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Welcome to the January 30, 2009; edition of the MYAS Update
In this Issue
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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
IT'S MILLER TIME!
In a small town, high school sports teams carry a real significance in the community. Everybody goes to the games and everybody spends most of the week talking about the last game played and the next to be played. When basketball season rolled around, you had to get to the gym early to guarantee yourself a seat. Most of the locals would arrive early and mill around in the cafeteria, and how that night's game would play out was always the heated debate. That is, except for one night in January when I was in fifth grade.
I got to the gym a little late because we had a six-inch snowfall earlier in the day and I had to shovel out my folks' and three elderly neighbors' driveways before I could go to the game. I remember that snowfall because the air temperature was fairly warm and the snow was heavy and wet. At the time I was about four feet nothing and weighed 70 pounds. I had to take small scoops or I'd tip over. It's no fun being little when you are attempting big tasks!
When I got to the gym, nobody was talking about the game. Everyone was talking about the beer truck that had rolled over just on the outskirts of town. In my hometown, an accident was big news and there wasn't any bigger than a beer truck rolling over and losing most of its cargo. As I eavesdropped on the various conversations they were a mixture of stories and emotions. One woman was elated that the driver was okay, and several men in the crowd were emotionally distraught over the loss of 200+ cases of Miller beer. You have to remember that this happened in Wisconsin and the destruction of an unconsumed beer was worse than getting caught robbing the church. The ruin of that much beer was grounds to hold a funeral.
According to all reports, the volunteer fire department had cleaned up the mess but we had to see it for ourselves. So the next morning, my brother and I headed out to the scene of the accident. The air temperature was still pretty warm so we were able to ride our bikes to the crash site. A couple other kids had beaten us to it and when we got there, they were being very secretive and were whispering to each other. After a little prodding, they told us that they had been finding full bottles of unrecovered beer buried in the snowbank. We all started scouring the area and we came up with about a dozen bottles. We thought we were really cool - we had BEER! We knew that we were doing something wrong, but the attraction of having our own stash of beer was just too good to be true and too dangerous to turn down.
After stuffing our jackets with our ill-gotten booty we hopped on our bikes and headed back to town, all the while discussing where we would hide the beer. One of the guys in our four-kid brain trust came up with the brilliant plan of hiding it in the snowmen on the Catholic school playground. We figured we'd hide them there until we decided what to do with them. So we waited until sundown and crept onto the playground under the cover of darkness to hide our treasure. By that time we were already down two bottles because they had slipped out of my brother's jacket on the bike ride back into town. He was properly scolded and declared unworthy to touch any of the beer from that point forward.
The next day, Sunday, turned out to be a bust for us because there was some all-day function at the church and we didn't want to risk getting caught removing the beer from the snowmen. We still didn't have a plan but we knew we couldn't leave them there until spring.
Later that evening a major cold front moved in and by Monday morning the temperature was falling below zero and it was getting colder with each passing minute. By 9:00am the temperature was a bitter 10 to 15 degrees below zero.
When I was in fifth grade, my desk was right next to the window overlooking the playground. I spent way too much of my time staring out the window, and that day was no exception. I kept staring at those snowmen trying to come up with a plan for after school. About the time that I decided the best way out of this predicament was to just give the bottles of beer to my dad and hope for some sort of pat on the back instead of a kick in the rear, the right arm of Snowman #1 blew off. I sat there in horrified disbelief and started praying, "Please dear God, don't let this be happening!" A couple minutes later, the back of Snowman #2's head blew off. Soon after that we lost another arm and it wasn't long before our snowmen looked like they had suffered an artillery barrage. My heart was now completely lodged in my throat and all I could think about was the disciplinary action that
was sure to come.
Three of the five snowmen were dismembered and covered in yellow beer stains. Morning recess started at 10:30 and a few moments later, the nuns were all standing around the snowmen shaking their heads in disgust. I overheard Sister Harold (yes, that was her real name, believe it or not) telling the other nuns that this must be the work of those "naughty high school kids." I felt my heart slip from my throat back down into my chest and started thanking God for saving me from the inevitable double spanking. In those days when you misbehaved, you usually got a spanking in school from the nuns and then another when you got home - just for good measure.
We all felt quite relieved and we agreed that it would be really smart to keep our little secret to ourselves, which we did. So what's the moral of this story? Well, we may have gotten away with our little indiscretion at the time, but those snowmen were right in the middle of the playground that doubled as our football and baseball fields. For the next two years, we were picking slivers of shattered beer bottles out of our hands, elbows and knees every time we'd take a dive on the playground. Moral: Sometimes there is a penalty...even when you don't get caught.
