Welcome to the February 29, 2008; edition of the MYAS Update

In this Issue

	MYAS Update Info
	Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer
	Visit Minneapolis North - Where Great Sports Events Come Together
	"Insurance Coach" (J.A. Price Agency - by Bob Blomster)
	Then And Now - by Larry Gallagher
	Midwest Regional Swim Meet
	Gopher State Volleyball
	Gopher State Wrestling Information
	Basketball Rules of the Month
	MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournaments
	MYAS Traveling Basketball Leagues
	MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships
	MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships
	MYAS Gopher State Spring Basketball
	Answers to Basketball Rules of the Month
	Gopher State Winter Baseball Camps
	Gopher State Baseball Umpire Training Clinics
	Gopher State Baseball League
	North Star Baseball League
	Gopher State Spring Training Series Baseball Tournaments
	Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions Qualifiers
	USSSA State Baseball Tournament (Gopher State Midsummer Challenge)
	MYAS Latest News (as of 2/28/08)
	Calendar Updates (as of 2/28/08)
	Important Association Services That Work!
	Minnesota Sports Medicine Tip
	MYAS Sponsors
	MYAS Membership Meetings

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MYAS Update Info

Our newsletter is designed to provide timely youth sports information to coaches, athletes, parents and administrators. This includes notes from the Executive Director, calendar reminders, new service announcements and special events. Contributions from our sponsors assist us in delivering high quality youth sports services at the lowest possible cost; contributions partially fund this newsletter and certain sponsors will be featured.

Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer

WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION?

I was five years old when my brother Ted was born in 1957. He was born with spina bifida and was paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors told my parents it was doubtful that he would live through the night. Three days later they said he wouldn't make it to the end of the week. A month later they said he wouldn't survive another month. Ted passed away 26 years later from a kidney infection. He was a brave kid. A tough kid. A never say die kind of kid.

I'll never forget the first time I saw my new brother. He was lying on his side in a bassinet. He couldn't lie on his back because he had developed a large (softball size) fluid deposit where his spine was severed. It was ugly. I couldn't bear to look at that reddish-purple bubble on my brother's back. That was probably my first real recognition about how unfair life can be to some people. Doctors eventually removed the fluid deposit - the first of 13 operations he would undergo over the next 10 years. Surgery for this, surgery for that. It was just neverending.

Ted never actually lived with us. His medical needs were way beyond the care that we could give him. He became a ward of the state and spent his life in a variety of special care hospitals and foster care homes. Twice a month, we'd pack up the whole family and make the 100-mile trek to Madison, Wisconsin to visit him. I hated those trips, not because I didn't want to see Ted but because we always had to leave him there and my mom would cry most of the way home.

During the summer of 1966, the doctors said Ted was healthy enough to spend a couple of weeks at home with us. That was great news and the entire family pitched in to make him feel welcome and comfortable with his new surroundings, neighbors and friends. We pushed that wheelchair all over town. Wherever we went, he went. Everybody loved him because he was always smiling and laughing and never complained about anything. Only once did I ever hear anyone say anything derogatory about Ted. The kid up the street, with a brain the size of a walnut, referred to him as a "retarded gimp." Long story short, I'd still be beating him today if the whole neighborhood hadn't been there to pull me off of him. Enough said.

One afternoon we took Ted to the sandlot baseball field behind the elementary school, and that was the only time I ever heard him complain about anything. He told us that he wished he could play. So we let him play! We parked his wheelchair in the batter's box and told him to swing away. He looked puzzled and asked us how he would "run" the bases. This kid was the ultimate optimist. He hadn't even hit the ball yet and he was wondering how he'd get to first base.

We told him we'd push him in his wheelchair if he hit the ball. All the outfielders had moved way in toward the infield, thinking that his best hit might go the distance of a bunt. What they failed to realize was that people confined to wheelchairs who have use of their arms develop unusually strong upper body strength. Three or four swings later, Ted connected with that baseball and drilled it over the first baseman's head and down the line past the right fielder. The ball rolled all the way to the blacktop parking lot with the right fielder chasing it while my younger brother Jim and I pushed Ted's wheelchair as fast as we could.

Then the inevitable happened - as we tried to round first base we tipped the wheelchair over and we all went for a good tumble. I was worried that Ted had gotten hurt. Jim was more concerned about his scraped elbow, but all Ted cared about was getting to second base. He looked me right in the eye and started yelling, "Drag me! Drag me!" So Jim and I each grabbed an arm and we dragged Ted to second base with a "lay down double." It was a magic moment for him and for me. That was also the moment that the guilt of being able-bodied hit me like a brick.

