, May 12th, as well as Brandon has one scheduled for the same day. • Modified rules have been used during this event such as use of pitching machine or having players who receive a walk get side toss, so they can put the ball in play. • We encourage rural leagues to run their own MMM to suit the “fun” and “success” needs of this age category. • My First Pitch clinics will be conducted for all coaches during the day. • Umpire development is a large part of the day, with evaluators on hand to assist young umpires. 38 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

MY FIRST PITCH • This program is to help teach proper pitching techniques for 11U players. Some of the associations that offered this program are Portage la Prairie, Winnipeg South, Interlake, St. James Minor, Midwest Minor, Oildome, Parkland and Red Lake.

5 TOOL CAMPS • Conducted with the help of Triple Crown Baseball. These camps are designed to teach the tools of baseball throwing, hitting, fielding, pitching and base running. Contact the office to schedule one in your area.

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COORINATOR POSITION • Goal implementation is 2019. $2000 available to Regions to match and hire personnel for delivery of player/coach/umpire programs. More details to come in following months.

Should you require further information regarding these programs, information can be found on the Baseball Manitoba website or by contacting the office.

I would like to thank Jason Miller, Brenda Horz and Morgan de Peña for their continued support in putting together these programs. Good Luck to Morgan in his retirement, and congratulations to Jason as begins his new role as Executive Director. I would also like to send a huge thank you to all the league reps for attending the meetings and sharing their invaluable input.

Respectfully submitted,

Nicole Madsen Vice President - Sport Development

Members of the Sports Development Committee: Bonivital – John McLennan Brandon – Shane Sanko Carillon – Jeremy Culleton Interlake – Ian Proven Midwest – Trevor Lewis North Wpg. – Roger Langlais Oil Dome – Terri Williamson Parkland – Curtis Kaleta Pembina Hills – Rob Gudnason Red River Valley – Dan Cox South Central – Dulaney Blatz St. James – Ken Legge Wpg. South – Tony Staruch Girls Baseball – Patti Hacault Portage – Nancy Funk Challenger – Bobbi Bottle

39 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

High Performance Report

The High-Performance Portfolio is responsible for the development and management of Baseball Manitoba’s High-Performance programs and provincial teams, and for fostering and improving athlete and coach development within those programs.

Player Development and Placement Beyond Baseball Manitoba Programs We continue to have a great many players and student athletes in the US/Canada College System and attending baseball academies elsewhere in Canada.

In addition to the above,

Manitoba Players on Team Prairies at Tournament 12 in 2017 • Owen Harms • Noah Geekie • Zach Giesbrecht • Shayne Campbell • Jordan Lussier • Jared McCorrister • Tristan Peters • Darnell Wyke • Cam Thickson

Team Canada 2017, U-18 World Cup (Thunder Bay, ON) • Victor Cerny

Team Canada 2017, Canada-USA summer program (Washington, DC) • Sarah Moir • Katie Heppner • Britney Langlais

Team Canada Junior Spring Training Roster (Florida 2018) • Cam Thickson

Team Canada Women’s Development Camp (Cuba 2018) • Sarah Moir • Olivia Sheldon

2018 Team Manitoba Head Coaches • 13U Male TBD • 14U Female Dean Sproule • 15U Male Mike Krykewich (2019 WCG and 2020 Youth Team) • 16U Female Darrell Humeniuk • 16U Male Curtis Grieve (2019 Youth Team) • 17U Male Jeff Bouchard • 21U Female Jeremy Culleton

Field of Dreams Scholarship In 2017, Baseball Manitoba, in conjunction with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, presented three Field of Dreams Scholarships. The recipients were Jon Patmore, Katie Heppner and Jordan Peck. Each of the recipients received a scholarship worth $1,000 to assist them in attending college. In conjunction with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, we will present three more scholarships in 2018.

40 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

High Performance Programs Advisory Committee The High Performance Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to Baseball Manitoba and the VP– High Performance on the scope, direction and operation of the provincial High-Performance Program, and helps to promote the programs and teams of the High-Performance Program to the baseball community in Manitoba and Canada.