"Insurance Coach" (J.A. Price Agency - by Bob Blomster)
2009 Insurance Reminder for Sports Clubs and/or Training Facilities - Our success has been nearly 100%!
From everyone here at J.A. Price Agency, thank you for the referrals, recommendations, leads and opportunities to serve your organizations as your trusted insurance advisors! Our success ratios have been incredible and we can handle ALL of your organization's insurance and bonding needs. We hope 2009 will bring even more opportunities to earn your organization's respect as a valued customer for many years to come.
Important Suggestion for Sports Clubs in 2009
Try to establish reliable and consistent mailing and email addresses from year to year. (P.O. boxes seem to work very well and some clubs are using email addresses like president@ABCBaseball.org, info@XYZAthletics.com, etc.)
It's amazing how many stories we continue to hear about lost or never received checks, invoices, cancellation notices and entire insurance policies, all because they were sent to a personal residence address for a board member who is no longer active or concerned with the organization. Having a consistent address from year to year will also help insure timely delivery of other very sensitive information regarding a potential child's injury, club's lawsuit or even feedback on background checks.
If we can assist anyone with any insurance related questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you all!
Bob Blomster, Vice President
J.A. Price Agency, Inc.
6640 Shady Oak Road, Suite #500
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
800-279-1623
952-944-8790
952-944-0097 (fax)
bob.blomster@japrice.com
Then And Now - by Larry Gallagher
HOME RUNS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE GAME OF BASEBALL FROM THE EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
Have you ever thought about what happens when a batter hits a home run? Think about it - the pitcher has to pitch the ball in such a way that the batter can hit it. The batter needs to have very good timing on their swing. Remember, the bat and ball are both round. This means the bat needs to meet the ball so that it is hit in the sweet spot of the bat. The batter must have enough strength to be able to propel the ball high enough and far enough to accomplish the home run feat.
In the game of baseball or softball, home runs do not occur as often as outs, singles and doubles. (Although some years there are more home runs than triples.) The pitcher has to have some speed on the pitch also, because not many home runs are hit just because of the batter's power. Most home runs are a combination of the batter's power and the speed of the pitch. Other factors include how hard the baseball is and how hard the bat is. According to most baseball people, the non-wood bat will propel a baseball farther and faster than a wood bat will.
When a home run occurs the batter is credited with a hit and a run scored, and an RBI for each runner that scores (including himself). Also, the pitcher is recorded as giving up a hit, a run for each runner that scores (including the batter) and an earned run each for the batter and all the base runners who did not initially reach base on an error, except for the runs scored by any runners who reached base while facing a previous pitcher. Those runs would be charged to the previous pitcher.
At one time a teammate of a noted slugger of the 1940's and 1950's stated, "Home run hitters drive Cadillacs and singles hitters drive Fords."
Some terms for and about home runs have evolved over the years. "Outside the park" is the most common; sometimes they are considered "tape measure home runs" because they go over 400 or 500 feet. Other terms used to describe home runs are "in flight" and "out of the park." Some announcers say, "Going, going, gone" or some other phrase to describe the hit while they are announcing.
There is also the "inside the park" home run where the speed of the batter is important and/or how the ball can deflect away from outfielders. A "grand slam" is a home run with the bases loaded. A "walk-off" home run occurs when the batter hits a home run that wins the game in the final inning. It could happen with or without runners on base but either way, the home team wins the game because of the hit. Prior to a rule change in 1950, the home team was not always the last team to bat. The home team could choose to bat first or last.
Only two World Series have ever ended with a walk-off home run. In 1960, Bill Mazeroski (second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates) hit a solo home run in game seven off of Ralph Terry of the New York Yankees to win the World Series. The second happened in 1993 when Joe Carter hit a three-run homer in game six to allow the Toronto Blue Jays to beat Mitch Williams and the Philadelphia Phillies.
The most famous walk-off home run in major league history was in the 1951 two-out-of-three playoff for the National League pennant when Bobby Thompson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" against Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was a three-run shot that allowed the New York Giants to win an improbable game in the last of the ninth after entering the inning down 4-1. They picked up a run earlier in the inning before Thompson came up to bat. The Giants had been 13-1/2 games behind the Dodgers as of August 15, 1951, and caught up to them on the final day of the season to force the two-out-of-three playoff. The Giants won game one and the Dodgers took game two 10-0 and looked like they'd win game three until Thompson came through in the clutch. This total comeback was named the "Miracle of Coogan's Bluff" which is just outside of the Polo Grounds where the
Giants played their games in those years.