I didn't know it at the time, but Ted had just given me the motivation to be the best that I could be for the rest of my life. I did feel guilty that God had blessed me with two good arms and legs. I felt guilty that I could climb trees, ride a bike, mow the lawn, throw a baseball and run up the stairs. Ted couldn't do any of those things, but I always thought that if he could he would do them better and more enthusiastically than anyone else.

I can't begin to count the times that I called on Ted's strength to get me through. I think that my high school coaches would have been surprised if they knew that I was standing at the free throw line with the game on the line thinking, "I need to make this one for Ted." Or running down the sidelines of the football field thinking, "I'm gonna score this one for Ted."

Later in life I called upon Ted's strength to get me through some tough times in Vietnam. I always wanted to be brave and pull my share of the load because I had a younger brother back home who would look forward to the opportunity of serving his country and wouldn't back down from anything. Ted was my inspiration to do the right thing and do it the best that I could. He's been gone for 25 years now, but I still feel like he's looking over my shoulder.

Talent, preparation, physical ability and mental readiness are all key components of an athlete's success. But in my opinion, motivation is the difference between good and great. Motivation is the ingredient that gives you that little boost of energy to finish the race in first place instead of second. It isn't your talent that makes you practice longer and harder. It isn't your physical ability that gets you up at 5:00am for an extra workout. It's your motivation. Once you figure out what motivates you, everything else falls into place and makes a little more sense.

Not everyone has someone like Ted in their lives, but there has to be someone or something that makes us want to be the best we can be. Find it and it will last you a lifetime! Yes, I dragged my brother to a safe place once, but he's been dragging me to safety ever since.

Visit Minneapolis North - Where Great Sports Events Come Together

From the beginning to the end, our professional full-time staff of three is focused and ready to assist you with all of your lodging, dining, entertainment and transportation needs. The best news about our services - they're FREE! Please visit our website for more details.

"Insurance Coach" (J.A. Price Agency - by Bob Blomster)

Don't Let a Headline Like This Appear in Your Newspaper!

It was the year-end baseball tournament and there were barely 20 minutes left if we were going to possibly get all the scheduled games in before dark. A small, bad weather cell was approaching, but so far there had been no lightning or thunder associated with the cell. Seeing we were the farthest field away from the cars, the other coach and I agreed ahead of time that no matter where we were in the game we would call it immediately if we saw any lightning or heard any thunder. With two outs to go in the game everyone on the field finally saw the first lightning bolt, and it wasn't too far off. We immediately cleared the field as fast as we could, but I can still remember one of the mom's voices from our own team yelling at the coaches: "COME ON! THERE ARE ONLY TWO OUTS LEFT!"

If you HEAR it, CLEAR it! If you SEE it, FLEE it!

It's been almost 17 years since the lightning tragedy at the U.S. Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, and my college roommate was one of the many people who attempted to take shelter on the same hole when the lightning hit. I remember him trying to explain the blinding light followed by moments of confusion as to what exactly had happened. When reality finally set in, he could see the injured people lying on the ground - one of whom would not survive.

If you HEAR it, CLEAR it! If you SEE it, FLEE it!

Safety Idea for Coach Orientation or Coaches' Packets:

COACHES AND SPORTS OFFICIALS GUIDE TO LIGHTNING SAFETY is published by the National Weather Service at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/pdfs/CoachGuide.pdf.

Your club may want to consider giving a copy of this document to every coach at the beginning of the season and also follow up with email reminders on weather expectations before larger tournaments.

Lightning Safety Week is June 22-28, 2008 and the National Weather Service has other safety related documents available on their lightning safety website at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/.

Bob Blomster, Vice President
800-279-1623
952-944-8790
952-253-4311 (direct)
952-944-0097 (fax)
bob.blomster@japrice.com

NEXT MONTH'S ARTICLE:

Individual Board Member Gets Sued for Bad Decisions in Running the Organization: Your homeowner's coverage will not protect you. (Directors & Officers Liabiltiy)

Then And Now - by Larry Gallagher

In 1995, the Sport of Volleyball Was 100 Years Old!

Volleyball originated in the United States and is just now achieving the type of popularity here that it has received on a global basis - where it ranks behind only soccer among participation sports. Today there are more than 46 million Americans playing volleyball; there are 800 million players worldwide who play volleyball at least once a week.