The membership of the Committee is as follows:

Andrew Collier Blaine Fortin Shane Moffatt Dave Blatz Curt Brandt Jeremy Culleton Teri-Lynn Harms Corey Koskie Derek Shamray Shaun Cory Matt DeGagne Donnie Smith Mike Krykewich Jason Mateychuk Kevin Booker - Chair

Committee Support Morgan de Peña Jason Miller Dave Olsen – budget advisor

The committee’s first order of business was to discuss the $50,000 deficit created during the first run through of the 3-year program. As was reported at the SAGM, a major portion of the deficit came from the Disney New Year’s Classic tournament due to the Canadian dollar and the unexpected costs when the team got down there. This led to a discussion as to the importance of competition at this time of year. The knowledge and expertise of committee members in LTAD programming, existing LTAD programs for Baseball Canada, Sport for Life, Athletics Canada, Volleyball Canada and discussions with *Dr. Joe Eisenmann all confirm that the risks of competition during the off season far outweigh the rewards. Based on this knowledge and the reported deficit caused by attending the tournament at this time of year, the committee has unanimously agreed that our high-performance teams will not travel for competition from Nov. 1 to Feb. 15 of each year. Also, a budget reporting tool is being implemented to keep the spending in check.

The committee is now looking at the High-Performance program to improve the focus and quality of programming for more athletes, both male and female.

Areas of discussion: • Lack of a High Performance program for our younger athletes. A program has been started at 13U but there is a gap for our 14’s. • Need for inclusion of our female athletes. • Skill development in other areas than sport specific skills. Example: Junior Bisons Speed Training run by Alex Gardiner (Former Head of Athletics Canada, Team Canada Worlds and Olympics coach. The program focuses on speed

*Dr. Joe Eisenmann - A scholar-practitioner-leader with 25 years’ experience in Sports Science, 180+ scientific publications cited 9800 times, and 40+ invited national and international lectures. Possesses a diverse skillset that includes exercise physiology, human growth & maturation, epidemiology, talent identification, testing & assessment, data science, and strength & conditioning. Alongside the academic underpinnings, also works "in the trenches" with coaches and athletes daily and collaborates with sports medicine staff and others using a holistic, integrated approach to athlete development.

41 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

development for high school athletes who are pursuing high-level competitive success. The program will be suitable for athletes who already have a consistent background in competitive sport(s) preparation and competition and would benefit from supplemental speed and power training. • Database of our athletes to aid in promotion to Team Canada, Colleges/Universities, etc. • Social media updates of our HP athletes in colleges/universities, Team Canada and the pro ranks to help promote the game to our younger athletes, coaches and membership.

2018 looks to be a big year in building upon the existing High Performance program. I would like to thank the past committee for all their hard work in putting together a program that showed great success on the field. Thank you in advance to this year’s committee for all the hard work and time that will be put into expanding the current program.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kevin Booker VP – High Performance

42 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Coach Development Report

The Coaching Portfolio of Baseball Manitoba Executive committee is responsible for the delivery of the National Coaches Certification Program (NCCP), its technical clinics, and any new coaching development programs as required by Coaching Manitoba or Baseball Canada. Furthermore, we desire to keep Manitoba coaches informed of all relevant information.

Baseball Manitoba is now taking bookings for NCCP clinics for the coming season and has already booked over 60 clinics throughout the province. Some highlights for 2018 include, The Coaches Convention in Portage (April 6-8), the Winnipeg Goldeyes Coaches Symposium, set for Saturday, May 26, and Regional Coach Clinics set up at pre-determined sites around the province. For a complete list of clinics for this season, please use www.nccp.baseball.ca.

Baseball Manitoba will continue to provide a Provincial Team Kits for all coaches at all levels. These envelopes, assembled by staff members and volunteers, include everything a coach may need to affectively operate a team at their level. These kits are available for pick up by the delegates at the end of the AGM. Please return any unused kits to the Baseball Manitoba office as soon as possible, so the material can be reused.

The Coaches Committee is comprised of Regional representation with a diverse background in level of coaching. The committee has met numerous times with a focus on communication, training and certification. This group has recently been involved with the development of the Coach Convention, updating the Coach Rundown, the Coach Apprenticeship Program and following up on the plan for coach requirements for baseball coaches in our Province.

Baseball Canada’s online coach website is full of wonderful tools and videos for our coaches who are registered into the system. Also, Baseball Manitoba’s video and resource library is available at Coaching Manitoba, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Sport 4 Life Centre. Their resource center has plenty of sport related material and computers for use by coaches. Contact the Coaching Manitoba office for details.

Baseball Manitoba will once again be advising coaches of their inability to coach their teams at Qualifiers or Provincials if they choose not to be properly trained or certified. We are committed to having coaches affectively prepared to deliver quality experiences to our young players. Please ensure that you have organized for personnel from your association to check coach requirements at the start of the season. Contact Jason Miller for more details about the training and requirements.