"Back-to-back" is another type of home run, where one batter hits a home run and then the next batter hits another. The major league record for back-to-back home runs is four, and has occurred six times. The most recent took place on August 14, 2008 when the Chicago White Sox hit four in a row against the Kansas City Royals. Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez homered off Joel Peralta, and Juan Uribe followed with a homer off Robinson Tejada.
Other notable back-to-back home runs were hit in the 1932 World Series - first Babe Ruth hit his "called shot" off of Charlie Root. Root was allowed to remain in the game and pitch against Lou Gehrig, who then hit his home run. That was the end of Charlie for the day. One more notable back-to-back home run situation occured on September 14, 1990, when Ken Griffey, Sr. and Ken Griffey, Jr. hit theirs off Kirk McCaskill, becoming the only father-son combination to do so in major league history.
Some of you may know something about the "dead-ball" and "live-ball" eras which basically refer to the quality of the baseball. From baseball's beginning until the end of World War I the baseball was much softer and was used much longer once it was scuffed or softened up. After World War I the ball was improved and baseballs were taken out of play much sooner.
One rule change that greatly helped all hitters (not just long ball hitters) was the removal of the spitball from the game. A handful of pitchers were grandfathered into being able to continue using the spitball before they retired, but any new pitchers in the major league were banned from using it.
Another rule that changed and affected the game was the "last time seen" rule. The rule stated that the last time the ball was seen determined whether it was fair or foul. Some balls that are fair today would have been foul during the dead-ball era. According to baseball historian Bill Jenkinson, Babe Ruth lost at least 50 and as many as 78 home runs in his career due to the "last time seen" rule. Also, some balls that bounced over fences were home runs in bygone eras but today are just doubles. So that rule improved the stats of some early home run hitters.
A rule that prevented some of the old-time hitters from being credited with more home runs said that if a runner on base scored the winning run, the batter was not credited with a home run. For example, if a batter hit a two-run homer to win the game and the winning run was the runner on base, the batter was only credited with a triple because he did not represent the winning run. That rule didn't affect very many home run hitters at the top of the list. Only Babe Ruth had one deducted from his total after the 1920 rule change.
There are many famed home run hitters. Most people think that Barry Bonds is on top with his 762 round-trippers. However, the real leader is Sadaharu Oh, a former player and manager of the Yomiuri Giants and current manager of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League, who hit 868 home runs in his career. (Some will argue, however, that the quality of play is not as good as Major League Baseball.) The problem with Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's home runs is that they have all been tainted by the steroid scandal. I will get into that issue at a later time.
I hope this article on home runs has enlightened readers on a very large aspect of the game of baseball and how it is played. An article concerning other ideas about home runs will appear in a future issue of the MYAS Update.
Gopher State Volleyball
The Gopher State Volleyball program is underway! Listed below are the remaining events on our calendar for the 2009 season:
February 7, 2009 * Gopher State Future Stars Tournament
February 21, 2009 * MYAS Block Party
March 7, 2009 * Gopher State Minnesota Showcase
March 14, 2009 * Gopher State Season Finale
March 21, 2009 * Southern Spike Tournament @ Blue Earth, MN
April 4-5, 2009 * Gopher State Tournament of Champions
TBD * Border Battle @ River Falls, WI
If you would like more information on these events or are interested in hosting Gopher State Volleyball, please visit the MYAS volleyball web page or contact Jessica Christopherson at 763-746-1733 or jessica@myas.org.
MYAS Gopher State Wrestling
More than 850 wrestlers will invade Monticello on February 7 & 8 for the 2009 Gopher State Wrestling Championships. The field will include wrestlers from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and California. We are very excited for this year's event. We've made numerous improvements which should make for a bigger and better tournament in 2009. The Gopher State Championship is truly one of the toughest kindergarten through eighth grade folkstyle events in the Midwest. Please click here to view more information.
The 2009 Gopher State Team Tournament will be held on March 1 at Simley High School in Inver Grove Heights. This 16-team kindergarten through sixth grade team tournament will be a great opportunity for your team to compete against other teams from all over the state. Please click here to access the Team Tournament web page.
If you need further information, please contact Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org.
Midwest Regional Swim Meet
Registration is now open for the 2009 Midwest Regional Swim Meet. Nearly 1,100 swimmers from all over the Midwest competed at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in the 2008 meet. We have added new events and modified our age and scoring system for 2009 - we hope you enjoy the changes!
