Welcome to the January 25, 2008; edition of the MYAS Update

In this Issue

	Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer
	"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
	Winter Basketball Information
	2008 MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships
	Rec State Basketball Tourney Time!
	Gopher State Spring Basketball
	Basketball Rules of the Month
	Gopher State Winter Baseball Camps
	Gopher State Winter Softball Camps
	Gopher State Baseball Coaches' Clinic
	Gopher State Baseball League
	Gopher State Baseball Umpire Training Clinics
	North Star Baseball League
	Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions
	USSSA State Baseball Tournament (Gopher State Midsummer Challenge)
	Answers to Basketball Rules of the Month
	Calendar Updates (as of 1/24/08)
	Important Association Services That Work!
	Minnesota Sports Medicine Tip
	MYAS Sponsors
	MYAS Membership Meetings

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Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer

As an athlete, coach, official, parent and youth sport administrator, I have seen my share of unbelievable "lucky moments." Some would argue that there is no such thing as luck, but I beg to differ. Others claim that if they didn't have bad luck they'd have no luck at all. Then there are those who depend upon their good luck to make up for a lack of talent, desire, dedication or ability. How is it that the guy with only three fingers on his left hand is nicknamed Lucky? Why did Phillip Morris name their cigarettes "Lucky Strike" when they knew they would eventually kill people? When your luck runs out does it sprint, jog or stroll? On the farm we had a cat named Lucky, but after my brother dropped a 90-pound hay bale on him from 40 feet overhead, we called him dead.

Luck comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it comes when you least expect it and sometimes it arrives as if we knew exactly when to order it up. Luck is the unknown factor in sports competition, card games, the lottery, hunting, fishing, romance, car maintenance, video poker and just about anything else you can think of. You can't count on it and you can't count it out.

I think "luck" and "lucky" are two of the most misused words in the English language. Was I really lucky, after receiving the whoopin' of my life, that I didn't die? Why does the phrase "Luck of the Irish" conjure up visions of mean little leprechauns, a whiskey swilling town drunk and a pot of gold that nobody's ever found? And you'd have a tough time convincing Bambi that it was a lucky shot that turned his mom into a stick of summer sausage.

The answer to my questions about what's luck and what's not is mostly a matter of perception. For example, my perception is that youth sport associations are idiotic if they are uninsured. I'd bet that 99% of the people reading this column would never think of driving a car or owning a home without insurance or risking their family's health by not having medical insurance. (Note: According to a recent article in the Star Tribune, 91.7% of Minnesotans do have some sort of health insurance. Congratulations Minnesota - we lead the nation in this category!)

So why is it that so many youth sport associations are either uninsured or  underinsured? Are you hoping that you'll be lucky and never need it? Or that your luck will hold until your term is up? Have you convinced yourself that your association doesn't need any coverage because nobody would dare sue a volunteer youth sport association? If you believe that bleachers don't break, treasurers never steal, coaches don't molest, parents won't attack officials or coaches, backboards don't crash, fences never fail and cement walls are actually pillowy soft, then you deserve to get sued.

I like my house, my car, my lawn tractor and my dog. I fully intend to keep everything I currently own and that's why I practice what I preach. When we created the MYAS in 1991, the very first thing we did was secure all of the insurance coverage (worker's comp, life, health, vehicle, property and general liability) that we needed. Yes, it was very painful writing those monthly premium checks but as painful as it was, it was a lot less painful than worrying day and night about being uninsured. It's also a lot less painful to call your agent with a claim than it is to call your attorney for a defense. And it's a heck of a lot less painful than trying to explain to the rest of the community that you ignored all the warnings and trusted your luck to save your association. LOOK UP! It's a bird...it's a plane...no, it's a hay bale headed your way!

Introducing J.A. Price Agency

Face it - insurance is one of those necessary evils that is a fact of life. The MYAS is not in the insurance business and we don't want to be. Instead, for the past three years we have tried to put together some sort of blanket insurance options that would satisfy your needs at a cost-saving group rate. We thought we had it all figured out. We were dealing with a broker on the west coast. The price was right, but the service just wasn't what we had hoped for so we started shopping again.

