Obviously the item you wish to discuss tonight is the Little League proposal. Despite Peter’s best efforts he has been unable to obtain a response from either the ABF or Baseball NSW - it may be that they don’t really know either. After all we would not even know about the proposal if it were not for NSWJBL. That is despite the ABF attending a Little League meeting in February.

I warned you last month that this policy was a possibility – also that you would not be able to play to your own rules. This was way ahead of anything being published.

Really you are going to waste a whole lot of time and energy worrying what is going happen until such time as you know the details of the proposal. If it turns out that we are to be consulted - then at that time we will need to have the sort of information that is being demanded about how it will work.

By all means we will demand that the JLSC and the Associations have a say in these changes and keep insisting upon consultation not concentrating on the level of implementation. We do however require the sort of detail that people are mulling over now but at this stage just make it clear that Juniors want to be fully informed BEFORE a final decision is made by BNSW.

Off the top of my head I can list a number of problems that will result from the implementation of the program. Not the least of the problems will be the probable loss of smaller clubs - suits the policy of "bigger must be better". Also the less there are the easier it is to control. Then again they ‘own you’ – read the Hills Junior Association Constitution – even resigning from Baseball NSW is difficult.

Hills now has an Under 16 Winter competition with five teams- NSWJBL two teams, Castle Hill, Hawkesbury and Greater West. It will be a Friday night competition with the two games being played at Knights (6pm – 7.30pm and 7.45pm – 9.15pm). Hills will be responsible for the cost of lighting.

The Under 14 competition appears competitive with six teams while the Under 12 standard is very poor. We are looking at forming a Hills Development team and inviting the NSWJBL Under 12 team into the competition to provide it match practice to lift the standard.

Just a word of caution: Clubs need to be a little more organized at the start of the 2007/8 season. We have advertised that the Live ball and Mod Ball season will start on 8 September. In past seasons Clubs have never been ready and requested a later start – this year we do not have that alternative as Easter in 2008 is ‘very early’ on 23 March. That date would normally be the wash out date for Grand Final day. Forewarned is forearmed.

There is a note on the web site ( and sent to clubs) that applications for positions of representative coaches. Applications close at end of this month. Minimum Level One accreditation is required. It is likely that last season’s coaches in Under 12 and Under 14 will re apply.

Copies of the NSWJBL Annual Report are available for Clubs tonight.

The Hills Annual General Meeting will be held on 10 July, 2007. Nominations for Executive positions close at the June meeting.

We will again conduct camps in the July School Holidays ( 2nd – 13 July,2007) . In January we undertook to conduct camps for 8 and 9 year olds. These would be in addition to the camps for 10 to 12 year olds. The format may be different as we are considering conducting specific course for pitchers, catchers and a general course to cover hitting. These would be two or three day duration.

One thing I do not usually see are Minutes of the JLSC meeting – but last month I received a copy through Peter. Imagine my surprise to read that it appears that Ryde were able to use Under 14 State Cup player (old term) in the finals of Association Cup to cover injuries.

While we are at it – I will be asking your agreement to write to Baseball NSW asking why no action has appeared to be taken against a coach who failed to meet the defensive outs in the final of the Under 14 SJC Championship. The team to our knowledge was not disqualified nor the coach disciplined. That breach would never have gone without an investigation under NSWJBL- disqualification would have been automatic.

I have sent clubs a couple of items that appear in correspondence. These include:

• Information re Level One Courses
• Lighting for sale by Blacktown Olympic Park
• Rouse Hill Times Junior Sportsperson Award

We have a decision to make about Commonwealth Sports Award within electorate of Mitchell. May well be a joint nomination of Hills and a club.

The Secretary’s report was accepted.

The Executive of Mrs Barnier (President), Mr Farrell (Vice President), Mr Yard (Secretary) and Mr Royce (Treasurer) were elected unanimously and unopposed. The constitutional changes recommended previously were ratified at the AGM.

The touring Under 12 and Under 13 teams to Japan have been selected.  Trials continue for Under 15 and Under 16 teams.

