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July 27, 2007 |  |
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Welcome to the July 27, 2007; edition of the MYAS Update In this Issue Pass it on Know anyone who might be interested in our newsletter? Click here to forward this email to up to 5 friends at once. |
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Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer SUMMIT UPDATE & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR WORKSHOP This past spring we conducted a youth basketball summit and invited anyone and everyone to attend that discussion on the state of youth basketball. Was the sky falling? No, but we thought that it would be best to address some of the issues that are facing the sport of youth basketball before it becomes the 800-pound gorilla. We had heard enough complaints about coach selections, closed board meetings, unfair tryout procedures, all-star teams, renegades, coach/player/parent behavior issues and financial concerns that we thought it was time to get some feedback on those issues. If you stand still you fall behind, and we have no intention of doing anything but moving forward. The outcome of the summit was the suggestion that youth basketball needs some sort of ongoing advisory committee that could address the various issues. We are firm believers that our level-headed association representatives will be able to come up with some workable solutions that will improve youth basketball, not only in the metro area but the entire state of Minnesota. So what's been done since April? Prior to assembling the Advisory Committee, we thought it would be prudent to conduct a metro-wide survey of all youth basketball associations. We focused on association boundaries, the coach selection process, tryout procedures, administrative positions and elections and general bylaw review. This information will be shared with the Advisory Committee prior to delving into the myriad of topics that were discussed at the summit. We are attempting to build a base of information, so we deal with facts and not perception. In addition, we have created a map of the metro area which includes marked boundary lines for each of the associations. We have created approximately 10 volumes of bylaws, policies and procedures that were provided to us by the associations. This information is the beginning of our "Association Resource Center" and will undoubtedly be utilized to create a manual of "best practices" for youth basketball. In a nutshell, we have spent the past several months gathering information. I intend to make the Advisory Committee appointments in August and we will begin reviewing the information in September. One of the more immediate concerns expressed at the summit is the need to get all basketball invitational tournament directors on the same page. To that end, we are going to coordinate a meeting of all known invitational tournament directors. The intent of this Tournament Director Workshop will be to address the do's and don'ts of running your own association-sponsored invitationals. The workshop is intended to be a training session for new and veteran tournament directors. A lot of folks do it right, but a lot of folks do it wrong. We would hope to help you avoid the common pitfalls that we see year in and year out. We also hope to build an Internet communication network of these tournament directors so that we can track the results of specific invitationals and use the information to assist in seeding MYAS Super Savers and our State Championships. You would also have this information at your fingertips for seeding your association's invitationals. Much more information will be shared at the workshop, such as the identification of all-star and/or renegade teams, where to find the best officials, concessions tips, admissions policies, tournament scheduling and why emergency medical staff should be a priority for everyone. We will show how we can help you recruit teams for your tournament and get the word out when your tournament is full. There will also be some tips on how to reduce expenses and how to generate more revenue for your association. The Tournament Director Workshop will be free of charge and will be held at the Ramada Mpls. NW/Grand Rios on Tuesday, September 11 beginning at 7:00pm. I would expect the meeting to take about 1-1/2 hours, depending upon the amount of Q & A that follows the presentation. Invitations will be sent to all tournament directors who advertised their tournaments in the MYAS boys and girls tournament books (which will be available at the annual MYAS Travel Directors' meeting on August 15). We will request an RSVP from each association so that we can provide adequate meeting space and refreshments. Look for your invitation via e-mail or snail mail. Ready or not - here comes the 2007-08 youth basketball season! Marketing Minutes - by Dan Craighead THANK YOU WENDY'S FOURCROWN! As I approach my one-year anniversary as Marketing Director of the MYAS, I'd like to report that things are going great. We have added many new sponsors which will, in turn, allow us to add benefits to what we already do - such as recognizing our Grade State and Rec State Basektball Champions on the Target Center floor as we did this past spring prior to a Wolves/Cavs game. We also have some wonderful hotel partners passing on great savings to our participants and their families. While we are busy working with new clients, we'd also like to thank those that have been with us for some time. In 2004, Wendy's FourCrown signed a three-year deal to be the quick serve restaurant sponsor of the MYAS. Most of our agreements are year to year so it was great of Paul Broten and those at FourCrown to show such a commitment to the MYAS. This agreement is set to expire this fall and both organizations have decided to move on. Watch for a new restaurant partner very soon!