We eventually found ourselves speaking to Bob Blomster of the J.A. Price Agency, and he gets it! Bob is a parent and coach in the Farmington Area Youth Baseball and Basketball Associations. He has walked a mile in your shoes and he knows the issues and the answers. When he calls, I suggest that you listen.

The moral of this story is regardless of who you purchase your insurance from, get insured!

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

Problem: Volunteer Coach and Club Get Sued for Player Injuries

Why should we have "liability insurance" and why do they make us purchase "player accident insurance?" Coaches are the life and blood of all youth sports. Not only are they responsible for teaching children how to learn and appreciate their sport, they are also responsible for properly supervising the children in their care. Failure to properly supervise the activity and the youth in their care is a HUGE liability exposure for clubs and volunteer coaches.

Some Simple Exposures

• Lightning! (We need to literally beat this issue into 100% of the coaches involved in outdoor sports. More on this issue next month.)
• Injuries to fans or players, relating to failure to properly inspect the fields, facilities or equipment prior to use
• Injuries to players or property damage, due to improper supervision (How many close calls have there been when an aluminum bat is swung too close to the bench? Or a player getting injured while the kids are temporarily unsupervised? How many times does a young player wander off to a restroom completely unattended?)
• Food poisoning at tournament concessions
• Damage to school property

The main purpose of a general liability policy is to help protect the organization against claims of bodily injury or property damage as they relate to your organization's activities. Liability insurance should always be taken out in the legal entity's name and these policies can be endorsed to extend liability coverage to certain other parties. This is done by adding "additional insured" endorsements to the policy. The most common endorsements for youth sports would be requests to add volunteer coaches or the property owners (i.e. schools) to the liability policy as additional parties.

When it comes to youth sports, it is very common for your general liability insurance company to require some level of player accident insurance in order to get a quality general liability policy ($25,000 is a common minimum).The main purpose of player accident insurance is to afford players and coaches "excess" medical insurance protection for injuries sustained during their sport activity. The "excess" nature of the policy means that any medical insurance available to the participant would always be the primary source for their injury.

Some clubs tend to believe that securing this coverage is not their responsibility, but the reality is that offering some decent player accident coverage normally helps severely limit a possible lawsuit relating to how the participant was injured. If a player sustains large medical bills relating to their injury and the family has no medical insurance, they may attempt to pursue legal action against the club in order to help pay the bills.

If a club does not have player accident insurance in place, insurance companies for youth sports will commonly exclude all liability coverage as it relates to injuries sustained by participants during their sport activities. That general liability exclusion would essentially make your club's liability policy resemble "spectator only" coverage.

Please contact me if I (and/or my associates) can help you with any of your insurance questions or needs. The J.A. Price Agency is a large insurance agency that handles all types of personal and business insurance throughout Minnesota, the United States and internationally.

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

FUTURE TOPICS

• Lightning Strikes Ball Fields During Busy Tournament!  (General Liability)
• Individual Board Member Gets Sued for Bad Decisions in Running the Organization: Your Homeowner's Coverage Will Not Protect You!  (Director's & Officer's Liability)
• Fire at Local Mini Storage Wipes Out 100% of the Club's Equipment!  (Property Insurance)
• Club Treasurer Embezzles Club Funds for Months - or Even Years!  (Crime)
• Sexual Assault by a Volunteer Coach
• Club Gets Sued for Auto Accident While Volunteer Coach is Transporting Kids to Games
• What Do You Mean Our Return Premium Insurance Check Went to Our Former Treasurer's Home? Where Is It?  (Use of a dedicated mailing address like a P.O. box)

Then And Now - by Larry Gallagher

The Shot that Changed the Game of Basketball

Shooting the basketball is probably one of the most important skills of the game. When the jump shot was first used, the game was revolutionized by moving from the slow, ball-control offenses of the early days to the more fast-paced game that we have today.

How and when the jump shot originated has been speculated for many years. There is evidence that it originated first with one player and then another. Based upon what I have learned from other researchers, I am going to place nine players in the mix and let you decide for yourselves which one deserves to be called the "Father of the J."

The "J" came into being due to a need for smaller players to be able to get their shots off without being blocked. Other shots, such as the two-handed set, one-handed set, one-handed push shot, lay-up and hook shots, were predominant in the game. Because the need was there and some creativity was needed to have a different shot that would prevent them from being easily blocked, the jump shot was born.

