2017 Parents/Guardians Meeting
--Code of conduct
Reminder that all parents signed a code of conduct upon registration. In summary,
this states you will demonstrate the utmost in sportsmanship and respect. There is
a zero tolerance policy of badgering the umps. At the 14U level you will receive a
yellow card for the first offense and a red card at the second offense and be required
to leave the ball park before play continues. Please keep in mind that the umps for
12U and below are often young players who are doing their best to learn and direct
the game. If they don’t have a rule correct, offer instruction, but their call stands.
Coaches, please help back up our umps. If we don’t have umps, we can’t play, so
please respect that they are also learning. Likewise, if you have a child that is
interested in umpiring, please come to our clinic and sign up. The pay is $35/game
if umped solo. If there are 2 umps, the pay is split.
--Introduce our league—501c3, ASA affiliated
In 2016 we formed Duluth’s first independent non-profit fastpitch softball league, in
affiliation with ASA softball. In 2016 we restructured our league to match that of
ASA softball, instead of Little League baseball. This resulted in more age levels of 2
year increments. We feel this makes for a smaller disparity in skill level within each
group. We also joined having our teams play with the Arrowhead Fastpitch League
(formerly known as the Lake Superior FPL). This increases our flexibility, in that if
we only have a few teams per age level, we can still play many games. This also
increases the competition we get to play, thereby raising the bar. In 2017 we
became a tax-exempt 501c3 organization. The Duluth Girls Fastpitch League has a
mission that all girls play softball, regardless of skill or finances. We emphasize fun,
camaraderie, and improvement of softball skills.
Our website is www.duluthgirlsfastpitch.org. The AFP website is
www.arrowheadfastpitch.org. There you will find schedules, rules, contacts,
policies, field locations, important dates, etc. If you have suggestions for our
website, please volunteer them.
--Season end goals/age group
On our website is our goals for each age group. If you are coaching, this can serve as
a guide for what to teach your group. Every level will work hard on throwing,
catching, hitting, and fielding.
--Important dates: ump clinic, coach clinic, pitching clinics, pictures
We have added many free clinics, all put on by our volunteers to improve the skills
of our players. A good way to get involved is to come to these clinics to help out
and/or to learn. We consider every parent/guardian to be a coach, so come learn
how you can help your kids. We have hosted through the winter months, starting in
December, until today, several skills clinics, where kids get rotated through skills
stations, and several open gyms, where pitchers/catchers and any others can come
to practice whatever they need to work on.
We have a few more set for this season. Of particular emphasis are the pitching
clinics. If you don’t have pitching, you don’t have a team. We’d like to think that all
players can be pitchers, and all should try. As an example, my daughter decided 2
years ago at age 13, after the season had started, that she wanted to pitch. She has
put in the effort during and in the off season to see that reality come true. It’s not
too late for anyone.
Piedmont pick-up: likely next week. We need lots of people for a short time to pick
rocks out of the infield at Piedmont. Our group spent the equivalent of 7-10 days
refurbishing the Piedmont field in order to have more places to play. Due to the
maintenance, a lot of large rocks were dug up in the infield. I propose a team
competition! Which team can pick the most rocks from the Piedmont field? That
team will get a prize at our Jamboree at the end of the season. This will only take an
hour, if we have many hands.
May 21: Pitching/catching/umpiring/coaching clinic at Basswood from 5:30-7p.
We will have Jason Lagergren, long-time umpire, teach whomever desires to ump
the in and outs (so to speak) of umpiring. This is not mandatory, but a good idea for
the younger people. Priority will be on our own players to ump before using others.
June 4: pitching/catching clinic at Basswood from 5:30-7p.
June 25: (if needed) pitching/catching clinic at Basswood from 5:30-7p.
July 29 (30, rainout date): end of Season Jamboree
Pictures: We will have 2 dates available: May 15 and 17. Rainout/makeup dates
are May 22 and 24. There will be 20 minute slots/team. Forms will be available
later. Jim Davis will again be doing our photos. Memory mates will be available this
year.
--Dates of play, days of play
8U plays Mondays, schedule to be set April 26.
10U starts double-headers May 31. Games Wednesdays. Playoffs week of July 17.
12U starts double-headers May 30. Games Tuesdays (some exceptions). Playoffs
week of July 17.
14U starts double-headers June 5. Games Tuesday/Thursdays, but can be
Monday/Wednesdays. Playoffs week of July 24. If you have a player on a high
school team, they are not allowed to practice or play until their high school season is
over.
--Need volunteers: Piedmont pick-up, field grooming, helping coaching
We have a small but wonderful group of board members and coaches, all of whom
are volunteers. Please help your team with field grooming after practices or home
games. Coaches will have a sign-up sheet so everyone can take turns dragging or
chalking a field. We expect the players to be the primary ones doing this, so please
be patient while waiting for them at the end of a game/practice. Help coach or be a
team manager. Get involved. We need more people, as our current group is starting
to age out.
--Fundraising: Huskies tickets (Ila Borders day), sponsorships
We have a fundraiser selling Huskies tickets. For $25 you get a punch card with 4
game tickets, 4 discounts on hot dogs, and 4 discounts on pop. This is a $50 value.
The League gets $10 for each punch card sold. You can buy them for your own
family, or sell them to help our league. Likewise, now that we are a 501c3 taxexempt organization, we are asking you to take our sponsorship letter and ask for
donations from community businesses or your places of work. Our income from
fees barely covers our costs, and before raising prices, we’d like to solicit you to
solicit others to make donations. There will be a form put on line to take orders at
your place of work, or from friends/family. Then you can contact us with exactly
how many tickets you need. (Great suggestion!)
--Looking for more board members. You don’t need to know about softball to do
this. Elections will be held in the fall. Please email Melissa Najarian, or any board
member for further information about being a board member.
--New! Duluth Girls FPL gear! We will have a portal through which to purchase
sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc with the DGFPL logo on it. Stay tuned for more details. This
will likely be available in 1-2 weeks.
--Helmets.
Everyone will be required to purchase their own helmet this year. We have an
abundant supply and will sell you one from last year for $10 (free if you received a
scholarship). This ensures you have proper fit of your helmet and eliminates
potential issues with lice.