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Welcome to the August 26, 2011; 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. It includes notes from the Executive Director, sport program information, calendar reminders, new service announcements and special events information. Contributions from sponsors assist us in delivering high quality youth sport services and events at the lowest possible cost and partially fund this newsletter, and certain sponsors will be featured from time to time.
Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer
WE MOVED -- AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON!
I started to write my article for this issue of the MYAS Update in late July. At the time, we were still in our old office building. As I began to scribe my article, the room temperature in my office was 51 degrees. That is not a typo - it was 51 degrees Fahrenheit, which is only 19 degrees above freezing. It was the end of July with temperatures in the 90's outside, yet my entire staff was bundled up in sweatshirts, jackets and parkas. I'm not kidding!
The saddest part of the story is that it was not unusual. We went through it every summer. In fact, we went through the exact opposite extreme every winter. Last January, the temperature in my office reached 96 degrees and that lasted for several days.
In recent years, there were several occasions that I actually had to send staff members home in order to escape the extreme heat or cold in our office space. I am probably the only employer in the Twin Cities who made it a requirement that each employee have their own portable heater and fan.
By now you should be thinking, "Well you are a stupid idiot for staying in that building!" And you would be right. That's exactly why we moved into our new office space a couple weeks ago. We relocated to 1011 Osborne Road NE in Spring Lake Park on the weekend of August 12-14, and we were tickled to give up our weekend to make that happen. Finally, after spending 17 years at our old location, we have moved into a place that is more suitable, more spacious and more affordable. That's right - we are actually getting more for less. How stupid am I now, huh? Right back at you!
As far as you are concerned, the best part of our move is that the new office building is much more "customer friendly." You will no longer have to fight for a parking space in our lot. With 64 parking spaces that surround the building, I can personally guarantee that you won't have to search for a parking space or park three blocks away when you come to visit us.
Since the entire building is on one (ground) level, you won't have to climb any stairs to reach our offices. And once you get here, we will have a comfortable reception area for you. We even have two "Customer Computer Centers" where you will be able to complete your online rosters or fill out entry applications or whatever your business of the day happens to be. Gone are the days of our customers standing two feet from the front door, dodging office traffic as they lean on the reception counter to fill out their forms. And for your convenience, we plan to have a drop box for those customers who can't make it to our office during our business hours.
Our weekend tournament directors will also greatly benefit from this move. They will no longer have to carry their tournament boxes of awards and t-shirts up and down those flights of stairs. They will be able to drive up to the back door and we will load them up right there.
Our physically challenged customers will no longer have to do their business in the hallway on the first floor, as our new office is completely handicapped accessible, top to bottom and inside out.
The MYAS staff - including me - is almost giddy about the move. Several of our staff members were sharing offices that were built for one person, not two. I am sure they will appreciate having a telephone conversation with our customers that doesn't sound like a yelling contest with their office mate. None of them will miss the flights of stairs and I highly doubt any of them will miss the "community bathrooms" that we shared with all the other building tenants - and any other street urchins who invaded the building for free restroom privileges.
A few years ago, we had some teenagers in the neighborhood who thought our building's restrooms were a good place to smoke their dope. We also had a couple of midday thefts. On three separate occasions, someone walked into our offices and stole cell phones, wallets and purses right out of people's offices. We are hoping for much less of that type of behavior at our new location, as we are the only tenants in the building.
Thankfully, we accomplished the move without any disturbance in service. Buddy Hemric did a terrific job of making the move seamless when it came to our computer, website and phone systems. Thanks Buddy! And the rest of the MYAS staff did a great job handling their assigned moving duties. To the best of my knowledge, none of our customers experienced any inconvenience. Within two days, we had everything unpacked and in its place. However, as luck would have it everyone's work station was ready to go except for mine. I'm still waiting for a couple pieces of furniture for my office - like a desk, file cabinet and chair. But hey - I don't mind working off of a 2 foot by 4 foot portable table as long as the inside temperature isn't in the 50's!