No game will stay the same as long as new generations of players and coaches bring new ideas and perceptions to the game. Someone once said that "preparation meets opportunity" and I am sure that is how the jump shot was born too.

Research brings us nine players and when they brought their jump shots to the game of basketball. Who was first? No one can 100% and unequivocally know for sure. Even these nine players may not have been the first, but here is what I have learned. I am placing these nine basketball pioneers in alphabetical rather than chronological order because there is no real consensus or indisputable evidence that any of them is the inventor of the "J".

1. Johnny Adams came out of Depression-era, share-cropping poverty, yet his first flat jump shots - in 1935 in a cracker box gym with a low ceiling in Beebe, AR - led to his recruitment by the Arkansas Razorbacks and an eventual appearance in the 1941 NCAA Final Four. Who was the first jump shooter? "Coaches, broadcasters - every year at the Final Four - stand around and argue about it. Gowdy played against Johnny Adams in the 1941 NCAA tournament, and he insists, 'It is Johnny Adams.'"
2. "Jumpin'" Joe Fulks came from the tiny town of Birmingham, KY, along the Tennessee River in the 1930's. Now submerged beneath the waters of Kentucky Lake, the town was the site of Fulk's earliest jump shots using a discarded basketball filled with sawdust. That shot lifted him from Kentucky obscurity to world fame as a high-scoring Philadelphia Warrior in the late '40s. He held the NBA single-game scoring record of 63 points for a decade before Elgin Baylor broke it with a 73-point night and then Wilt Chamberlain produced his 100-point miracle. The so-called "Babe Ruth of Basketball," Fulks was haunted all his life by alcoholism, which led to his murder in Kentucky in 1976. Because of the difficulties of his life and tragic death, his is the most forgotten sports legend of our time.
3. John "Mouse" Gonzales, a lightweight basketball player for Lowell High in San Francisco, threw up his first jump shot in the old Japanese YMCA on Buchanan Street in San Francisco one night in October of 1943. Gonzales, who later changed his name to Burton, eventually played for San Francisco State University. San Francisco old timers, including former Bear coaches Rene Herrerias and Pete Newell, insist he was the first jump shooter on the West Coast.
4. Bob Many of Bayonne, NJ, was inducted into the Lehigh University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. In researching Bob Many, Mel Shapiro and his team of researchers found stories dated to 1928 and 1929 reporting on Many's specialty - "the jumper." This evidence appears to show that the jump shot was part of Many's basketball arsenal 15 years before Wyoming's Kenny Salilor's jump shot in the 1943 NCAA tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mac Kinsbrunner, a mainstay of the great St. John's "Wonder Team" of 1929-30, was interviewed by the New York Times in 1956 about the changes in the sport. Kinsbrunner spoke of the "two-handed jump shot" used earlier by Lehigh's Bob Many.
5. Davage "Dave" Minor, who was called "The Wheelhorse of Steel City" by Gary, IN sportswriters, began shooting the first jumpers seen around the Great Lakes in December of 1937 in his Gary high school gym. By 1941, the shot was so unstoppable that he used it to take the Froebel H.S. Devils all the way to the Final Four of the Indiana State Tournament, the mother of them all. Minor eventually starred for the old Oakland Bittners of the AAU and he was one of the first blacks signed in the NBA.
6. Bud Palmer, a gangling and skinny 6'-4" forward at Phillips-Exeter Academy in New England, began experimenting with his jump shot in 1939 in the same gym that John Knowles made famous in his novel "A Separate Place." The shot became Palmer's trademark at Princeton. Not even Palmer's later career as a network sports announcer would match his jump shot contribution to basketball.
7. Kenny Sailors was born in Nebraska in 1923 and moved with his mother and older brother Bud to a farm on the Wyoming prairie just east of Cheyenne. By early 1934, Bud was 6'-5" and one of the tallest around Cheyenne. Kenny was four years younger and a foot shorter than Bud. The two played some fierce one on one games. Bud would slap the ball back into Kenny's face, but this spurred Kenny to develop his jump shot beginning in 1934. The shot became unstoppable and Kenny used it in Cheyenne and at the University of Wyoming, and he eventually took it to the 1943 NCAA finals against Georgetown. Kenny himself never considered that he was the originator of the jump shot.
8. Minnesota's own Myer "Whitey" Skoog used a jump shot in 1944 while playing for Brainerd against Bemidji and went on to win All-American honors at the University of Minnesota. He later played for the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA, who won several World Championships.
9. Belus Van Smawley came from the Appalachian foothills of western North Carolina. When Belus was 13, his father bought a small farm two miles south of the village of Ellenboro and 1/2 mile from an abandoned railroad depot along the old Southern Line. In that abandoned depot, the young boys of Ellenboro improvised a peach basket gym to play in during inclement weather. In the fall of 1934, Belus used his incredible jumping ability - developed by leaping up to touch the high tree limbs while doing his farm chores - to improvise a shot that no one had ever seen before.