In 1895, William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts, decided to blend elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball to create a game for his classes of businessmen which would demand less physical contact than basketball. He borrowed the net from tennis and raised it 6 feet, 6 inches above the floor, above the average man's head.

He created a game which was called mintonette at that time. During a demonstration game, someone remarked to Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back and forth over the net and that perhaps "volleyball" would be a more descriptive name for the sport.

What follows is a chronology of some important dates in the history of volleyball.

July 7, 1896: The first game of "volleyball" was played at Springfield College.
1900: A special ball was designed for the sport.
1900: YMCA spread volleyball to Canada, the Orient and the Southern Hemisphere.
1905: YMCA spread volleyball to Cuba.
1907: Volleyball was presented at the Playground of America convention as one of the most popular sports.
1909: YMCA spread volleyball to Puerto Rico.
1912: YMCA spread volleyball to Uruguay.
1913: Volleyball competition was held in the Far Eastern Games.
1916: In the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by another player (the set and spike) was introduced. The Filipinos developed the "bomba" or kill, and called the hitter a "bomberino."
1916: The NCAA was invited by the YMCA to aid in editing the rules and in promoting the sport. Volleyball was added to school and college physical education and intramural programs.
1917: YMCA spread volleyball to Brazil.
1917: Game scoring was changed from 21 to 15 points.
1919: American Expeditionary Forces distributed 16,000 volleyballs to its troops and allies. This provided a stimulus for the growth of volleyball in foreign lands.
1920: Three hits per side and back row attack rules were instituted.
1922: The first YMCA national championships were held in Brooklyn, NY. 27 teams from 11 states were represented.
1928: It became clear that tournaments and rules were needed, and the United States Volleyball Association (USVBA - now USA Volleyball) was formed. The first U.S. Open was staged, as the field was open to non-YMCA squads.
1930: Recreational sports programs became an important part of American life.
1930: The first two-man beach game was played.
1934: National volleyball referees were approved and recognized.
1937: At the AAU convention in Boston, action was taken to recognize the USVBA as the official national governing body in the U.S.
Late 1940s: The forearm pass was introduced to the game (as a desperation play). Most balls were played with the overhead pass.
1946: A study of recreation in the United States showed that volleyball ranked fifth among team sports being promoted and organized.
1947: The Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball (FIVB) was founded in Paris.
1948: The first two-man beach tournament was held.
1949: The first World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
1949: USVBA added a collegiate division for competitive college teams. For the first 10 years collegiate competition was sparse. Teams formed only through the efforts of interested students and instructors. Many teams dissolved when the interested individuals left the college. Competitive teams were scattered, with no collegiate governing bodies providing leadership in the sport.
1951: Volleyball was played by over 50 million people in more than 60 countries.
1955: The Pan American Games included volleyball.
1957: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) designated volleyball as an Olympic team sport, to be included in the 1964 Olympic Games.
1959: The International University Sports Federation (FISU) held the first University Games in Turin, Italy. Volleyball was one of the eight competitions held.
1960: Seven midwestern institutions formed the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA).
1960s: New techniques added to the game included the soft spike (dink), forearm pass (bump), blocking across the net and defensive diving and rolling.
1964: The Southern California Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (SCVIA) was formed.
1964: Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese volleyball used in the 1964 Olympics consisted of a rubber carcass with leather paneling. A similarly constructed ball is used in most modern competition.
1965: The California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) was formed.
1968: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) made volleyball their fifteenth competitive sport.
1969: The Executive Committee of the NCAA proposed the addition of volleyball to its program.
1974: The World Championships in Mexico were telecast in Japan.
1975: The U.S. National Women's team began a year-round training regime in Pasadena, Texas (moved to Colorado Springs, CO in 1979, Coto de Caza and Fountain Valley, CA in 1980 and San Diego, CA in 1985).
1977: The U.S. National Men's team began a year-round training regime in Dayton, Ohio (moved to San Diego, CA in 1981).
1983: The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was formed.
1984: The U.S. won their first medals at the Olympics in Los Angeles, CA. The men won the gold medal and the women won silver.
1986: The Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed.
1987: The FIVB added a Beach Volleyball World Championship Series.
1988: The U.S. men repeated as Olympic gold medalists in Korea.
1989: The FIVB Sports Aid Program was created.
1990: The World League was created.
1992: The Four-Person Pro-Beach League was started in the United States.
1994: Volleyball World Wide was created.
1995: The sport of volleyball was 100 years old!
1996: Two-person beach volleyball was added to the Olympics.