If you would like to register or just need more information about this huge event, please visit the Midwest Regional Swim Meet web page or contact Jessica Christopherson at 763-746-1733 or jessica@myas.org.
Gopher State Twin Cities Football Championship
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
The MYAS currently conducts the Gopher State Twin Cities Football Championship in late October and early November. We are attempting to further develop our football program (for example, adding a Gopher State 7-on-7 passing league) to best suit the needs of the participants in the state of Minnesota.
We are continually looking to update our football contact information. If you are interested in receiving information about the MYAS football program, please contact Eric Rathke at 763-746-1730 or eric@myas.org.
Football Rules of the Month
In our ongoing education mission, we would like to highlight three basic high school football rules. The answers appear later in the newsletter (see "In this Issue" for the link). Good luck!
1. Immediately following a down, Player A1 realizes he has a bleeding scratch on his arm and requests a time-out. The time-out is granted and Team A goes to the sideline for a conference. During the time-out, the blood is cleaned off A1's arm and the scratch is covered with a wrap or bandage. A1 returns with his teammates and participates in the next down. What is the ruling?
2. It is third and eight from Team A's 45 yard line when Player A1 throws an incomplete forward pass. The ball is erroneously spotted at the 50, the ball marked ready for play and Player K1 punts the ball into Team R's end zone. Following the down, R's captain requests a time-out so the coach may discuss with the referee the misapplication of the rules on the missed spotting of the ball after third down. What is the ruling?
3. During a down, there is a foul by Player A1 and the penalty is enforced. The captain of Team A requests a time-out for a coach-official conference regarding misapplication, even though Team A has no time-outs remaining. The referee confers with the coach and there is no change of decision. What is the ruling?
Basketball Invitational Tournament Books
The MYAS still has a few 2008-09 MYAS boys' and girls' basketball invitational tournament books available!
Included in the books are flyers for 110+ girls' and 130+ boys' invitational tournaments throughout the metro area and greater Minnesota. The books also feature the latest information on MYAS fall and winter basketball programs as well as important information and special offers from a number of our generous sponsors.
Supplies are limited, so if you would like to order one or more copies of the 2008-09 tournament books, please click here to download the order form.
Basketball Rules of the Month
In our ongoing education mission, we would like to highlight three basic basketball rules. The answers are posted later in the newsletter (see "In this Issue" for the link). good luck!
1. Thrower A1 inbounds the ball to Player A2, who immediately throws the ball back to A1. When A1 touches the pass, he/she has (a) both feet touching inbounds; (b) one foot touching inbounds and one out of bounds or (c) one foot touching inbounds and the other foot is not touching the floor. What is the ruling in each situation?
2. The horn sounds to end the third quarter. As the teams are heading to their respective benches, Players A1 and B1 verbally taunt one another. What is the ruling?
3. Player A1 is dribbling near the sideline when Player B1 obtains legal guarding position. B1 stays in the path of A1 but in doing so has (a) one foot touching the sideline or (b) one foot in the air over the out-of-bounds area when A1 contacts B1 in the torso. What is the ruling in each situation?
If you have questions about these or other basketball playing rules, please contact Buddy Hemric at 763-746-1717 or buddy@myas.org.
MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships
If you haven't already registered your team to play in the MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships, you'll want to do it soon! The entry deadlines are just around the corner - the girls' deadline is Friday, February 6 (tournament is March 7-8) and the boys' deadline is Friday, February 13 (tournament is March 14-15).
Our 2008 state tournaments featured more than 1,000 teams from across the metro area and numerous greater Minnesota communities. We'd like to wish the best of luck to youth basketball teams around the state during the remainder of your 2008-09 winter basketball season, and we hope to see you at the "Big One" in March!
If you would like more information on the 2009 MYAS Grade State Championships, please click here. You may also contact Eric Rathke at 763-746-1730 or eric@myas.org with your questions.
Attention Grade State Basketball Coaches!
Are you ready for March Mania in Minnesota? What better way to display your enthusiasm during Minnesota's largest youth basketball tournament than matching polo shirts for you and your coaching staff? We will be taking orders for MYAS Grade State Basketball Championship polos ONLY at this year's seeding meetings.
The shirts will be uniquely designed for Grade State coaches and will not be offered to anyone else. There will be a shirt on display and order forms available at your respective seeding meeting. If you'd like more information, please contact Keith Marek at 763-746-1723 or keith@myas.org.
MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships
Attention Park & Recreation, Community Education and In-House Directors!