This article contains information from the 2007 issue of The Jersey Journal and an excerpt from the Origin of the Jump Shot, Eight Men Who Shook the World of Basketball, University of Nebraska Press - authored by John Christgau.

Midwest Regional Swim Meet

Nearly 900 swimmers participated in the 2007 Midwest Regional Swim Meet. Don't miss your chance to be part of one of the largest youth swim meets in the world! The 2008 Midwest Regional will be held March 29-30 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Entry documents and other event information is available on the MYAS website - click here to access the Midwest Regional Swim Meet page. If you have questions, please contact Keith Marek at 763-781-2220 x 1723 or keith@myas.org.

Gopher State Volleyball

Entry forms are now available for all of our 2008 Gopher State Volleyball events. All Gopher State tournaments will be sanctioned with USSSA Volleyball, meaning you are not required to purchase USAV memberships or pay any additional fees!

February 9 * Block Party * entry deadline January 25

February 9 * Future Stars * entry deadline January 25

March 1 * MN Showcase * entry deadline February 15

March 15-16 * Season Finale * entry deadline February 29

April 5-6 * Tournament of Champions * entry deadline March 21

For complete information, please visit the volleyball portion of the MYAS website. If you are interested in hosting or have other 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 tournament in Minnesota. In 2007 there were 1,235 registered wrestlers representing Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Michigan. Wrestlers from all states are eligible to participate in all Gopher State wrestling events.

The program has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2002. We thank you for your participation and look forward to another great season. To access more information, please click on the appropriate link below.

Gopher State Wrestling Championships
Gopher State Middle School Tournament
Gopher State K-6 Team Tournament
Youth Day with the Gophers

Winter Basketball Information

Here we are - still in the middle of the winter basketball season! Up to date information and entry forms for all of our traveling basketball programs are posted on the MYAS website. Simply click on a program title below to be directed to its web page.

Boys' Super Saver Basketball Tournaments
Girls' Super Saver Basketball Tournaments

Boys' Traveling Basketball League
Girls' Metro Basketball League

MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships

MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships

2008 MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships

The 2008 MYAS Grade State Basketball Championship entry deadlines are upon us - you need to hurry if you want your team included in this huge youth basketball tournament!

Grade State information is available on the MYAS website. We hope that you'll participate in this year's edition of our March Madness - the girls' tournament is March 7-9 and boys' teams take the court on March 14-16.

Seeding meetings for this year's tournaments are scheduled for February 6, 7, 12 & 13 (depending upon grade and gender). A more detailed description of the seeding meetings can be found on the MYAS website, along with the event brochure, entry application, code of conduct and hotel information. Click here to access the Grade State Basketball web page.

Rec State Basketball Tourney Time!

Minnesota's premier in-house state basketball tournament is just around the corner! Don't miss the Rec State Basketball Championships, scheduled for March 7-9. The tournament registration deadline is Friday, February 15.

The Rec State Championships will be held in Cottage Grove, Edina and Inver Grove Heights and at the brand new, state of the art Colin Powell Center in Minneapolis. More than 150 teams are expected to attend this big event to compete for a state championship. We anticipate hosting teams from the Northwest and Southwest Suburban Leagues, Minneapolis and St. Paul Park and Recreation, the Maplewood Basketball League and many others.