Thanks again to Wendy's FourCrown for your support these last three years! The MYAS holds junior golf events throughout the month of August. We have 9-hole and 18-hole tournaments, including a Parent-Child Best Ball Tournament on August 13 and our Tour Championship on August 23-24 at Majestic Oaks G.C. No membership fees are required - just select the tournaments you'd like to play in and sign up! Entry forms can be found on the MYAS website. Simply place your cursor on "Golf" on the lefthand side of the home page and then click on either Junior Players Tour or Rookie Tour to access more information. Gopher State Prep Showcase Basketball Tournament If you didn't attend the 2007 Gopher State Prep Showcase on July 14-15 at Lakeville South High School, you missed a great weekend of high school basketball. We'd like to thank all the teams that participated in this year's event and congratulate our 2007 boys champions: AAA/AAAA Champion - St. Cloud Tech This summer high school age tournament was attended by numerous college coaches from across the Midwest. To view results from all of the games, please go to the Gopher State Prep Showcase page of the MYAS website. Winter Basketball Informational Meetings The MYAS will be conducting winter basketball informational meetings. We would like to invite representatives from both traveling and in-house programs. We'd really appreciate your attendance - bring your entire board! Topics will include MYAS programs, renegade teams, insurance, coach certification, background checks, tournament services, and your concerns. Invitational tournament flyer books will be distributed at the August 15 meeting in Roseville. Please click here to view the entire schedule of meetings and find one in your area. MYAS Basketball Invitational Tournament Books Boys and girls basketball invitational tournament flyers are being bound into books as this issue of the MYAS Update appears in your inbox. On August 14, the books will be mailed to participating tournament directors and to everyone who pre-ordered a copy, and on August 15 they will be distributed at the annual MYAS Travel Directors' meeting. Don't miss your chance to own your copy of the boys and/or girls invitational tournament books. Once they're gone, they're gone. Click here to download an order form and ensure you receive your copy! Gopher State Fall Basketball League Nearly 500 teams competed in last year's Gopher State Fall Basketball League. Don't miss your chance to be part of this wonderful basketball opportunity! The entry deadline is August 31 and the 2007 league dates are September 23 & 30 and October 7 & 14. Click here to access more information and entry materials. Gopher State High School Basketball Winter Training Series Begin planning now to participate in the second annual MYAS Gopher State High School Basketball Winter Training Series. This program is designed for 9th grade and high school varsity and junior varsity teams to give them the opportunity to play some games prior to their high school tryouts. Teams may elect to play on just one weekend or on all four weekends. Each team will play three "scrimmage" games each day. This year's Training Series will be held on the following Sundays: October 21 & 28 and November 4 & 11. Entry materials will be available on the MYAS website in early August. 2007-08 MYAS Basketball Information The winter basketball season is just around the corner. Updated information and entry forms for all MYAS traveling basketball programs is posted on our website as soon as it is available. Click on a specific program below to access more information. MYAS Boys Super Saver Basketball Tournaments MYAS Girls Super Saver Basketball Tournaments Boys Traveling Basketball League (BTBL) Girls Metro Basketball League (GMBL) MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships Gopher State Wrestling Program to Revamp Tournament The Gopher State Wrestling program has experienced tremendous growth, which has created both great competition and unforseeable glitches. The MYAS staff has been working diligently to improve the program. We are exctied about the 2007-08 season and believe that the changes we have implemented will solidify the Gopher State Wrestling Championship as the premier event in Minnesota. Look for more information to be posted soon on the Gopher State Wrestling portion of the MYAS website. Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions The 2007 edition of the Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) has wrapped up and - whew! - 303 teams and two warm weekends of exciting competition have now come to a close. We'd like to thank all players, coaches, team managers, parents, families and spectators for making our crown jewel tournament a huge success once again this season. With a record number of teams from all over the Upper Midwest battling for the championship rings, we believe this was the best tournament to date. Click here to go to the GSTC page and view the 2007 tournament champions. In 2007, the Gopher State Baseball League featured more than 300 teams from all areas of the metro area, western Wisconsin and central Minnesota. We'd like to thank all of the participating teams and congratulate all of our 2007 GSBL Division Champions! 