This is a reminder that the registration deadline for the 2009 Rec State Basketball Championships is scheduled for Friday, February 27. The tournament will be held on March 20-22, 2009. Anticipated playing locations include Chanhassen, Cottage Grove, Edina, Inver Grove Heights and Minneapolis.
The MYAS needs in-house directors and coaches to help us promote this great state tournament to all the teams in their program! Please contact Kevin Wilson at the MYAS office at 763-746-1712 or kevin@myas.org if you would like to receive copies of the brochure. You may also click here to access more information on the MYAS Rec State Basketball Championships.
Don't miss your opportunity to be part of in-house championship basketball at its best!
MYAS Gopher State Spring Basketball
The 2009 MYAS Gopher State spring basketball season is fast approaching. Teams are being formed and tryouts are being set. If your organization is holding tryouts for the spring season and you will be playing in the MYAS spring program, please contact us 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 is at 6:30pm on Sunday, February 22 at the Ramada Minneapolis NW. Other dates and locations will be posted on the MYAS website.
If you want great competition and different opponents each weekend, if you want to be assured that trainers and tournament directors will be on-site to oversee the games and if you don't want to pay outrageous membership fees, then the MYAS Gopher State spring basketball program is the place to play. Don't be fooled by imitations!
The first weekend of play is March 28-29, 2009. All pertinent spring basketball entry forms and information will be available online by Monday, February 2. If you have questions or need more information, please contact the MYAS basketball staff at 763-781-2220.
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournaments
It's not too late to sign up for Super Saver Basketball Tournaments! The one-day tournaments began the first weekend in November and will conclude the second weekend in March. Registration forms and other tournament information are available on the Super Saver portion of the MYAS website.
Super Savers provide the opportunity for "A" (advanced), "B" (intermediate), "C" (beginning) or "Rec" (in-house) level teams to play three quality games all in one day. The tournaments are conveniently located throughout the metro area, and games can often be scheduled to meet your needs. For more Super Saver information, please click here.
MYAS Gopher State Winter Basketball League
The 2008-09 MYAS Gopher State Winter Basketball League (formerly the BTBL and GMBL) is nearly completed, with just two more regular season play dates. The girls' league playoffs will be held the weekend of February 21 & 22, while the boys' playoffs are scheduled for February 28 & March 1.
The Winter League provides opportunities for all levels of play. "A" (advanced), "B" (intermediate), "C" (beginning) and "Rec" (in-house) teams can all receive a quality 12-game schedule.
Additional league information, including schedules and results, is available on the Winter League web page. If you have further questions, please contact Kevin Wilson (boys) at 763-746-1712 or kevin@myas.org, or Jessica Christopherson (girls) at 763-746-1733 or jessica@myas.org.
Minnesota Sports Medicine Tip
Achilles Tendonitis or Tendinosis?
by Bryan R. Mayol, M.D., CAQ Sports Medicine
Fairview Sports & Orthopedic Care - Rogers, MN
Achilles tendonitis is an acute, inflammatory, repetitive stress injury of the Achilles tendon, commonly affecting athletes and active individuals. During this inflammatory period, there can be pain and mild swelling along the tendon lasting for only a few weeks. This inflammation can lead to scar tissue, or fibrosis, along the tendon, resulting in a thickening and tightness of the tendon and breakdown of normal tissue, or degeneration of the tendon. At this stage the condition is referred to as tendinosis, because the tendon is no longer actually inflamed. In many cases there is no pain until the chronic tendinosis stage.
Achilles tendinosis is a persistent or even chronic condition of pain and tightness of the Achilles. The pain may be higher (near the bottom of the calf muscle), spread along the length of the tendon, or isolated lower at the back of the heel bone, the calcaneus. Often there is a thickening or prominence at the tendon insertion on the bone. Symptoms include pain with activity and when starting to walk after periods of rest.
Tendonitis does not progress to tendinosis if the inflammatory process facilitates healthy healing and resolution of the injury. However, because tendons require a long time to heal and have poor blood supply, and because athletic activities like running put continued stress along the tendon, the healing process can be inadequate, causing tendinosis to develop.
When the problem persists and pain continues, sometimes on and off for years, a physical therapy technique called ASTYM (pronounced "A-stim") may be recommended to treat the underlying degenerative tissue. ASTYM re-stimulates healthy healing which did not occur after the initial inflammatory stage. At this point, the use of anti-inflammatory medications and ice is often counter-productive. ASTYM therapy combines appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises with a manual pressure technique which actually re-stimulates the body's inflammatory mechanisms and healing responses. Therapy is recommended twice weekly for about a month to resolve the fibrosis or chronic thickening, thereby treating the underlying problem. To learn more visit www.astym.com.