Finally, you will find any information a coach may need on the Baseball Manitoba or Baseball Canada website. When in doubt, please contact any of the staff members at the office. On that note, I do want to thank Brenda, Morgan and Jason for all their assistance and dedication to our sport. Without them, the goals that have been made in the past year would not have been accomplished.

Respectfully submitted,

Faron Asham Vice-President of Coaching Development

43 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

2018 Baseball Manitoba Coach Certification Requirements revised February 2018 Community Sport Teams

13U, 15U 7U 9U 11U 18U and 21U Senior Rally Cap Grand Slam A and AA A and AA A and AA

On-Line Respect in Sport ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches --- Cost - Free

On-Line NCCP Initiation in Sport At Least One ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches Cost - $37.45 coach per team On-Line NCCP Initiation in Baseball - Rally Cap At Least One ------coach per team On-Line NCCP Initiation in Baseball - Fundamentals --- ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches

In Person NCCP Rally Cap Clinic At Least One ------Cost - $30 coach per team

In Person NCCP Initiation Coach Clinic --- At Least One ALL Coaches At Least One --- Cost - $30 coach per team coach per team

In Person My First Pitch ------At Least One ------coach per team

The ABOVE are required for regular season games, and all A and AA PROVINCIAL Championships

BELOW are required for AA teams going to WESTERN Championships These are IN ADDITION to all the requirements ABOVE

13U, 15U Senior AA 18U no further AA certification required In Person NCCP Initiation Coach Clinic - $30 ------ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Absolutes Clinic - $50 ------ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Teaching & Learning Clinic-$50 ------ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Planning Clinic - $50 ------ALL Coaches ---

On-Line NCCP Evaluation Portfolio - $99 ------At Least One --- coach per team

In Person NCCP Practice Evaluation - Free ------At Least One --- coach per team

On-Line NCCP Making Ethical Decisions - Free ------At Least One --- coach per team 44 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

2018 Baseball Manitoba Coach Certification Requirements revised February 2018 Competition Teams

13U 15U, 18U, 21U Senior AAA AAA AAA, All Stars

On-Line Respect in Sport - Free ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ---

On-Line NCCP Initiation in Sport - $37.45 ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches

On-Line NCCP Initiation in Baseball - Fundamentals-Free ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ALL Coaches

In Person NCCP Initiation Coach Clinic - $30 ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Absolutes Clinic - $50 ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Teaching & Learning Clinic-$50 ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Planning Clinic - $50 ALL Coaches ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Pitching & Catching Clinic - $50 --- ALL Coaches ---

In Person NCCP Strategies Clinic - $50 --- ALL Coaches ---

On-Line NCCP Evaluation Portfolio - $99 At Least One At Least One --- coach per team coach per team

In Person NCCP Practice Evaluation - Free At Least One At Least One --- coach per team coach per team

In Person NCCP Game Evaluation - Free --- At Least One --- coach per team

On-Line NCCP Making Ethical Decisions - Free At Least One At Least One --- coach per team coach per team

The ABOVE are required for regular season games, all AAA PROVINCIAL Championships, and all WESTERN and NATIONAL Championships

45 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Marketing Report

The Marketing portfolio continues to be evolving and challenging as we work toward our goal of securing more funding for the Baseball Manitoba program. Marketing can be looked at two ways – promotions, and fundraising. We are still looking at the hiring of a marketing professional on a commission basis, to deal with the marketing platforms, budget and relationships. This contracted employee would report to the Executive Director. We are also going to hire a Baseball Media Relations Coordinator from April to July. This person would be responsible for facilitating Baseball Manitoba’s social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.), generating feature content, video and other unique coverage for our website, and attending various youth, junior and senior games and tournaments and reporting on them.

Baseball Manitoba 50th Anniversary On the promotion front, this year Baseball Manitoba will be celebrating 50 years as an organization through some events, contests, coaching opportunities and a special Amateur Baseball Day. Some of the promotions include:

• Amateur Baseball Day - scheduled for Saturday, June 9. On this date we ask all leagues to hold their Rally Cap and Grand Slam Jamboree’s, so we create a unified presence across the province to help promote baseball. Other tournaments also.

• Helmet Stickers - Teams attending 2018 Baseball Manitoba Provincial Championships will be provided with 50th Anniversary Helmet Stickers. These should go on either the side or back of the player’s batting helmet. These stickers will celebrate 50 years of the Manitoba Baseball Association and further the promotion and recognition of our game around Manitoba.