Our new office building, located at 1011 Osborne Road NE in Spring Lake Park, is two blocks south of Spring Lake Park High School and we are just west of Central Avenue/Highway 65. Our telephone numbers, e-mail and web address and office hours have not changed. Come see us sometime, but wipe your feet before you enter the building!
Oh, I almost forgot - looks like my new title includes "MYAS maintenance man."
Minnesota's New "Concussion Law"
The Minnesota Legislature's new "Concussion Law" requires online training for all coaches and officials and concussion education for all parents and athletes starting this fall.
The Minnesota Legislature recently passed a "Concussion Law" which requires any municipality, business, school district or nonprofit organization that organizes a youth athletic activity and charges a fee to follow the statute's requirements, including implementing concussion training and education to improve player safety and establish safe return-to-play policies for athletes who sustain a concussion.
The law mandates that all coaches and officials receive concussion training and education by September 1, 2011, and then at three-year intervals thereafter. Coaches must remove an athlete from activity if they exhibit signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion and/or are suspected of sustaining a concussion. The law also requires a doctor's signature to return to play if an athlete is removed due to a concussion or is showing signs or symptoms of a concussion.
The concussion education we recommend for coaches and officials is the online video training session developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Federation of State High Schools (www.nfhslearn.com). This course requires registration, but it is free. Over 200,000 coaches and officials have already successfully completed this course.
The training process invloves watching a video and then successfully completing a quiz. The entire traning module can be completed in a little over a half an hour and then participants can print out a Certificate of Completion. Users should use a screen capture to save the certificate on their desktop, or print and scan the certificate to create a digital file.
All of our Gopher State Fall Basketball and Fall Baseball coaches must e-mail, fax or mail their Certificate of Completion to the MYAS as soon as possible. Please call us at 763-781-2220 for details and/or clarification.
Parents and athletes do not have to complete the training but should access and review the concussion awareness and education information available on the CDC's website by clicking here.
Upcoming MYAS Event Registration Deadlines
Gopher State Fall Basketball League
Event Date(s): September 18 & 25; October 2, 9 & 16
Deadline: Tuesday, September 6
Gopher State Fall Classic Basketball Tournament
Event Date(s): October 22 (girls) & October 23 (boys)
Deadline: Tuesday, October 11
Gopher State Basketball Second Session
Event Date(s): October 30
Deadline: Thursday, October 13
MYAS Winter Basketball Jamboree
Event Date(s): October 29
Deadline: Tuesday, October 18
Gopher State Basketball Second Session
Event Date(s): November 6
Deadline: Wednesday, October 19
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Event Date(s): November 5
Deadline: Monday, October 24
Gopher State Basketball Second Session
Event Date(s): November 13
Deadline: Thursday, October 27
St. Louis Park Early Bird BK Tournament (admin. by MYAS)
Event Date(s): November 12-13
Deadline: Monday, October 31
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament
Event Date(s): November 19
Deadline: Monday, November 7
Gopher State Basketball Second Session
Event Date(s): November 20
Deadline: Wednesday, November 9
Gopher State Winter Basketball League
Event Date(s): December 3 & 17; January 7 & 21; February 4 & 18-19
Deadline: Tuesday, November 15
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournaments
Event Date(s): December 3 & 4
Deadline: Monday, November 21
Youth Sports University - Save the Date!
The Youth Sports University (YSU) will be held on Saturday, November 19 at the National Sports Center's Schwan Center and is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Youth Athletic Services and the National Sports Center. This event is designed to educate the officers of youth sports associations (Presidents, Secretary/Treasurers, Travel Directors/Coaching Coordinators, Tournament/Fund Raising Directors and other officers) in the effective operation of their organization.
The YSU begins at 8:00am and runs through 12:00pm and will feature a keynote speech from Jim Thompson, Executive Director of the Positive Coaching Alliance, which has trained over 3 million youth and high school coaches. There will also be presentations from experts in youth sports administration and topics will include:
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Coach selection, training, evaluation and retention
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Player selection and development (tryouts, practices, playing time, leagues vs. tournaments, helping young athletes balance the demands of sports with the rest of their lives)
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Risk management (insurance, background checks, facility checklists, injury prevention)
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Financial responsibilities (accounting, bylaws, 501(c)(3) filings, nonprofit compliance, banking relationships)
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Parent and athlete communication (websites, newsletters, social and streaming media)
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New MN "Concussion Law" (increased responsibilities for coaches and youth sports officials)
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How to run tournaments and other methods of fund raising
The cost to attend the Youth Sports University is just $25 per person, and there are discounts available to associations that bring multiple people.