Dr. Mayol is a primary care sports medicine physician with Fairview Sports & Orthopedic Care in Rogers, MN. He has been in private practice for seven years. He earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1997, completed the Family Practice residency at St. Vincent Hospitals in Indianapolis in 2000, and completed Sports Medicine Fellowship training in Muncie, Indiana in 2001. Dr. Mayol is board-certified in Family Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Sports Medicine.
He is a physician member of Minnesota Sports Medicine, a network of sports and orthopedic physicians who treat athletes, as well as active patients of all ages, at medical clinics throughout the Twin Cities metro. To learn more, visit www.mnsportsmed.org. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Mayol, please call 763-488-4188.
Fairview's family of orthopedic services includes Fairview Sports & Orthopedic Care in Rogers, Burnsville and Wyoming, MN, providing non-surgical treatment for muscle, bone and joint problems and 28 Institute for Athletic Medicine (IAM) clinics conveniently located throughout the metro. IAM services include physical therapy, athletic training and chiropractic care. To schedule an appointment, please call 612-672-7100 or visit www.athleticmedicine.org.
Gopher State Winter Baseball Camps
The Lovdahl Pitching Academy will have three camp dates for pitching, fielding and catching instruction. The LPA has the latest in training techniques that are used by the Minnesota Twins. There will be pitching and fielding camps in Minnesota and Wisconsin - it all starts February 8 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Click here to access the camp brochure and registration form.
We have three camp dates still remaining with the Minnesota Baseball Academy in Rogers at the state of the art Competitive Edge Solutions Arena. The hitting camps will feature 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! See below for the remaining hitting and fielding camps in Rogers. Click on these links to access the brochure and/or the registration form.
Overall Skills Training Camp * February 8 * River Falls, WI
Pitching Training Camp * February 15 * Roseville, MN
Presidents' Day Hitting Camp * February 16 * Rogers, MN
Battery Mates Camp * March 1 * Roseville, MN
Try-Out Prep Camp * March 7-8 * Rogers, MN
March Madness * March 21-22 * Rogers, MN
Space is still available but camps are filling up fast! You can stay up to date with the latest camp information on the Winter Camp portion of the MYAS website. If you have further questions, please contact Jeremy Barbe at 763-746-1731 or jbarbe@myas.org.
Gopher State Baseball League
Welcome to the GSBL Nation! It's hard to believe that we are about to embark upon the 10th season of the Gopher State Baseball League, a USSSA sanctioned league. The season has snuck up on us even though it is only the end of January and often 0 degrees outside. So prepare yourself by cleaning and oiling up the gloves, wiping the dust off the cleats and bats and getting ready for another action-packed season.
The MYAS baseball staff is currently gearing up for the best year 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, this league has become one of the largest traveling baseball leagues in the Upper Midwest.
Each year more teams join the GSBL due to word of mouth as well as the administrative services it provides. The 2009 season looks promising because of the recent commitment from new communities within the east and west metro areas and in central Minnesota. As of 2008, the GSBL boasted the largest representation of communities in a traveling league in the Midwest.
Entry packets and team information will be sent to all association presidents and/or travel directors of GSBL member associations on February 6. If you would like to ensure you receive this important packet by being placed on the distribution list, feel free to email the league commissioner, Dawson Blanck. For 2009 league information, including the 2009 Team Classification Policy and Important League Dates, log onto the Gopher State Baseball League web page.
North Star Baseball League
Attention all "A" level traveling directors and local in-house directors! The North Star Baseball League is always looking to expand into new communities each season. Just last year we added five new member communities to the league - Anoka-Ramsey, Blaine/Spring Lake Park, Elk River, Rogers and Zimmerman.
During the 2008 season, the league hosted 82 teams at the two levels offered (7th Grade/13U and 8th-9th Grade/14-15U). Participating communities in addition to those listed above included Andover, Centennial, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Shoreview and Soderville.
If you would like more information regarding the 2009 North Star season or a more in-depth description of the program, feel free to contact Tony Groff at 763-746-1728 or tony@myas.org. You can also visit the NSBL web page by clicking here.