• Provincial Champion T-shirts - Teams that win provincial championships will be presented with championship t-shirts for players and coaches.

• Baseball Manitoba Day at Shaw Park, to take Monday, May 28. On this day the Goldeyes will wear Baseball Manitoba uniforms, and we will work with the minor associations to get as many youth teams as possible to attend the game.

• Goldeyes Coaches Symposium – Saturday, May 26. Coaches that enter will receive NCCP training and coaching instruction from the Goldeyes coaches. The coaches will also watch pre- game warm-ups and batting practice, and get the chance to perform some in-game tasks to further their development.

Funding Change On-line Raffle Baseball Manitoba has once again partnered with local Winnipeg company Funding Change to provide a unique way for your club and team to raise money and win great prizes. Their one-of-its-kind online raffle platform eliminates the need for physical tickets and money handling, empowering your team to buy and sell tickets easily online. Fundraising becomes a cinch! We are asking all of our teams to participate in this program this summer to help offset the expenses incurred by our clubs and teams.

Every team is assigned a unique raffle link (URL) that allows online ticket sales to be tracked to each team. Senior, Junior and AAA teams will receive 40% of all ticket sales back to their team, while all other teams have a chance to win an End-of-Year party in a private Goldeyes suite with 40% of sales going to their local club! Teams earn one chance to win with every $1 of tickets sold. And, every team raising money for their club that sells at least $200 in tickets will be entered to win a set of warm-up shirts customized with their team logo.

46 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Teams with unique fundraising needs can contact Baseball Manitoba to apply to receive cash proceeds instead of prize rewards. Requests will be entertained on a case by case basis. Contact the Baseball Manitoba office to submit your request.

Getting your link is easy. Go to the Baseball Manitoba website to register. It only takes 2 minutes to claim your link and start selling! We are planning to launch an exciting “Progressive Jackpot Raffle” running from early May to mid-July. Monthly ticket sales are divided into monthly mini-pots and the final Jackpot. Every ticket sold in May and June has two chances to win (monthly pot and Jackpot). The Jackpot grows as the raffle goes on.

Momentum Fundraising We have been approached by Momentum Fundraising regarding a Fund Raising Card that can be personalized for your organization. Each card contains multiple punch out cards that can be used at vendors across Manitoba to get discounts on merchandise or food. The revenue is approximately 50% on all cards sold. The cost is $20 to the consumer and the player/association receives $10 back. There are also incentives as milestone sales are reached.

With the website complete, we have another platform for advertisers to reach the membership and more value for Baseball Manitoba to prospective and current sponsors. We have also identified specific events that may be of interest to businesses and groups around the Province that we are continuing to target moving forward.

We would like to thank our current and dedicated sponsors: • Awards & More • Heavy Metal • Kahunaverse | Home Run Sports • Rawlings • Tim Hortons • Tri-Star • Triple Crown

With this position open, I encourage someone to consider the VP of Marketing role on the board should you feel you can bring new insight and value to the board and Baseball Manitoba as a whole. The board also values any input that you have regarding any leads you may have for marketing dollars or any ideas you have moving forward that could help us achieve our funding goals.

Jason Miller for the Vice President of Marketing

47 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Umpire Development Report

Baseball Manitoba is committed to the delivery of an umpiring development program which provides appropriate opportunities for the training, improvement and support of umpires at all levels. Officials’ development represents a strong area of programming that is steadily improving and refining systems.

The main focus for the Umpire Development Program is holding Umpire clinics every spring. In 2016 we registered 474 umpires at all levels; in 2017 we had 540 (an increase of 14%). This was a great increase, but we must continue to do more recruitment to increase our lower levels and be proactive in maintaining these new officials. Surveys are currently being developed to send to the various levels of umpires to help us understand why some umpires are leaving and whether or not some of these reasons are within the program’s control to improve our ability to retain more of these umpires in the future. Another survey will focus on feedback from higher level umpires regarding topics and ideas that can possibly be implemented at those levels to help these umpires stay engaged and/or motivated.

2018 will see Baseball Manitoba move into the fifth year of the Baseball Canada Grass Roots umpire program. Based on user feedback the program is successful as students and clinicians embraced the changes.

This year we will conduct year 2 of the cycle for level 3 umpires requiring them to only write the exam. The next Umpire Super Clinic will be held in spring of 2019. All umpires that attend the level 3 clinic will not be required to write the test, but they still must register and pay on the Baseball Canada website.