For registration and other information contact Mike Dewane at 763-746-1716 or mike@myas.org.
EXTRA: Jim Thompson, founder and Executive Director of the Positive Coaching Alliance, will conduct a "Double Goal Coaching" Clinic from 1-3pm at the Schwan Center on Saturday, November 19. This clinic will show coaches how to prepare their teams to win while working on the second goal of sports - using competition to teach life lessons including:
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Elevating your athletes' emotional state so they can perform at peak level while having fun
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Improving your athletes' performance by focusing on effort rather than results
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Effectively managing common coaching challenges (parents' expectations, executing productive practices, use of assistant coaches, playing time, losing, coaching your child)
The cost of the clinic is $25. For registration or other information contact Mike DeWane, MN Youth Athletic Services, at 763-746-1716 or mike@myas.org.
Golfers Needed!
Come join us on Friday, October 7 for a fun day on the links!
This year our annual MYAS golf scramble event is being held at Hiawatha Golf Course in Minneapolis and will be followed by a buffet luncheon at Cowboy Jack's in Bloomington.
Entry into the tournament is just $75 per player and includes greens fees, cart, goody bag, door prizes and lunch -- 1/2 the price of most charity tournaments.
Fall is the best time of the year to play golf and we'd love to have you join us! Put together your own team, or we will find a group for you to play with.
If you are interested in a hole sponsorship or donating prizes, please contact Dan Craighead at dc@myas.org or 763-746-1727. For more information about the scramble, please click here.
Sports Medicine Tip
Preventing Muscle Cramps
by Kevin Ronneberg, M.D.
A muscle cramp is a forceful and involuntary contraction of a muscle, most common in muscles of the leg.
Just about everyone will experience a muscle cramp at some point during their lifetime. Muscle cramps will often occur while participating in sport or activity. They can also happen while you sit, walk or even just sleep. Sometimes the slightest movement that shortens a muscle can trigger a cramp.
Cause
Several factors are associated with muscle cramping, including poor conditioning and muscle fatigue, exercising or working in the heat, and dehydration and imbalances of electrolyte levels in the blood such as with the depletion of salt (sodium), potassium and other minerals which is a common occurrence early in the sports season when the body is not well conditioned or with prolonged intense exercise.
Treatment
Despite research, the exact cause of cramping remains unknown. There are several things one can do to effectively treat most muscle cramps.
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Stop doing whatever activity triggered the cramp.
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Gently stretch and massage the cramping muscle, holding it in a stretched position until the cramp stops.
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If cramping occurs while resting do just the opposite - stand and walk on the cramping leg.
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Apply heat to tense/tight muscles, or cold to sore/tender muscles.
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For persistent cramping, always stay hydrated and preferably add electrolytes or salty foods such as soup or pretzels.
Prevention
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Warm up and stretch well prior to workouts, paying special attention to those muscle groups prone to cramping.
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Maintain adequate hydration when exercising to help prevent muscle cramps and replace lost electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, which are major components of perspiration.
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Avoid energy drinks or caffeinated beverages as they can actually increase the risk of muscle cramping.
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Excessive fatigue, especially in warm weather, should be avoided.
Diagnosis
Although most muscle cramps are benign, they can sometimes indicate a serious medical condition. See your doctor if cramps are severe, occur frequently or are not related to obvious causes such as strenuous exercise, or if cramps do not improve with proper hydration, electrolyte balance, stretching and massage.
About the author
Kevin Ronneberg, M.D., is a non-surgical orthopedic and sports medicine physician who sees patients of all ages at Fairview Sports and Orthopedic Care at Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, MN. To learn more about our sports medicine professionals or to schedule an appointment, visit www.fairview.org/ortho or call 612-672-7100.