The tournament is held for teams that participate in a basketball league conducted by a city park and recreation, community education or in-house program. No traveling teams are knowingly permitted to play in this event! The make-up of all teams is verified by league directors or supervisors of park and recreation.

Listed below are just a few of the features that make the Rec State Championships such a great event.

• The tournament features Division I, II and III levels of competition to accommodate all players' skill levels and abilities.
• The tournament features a three-game guarantee.
• Awards include team trophies, championship banners and individual player awards.

Gopher State Spring Basketball

The 2008 Gopher State Spring Basketball season is coming up fast - the first weekend of play is March 29-30! Teams are being formed and tryouts are being set. If your organization is holding tryouts for your spring season and will be playing in our events, please contact the MYAS and we will advertise your tryouts on our website.

New to spring basketball? Come to one of our free informational meetings to find out everything regarding the Gopher State Spring Basketball season. The first meeting will be held at 6:30pm on Sunday, February 24 at the Radisson Hotel in Bloomington. Other dates and sites can be found on our website by clicking on this link.

If you want to play great competition against different opponents each weekend, be assured that trainers and tournament directors will be on site to oversee the games, and know that you don't have to pay outrageous membership fees, then Gopher State is the place to play. Don't be fooled by imitations!

Basketball Rules of the Month

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

1. Who can call a time-out?

2. If a player is disqualified or injured, how much time does the coach have to replace them?

3. On a designated spot throw-in, is it traveling if the thrower moves his/her feet?

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

The Lovdahl Pitching Academy will have two more opportunities for detailed instruction with a Pitching Clinic on January 27 at Northwestern College in Roseville and a Father/Son Pitching Clinic on February 9 at the Metrodome! Please click here to access the registration form.

We have three camp dates still remaining with the Minnesota Baseball Academy at the state of the art Competitive Edge Solutions Arena in Rogers. This year's hitting camps will feature the latest in video technology - the Dartfish Slow Motion Video Analysis. Participants will be able to break down their swings like the pros. What a great way to stay ahead of the competition! The dates of the remaining Hitting/Fielding Camps are February 18, March 8-9 and March 22-23. Click to access the camp brochure and/or registration form.

Please stay up to date with the latest camp information on the winter camp portion of the MYAS website. If you have any questions regarding the winter camps, feel free to contact Jeremy Barbe, Winter Camp Director, at jbarbe@myas.org or 763-781-2220 x 1731.

Gopher State Winter Softball Camps

This is your last opportunity to be part of our first annual Minnesota Softball Academy (MSA) Camp. We will be offering one more two-day camp at the Competitive Edge Arena in Rogers, MN. The MSA brings the finest clinicians, including current collegiate players and coaches and current and former professional players, to facilitate these camps.

The final Softball Training Camp will be held on February 16-17. Please click here to access the camp registration form. If you have other questions about the camp, please contact Meggan Staton at 763-315-9393 or meg@minnesotabaseballacademy.com.

Gopher State Baseball Coaches' Clinic

The MYAS baseball staff is proud to continue our tradition of hosting the Gopher State Baseball Coaches' Clinic. We have strived to bring you top quality clinics each of the last six years, and this 7th annual edition is no different. All coaches are welcome, regardless of the age or skill level you coach (or have coached in the past). The clinic was designed to enhance coaching skills and techniques as well as create awareness of the physical and mental aspects of the game.

Don't miss out on this opportunity! We are pleased to announce that this year's featured speaker is former Minnesota Twin Gene Larkin, who will share his baseball experiences, including the 1987 and 1991 World Series. (Featured speaker is subject to change.)

For more information on the Gopher State Baseball Coaches' Clinic and to download registration materials, please click here to access the clinic portion of the MYAS website.

Gopher State Baseball League

The MYAS baseball staff is busy preparing for the upcoming season. We are excited to announce the addition of many new communities as well as new teams from existing communities that will join the GSBL nation this year, making this tenth season the biggest since the league's inception. Please continue to stay up to date with all pertinent league information, including new enhancements, on the GSBL portion of the MYAS website.

Be aware that all known Travel Directors and/or Association Presidents will receive a league entry packet no later than February 18, 2008. The league entry deadline for all 10-15U traveling teams is March 28, while the deadline for all 16-18/19U teams is May 12. Please click here to view all of the 2008 MYAS baseball important dates to remember.