Umpires must continue to re-certify each year to progress through the levels the National Officials Certification Program (NOCP). Twenty-one certified umpire clinicians are available to conduct the NOCP program in Manitoba as we were able to add six new clinicians from last fall’s Umpire Caravan held in Brandon. We try to have clinics in every region within the province. Communities Hosting Provincial Tournaments need to host a clinic to be certain that you have enough certified umpires in your area.

The Level IV clinic will be held the on the May long weekend in Winnipeg or Stonewall with a specific location to be determined very soon. This clinic is required for all Level 4/5 umpires as well as Senior Level 3 umpires aspiring to move up to the National Level of the program.

The 2018 season will continue with the mentorship program, which has the ability to mentor over 200 level 1 and 2 umpires during the months of May and June. We are currently working on developing a reward-based mentorship program which would take into consideration the many aspects of mentoring providing more opportunities for our Senior Level 4/5 umpires. We will also be encouraging many of our Senior Level 3 umpires to take advantage of this program.

The Umpires Committee continues to maintain an open and familiar relationship at a National and International level to assist in obtaining the highest-quality assignments for those Manitoba officials who are qualified and prepared to fulfill them.

2017 Umpire Committee Members

Pierre Bedard - VP Brian Hodgson Ron Shewchuk Ashton Liskie Josh Braaksma Ferlin Asham Clint Cantelo Laverne Lovatt Markus Goertzen Darryl Beckett Marv Falk

48 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Baseball Manitoba Umpire Clinic Course Conductors

Name Town Region Pierre Bedard Winnipeg Winnipeg Ashton Liskie Winnipeg Winnipeg Brian Hodgson Winnipeg Winnipeg Larry Nicholls Killarney Westman Clint Cantelo Brandon Westman Ron Shewchuk Minnedosa Westman/Parkland Dave Whitehead Winnipeg Winnipeg Kevin Lelievre Portage la Prairie Central Ferlin Asham Brandon Westman Laverne Lovatt Morden South Central Tony Siemens Rosenort South Central Dave Forde Winnipeg Winnipeg/Eastman Peter Perreault Russell Parklands Murray Lawrance Steinbach Eastman Al Clayton Morris South Central Trent LePine St. Eustache Central Darryl Beckett Winnipeg Winnipeg Mark Witiuk Winnipeg Winnipeg Josh Braaksma Russell Parklands Riley Nordman Winnipeg Winnipeg Ryan Bannerman Stonewall Interlake

2017 National Assignments

The 2018 National Umpire Assignments will see Manitoba send umpires to the Pee Wee (13U), Bantam (15U), Midget (18U), Junior (21U), Canada Cup (17U), Senior Women’s, and Senior Men’s tournaments. We have also received three supervision assignments with Brian Hodgson being assigned as the lead Supervisor for the 13U National Western, Ron Shewchuk as Supervisor for the 21U Men’s Nationals and Ashton Liskie as Supervisor for the 18U Nationals.

On behalf of the umpires committee I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brenda, Morgan and Jason for all their tireless work and support throughout the year. Congratulations to Morgan for his recent well-deserved retirement - thanks for the many years of dedication to the sport of baseball that he provided. Congrats also to Jason for his hiring as the new Executive Director; the umpire committee looks forward to many more years of working together in achieving bigger and better goals in the future.

Respectfully submitted,

Pierre Bedard, Vice-President of Umpire Development

49 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Policy Report

The Vice-President of Policy is responsible for the corporate and constitutional structure of the organization and all activities that flow from that structure, as well as compliance with all legal or regulatory requirements. The activities include, but are not limited to:

Corporate meetings, including the annual fall Convention and Awards Banquets and the Annual General Meeting in the spring. Combined with these meetings are workshops on various aspects of the baseball program, including, inter alia, competition matters, coaching issues, administrative concerns for members and associations, all of which are designed to share and, thereby, develop ideas for its operations, to encourage discussion of common issues and to assist the organization and, specifically, its Management Committee, in determining policies, rules and procedures that will improve the efficient operation of the baseball programs. We continually review the workshop format and its content with a view to ensuring there are opportunities for plenary or group sessions to discuss the goals and objectives of the membership. At these meetings, when required, we disseminate MBA policies, procedures, information packages and identify the services and personnel available to assist in the delivery of the baseball program. Usually this disseminated information is now on the Baseball Manitoba website. The meetings are generally well attended and provide the opportunity for associations from both rural and urban areas and individual members from the same areas to interact for the betterment of the sport.