Then and Now - by Larry Gallagher
BASEBALL'S HALL OF FAME
As many of you know, Bert Blyleven, former pitcher with the Minnesota Twins, was recently inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame. In fact, his ceremony took place just last month in Cooperstown. His induction got me wondering about what it takes to be inducted into baseball's HOF.
So let's look at the first group of members that was inducted into Cooperstown's Hall of Fame in 1936 even before there was a HOF building. Ford Frick is the person who proposed that the Hall be located in Cooperstown. Do you know who the first five players inducted were? The answer is at the end of this article.
Criteria for Election to the Hall of Fame
In 1936 all players were eligible, even though they were currently playing. From 1937 until 1945, there was no waiting period prior to election. This meant that retired players could be elected no matter how long they had been retired. Writers were discouraged from voting for any players currently playing but it wasn't against the rules. For instance, Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945 even though he was still playing. From 1946 to 1954 there was a one-year waiting period. DiMaggio became eligible in 1953, according to the rules at the time. In 1954 the five-year waiting period began once a player retired. Since DiMaggio had only four years, they broke that rule right away when he was elected. Lou Gehrig was elected in a special election, but would have been eligible anyway right after his retirement. They did it so he could be honored while he was still alive. There have been other
exceptions to the rules during the years before and since the present five-year rule. Roberto Clemente stands out in this regard because he died on New Year's Eve in 1970 and had not retired prior to his death. He was elected in 1973.
In order to qualify to even be on the ballot there are requirements that need to be met, but even these criteria have not always been adhered to 100%.
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10 years in the Major Leagues
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Retired for five years - this requirement has been waived in special cases. (As I noted above, Roberto Clemente was elected because of his untimely death. Addie Joss was one game short of a 10-year status when he died of tubercular meningitis before the opening of the 1911 season. He was finally admitted by the Veteran's Committee in 1978.)
The history of the HOF elections is filled with policy changes. Annual elections were held from 1936 to 1939. But then the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) opted to vote only at three-year intervals. They returned to annual elections in 1946 and then decided on every other year intervals 10 years later. Annual elections returned in 1966. The five-year wait rule began in 1954, superseding the one-year wait that had been in effect from 1946 to 1953.
A six-member screening committee prepares the annual ballot and selected players remain eligible for 15 years, unless they receive less than 5% of the vote. This system keeps the ballot from becoming unwieldy and makes it easier for voters to choose up to 10 candidates per year. Most writers only select a few top choices and leave the remainder of their ballots blank. To be eligible to be an elector, they must have covered Major League Baseball for at least 10 years.
There have been some special committees that have been given power to enshrine certain baseball personalities: the Centennial Commission of 1937 and 1938, the Old Timers Committee of 1939-1949, the Negro Leagues Committee of 1971-1977 and the Veterans Committee that was begun in 1953. The Veterans Committee looks at players retired at least 23 years who have received at least 100 votes from the BBWAA. They can enshrine managers, umpires or executives, but they are only permitted to name one non-player per year. To be selected by the Veterans Committee, the non-player must have been retired five years or be six months past their 65th birthday.
Hitting 500 homers, collecting 3,000 hits or winning 300 games does not produce an automatic ticket to Cooperstown. One of the "non-rules" for induction is the player's or personality's statistics. The baseball writers are instructed to judge all the candidates on their ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the team or teams on which they played. Also, they should consider the candidates' contributions to baseball in general.
As much as I want to believe that they adhere to these instructions, it can be seen in the past that this is not always true. In fact, Ty Cobb was reportedly in trouble with gamblers during and after his career and that just doesn't compute on the integrity piece. Albert Spalding and Cap Anson were reportedly instrumental in removing the opportunity for the black player before we reached the 20th century. So there are a few players who really do not match up to the criteria of being a true Hall of Fame player.
One very good thing about the baseball HOF is that you truly do need to be a very good player for a long period of time. Because of the Veterans Committee, most of the players who should be considered are being considered even if they played in the distant past.