If you care to learn more, there is an excellent book - Volleyball Centennial: The First 100 Years - available on the history of the sport.

Midwest Regional Swim Meet

The 2008 Midwest Regional Swim Meet will be held on March 29-30 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. We are expecting that 1,000+ swimmers will be competing for a title in numerous events. Entry materials and other information is available by clicking this link.

Don't miss your chance to be part of the one of the largest swim meets in the world - the entry deadline is Friday, February 29! If you have additional questions, please e-mail Jessica Christopherson or call her at 763-781-2220 x 1733.

Gopher State Volleyball

It's not too late for your team to participate in the 2008 Gopher State Volleyball program. All Gopher State tournaments are sanctioned with USSSA Volleyball, meaning you are not required to purchase USAV memberships or pay any additional fees! Listed below are the remaining events on this year's calendar.

March 1 * MN Showcase * Apple Valley, MN

March 15-16 * Season Finale * Simley High School * entry deadline 2/29

April 5-6 * Tournament of Champions * entry deadline 3/21

For complete information, please visit the volleyball portion of the MYAS website. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Christopherson at 763-781-2220 x 1733 or jessica@myas.org.

Gopher State Wrestling Information

The MYAS Gopher State Wrestling Championship has earned the reputation of being the toughest folkstyle tournament in Minnesota. The 2008 championship featured 850 wrestlers in Kindergarten through eighth grade representing Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Illinois. The tournament was split over two weekends and held in Monticello and Coon Rapids. Both were great hosts with outstanding facilities and work forces.

Apple Valley edged Becker to win the 2008 Gopher State Team Tournament. A total of 12 teams competed for the right to take home the traveling team trophy.

The Gopher State Wrestling program has grown tremendously since its inception in 2002, and we thank you for your participation! To view more results from the 2008 events, please click on the appropriate link below:

Gopher State Championship results
Gopher State K-6 Team Tournament results

Basketball Rules of the Month

In our ongoing education mission, we will highlight various playing rules in the MYAS Update. This month's issue features three basic basketball rules.

1. What happens if the officials have the teams going in the wrong direction?

2. What happens if a player dunks or grasps the basket during warm-ups?

The answers to these rules questions are posted later in the e-letter (see "In this Issue" for the link). Good luck!

If you have questions about other playing rules, please contact one of these MYAS staff members:

Basketball rules:  Buddy Hemric; buddy@myas.org; 763-781-2220  x 1717
Baseball rules:  Jeremy Barbe; jbarbe@myas.org; 763-781-2220 x 1731

MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournaments

The 2007-08 MYAS Super Saver basketball season - one of the largest on record - has come to an end. It was a great year of basketball for both traveling and in-house teams. We'd like to thank everyone who participated and wish the best of luck to teams that are playing in the MYAS Grade State or Rec State Championships!

To view results from the 2007-08 Super Saver season, please click on either boys or girls.

MYAS Traveling Basketball Leagues

The 2007-08 Boys Traveling and Girls Metro Basketball Leagues wrap up their seasons on March 1-2 with the league playoffs. More than 140 teams in grades 4-12 will hit the hardwood one last time to compete for division championships. Complete league results will be available on the BTBL and GMBL portions of the MYAS website.

MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships

Minnesota March Madness is upon us once again, and soon coaches, players and fans will be swarming into gymnasiums across the metro area. The 2008 MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships will play host to 447 girls' teams and 577 boys' teams over the weekends of March 7-9 and March 14-16 (respectively).

Schedules for both weekends are posted on the MYAS website, so please click here to find out when and where your favorite team is playing. Also check back once the tournaments are finished to view complete results.

MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships

The 2008 MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships will be held on March 7-9 in Cottage Grove, Edina and Inver Grove Heights. There will be 143 boys' and girls' teams in grades 4-12 competing for the in-house state championship title. This year's tournament will feature a record 23 high school teams vying for their very own state title. Some of the teams participating include Brooklyn Park, Champlin Park, Chaska, Duluth, Jordan, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Rockford and St. Paul.

Don't miss the opportunity to witness the best in-house state tournament in the Upper Midwest! Please click on either boys or girls to view the applicable tournament information. Go Rec State!