Policies and Procedures are developed as required governing all aspects of administering the corporate organization, including, among others, training and personal development, marketing, media use and conduct, travel, discipline, dispute resolution and appeal. We review all policies from time to time and, where necessary, revise and update them – a process that presently is going on. All Policies in place are published on the Baseball Manitoba website.

Information services, in addition to the MBA policies and procedures, information services also include the MBA Handbook, consisting of the MBA Constitution and General By-laws, Rules, including registration and competition-related matters, Tournament Guidelines, etc. and Programs and Services Brochures, all of which is also on the Baseball Manitoba website. This material has been developed over time and continues to be reviewed and updated on an annual basis to include any changes approved by the Management Committee during the preceding year.

Today, after being rebuilt by a firm under contract with Baseball Manitoba under the guidance and supervision of our new Executive Director, Jason Miller, the Baseball Manitoba Website www.baseballmanitoba.ca is an important and current information tool for the organization – built for easy access by the membership.

Registration forms and fees: As commenced two years ago, rosters are submitted by the leagues electronically via an Excel file. The parental signature is no longer on the roster, but instead, on the registration form at the league level where required from a parent or guardian of any player under the age of 18. Leagues are encouraged to use the Baseball Manitoba privacy content disclaimer forms when registering players. The Baseball Manitoba privacy content disclaimer forms are available from the Baseball Manitoba website. The roster deadline for “AA” and “A” teams is May 15. June 15 is the deadline date for “AAA” minor, Senior and Junior teams.

Regarding Fees, there is a small increase this year in the Rally Cap category. It bears repeating that team fees help offset the cost of handbooks, rulebooks, line-up cards, rosters, Grand Slam, 11U & 13U coach’s manuals and practice plans. Fees for individuals and teams are due to Baseball Manitoba by June 1, 2018 for all leagues. A League Affiliation Form will be used and has a template to assist leagues in calculating their fees. Leagues will remit the amounts listed under 2018 Affiliation fees, based on the number of registrations received per age category and the number of rosters submitted. Leagues/clubs may determine 50 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

if they wish to charge the coaches a registration fee, or if the league/club will cover that cost. The only exception to the coach fees is the Rally Cap Division where there is a lesser charge for one coach only.

Insurance coverage for the membership is reviewed as necessary and, where appropriate, the Vice- President of Policy will recommend changes in the coverage. Insurance issues, which require review with the insurance carrier, includes insurance coverage for volunteers, teams competing in non-sanctioned tournaments or against uninsured teams, the use of ineligible players or unregistered umpires and the effect, if any, on insurance coverage on other participants, as well as other issues. In past year we have incurred claims to teeth, torso, wrist and skull. Every insured person must make every effort to be safe while participating in the baseball program, whether in practice, in warm-ups and in the game, itself. We must try to eliminate all injuries, of course, but teeth injuries, in particular. Insurance claim forms are available from the website or by calling the MBA.

Administration of Bingo Allocations has ended. There are no further assignments by Manitoba Lotteries. For this year the Management Committee has developed a new program for distributing any funding received from Lotteries via Sport Manitoba. This new program will allow for greater funding for specific acceptable projects (e.g. facility development, regional support services) specifically approved and audited by the Management Committee. For Baseball Manitoba’s 50th Anniversary, we will be using the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Funds from Sport Manitoba to allot two (2) $10,000 grants to groups with specific plans in place for grounds and facilities improvements. An on-line form is to be completed by the organization and submitted to Baseball Manitoba by June 30, 2018. A committee will be established to review all submissions. Preference will be given to projects to enhance existing baseball grounds or facilities, with the expectation that volunteer labour will be used where possible. All submissions will be considered on their relative merit and on the funds available. The review committee reserves the right to allocate the funding to those submissions deemed most deserving. All decisions by the committee will be final.

The loss of the bingo revenue means teams, leagues, area associations and the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame will need to identify other sources of revenue for its membership. One such source is increased use of 50-50 programs, such as the program run by Funding Change, this year’s winner of The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Rising Star (Start Up) Award presented to them at the Chamber’s Annual Gala Event on Friday, March 9, 2018. Manitoba Lotteries is supportive of such programs, especially if the Provincial Sport Organization itself applies for the license and administers the fund raising program rather than each individual team, league, area association and the Hall of Fame – supportive because Baseball Manitoba would hold the license and be responsible for the accounting, which, when using Funding Change, is available through their record keeping and accounting.