Abner Doubleday (often touted to have founded baseball) and Alexander Cartwright (likely the founder of the game if we can believe the current data) are alive and well in the historical museum in Cooperstown.
For those of you who are really interested in learning about the Hall of Fame, you should spend some time researching Cooperstown and the HOF.
Sometime next year we will look at some of the people in the baseball Hall of Fame and show that there are some present-day players who are much more worthy than a few of the players who have been inducted.
I hope this has whetted your appetite for studying the HOF. It is a very great group of players, managers, founders and umpires.
So who were the first five players inducted into the HOF? It was Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner.
Midwest Regional Swim Meet Apparel Sale
The MYAS has a limited supply of apparel items remaining from the 2011 Midwest Regional Swim Meet. These items are being offered at greatly discounted prices!
Please click here for available items and ordering instructions, or contact Jessica Christopherson at 763-746-1733 or jessica@myas.org.
MYAS Gopher State Wrestling
2012 Wrestling Events:
February 11-12 * Gopher State Nationals
February 26 * K-6 Team Tournament
The MYAS and the Wrestling Advisory Committee have been working hard planning for the 2011-12 MYAS Gopher State wrestling season. We are looking to both improve our current events (above) and add some new ones. Please keep checking the MYAS website for updates.
The Gopher State Wrestling Nationals, with more than 1,000 participants in 2011, have earned the reputation of being one of the toughest and best run tournaments in Minnesota. The event has drawn wrestlers from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Louisiana, Michigan and Wyoming. Wrestlers from all states are eligible to participate in all Gopher State wrestling events.
For more information about the MYAS Gopher State wrestling programs, please see the wrestling web page on the MYAS website. You may also contact Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org.
2011-12 MYAS Invitational Basketball Tournament Books
The 2011-12 MYAS girls' and boys' basketball invitational tournament books are available now!
Included in the books are flyers for more than 200 girls' and 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 some of our generous sponsors.
If you would like to order one or more copies of the 2011-12 tournament books, please click here to download and print the order form.
Fall Basketball Events - League Entry Deadline is Sept. 6
MYAS Gopher State Fall Basketball League
This league was developed as and is intended to be a "tune-up" for winter travel/school basketball. Information for the upcoming Fall League is posted on our website and can be accessed here.
We've made some changes to the league to allow teams much more flexibility. While it will still consist of five Sunday play dates with two games per team per play date, teams can now elect to play on three, four or all five Sundays! This should help avoid conflicts between league games and your traveling tryouts or other activities.
Make your plans to join us on September 18 & 25 and October 2, 9 & 16. This year's entry deadline is Tuesday, September 6. Come see why the Gopher State Fall Basketball League is the largest fall league in Minnesota!
Gopher State Fall Classic
This is a new tournament on the weekend of October 22-23. The Fall Classic will be open to all teams, regardless of whether or not they played in the Gopher State Fall Basketball League.
Second Session for High School Teams
In an effort to bridge the gap between the end of the Gopher State Fall Basketball League and the start of the high school season, we created the Second Session. Teams can now keep playing until their tryouts. Players can work on skills and conditioning and coaches can observe players in game situations. The Second Session is not a league - your team can play on any or all four of the available dates in October and November.
For more information on any of these fall events, please click here. You may also contact Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org.
MYAS "Travel Lite" Basketball Programs - Save Time & Money
We often hear from coaches and parents who comment on how basketball tournaments consume an entire weekend. In an effort to give back some of that time to families, we branded some of our events as MYAS "Travel Lite."
Benefits of Travel Lite include saving time and saving money on admission fees, concessions, travel and lodging. MYAS Travel Lite programs include the Winter Jamboree, Super Saver Tournaments and the Gopher State Winter Basketball League.
For more information on MYAS Travel Lite, please contact Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org.
MYAS Gopher State Winter Basketball
The MYAS is partnering with various athletic associations to administer their invitational tournaments during the upcoming winter basketball season. Some of these associations include Fridley, Richfield, St. Louis Park and St. Paul Humboldt. We are very excited to be working with these associations to help them run a smooth, quality event.