Gopher State Baseball Umpire Training Clinics
All umpires are welcome and encouraged to attend a Gopher State Umpire Training Clinic. These clinics are designed to provide umpires of all abilities the opportunity to enhance their skills and/or become educated in the finer points of umpiring. We are excited to welcome back our instructors from last year's clinics: Jeremy Barbe, Mike Cantone, Brandon Jackson, Andre Lanoue, Jon Moynihan, Mike "Bugsy" Segal and Shawn Vellek. All these instructors are dedicated to teaching and are excited to share their wealth of knowledge with the up-and-coming umpires of Minnesota.
Student instruction will include baseball philosophy, mental approach and attitude as well as appearance and equipment. The clinics feature on-field training for the one- and two-person umpiring systems, which includes proper positioning and 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 clinic will also cover handling game situations, balks, ejections, etc. We will do our best to have you ready for opening day!
Every umpire who attends a Gopher State Umpire Training Clinic will receive an additional $4 per game for the Gopher State season. With MSHSL registration, another $1 will be added to the per-game total. These additional fees only apply to the Gopher State Spring Training Series, Gopher State Baseball League, USSSA State Tournament, Gopher State Tournament of Champions, MYAS Rec State Baseball Championships and Gopher State Fall Baseball League.
For more information, visit the Gopher State Umpire Training Clinic web page. You may also contact Jeremy Barbe at 763-746-1731 or jbarbe@myas.org with your questions.
Gopher State Baseball Spring Training Series
Get your 2009 baseball tournament season kicked off right by entering your team in the Gopher State Spring Training Series! All Spring Training tournaments will be held as GSTC (Gopher State Tournament of Champions) Qualifiers, so two automatic berths per division will be awarded for our big season-ending event. Participating teams will all earn "GSTC Points" toward a possible At-Large berth which will be determined in June.
In addition, all "AAA" divisions will be run as Global Sports World Series Qualifiers, giving more teams an opportunity to gain a USSSA World Series experience without having to travel across the entire country.
Check out the Spring Training Series web page for tournament dates, sites and online registration information. You may also contact Tony Groff at 763-746-1728 or tony@myas.org with your questions.
Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) Qualifiers
Traveling baseball teams are now able to visit our tournament listings web page to view the complete listing of GSTC Qualifiers for the 2009 season. As in past years, each GSTC Qualifier will award two automatic (non-paid) berths to the Gopher State Tournament of Champions in July. All participating teams will earn GSTC Points that could earn some high-placing teams, that do not receive automatic berths, an At-Large berth (to be awarded in late June).
If you have questions regarding GSTC Qualifiers, please contact the MYAS baseball staff at 763-781-2220.
Minnesota USSSA Baseball State Tournament
Coming to a field near you in June! The Minnesota USSSA State Tournament is your opportunity to qualify for a USSSA World Series event. At no other tournament can you qualify for your respective 2009 USSSA Baseball World Series as well as the Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) at the 10-18/19U age levels. The Minnesota USSSA will also administer a 10A & 11/12A State Tournament for in-house teams looking to compete in a tournament atmosphere in 2009!
The USSSA State Tournaments combine competitive teams and great venues, volunteers and awards to offer an oustanding tournament experience for everyone involved. This will be a tremendous event to participate in regardless of whether your team's intent is advancement to a USSSA World Series or qualifying for the Gopher State Tournament of Champions.
For more information, including tournament dates and sites and an entry application, please visit the Minnesota USSSA Baseball web page or contact Dawson Blanck at 763-746-1719 or dawson@myas.org.
Global Sports Baseball - a Division of USSSA Baseball
Global Sports Baseball will offer multiple World Series Qualifiers in the Midwest as well as World Series events in July. Global Sports will provide many teams an opportunity to play in a World Series event within a reasonable driving distance.
Due to the growth of USSSA Baseball, there is a greater demand for events than the USSSA can supply. Therefore, the USSSA created this opportunity for teams to stay closer to home and create lifelong experiences without the long distance travel and the need to spend additional funds.
USSSA Baseball recently announced that the 11 & Under Global Sports World Series will be held in Brooklyn Park, MN on July 22-26, 2009. More information regarding that tournament will be available soon.
Log onto the Global Sports Baseball portion of the MYAS website or the USSSA Baseball website to learn about Minnesota 10-14U qualifiers or to gather more information about Global Sports. You may also contact Dawson Blanck, Minnesota USSSA Baseball Director, at 763-746-1719 or dawson@myas.org.
MYAS Latest News (as of 1/29/09)
Basketball Tournament Openings
Winter Baseball Camps in February
Gopher State Wrestling - Entry Materials Posted
GSTC Qualifiers are now available!
Target Center - Play Where The Pros Play
Brochure Available - 2009 Rec State Basketball Championships
GSTC and USSSA State Tournament Dates are now available!