Honours and Awards Recognition of players, coaches, umpires and volunteers for their achievements or significant contributions is an important function of the organization. At the end of the season an email will be sent out reminding everyone to nominate entitled persons to be considered for a particular award. After the deadline stipulated in the email, an Awards Committee is then established to receive and consider the nominations made and select the recipients. The Awards Committee consists of persons identified each year as involved and knowledgeable about our programs and the teams, players, coaches and officials participating in the program. These persons are approached and, if prepared to serve on the Committee, appointed ad hoc by the Chairman. Each year potential persons to serve on the Committee are identified from the various baseball associations around the province, from the MBA Executive and from the umpire committee so that, to the extent possible, the various regions of the province are represented and the widest possible representation is achieved to ensure validation of the award selections made by the Committee. The awards categories are split between high-performance, grassroots and also include coaches, officials, volunteers and administrators. In most cases each nomination receives association or league endorsement, if available or applicable. The 2018 Annual Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, October 27 in

51 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Winnipeg, in conjunction with the MBA Semi-Annual meeting. At this banquet the awards winners received their awards and recognition for their achievements during the season.

Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is also the responsibility of the Vice-President of Policy, who is one of two appointed representatives from the MBA Executive to sit on the board. In 1997 the Hall of Fame held its inaugural induction ceremony and banquet and has held an annual induction ceremony and banquet every year since then. The Vice-President Policy provides assistance with the Board’s constitution and by-laws as well as representing the interests of the MBA in the Board’s deliberations and conduct of its business.

The 2018 Annual Induction Ceremony will be held on June 2, 2018, at the Morden Recreational Centre at the home of the Hall of Fame Museum - a must see place to visit. The Museum Committee has done a wonderful job of preserving Manitoba’s baseball history and heritage and of making the Center a very engaging and entertaining place to visit for young and old alike.

Staff Changes; due to retirement is always an emotional time. Baseball Manitoba, its Management Committee, Directors and members and Baseball Canada and its staff and members will most certainly miss Morgan. And I will certainly miss him. Morgan was and is always current in his knowledge of the many matters that make up the administration of baseball as well as being up to date about players and their abilities and development no matter in what part of the province they lived and played the sport. If I required any information about any baseball related matter all I had to do was call Morgan. If the question I had was about an issue and I sought Morgan’s opinion, which I often did, he always provided a well- considered and well-reasoned response. He is well-deserving of the thanks of each and every one of the members of our organization and our respect and heart-felt appreciation.

And now we are excited to welcome Jason Miller to the position of Executive Director. The Selection Committee has made an excellent choice and the Management Committee has formally confirmed Jason in his new position. Jason was hired as the Program Director with a view to replace Morgan when he chose to retire. Jason has been well mentored and prepared for the position, not only because of the teaching and influence of Morgan, but also because he possesses excellent skills and he, too, has earned the respect of the entire organization. He has done an excellent job as Program Director.

In addition, although Brenda is not retiring or changing her position with the organization, I still want to thank Brenda for her steadfast loyalty to and her hard work for the organization. She has fulfilled her responsibilities with such efficiency, energy, and wisdom, whether required of her by the Presidents or Vice-Presidents of the Management Committee, including me, the Hall of Fame executive members, or the area association executives, league executives, coaches, umpires, or the general members. She is a pleasure to work with – always smiling and accommodating.

Respectfully submitted,

Winston Smith VP of Policy

52 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

Resolutions for Ratification

One of the purposes of Baseball Manitoba is to voice and represent the concerns and interests of the members. It is the responsibility of the membership to identify issues and to develop and carry out resolutions at the Annual General Meeting and Semi-Annual Meeting in response to those issues.

From the Management Committee To reduce the current number of teams participating at the Provincial 18U AAA Manitoba Baseball Championship from 12 teams to 8 Teams.

Whereas: Currently every league is allowed to send a team to the Provincial 18U AAA and participate, there would now only be 8 teams and they would be selected by the criteria identified below from the newly developed Sport Manitoba boundaries through the qualifying descriptions. • Area 1 will be the Winnipeg WABA League consisting of Boni-Vital, Red River (Elmwood), St. James, Winnipeg North and Winnipeg South. Three Teams will be qualified through the WABA Play-off Results. • Area 2 will be called Manitoba East and consist of the areas identified as Carillon, Interlake, Pembina Hills and South Central. Two teams will qualify through a 4 Team Round Robin Tournament. • Area 3 will be called Manitoba West and consist of the areas of Brandon, Mid- West, Oil Dome and Parkland (any Norman players will be eligible to play with Parkland). Two teams will qualify through a 4 Team Round Robin Tournament. • The Host team will be considered the 8th Team. Therefore: Be it resolved that the Provincial 18U AAA Championship consist of 8 Teams only going forward. Winner of the Provincial 18U AAA Championship will represent at Nationals and the Finalist will represent at Westerns.