MYAS Gopher State Spring Basketball

As the winter basketball season comes to an end, it's time to begin planning your spring schedule for participation in the 2008 boys' and girls' Gopher State Spring Basketball program. Tryouts are being set and teams are already being formed. Go to the "Tryout Center" on the MYAS website to see which clubs have posted their tryouts. If your club/team is holding tryouts for the spring season and you will be playing in the Gopher State program, please contact the MYAS and we will advertise your tryouts on our website.

New to spring basketball? Come to one of our spring basketball meetings to find out everything about the Gopher State Spring Basketball season. As you read this, we will have already held two meetings. The final two informational meetings will be held on March 5 at White Bear Lake High School and March 12 at Wayzata High School. Both meetings begin at 6:30pm. Click here to view more information and complete addresses for the meeting sites.

If you're looking for great competition against different opponents each weekend, if you want to be assured that tournament directors and trainers will be on site to oversee your games and if you don't want to pay outrageous membership fees, then Gopher State is the place to play. Don't be fooled by imitations! The first weekend of play is March 29-30, 2008. Come out and join the hoopla!

Answers to Basketball Rules of the Month

The answers below are reproduced from the National Federation of State High School Associations 2007-08 Basketball Rules Book.

1.  If by mistake the officials permit a team to go the wrong direction, when discovered all points scored, fouls committed and time consumed shall count as if each team had gone the proper direction. Play shall resume with each team going the proper direction based on bench location (NFHS 4-5-4 page 28).

2.  PLAYER TECHNICAL: A player shall not grasp either basket during the time of the officials' jurisdiction, dunk or stuff, or attempt to dunk or stuff a dead ball prior to or during the game or during any intermission until jurisdiction of the officials has ended. This item applies to all team members. Exception: A player may grasp the basket to prevent injury. PENALTY: (Art. 4) For dunking or grasping during pregame or intermission, the foul is also charged indirectly to the head coach (NFHS 10-3-4 page 61). Player-control, team-control and technical fouls are counted as team fouls to reach the bonus. When a technical foul is also charged indirectly to the head coach, it counts as only one team foul (NFHS 4-8-2 page 29).

If you have questions about other playing rules, please contact one of these MYAS staff members:

Basketball rules:  Buddy Hemric; buddy@myas.org; 763-781-2220  x 1717
Baseball rules:  Jeremy Barbe; jbarbe@myas.org; 763-781-2220 x 1731

Gopher State Winter Baseball Camps

We have two remaining Winter Baseball Camps dates with the Minnesota Baseball Academy in Rogers, MN at the state of the art Competitive Edge Solutions Arena. This year's hitting camps feature the latest in video technology, the Dartfish Slow Motion Video Analysis. Participants can break down their swings like the pros. What a great way to stay ahead of the competition!

The final two camps are a Hitting/Fielding Camp on March 8-9 and a one-day Hitting Camp on March 22. Please click the applicable link to view the camp brochure or the camp registration form.

You can stay up to date with the latest information on the Winter Camp portion of the MYAS website. If you have questions about the camps, don't hesitate to contact Jeremy Barbe, Winter Camp Director, at 763-781-2220 x 1731 or jbarbe@myas.org.

Gopher State Baseball Umpire Training Clinics

All umpires are welcome and encouraged to attend the Gopher State Umpire Clinics. They are designed to allow umpires of all abilities an opportunity to enhance their skills and/or become educated in the finer points of umpiring. We are pleased to welcome back the instructors from last year's clinics - Shawn Vellek, Andre Lanoue, Brandon Jackson, Mike Cantone, Mike "Bugsy" Segal and Jeremy Barbe (MYAS). All these instructors are dedicated to teaching and are excited to share their wealth of knowledge to Minnesota's up and coming umpires.

Student instruction will include philosophy, mental approach and attitude toward baseball, including appearance and equipment. The clinics feature on-field training for the 1- and 2-man umpiring system, which includes proper positioning duties of the plate and base umpires. Every umpire will have the opportunity to participate in live drills where you will see the play and make the call. The clinics also cover handling game situations, balks, ejections, etc. We will do our best to have you ready for opening day 2008!

Every umpire who attends a clinic will receive an additional $4 per game during the 2008 Gopher State baseball season. Umpires with MSHSL registration will receive another $1 per game. This per game bonus only applies to the Gopher State Spring Training Series, the USSSA State Tournament, the Gopher State Tournament of Champions, MYAS Rec State Baseball, the Gopher State Baseball League and the Gopher State Fall Baseball League.