If you are not a member community of the Gopher State Baseball League but would like additional information about the program, don't hesitate to contact Dawson Blanck, League Commissioner, at 763-781-2220 x 1719 or dawson@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.

For more information on the 2008 Umpire Clinics, please contact Jeremy Barbe at 763-781-2220 x 1731 or jbarbe@myas.org.

North Star Baseball League

The MYAS baseball staff is very excited to see the North Star Baseball League add new communities again this year! We will be welcoming three new communities to the league: Anoka-Ramsey, Elk River and Rogers. These new communities will be taking advantage of the benefits for their in-house programs that our existing communities have enjoyed for the past three seasons. We welcome the newcomers and encourage more of you to join us this summer! Please click here to access the North Star Baseball League web page.

Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions

Attention Youth Baseball Coaches!
By going to the Youth Baseball Tournaments portion of the MYAS website, you can now view all tournaments that have been designated as 2008 GSTC Qualifiers. All tournaments listed with a "YES" on the right-hand side of their age group's page will act as qualifiers for our premier tournament in July. Please click here to go to the Gopher State Tournament of Champions web page.

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.

Answers to Basketball Rules of the Month

1.  Time-out occurs and the clock, if running, shall be stopped when an official grants a player's/head coach's oral or visual request for a time out, such request being granted only when a. the ball is in control or at the disposal of a player of his/her team; or b. the ball is dead, unless replacement of a disqualified or injured player(s), or a player directed to leave the game is pending, and a substitute(s) is available and required (NFHS 5-8-3 page 45).

2.  The head coach must replace or remove a disqualified/injured player, or player directed to leave the game, within 20 seconds when a substitute is available, while within the confines of his/her bench (NFHS 10-5-3 page 64).

3.  The designated throw-in spot is three feet wide with no depth limitation and is established by the official prior to putting the ball at the thrower's disposal. Note: The thrower must keep one foot on or over the spot until the ball is released. Pivot-foot restrictions and the traveling rule are not in effect for a throw-in (NFHS 4-42-6 page 40).

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

Calendar Updates (as of 1/24/08)

Girls Basketball Openings - February 2

Upcoming Volleyball Deadlines

Baseball Coaches' Clinic Set

2008 Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions qualifiers now posted

New Date for Block Party Volleyball Tournament

Gopher State Wrestling Program Information

MN Lynx Junior Ballerz Tournament

ATTENTION IN-HOUSE BASKETBALL DIRECTORS

MYAS Position on Waivers For Winter Basketball

Registration Materials Now Available! 2008 Rec State Basketball Championships

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

MYAS TRAVELING BASKETBALL GUIDELINES

Insurance - USSSA Basketball

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 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
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.

3. Coaching Education Program
The MYAS has partnered with the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to offer youth sport associations and their coaches the Coach Youth Sport education program designed specifically for youth coaches. It provides coaches with a solid foundation in coaching principles, sport first aid and sport-specific techniques and tactics. These courses are available for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and wrestling and can be delivered in the classroom or online. For more information, please contact Mike DeWane at 952-393-1929 or mike@myas.org.

Minnesota Sports Medicine Tip

Patellofemoral Syndrome

What Is It?
Patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) is a general term for knee pain that occurs around the front of the kneecap, or patella. The pain is the result of soft tissue inflammation under or around the kneecap and is usually at its worst during activities that include exercising, walking down stairs or walking after sitting for a long time.

Causes of PFS
The causes of PFS are wide-ranging and can include the kneecap moving out of alignment, flat feet (arches are flat), weak or tight hamstring muscles (back of thigh), weak quadriceps (front of thigh) or weak gluteal muscles (buttock). This condition usually does not require surgery.

Treatment
Often, this condition is best treated by seeing a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or certified athletic trainer. Depending on the extent of your condition, treatment may include:

• muscle strengthening of the hip, hamstrings or quadriceps to correct or improve weakness or movement patterns that impact the knee
• temporary arch supports and education about proper footwear and training techniques to prevent re-injury
• knee taping to help improve the knee's alignment
• rest and/or ice therapy to reduce swelling
• a home exercise program to continue strengthening and stretching

MYAS Sponsors

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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.