NSWJBL will conduct a Pacific Friendship Series in Sydney in August.  There will be more international teams involved this year – Japan, Taiwan and USA are confirmed.

• Mr. Schmidt presented the agenda of the meeting.
• Baseball NSW conducted its Strategic Council meeting – the focus should have been for members to address issues toward the Board. That was apparently not the case. It was reported that only six people attended.

• The zero tolerance policy of the ABF is in place in Victoria, which supports our aims in this matter in Hills.
• There were proposed representative formats submitted to the meeting.
• It was agreed that we must find a better way to record and communicate BNSW material to our own members.

• Statement of Financial Position was presented.
• Payments were approved.
• Debtors and liabilities were disclosed.
• Mr Yard added these comments ...
  • That was the end of our financial year. Overall we had a good year financially: our profit is in the area of $4,000. We have additional money to come from Mini Ball. This is achieved off the lowest cost to players in the way of fees.
  • The profit is even more pronounced when to take into consideration the considerable subsidy for the 21st Celebratory Dinner and the purchases of pitching machines.
  • There is a significant expenditure due with the replacement of the representative playing tops. If these are not purchased next summer then they certainly will be the following season.
  • Please heed the warning that we are riding on the back of volunteers who do a considerable amount of work for no financial return. If the truth was known they would be well out of pocket for their efforts.
  • Any assessment of Opportunity, Threat, Strength or Weakness analysis would identify those people as a strength – but also a very real threat as well as a weakness if they cannot be replaced.
• The formal Year-end financial statement will be presented at the AGM in July

It was announced today on the ABF website, along with a document on how Little League should operate. We could not get access to the playing rules.

There are some questions:

• Little League as well? – no it replaces everything in Under 12 and Under 14
• Some will not work in Australia – 20,000 catchment limit. There are clubs that have a greater catchment area than that.
• The draft – where coaches select players to produce evenly graded teams.

The original document outlines the entire program will be sponsored. If there is no sponsorship then the clubs or Associations have to find the money. As of right now there is no money available.

What do we know?

• There are two divisions of competition – Major and Minor
• Minor League is the development League
• It applies to all 12 year olds
• Maximum of 10 teams, minimum of four teams per Major League
• Boundaries are where you live
• Rules – 9” hard ball, 2¼” dia. bats, breakaway bases, no head first slides.

What we do not know

• Do Associations have to split where there are more than 10 teams? This is a big issue for Hills
• Really we do not know much at all yet.

The risks are

• The reduction in diamond size is considered disappointing in relation to individual players development
• The affect on smaller clubs losing players and in time their identity
• The real threat is the loss of club volunteers who will not continue as ‘puppets’; and most importantly the loss of independence.

Umpires: Mr. Bray suggested that each team from Under 10 onward have an Official umpire that will provide for two umpires per game. The ‘home’ team supplies the ‘plate’ umpire and the ‘away’ team the ‘base’ umpire.

Mr. Young commented that he would be against taking the proposal to the extreme where no umpire was in attendance.

Clubs are to consider the proposal and report at the June meeting.

Castle Hill proposes to organize a Level 1 Umpires course in summer. The course will be open to all clubs.

Midweek Competition: Mr. Tossell suggested that Hills conduct a mid week competition next summer. The competition would be aimed at attracting players who normally play cricket or those people who prefer not to play weekend baseball.

Cal Ripken: Mr. Yard reported that Dominic Woodward and Joshua Guyer have been selected in the team to play in the Cal Ripken tournament.

DVD: Mr. Catt advised that the DVD is not finished yet – needs some finishing touches. It is intended to narrate the history of Hills onto the DVD.

Annual Meetings: A number of clubs have held, or are about to hold their Annual General Meetings.
Mr. Yard requested that Hills be formally advised of the changes in the Club executives.

Coaches Newsletter: Mr. Yard advised that it is intended to publish a regular Coaches Newsletter along the same lines as the Hills’ Newsletter. The aim and hope of Coach Link is to improve the knowledge of coaches. The first issue of Coach Link has been issued