10A North Central - St. Francis Saints & Forest Lake Rangers 11A East - Brooklyn Park Bears 12A East - Forest Lake Rangers 13A East - Roseville Raiders 14A East - Centennial Cougars 15A East - Centennial Cougars 16U - Shoreview Area Mustangs 18/19A East - Lake Elmo Lions Gopher State Fall Baseball League The MYAS will host the 16th annual Gopher State Fall Baseball League on Sundays from September 9 through October 7. Players may register as individuals, as a small group or as an entire team. The league is USSSA sanctioned for insurance purposes, meaning every team will be covered under a USSSA team insurance policy. The league is intended to place individuals from different communities on teams for competition and fun. Athletes not signing up as part of a complete team will be placed on teams in a semi-random fashion, with two to six communities represented on each team. The idea is to have players interact and build friendships in a fun and challenging atmosphere. The entry deadline for this year's league is August 17, so don't miss your chance to be part of this tremendously popular fall league! Please click here to access more program information and download entry materials. Calendar Updates (as of 7/26/07) Winter Basketball Informational Meetings and Flyer Book Distribution Winter Basketball Opportunities for 9th, 10th, 11th/12th Graders Gopher State Fall Basketball League 2007 Boys' Prep Showcase Results 2007 Junior Golf Entry Form now online Important Association Services That Work! The Minnesota Youth Athletic Services offers three important services: 1. Association and Player Sports Accident Insurance Coverage The MYAS has partnered with the agency that handles the majority of insurance concerns for the Police Athletic Leagues (PAL) around the nation. There are two broad types of insurance coverage that are both included in the MYAS insurance program: General Liability and Player Sports Accident. This program is offered by the American Insurance Group (AIG) company and provides a liability and player sports accident insurance policy that, in some cases, is cheaper than what some associations pay for just a liability policy. We also offer Director’s and Officer’s Insurance for participating associations. For more information, please contact Mike DeWane at 952-393-1929 or mike@myas.org. 2. Criminal Background Checks In addition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that $50 billion is lost annually due to employee theft and fraud. Youth sports associations must protect themselves from this threat as well. Don’t put your association at risk! Fortunately, youth sports associations now have a simple and inexpensive tool to avoid some of society’s worst fears. The MYAS, with its partner RHR Information Systems (RHR), has designed a criminal background check system that offers three affordable options to youth sports associations. RHR, a local Twin Cities company, incorporates a “user-friendly” process combined with flexible information delivery to make this system easy and inexpensive for your organization. For more information, please contact Mike DeWane at 952-393-1929 or mike@myas.org. 3. Coaching Education Program
Blisters are common to anyone who participates in sports and/or outdoor activities. Many people accept blisters as the price paid to play, but there are steps you can take to avoid blisters and reduce the risk of infection and pain if you do get one. Cause: A blister is a bubble of fluid under the outermost layer of skin. While blisters can occur anywhere on your body, they most often occur on the hands and feet. Blisters can be caused by any number of factors: friction between the skin and shoes, equipment, gloves or socks, or excessive moisture that leads to chafing. Each creates the perfect condition for a blister. Prevention: To prevent blisters you must reduce friction. Appropriate footwear, including right-sized shoes and socks made from synthetic blends, will reduce a blister risk. If you develop the telltale "hot spot," make shoe and clothing adjustments as quickly as possible and apply such products as anti-blister or chafing gels. Moleskin, a thin cloth barrier applied to the "hot spot," may also help. Try to keep hands and feet dry. Take the time to "break in" new shoes and socks; avoid the test drive during competition or an extended activity. Caring for a Blister: Once you have a blister, your goals are to keep it from getting larger and to aviod an infection. Small blisters can be left alone; most will drain by themselves. Larger blisters may be cleaned with rubbing alcohol or antibiotic soap and drained with a needle sterilized with rubbing alcohol or by heat. Do not remove the "lid" or top of the blister. Pad the blister with moleskin "donuts" to prevent continued irritation and to relieve pressure. If the blister's "lid" does rub off, gently clean the area with soap and water, and remove any debris that might lead to an infection. Air-dry or pat the area dry and apply antibiotic ointment to help keep it moist. Cover with a band-aid. You may also consider applying Second Skin™, a band-aid-like product that helps promote new skin growth. Signs of an infection include red streaks leading away from the blister, warm or hot skin around the blister and pus that may drain from it. Treatment can include antibiotic ointment and a visit to your doctor. Want to know more? Visit mnsportsmed.org. Minnesota Sports Medicine (MSM) is a network of sports and orthopedic physicians who treat athletes at medical clinics throughout the Twin Cities metro area. To locate a sports medicine physician or for more information about MSM, call 612-273-4800.
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MYAS membership meetings are held at our offices (4111 Central Avenue NE, Columbia Heights) on the last Tuesday of each month at 9:00am (unless notified otherwise). All MYAS members are welcome to attend. |
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