Each year, more and more associations choose to partner with the MYAS because it is a great opportunity for their tournament directors to save time and eliminate some of their tournament responsibilities. Most of the tournament directors have full time jobs and simply do not have time to recruit teams, create tournament schedules, hire officials, and purchase awards for their event. When associations partner with the MYAS, we handle all of these responsibilities for them.
If your association would like to partner with the MYAS to help run your tournament during the winter travel basketball season, please contact Kevin Wilson at 763-746-1712 or kevin@myas.org.
MYAS Winter Basketball Jamboree
The MYAS Winter Basketball Jamboree was created to provide newly formed traveling basketball teams with an opportunity to play multiple scrimmage games in one day. The inaugural Jamboree featured a whopping 96 boys' and girls' teams, and the 2011 event is sure to feature another great day of youth basketball!
Boys' and girls' teams in grades 4-8 are eligible to participate in this year's Jamboree on Saturday, October 29 at the Bloomington Jefferson HS/Activity Center - where there are seven full-size wood courts under one roof! The entry fee is just $140 and all teams will play three scrimmage games.
Please click here to download the Winter Jamboree entry form. If you'd like more information, contact Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org.
MYAS Basketball Tournament Scheduling Services
The MYAS wants to help your basketball organization with our Tournament Scheduling Service package, which is certain to make coordinating your event much easier. Our educated and trained staff has experienced the ins and outs of event planning. Let our expertise help you!
For just $3.00 per team, the MYAS will:
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complete your tournament schedules
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post your tournament schedules online
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provide you with a copy of the schedules
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provide you with brackets to post at your site(s)
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provide you with score sheets for every game
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provide you with many other valuable services
We are also working on the possibility of providing tournament directors with remote website access so they can update scores/schedules during their tournament.
To date, 23 tournaments have utilized the MYAS Scheduling Services. We are confident that all of them will be repeat customers, and we have already received commitments from four additional tournaments for the upcoming season.
For more information about our scheduling services and to read testimonials from past customers, please click here. You may also contact Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org with your questions.
USSSA/Gopher State Baseball Mid-Summer Classic
More than 190 teams competed in the 2011 USSSA/Gopher State Mid-Summer Classic. The hosts, fields, umpires and awards were top notch and we are proud of our "product" this year.
By virtue of participating in this tournament, a number of teams earned a berth to a USSSA World Series/National Tournament as well as the Gopher State Tournament of Champions.
Congratulations to our 2011 champions listed below! If you would like to see complete results from the Mid-Summer Classic, please click here to visit the web page.
10AAA * Elk River Elks
10AA * Brooklyn Park Bulldogs
11AAA * Brooklyn Park Blaze
11AA * Goodview Sandlot Red
12AAA * Brooklyn Park Blaze
12AA * Goodview Sandlot Red
13AAA * Shoreview Mustangs
13AA * Minnetonka Blue
13A * Mpls. Bryant Park
14AAA * Chanhassen
14AA * North St. Paul Polars
14-15A * Bloomington Eagles
15AAA * Totino-Grace Eagles
15AA * BA Panthers
16U Open * Totino-Grace Eagles
17-19U Open * Robbinsdale-Cooper
Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions
Congratulations to all of our 2011 Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) teams on a fantastic season! Listed below are this year's champion teams. Please click here to view all of the 1st-4th place finishers and consolation winners from this year's GSTC.
2011 GSTC Champions
10AAA * White Bear Lake Bears
10AA * Minnetonka Big Willow
10A * Kasson-Mantorville
11AAA * STMA Knights
11AA * Orono Spartans
11A * Chatfield Gophers
12AAA * Burnsville Black
12AA * Plymouth/Wayzata Blue
12A * Blue Earth Jr. Pirates
13AAA * Eden Prairie Eagles
13AA * Minnetonka Blue
13A * Hopkins 13A
14AAA * Apple Valley Eagles
14AA * East Ridge Raptors Black
14/15A * Goodview Sandlot Red
15AAA * Eden Prairie Eagles
15AA * Brooklyn Area Bandits
We are already looking forward to another great season in 2012. Look to the GSTC web page in October for additional information on tournament dates and feedback for the 2012 tournaments.