Global Sports USSSA Baseball
2009 Gopher State Baseball League
Are you looking for a basketball team to play on?
MYAS Position on Waivers and Renegade Teams
Insurance - USSSA Basketball
MYAS Calendar Updates (as of 1/29/09)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Sunday, February 1, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Sunday, February 1, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament registration deadline (Feb. 14 & 15 play dates)
Friday, February 6, 2009
MYAS Girls' Grade State Basketball Tournament registration deadline (Mar. 7-8 event)
Friday, February 6, 2009
MYAS Block Party Volleyball Tournament registration deadline (Feb. 21 event)
Friday, February 6, 2009
Gopher State Baseball League & North Star Baseball League entry packets available
Saturday, February 7, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Future Stars Volleyball Tournament
Saturday, February 7, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Saturday & Sunday, February 7 & 8, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Wrestling Championships
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Gopher State Winter Baseball Overall Skills Training Camp
Sunday, February 8, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Sunday, February 8, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament registration deadline (Feb. 21 & 22 play dates)
Friday, February 13, 2009
MYAS Boys' Grade State Basketball Tournament registration deadline (Mar. 14-15 event)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Saturday, February 14, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Winter Basketball League play date
Sunday, February 15, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Winter Baseball Pitching Training Camp
Sunday, February 15, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Sunday, February 15, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament registration deadline (Feb. 28 & Mar. 1 play dates)
Monday, February 16, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Winter Baseball Presidents' Day Hitting Camp
Friday, February 20, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Wrestling K-6 Team Tournament registration deadline (Mar. 1 event)
Friday, February 20, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Minnesota Showcase Volleyball Tournament registration deadline (Mar. 7 event)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Saturday, February 21, 2009
MYAS Block Party Volleyball Tournament
Saturday & Sunday, February 21 & 22, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Winter Basketball League Girls' Playoffs
Sunday, February 22, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Spring Basketball Informational Meeting
Sunday, February 22, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Sunday, February 22, 2009
MYAS Boys' Super Saver Basketball Tournament registration deadline (Mar. 7 & 8 play dates)
Friday, February 27, 2009
MYAS Rec State Basketball Championship registration deadline (Mar. 20-22 event)
Friday, February 27, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Season Finale Volleyball Tournament registration deadline (Mar. 14 event)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Saturday & Sunday, February 28 & March 1, 2009
MYAS Gopher State Winter Basketball League Boys' Playoffs
Answers to Football Rules of the Month
The answers below are derived from the National Federation of State High School Associations 2008 Football Rules Book and/or Football Case Book.
1. This is a legal procedure. Since an official was not involved in discovery of the bleeding and did not stop the clock or delay the ready-for-play because of A1's bleeding, A1 does not come under the provisions of the injured-player rule (Case Book 3.5.10 Situation B page 25).
2. It is too late to make any correction. The error had to be recognized and correction made before the ball was snapped on fourth down (Case Book 3.5.11 Situation A page 25).
3. Team A will be penalized for delay of game and the clock will be started with the snap (Case Book 3.6.2 Situation A page 26).
Answers to Basketball Rules of the Month
The answers below are derived from the National Federation of State High School Associations 2008-09 Basketball Rules Book, Basketball Case Book and/or Rules by Topic publication.
1. The ball remains live in (a) and (c), but Player A1 has caused the ball to be out of bounds in (b) (Case Book 4.35.2 Situation page 33; Rule Book 4-4-4 page 28).
2. Double technical foul charged to Players A1 and B1. During the intermission between quarters, all team members are bench personnel. Both head coaches are indirectly charged with technical fouls and lose their coaching box privileges. Play will resume at the point of interruption, which is an alternating-possession arrow throw-in, to begin the fourth quarter (Case Book 4.34.2 Situation page 33; Rule Book 10-4-1d Penalty and 10-5-1a page 64).
3. In (a), Player B1 is called for a blocking foul because a player may not be out of bounds and obtain or maintain legal guarding position. In (b), Player A1 is called for a player-control foul because B1 had obtained and maintained legal guarding position (Case Book 4.23.3 Situation B page 32; Rule Book 4-23-2 and 4-23-3a page 34).
If you have questions about these or other basketball playing rules, please contact Buddy Hemric at 763-746-1717 or buddy@myas.org.
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 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
General insurance questions should be directed to Bob Blomster at 952-253-4311 or bob.blomster@japrice.com.
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 Services, 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 Coaching 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.
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.
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