 |
 |
 |
 |
September 28, 2007 |  |
 |
Welcome to the September 28, 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. |
|
|
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 The following article originally ran last fall but applies to the upcoming basketball season. We want to reiterate this important information.
Over the past several years we have seen the creation of way too many all-star and/or independent (renegade?) basketball teams that are trying to compete during the regular winter basketball program with the community or school-based teams. These all-star and independent teams are welcome to participate in our fall and spring basketball programs but they are not allowed to participate in our regular winter basketball programs. Our winter programs, such as the Boys’ Traveling and Girls’ Metro Basketball Leagues, MYAS Super Saver Tournaments, the MYAS Grade State Championships and the MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships, are designed for teams that originate from a specific community or school. In our opinion, it is not fair to allow all-star or hand-picked independent teams to participate with the community or school teams. That opinion is endorsed by 99.9% of the youth
basketball associations that exist around the entire state, but that hasn’t eliminated the problem. Many of these teams are being created because the kids and parents don’t like the coaching selections made by their local association. Some of these independent teams are being created because a group of parents don’t share the same philosophy as the local association. Some folks think that their local tryout process is flawed. The list of reasons for creating independent teams is quite varied and lengthy, so I won’t attempt to list all possible scenarios. Because the reasons are very diverse, we treat each situation on a case by case basis. Nine times out of ten, we side with the local association and we deny participation to the all-star or independent teams that are trying to gain access to MYAS sponsored events. Occasionally, however, we run across a situation where the association has not done their due diligence and they have actually created the problem for themselves by not acting in the best interest of their youth basketball community. (I believe the phrase “good old boy system” may ring a bell here.) Regardless of who is to blame for these situations, we ultimately have to decide whether to accept or deny participation to these all-star or independent teams. Some situations are very transparent and it’s easy for us to make a determination. Others aren’t so clear-cut and those are usually the ones that take the most time and in the end, we can expect to have one party or the other upset with us. To handle the "tricky" ones, we usually assemble our Advisory Committee to help with the determination. The MYAS Advisory Committee is a group of neutral people from other associations not involved in the controversy. The toughest situations to adjudicate are the ones we don’t know about. We have had several instances where a renegade team may have entered a league or played in multiple tournaments before anybody told us that they had all-star or renegade status. We are relying on everyone to help identify those teams that don’t meet the published eligibility requirements. We are also expecting that the local associations would keep tabs on these teams and report them to us in a timely manner. We don’t think that it is fair for an association to zip their lip all season long and then make a big stink about a renegade team that tries to enter the MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships in March. If there is a problem in March, there was no doubt a problem in the preceding November through February.
If we are going to help protect the authority and integrity of the local associations, they need to work with us in every phase of fairness. Believe it or not, we have had several recent situations where the association actually allowed an independent team from their own community to participate in their association’s invitational tournament and then filed a complaint when that same team tried to enter the MYAS Grade Basketball State Championships. We have also had situations where the association notified us of an independent team in their community but refused to go on record and identify them as an illegal team. They wanted us to enforce our rules, but weren’t willing to go on record as opposing the existence of that team. Important Note: When an independent team is reported to us, the first phone call we make is to the local association to investigate the matter. If the local association approves of their existence, then we don’t see it as a problem. If the local association doesn’t approve of their existence, then we usually refuse entry to the team in question. But if the local association isn’t willing to take a stand on the issue, we can’t rightly refuse entry to that team because they meet all the other criteria. It’s really pretty simple: The local association has to say, “YES, we approve of the team” or, “NO, we don’t approve of the team.”
The local association can’t sit on the fence. The backbone of youth basketball in The 2007-08 youth basketball season is upon us and we need everyone’s cooperation in making this an enjoyable basketball season. To that end, we’d like to get all these all-star and independent team situations handled as early as possible. We have designated January 2, 2008
as the new deadline for reporting all-star and/or independent teams to our office. If you are aware of any team that has questionable eligibility, it needs to be reported to our office (in writing) by January 2. In fairness to everyone, we need to have all these all-star and renegade team situations settled prior to the seeding meetings for the MYAS Grade Basketball State Championships. The sooner these situations are reported, the faster we can react and the better the chances are that the correct determination will be made. Help us help you! Report these situations as soon as possible. Important Note to All-Star and Renegade Teams:
Youth basketball teams and coaches: Has your team ever wanted to play a game on an NBA court? Bring your team down this season to play on the Target Center floor prior to a Timberwolves game. It's a great way for teams to play where the pros play and be part of a day they will never forget! Games are one hour in length and are available prior to each Wolves home game. Check out the Timberwolves schedule online at www.Timberwolves.com and book your game today. Spots are filling up fast! To reserve your game date contact Matt Bare at 612-673-8441 or by e-mail at bare@timberwolves.com. The MYAS is proud to announce exciting changes to our current volleyball program. We have added the Gopher State Fall Volleyball Championship, scheduled for November 3, 2007 at Burnsville High School. This tournament is open to girls 7th, 8th and 9th grade teams. More information regarding this event and others will be available on the MYAS website very soon. MYAS Basketball Invitational Tournament Books Don't miss your chance to own your copy of the MYAS Boys and/or Girls Invitational Tournament Books. Each book contains flyers for tournaments throughout the 2007-08 winter basketball season. Click here to download the form and order your copy - supplies are limited! Gopher State Fall Basketball League The MYAS 2007 Gopher State Fall Basketball League is off and running all across the metro area. The next couple of weekends will feature 15 different locations with over 460 teams participating. Teams are pouring into gyms for their chance to start their season on the right foot. This year’s league continues on Sundays, September 30 and October 7 & 14. Fall League schedules, locations and other information are all available online. Gopher State High School Basketball Winter Training Series Begin planning right now to participate in the second annual MYAS Gopher State High School Basketball Winter Training Series. This program began last year and is designed for ninth grade and high school varsity and junior varsity teams to give them an opportunity to play some games prior to the start of their high school tryouts. Teams can elect to play one weekend or they can sign up to play all four weekends. Teams play three “scrimmage” games each day. This year’s Training Series will be held on Sundays, October 21 & 28 and November 4 & 11. More detailed information and entry materials are now available online. Winter Basketball Information Now Posted The winter basketball season is just around the corner. Updated information and entry forms for all of our traveling basketball programs can be found on the MYAS website. Click on a program below to access the applicable web page. Boys Super Saver Basketball Tournaments Boys Traveling Basketball League MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships In-House Championship Basketball at its Best! The 2008 MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 7-9. Don't miss out on the opportunity for your team to compete for a state championship against some of the best in-house teams from across the state. If you want more competition for your team and you want your players to have a chance to win a state tournament, come play Rec State. Click here to access more program information. Gopher State Wrestling to Revamp Program The MYAS Gopher State Wrestling Championship has earned the reputation of being the toughest tournament in Minnesota. The 2007 event featured a total of 1,235 registered wrestlers representing Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Michigan. The MYAS wrestling program has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2002. We thank you for your participation and look forward to a great season. The 2007-08 calendar will consist of the Gopher State Championships, Gopher State Team Tournament, Gopher State Middle School Tournament and Youth Day with the Gophers. Watch for updated information on the MYAS website. GSTC Ring Day at the Metrodome Sunday, September 16 was GSTC Day at the Metrodome where all 12 GSTC championship teams were recognized on the Metrodome turf prior to the Twins vs. Tigers game. The championship teams were treated to a walk on the field and were then awarded their 2007 Gopher State Tournament of Champions rings for their spectacular efforts in the July tournaments. Thank you again to all players, coaches and parents who were in attendance. This is a great annual event with all the excitement of receiving championship rings and being recognized by all Twins fans at the game. Gopher State Fall Baseball League The 2007 Gopher State Fall Baseball League is up and running with more than 260 teams playing each Sunday in the beautiful fall weather. The MYAS baseball staff is very excited to welcome the more than 3,500 participants in the league this year (not including coaches, parents and specators), making it the largest league of its kind in the upper Midwest. Check out playing schedules and league standings on the league web page. You can also listen to an interview with Dawson Blanck that aired on AM 1500 prior to a Twins game earlier this month. GSBL Advisory Committee Meeting The 2007 GSBL Advisory Committee Meeting will take place on Monday, October 8 at 7:00pm at the Ramada Minneapolis NW/Grand Rios in Brooklyn Park. Please click on this link for directions. This year's meeting will be particularly important, as one of the main topics will be revised team placement/eligibility for the 2008 GSBL, which specifically affects the 10-15U age groups. The new team placement procedures to be discussed will pertain to how communities are to submit A (AAA) and B (AA) teams for the league. Establishing this new procedure will allow the league to better maintain the levels of play and the integrity of youth baseball. Specifics of the new guidelines will be open for discussion at the meeting, and the "finer details" will be determined. If there are other specific topics you feel should be addressed at the Advisory Committee meeting, please e-mail your ideas to dawson@myas.org. Your initial ideas will help us formulate the meeting agenda. This meeting is your opportunity to provide personal input that helps improve the league each year. We look forward to seeing you on October 8! Gopher State Winter Baseball Camps We look forward to another great winter of fun and instruction at the Gopher State Winter Baseball Camps. The MYAS staff is currently researching dates and sites for the 2007-08 training season. Joining us again this year will be the Minnesota Baseball Academy and Lovdahl Pitching Development, who help us provide the best possible instruction on pitching, hitting and fielding. Please keep checking the MYAS website to stay up to date on the latest Winter Camp information. Calendar Updates (as of 9/27/07) Gopher State Baseball League Advisory Committee Meeting Gopher State Girls Basketball Apparel Registration Materials Now Available!! 2008 Rec State Basketball Championships MYAS Position on Waivers For Winter Basketball FREE!!! Tubby Smith Youth Basketball Coaches Clinic Girls Basketball Players Needed for the Fall Basketball League MYAS TRAVELING BASKETBALL GUIDELINES ATTENTION IN-HOUSE BASKETBALL DIRECTORS Winter Basketball Opportunities for 9th, 10th, 11th/12th Graders 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
Ankle Spains: Early Treatment Helps An ankle sprain usually happens when the ankle rolls in, causing a stretch or tear to one or more ligaments. Pain and swelling usually happen right away, and there may be bruising. To speed healing in the first 48 hours, keep the ankle raised above the knee and wrap it with an elastic bandage. Put a bag of ice or frozen veggies on the ankle for 20-30 minutes every one to three hours. See a sports medicine doctor if you have a lot of pain and swelling that don't get better. For more information or to find a sports medicine doctor, call 612-273-4800 or visit the Minnesota Sports Medicine website.
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
****************************************
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. |
|
|
 |
|
| Having trouble reading this newsletter?
Click here
to see it in your browser. Click here to unsubscribe. |