Dispensations are due tonight

• Only four formal requests received.
• Winston Hills only club took advantage of having player assessed.

Draw

• Draw for week two issued
• Draw for season will be completed this week
• Big loss in teams – lost three Under 8 teams this week
• Badly graded teams:- Under 12 T Ball has a purpose and in a lot of cases there should be team playing in that competition in preference to ‘live-ball’
• Last week’s washed out games are now regarded as a midweek game to be played by 14 February, 2007

Representative teams

• Teams selected, but all are of poor standard.Difficulty in selecting teams due to declining standard. Maximum number of players that trialed for Youth League was 21.
• Cumberland could not field a team unless there were friendship players available to it.
• Six players offered ‘friendship’ players with Cumberland Youth League. All declined.
• Baseball NSW insisting on Level 1 accreditation for representative coaches. This causes a problem in Under 14 Association Cup.

Representative fixtures

• Venues selected: Castle Hill; Kellyville; Oakville; Baulkham Hills. Under 16 round at Murray Farm. Hawkesbury was the unsuccessful applicant.
• Wash out date in representative Youth League is on Christmas Eve
• Under 12 balls: nothing known re availability.

Cumberland teams

• Accepted the offer of Cumberland to play ‘cross Associations’

Balls – Fielders

• Offer of $ 59 a dozen for Wilson 1010 balls. Know nothing about the quality of these balls. Generally speaking the Wilson 1010 is a very good ball for Youth baseball and low grade seniors. The price is great value. Do you want to deal direct or have Hills buy stock and resell at cost?

Kellyville grant

• We have paid Kellyville the grant money of $9675. The use of the ground is an issue for some people. Money was advanced to promote Junior Baseball not Major League and Women. We are working through these differences.

Coach the coaches

• T Ball coaches program this Sunday at Castle Glen at 9am.
• Program is to be developed for a series lectures to ‘Coach the Coaches’ to be held Monday nights.

Need help Sunday again

• Need assistance with selectors in Under 14 Association Cup team. Castle Glen at 9 a.m. Need coach and manager for team.

Grounds in ‘trouble’

• Sutton, Centenary are both in part unplayable.
• Sutton has been re-aligned in attempt to ‘keep’ the ball off the road.
• Centenary (Commercial Road) has to construct a mound and generally prepare a diamond- the wet weather has delayed work.

Do not change diamonds without approval

• Clubs are not to alter games off the scheduled diamond. There has been a conscious decision to ensure that Under 12 and 11 games are not to be played on diamonds which have a mound.

Licensing

• ACCC has refused the ABF request for an extension for third line forcing. The ABF has an extension until 1st April, 2007 where it is exempt from prosecution. The ABF has written to all States stating they want Licensing enforced.
• Baseball NSW after telling Junior Associations that “Licensing was a dead issue” gave unqualified support to the Program with ACCC

Council Ground Survey

• Baulkham Hills Council has engaged a consultant to survey the needs of playing venues within the Shire. A copy of the letter is in the mail.

Important Dates

• We reissued the “Dates to remember” document in the last week.

Results

• The email address for results to be forwarded to is results@hillsbaseball.org.au
• We are attempting to have results forwarded by Sunday night so we can forward the results to local newspapers

Team nominations are due by 29 August. Please do not be late as financial penalties will apply.

• NSWJBL did not accept the invitation to play in Under 12 Chinese Taipei tournament
• Received an expression of interest from USA for tour in December, 2006
• Jack Clucas passed away
• NSWJBL web site has been updated, the change is in format. Hawkesbury’s web site has disappeared
• Seven of the nine Associations have affiliated with NSWJBL
• Pan Pacific tournament was a success. There were three Sydney teams involved
• The promise of Baseball NSW, not to increase Junior fees, has lapsed. Junior fees will increase next year - Senior costs reduced by $10.
• Four Hills players have been selected in the team to participate in South East Asia games (Under 13) in Singapore. They are Sean Richards, Jackson Bricknell, Dylan Cruse and Cody Packer.

• Brian McDonald is up and running with Junior umpires.
• The JLSC still has no chairperson. Mr. Willott continues to act at chairman.

• Statement of Financial Position tabled and accepted.
• Accounts for payment approved.

• Dispensations were presented and dealt with by the meeting. Details available to club officials on request. We do not publish full details here as it may constitute a breach of privacy.
• Mr. Yard asked the meeting whether it would approve a dispensation for a player to play up, or down, if it meant that without the dispensation the team would not form. The response was that they would. Such actions are against the Dispensation Policy.
• Mr. Yard stated that he was disappointed that clubs made no attempt to have players assessed prior to this meeting. Clubs have treated the applications as a fait accompli. Most applications were not submitted prior to meeting. Mr Yard added that the Association’s Executive attempt to be as effective and effiicient as possible – whilst some Clubs do not appear able to meet any deadlines that are set. The dispensations were considered in age order.

• Kings Langley has dispensations to be submitted.

• Mr. Blundell asked the number of games a substitute player could play and still return to lower age or conference. The answer is four games.

Inssurance:

• Mr. Schmidt advised that he had investigated the possibility of "topping up" the insurance coverage provided by ABF/Baseball NSW, to provide benefits for medical and accident.

• Overall the offer was poor and nothing like the coverage available through StudentCover, for the second year.

• The cost this year is $8,212.51 which equates to almost $8 per player.

• Mr. Blundell asked the difference between the two policies. ABF/Baseball NSW offers Public Liability Insurance which includes Capital Injury. The StudentCver policy does not provide this cover, and thus the two policies are not comparable as a whole. However, the top-up component of the Sportscover policy is comparable to StudentCover for specific events.

• Hills will not accept the insurance proposal:- rather it recommends the Student Cover which is $25pa for 24/7 coverage.

Knights Field:

• Mr. Bray advised that Knights Field would be unavailable for December 9th and 16th. There are ground works scheduled for the complex.

Centenary (Commercial Road):

• Mr. Murphy advised that the Centenary ground will be unable to be used until end of September.

Team numbers:

• Mr. Blundell advised that Kings Langley has having a rough time and has lost three teams.

• Mr. Whatson advised that Hawkesbury did not achieve as many teams as they expected.

• Mr. Bray advised that Castle Hill lost 60 players – 37 of which were natural attrition.

• Castle Hill biggest problem is a lack of volunteers.

• Mr. Yard stated that clubs do not do enough to find out the reasons why players do not re-register. Mr. Yard congratulated Castle Hill for at least trying.

• Mrs. Sloggett advised Winston Hills have 12 teams this season – one down from last season.

• Mr. Koski advised Oakville has five teams but are struggling with Under 8 and Under 12.

• Mr. Yard advised that Oakville and Hawkesbury should be looking at composite teams - same with Rouse Hill and Schofields. This would give teams/clubs greater depth – with that comes better grading and more enjoyable competition for playing.

• Mr. Tossell advised that Schofields is struggling with the number of players in Under 10.
• Mr. Petrone advised Kellyville has picked up three teams, an extra Under 12 and the other T Ball teams.
• Mrs. Trau advised Carlingford was pleased with its three Under 8 teams.

Under 12 T Ball:

• Mr. Yard advised that we still have only two Under 12 T Ball teams and really want to find two more Under 12 teams.

• It was agreed that if we are unable to conduct a separate Under 12 T Ball competition, then teams playing Winston Hills (Xena) and Kellyville (Mustangs) will play T Ball.

Demonstration:

• Mr. Bray demonstrated a small pitching machine.