Note 1: All eliminated team players from WABA League play-off’s or Round Robin Tournaments will be eligible for pick up from their local groups as described above. This will be a rotational picking structure with 1st place going first and so on. All qualified teams will provide final rosters to the Baseball Manitoba office by one week in advance of the Provincial 18U AAA Tournament date.

Note 2: This tournament would be 2 pools of 4 teams, with the top 2 teams in each pool advancing to the playoff rounds.

53 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

From the baseball Manitoba Coaches Committee To create Apprentice Coach positions

Whereas the Baseball Manitoba Coaching Committee believes that recruiting more young coaches is essential to sustaining our cadre of capable team leaders at all levels of competition and for all age divisions, and Whereas we also believe that recent “graduates” of our 18U and 21U teams, for example, can be outstanding role models, teachers and ambassadors for the game with younger players, as well as an asset to adult coaches, and Whereas while we have been successful in developing more trained and certified coaches over the past several years, present requirements make it challenging for young prospective coaches (e.g., those players just out of Minor or Junior programs) to become NCCP qualified before their first season of coaching. This is especially true with regard to qualifying to assist AAA and Provincial teams, and Whereas we view an apprentice coach program as a bridge to coaching as a fully certified coach.

Therefore recognizing these opportunities and constraints we wish to implement, on a three-year pilot basis, an apprentice coach mentoring program that would have the following features:

Each Apprentice Coach will: • Serve as an Apprentice Coach for only one season, after which the normal NCCP training requirements would apply for the age division and competitive level that he/she desires to coach. • Be recommended as an Apprentice via a letter of reference from a non-parent adult familiar with the applicant’s character and baseball knowledge. • Present an acceptance note from the Head Coach of the team that the Apprentice would serve. • Complete the Respect-in-Sport online course not later than two weeks into the season. • Not be a parent of any player on the team. • Be strongly encouraged to begin NCCP training as soon as they develop an interest in coaching beyond the single season. • Complete a post-season evaluation form on their experience as an Apprentice Coach.

Each Head Coach Mentor will: • Commit to helping develop the Apprentice’s coaching skills through the season. • Complete an evaluation form at the end to the season describing the Apprentice’s progress and suggestions for further development. Mentors will also be asked for feedback on the overall Apprentice Program

Notes: a. This program will be available at all competitive levels (A, AA and AAA). b. The number of Apprentice Coaches per team would be a maximum of two, AND not more than one Apprentice for each fully certified coach on the same roster. Thus to take on the maximum of two apprentice coaches, a team must also have at least two fully certified coaches. c. Roster forms will have up to two special lines for Apprentice Coaches and these rosters will be submitted as usual for all Manitoba teams. d. Each Area Association with be responsible for accepting the above application materials and approving the participation of individual Apprentice Coaches. 54 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

e. Copies will be provided to Baseball Manitoba. Apprentice Coaches will be subject to the normal nominal registration fee to Baseball Manitoba. f. Adult apprentices will be subject to any current club or association requirements for child-abuse and criminal registry checks, just like any other rostered coach. Such checks are strongly encouraged; discussions are underway that may make this a province-wide requirement for ALL baseball coaches beginning in 2019. g. Prior baseball coaching should not make a prospective apprentice ineligible if he/she was on a roster where there were no formal NCCP requirements. For example, if a young woman helped coach a Grand Slam team three years ago, but has no NCCP baseball training, and now is interested in being an Apprentice Coach for a 13U team, she would still be eligible. h. Because Baseball Manitoba does not oversee competitions beyond Provincial Championships, the Apprentice Coach would be authorized to participate in league games and competitions up through Provincial Championships but not beyond. Teams qualifying for Western or National Championships should explore ways to keep the Apprentice engaged with the team other than as a rostered coach. i. The Coaching Committee will provide Area Associations with an electronic template for the letters of recommendation, acceptance notes from the mentoring coach, and end-of-season evaluations. Post-season evaluation forms from Apprentice and Mentoring Coaches will be submitted to the Baseball Manitoba Coaching Committee for review and analysis of the pilot program. Performance of the pilot program will be reviewed during each off season with possible annual modifications. j. NCCP professional development points may be available for the mentoring coach if applied for as a coach self-directed activity.

55 Baseball Manitoba 2018 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, March 18, 2018

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