Little League: There is no further news on Little League. We were promised a reply to our questions and concerns a ‘few days’ after the 7 June meeting. It is certainly more than a few days after that date but the silence from Baseball NSW is deafening. Or is that they don’t really know either and are awaiting instructions!

Fees: The current season fees have been set by Baseball NSW and this information has been sent to you together with the correspondence between Hills and Baseball NSW.

Personally I do not think that the increase is the end of it – there is more to be played out in this saga yet. There is neither rhyme nor reason to the increase. Juniors and Seniors pay the same amount. Nine year olds previously classified as TeeBallers have been caught up in the grab for more and more money by being considered as LiveBallers.

It is being stated that the $55 fee for Seniors includes Medical and Loss of income insurance. That insurance cover comes at a cost, yet the fees are the same as Juniors who have no such insurance. Make allowance for that cost and Juniors’ capitation is the highest of any category.

Just what do they get for $55? Compare the nine or ten year old to Major League player – who have two rounds a week in the Premier competition and access to Under 18, Under 23 and Claxton Shield teams as will as NSWIS and MLB Academy Programs. The same comparison works for Park Ball players. The Park Ball players and nine and ten year olds have zero opportunities.

In his reply Mr. Willott claims that the move to equalization capitation fees was deliberate. He almost sounds like he thinks that the senior players are disadvantaged by equal capitation. To infer that it takes the same time in administration for Juniors and Seniors is also ludicrous. What do they administer in Juniors? Only an eight team competition in three age groups. There are some that will say that they do not even do that well.

As I said neither rhyme nor reason!

Other Matters:

• I have stocks of Kenko C Class baseballs ( Under 9 to Under 12) and K500 balls (Under 8). Costs are the same as last year $ 72 @ dozen and $45 @ dozen. We have stocks of the 11” mesh back gloves @ $17.50 each and have 10” leather gloves on order at $ 20.50 each. If you require any stock please contact me. These are available for sale to our members at cost.
• The Executive is recommending that Hills pay the course fees for Duncan Boileau and Peter Theos to attend the NSWBUA accreditation camp. The amount is $150. The recommendation comes as a result of both Duncan and Peter umpiring every Hills’ home games in the Sydney Junior competition last season. It is our way of saying thanks.
• Team nominations are due by 31 August, 2007. Competition commences 15th September.
• The wet weather has decimated the winter competitions. The grand final of the Under 12 competition will be played on Sunday between Castle Hill Green and Quakers Hill.
  • The Under 14 competition has been extended by a week in an attempt to overcome the backlog in games. Really we have done well to have played as many games as we have. Both Hawkesbury and Castle Hill will play all the scheduled games.
  • The Under 16 competition is the one that has been most affected. That grand final looks like being between the NSWJBL World Series Team and Castle Hill.
• The wet weather has also played havoc with the two four day camps scheduled for these school holidays. We cancelled the camp for 9 and 10 year olds when it was obvious that the grounds would not recover from the deluge late in June. That decision was proven to be correct. The return of the wet weather has forced the cancellation of the first two days of this weeks’ camp. Hopefully we can get back onto the diamonds on Wednesday through to Friday. Should Wednesday be cancelled then serious consideration has to be given to cancelling the camp.
• A reminder that the trials for the representative teams commence on 28 July at 9am for Under 16 and Sunday 5th August for both the Under 12 ( 9am for 9.30) and Under 14 (noon for 12.30pm). The venue for all trials is Castle Glen although the first trials for Under 12 and Under 14 may move depending on the extent of work planned for Castle Glen. It is hoped that there will be two Under 16 trials per week as we hope to be able to trial on Saturday morning and Tuesday night.
  • Unless there are four weeks of trials in the Under 14 age group Dominic Woodwood and Joshua Guyer will not be able to trial as they will be overseas with the Cal Ripken team. It would be unrealistic to eliminate both players from the Hills team because they are overseas on representative duties. I believe that both players have demonstrated their right to selection even if they do not trial.
  • The selection of coaches in Under 12 (Nigel Hern and Peter Olson) and Under 14 (Jeff Catt and Greg Robinson. Manager Andrew Woodward) need to be ratified. There were no other nominations. All are well known to the Board. We need to interview the applicants for Under 16 - John Chapman, Robert Stone and Ralph Warne. The interviews are required as part of the Child Protection Policy. It is hoped that the interviews will be conducted this week or early next week. Does the Board wish to have a representative on the selection panel?
• NSWJBL has forwarded a T Ball comic that has been produced by the IBAF. We are considering how to best use the comic. We consider that the NSWJBL plan of leaving them in school libraries and doctors’ surgeries are good ones. We would consider meeting the cost of printing under the Co-op program only if the clubs can provide a proper plan of what they are going to do with them. We are not interested in just some vague notion of handing them out on Come & Try days. If you get children to attend the Come & Try events then there is no point in giving them ‘giveaways’.
• Hills have 350 Stress balls at a cost of 50 cents each if clubs want to give something away.

The Secretary’s report was accepted.

• The Pacific Friendly Tournament to be held in August, preparation of which is being disrupted by the spate of wet weather.
• Progress of the overseas touring teams.

• Mr. Catt advised that the discussion on Little League resolved nothing – apparently all will be solved when the FAQs are published.
• Some of the Hills’ ideas in Little League were well received – others were not. Little League will be fully implemented next year. Cronulla are unhappy with the Little League playing distances.

• There are rule changes proposed in the Sydney Junior Championship. These changes include:-
  • Junior players can act as base coaches
    The speed up rule (replacing the catcher as a base runner when there are two outs) was scrapped
  • In the final series the bottom of the innings will be played. The re entry rule has been ‘dumbed down’.
  • Pitchers can now come from the field
• The Association Cup competitions will be a ten (10) game competition which will include three double headers (the home team will play a double header – visiting teams will play single games.
• The Champion of Champions will be played over two Sundays at the completion of the competition. It will probably happen on 20-30 March at East Hills.
• It was decided that the Sydney Junior Championship be conducted in Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16. Baseball NSW to appoint umpires for Sydney Junior Championship Games in season 2007/8.

• Statement of Financial Position was presented.
• Payments were approved.
• Debtors and liabilities were disclosed.

Umpires update: It was agreed that the Association pay the $75 cost each for Messrs Boileau and Theos to attend the NSWBUA up date seminar.

Behavioural Standards Commission: Mr. Schmidt reported that the BSC report is 75% complete and the committee needs two or three more weeks. The recommendations are still a Work in Progress.

Cost Increase: Mr. Tossell expressed concern that the benefits clubs have obtained through their recruitment programs will be lost by the price increase in registrations.

Trials: Mrs. Fox questioned the decision to hold trials for Under 16 representative team on Saturday mornings. Mr. Yard replied that Saturday morning has always been the time for Under 16 trials with Under 12 and 14 sharing Sunday.

As has been accepted practice the other sporting commitments of players will always be taken into consideration in the way trials are formatted. This year Hills has organised some Tuesday night trials however we do not have control of a ground with lights.