Please click here to access the Umpire Clinic web page and view instructor bios and clinic dates, sites and registration forms. For more information on the 2008 Umpire Clinics, please contact Jeremy Barbe at 763-781-2220 x 1731 or jbarbe@myas.org.

Gopher State Baseball League

It's hard to believe, but we are about to embark upon another campaign of the Gopher State Baseball League (GSBL), a USSSA league. The season has snuck up on us and it is time to clean and oil up the gloves, wipe the dust off the cleats and bats and get ready for another action packed year. The MYAS baseball staff is currently gearing up for the best season yet of our comprehensive baseball program. We are very proud of the GSBL and we're excited to report that since its inception in 1999, it has become one of the largest traveling baseball leagues in the Upper Midwest.

Each year more teams join the "Gopher State Nation" due to word of mouth. In addition to increased participation from existing member communities, we have recently gotten commitments from Becker, Big Lake, Buffalo, Delano, Monticello, Princeton, St. Michael/Albertville and Zimmerman for 2008. Our preliminary count for the upcoming season is nearing 400 teams.

The MYAS baseball staff is looking forward to serving as league administrators for the GSBL and we are confident that you will be completely satisfied. With the updated policies and current league enhancements (online rosters, team websites, online score reporting and rescheduling, berths awarded through league play to the Gopher State Tournament of Champions and the USSSA World Series), the future of the GSBL is very bright.

The entry deadline for associations to enroll 10-15U teams in the GSBL is March 28, 2008. If you would like for information about this traveling league, please contact Dawson Blanck at 763-781-2220 x 1719 or dawson@myas.org.

North Star Baseball League

The 2008 season will be the fourth year of the North State Baseball League, helping local community in-house teams mix their schedules with their neighboring communities. The deadline for associations to submit team entries is April 4 at 4:00pm. Please check out the NSBL web page for more detailed information.

Gopher State Spring Training Series Baseball Tournaments

The MYAS baseball staff will again be offering our two-day GSTC qualifying events - the Gopher State Spring Training Series. All qualifier dates and sites are posted on the GSSTS web page. Please contact Tony Groff at tony@myas.org or 763-781-2220 x 1728 if you have further questions.

The Spring Training Series tournaments are a great way to gauge your team early in the season without the hassle of Friday night games conflicting with school schedules. Sign up today!

Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions Qualifiers

You can now view all tournaments designated as 2008 Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) qualifiers by visiting our Youth Baseball Tournaments listings web page and selecting the age you wish to review. All tournaments marked with a blue "Yes" on the right-hand side of the page are qualifiers for this year's GSTC in July.

The top two placing teams in each tournament will receive an automatic berth to the 2008 GSTC. If either or both of the top two teams have previously earned a berth, the berth(s) will be passed down to the third and fourth place teams respectively. All other participating teams in each qualifier will be awarded GSTC Points toward a possible at-large berth at the end of June. Keep checking the Youth Baseball Tournaments page for updates on openings and to see when various tournaments have been filled.

USSSA State Baseball Tournament (Gopher State Midsummer Challenge)

The Minnesota USSSA State Tournament is an excellent way for teams to advance to a USSSA World Series event and travel around the country. You do not need to pre-qualify for this tournament. USSSA baseball is an avenue for Minnesota teams to compete against the top teams in the state and across the country. The USSSA State Tournaments also serve as Gopher State Tournament of Champions qualifiers for teams that are not interested in traveling to a USSSA World Series event. Please click here to access the USSSA State Tournament web page.

MYAS Latest News (as of 2/28/08)

Spring Basketball Meeting - Wednesday, March 5th

2008 U.S. Women's Open Golf Tournament Junior Poster Contest - Win a $5,000 college scholarship!

Upcoming Volleyball Deadlines

Baseball Coaches' Clinic on March 1

Gopher State Wrestling Program Information

MYAS Position on Waivers For Winter Basketball

Do You Want to Play at the Target Center? Click Here

MYAS TRAVELING BASKETBALL GUIDELINES

Insurance - USSSA Basketball

Calendar Updates (as of 2/28/08)

Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
Midwest Regional Swim Meet registration deadline

Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
Gopher State Volleyball Season Finale registration deadline

Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008
Boys Super Saver begins

Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008
Boys Traveling Basketball League 2007-08 Playoffs begin

Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008
Girls Metro Basketball League 2007-2008 Playoffs begin

Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008
Girls Super Saver begins

Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008
Gopher State Volleyball MN Showcase begins

Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008
Gopher State Baseball Coaches Clinic

Sunday, Mar. 2, 2008
Boys Super Saver begins

Sunday, Mar. 2, 2008
MYAS Gopher State Wrestling Championships Grades Pre-K K 1 2 7 8 begin

Friday, Mar. 7, 2008
MYAS Girls Grade State Basketball Championships begin

Important Association Services That Work!

The Minnesota Youth Athletic Services offers three important services:

1. Association and Player Sports Accident Insurance Coverage
Association liability and player accident insurance are always a concerns for youth sports organizations in our increasingly litigious society. Some associations spend a lot of money and others go into denial and “run naked” without even minimal liability coverage for their members. Yet if insurance is not obtained, the personal assets of the individuals running the association may be at risk. Many sports facility managers, especially municipalities and schools, will not permit the use of their property or facilities unless it can be demonstrated that youth sports associations are covered under an insurance policy. Without insurance, the opportunity for young athletes to compete in organized sports programs may be substantially limited.

The MYAS has partnered with J.A. Price Agency, an insurance company which has access to dozens of other insurance companies and can handle any type of business or personal insurance needs that your association/board of directors may require. The insurance provides options for all types of needs within your association/community. This coverage is an advantage no amateur sports organization should be without!

Examples of coverage include but are not limited to:

• General Liability
• Sexual Misconduct
• Participant Accident
• Directors & Officers Liability
• Crime/Embezzlement
• Automobile
• Umbrella
• Workers Compensation

2. Criminal Background Checks
How do we protect our children? Reports of sexual predators and child abuse involving the clergy, day care workers and youth volunteers are all too familiar. Unfortunately, this includes a disturbing number of youth sport coaches who have a history of incidents of sexual misconduct and/or violence. This is a complex issue and many youth sports organizations are unclear about what to do or how to approach this threat, yet they must take proactive steps to prevent their children from becoming innocent victims. Don’t put your children at risk!

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.

Minnesota Sports Medicine Tip

Quadriceps Contusions and Strains

A quadriceps contusion is a bruise to the large group of muscles in the front of the thigh that help straighten the leg. This sort of thigh bruise is also called a charley horse. A strain is a partial tear of a muscle and is often called a pulled muscle.

What Are the Symptoms?
Pain in the middle of the thigh, difficulty walking, running, bending or straightening the leg or lifting the knee are common. An area of the thigh may be swollen and discolored.

A thigh bruise or strain usually heals without medical attention. However, a large bruise may bleed into the quadriceps muscle. Called a hematoma, it may become calcified and form a hard lump in the quadriceps muscle. This lump is called osteomyositis ossificans and may cause stiffness or a bump in the muscle that may be very long lasting.

How Are They Treated?
For a contusion, it's important to encourage as much bend in your knee as possible following the injury. This will be uncomfortable. Wrap the leg in a bent-knee position and place ice over the thigh. This puts a maximum stretch on the thigh muscles, keeping it from becoming too tight or stiff.

• Frequent stretches prevent the thigh from becoming excessively stiff and more sore. It will also speed healing and lessen the amount of sideline time.
• Ice frequently, for 15-20 minutes every 1-3 hours.

• Using two fingertips to rub the injured area for approximately five minutes can both alleviate pain and promote healing.
• Gentle stretching over the next few days is recommended. Bend your knee to stretch your quad until you start to feel it pull. Hold the stretch at that point for 30 seconds. Perform 3-4 repetitions 3-4 times per day.
• Start working or contracting the muscle by squeezing your leg straight for five seconds and progress to straight leg raises, keeping the thigh squeezed tightly until fatigued.

• Taking an anti-inflammatory medicine prescribed by your doctor
• Wearing an elastic thigh wrap when you return to sports
• Physical therapy, which would include rehabilitation exercises and deep tissue treatments

• you have full range of motion in the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg;
• you have full strength of the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg;
• you can walk straight ahead without pain or limping;
• you can run, cut, jump and hop on the injured leg without hesitation.

To find a qualified sports medicine physician, visit www.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. For more information about MSM, call 612-273-4800.

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MYAS Membership Meetings

MYAS membership meetings are held at our offices (4111 Central Avenue NE, Columbia Heights 55421) on the last Tuesday of each month at 9:00am (unless notified otherwise). All MYAS members are welcome to attend.