MYAS Rec State Baseball Championships
A total of 102 teams battled it out on the last weekend of July in the 2011 MYAS Rec State Baseball Championships. In-house teams from all over the metro area competed for the right to call themselves Rec State Champions.
The Rec State Championships give in-house teams a chance to play outside of their local recreation program in a quality tournament atmosphere.
We would like to congratulate our 2011 champions and thank all of the teams that participated. We look forward to seeing you next year!
2011 MYAS Rec State Baseball Champions
4th Grade/10U * Dunning Boosters
5th Grade/11U * Dunning Boosters
6th Grade/12U * CHOF Lions
7th Grade/13U * Armstrong Cooper Indians
8th-9th Grade/14-15U * Plymouth/Wayzata Blue
10th-12th Grade/16-18U * Soderville
Gopher State Baseball League All-Star Series
The MYAS, along with the Andover Baseball Association, held the inaugural All-Star Series on August 5-7, 2011. This event brought together 225 of the top players at the 14AAA, 14AA, 15AAA and 15AA age levels of the Gopher State Baseball League. The weekend began on Friday morning with a Midwest Showcase/Skills Event where more than 100 All-Stars had the opportunity to showcase their talent prior to the competition.
During the Opening Ceremonies, players on all 18 teams were recognized for being nominated by their coach/team and for the season they had in the 2011 GSBL. Joe Ruhland, president of Andover Baseball, welcomed the crowd of more than 500 who lined the hill overlooking the field. Brian Raabe, former Minnesota Twin and current Bethel University head coach and ambassador for Play Ball! Minnesota, greeted everyone and threw out the first pitch. Dawson Blanck, commissioner of the GSBL, thanked everyone for participating and announced/recognized all of the coaches and All-Stars. The evening concluded with a Welcome Dinner, sponsored by Chanticlear Pizza, for all of the players and coaches.
Competition began at 8:30am on Saturday morning. Despite some rain on Saturday afternoon, almost every team got their two games in for the day. Play concluded on Sunday with one more game for each team. Every game showcased some very competitive baseball and all the players proved why they were nominated to be an All-Star. If you'd like to view team rosters, please click here.
We would like to thank the Andover Baseball Association for going above and beyond the call of duty as hosts for this event. The work they did on the fields and their overall coordination were flawless and we thank them for making the event such a success.
We'd also like to thank all the participants and their families and friends for making the weekend so enjoyable and a great way to close out the 2011 summer baseball season.
Look for more information about the 2012 Gopher State Baseball League All-Star Series in the coming months on the GSBL web page. In the meantime, visit the page to view results from this year's Series. Congratulations once again to our 2011 All-Star champion teams!
14U AAA Division
14AAA Northwest All-Stars * Coach Dean Zenner, St. Cloud Area Blue Sox
14U AA Division
14AA Northeast All-Stars * Coach Dean Bonde, Shoreview Area Blue
15U AA/AAA Division
15AAA Central All-Stars * Coaches Terry Christle & Ron Bouley, Champlin Park Rebels
MYAS Latest News (as of 8/25/11)
Baseball News
Basketball News
MYAS Calendar (as of 8/25/11)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Gopher State Fall Baseball League Coaches' Meeting; 7:00pm; Crowne Plaza Mpls. North
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Gopher State Fall Basketball League entry deadline (begins Sept. 18)
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Gopher State Fall Baseball League play date; various ages/grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Gopher State Fall Basketball League play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Gopher State Fall Baseball League play date; various ages/grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Gopher State Fall Basketball League play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Gopher State Fall Baseball League play date; various ages/grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Gopher State Fall Basketball League play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Gopher State Fall Baseball League play date; various ages/grades/divisions/sites
Friday, October 7, 2011
MYAS Classic Annual Golf Tournament; Hiawatha Golf Course, Mpls.; luncheon at Cowboy Jack's, Bloomington
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Gopher State Fall Basketball League play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Gopher State Fall Baseball League play date; various ages/grades/divisions/sites
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Gopher State Fall Classic Basketball Tournament entry deadline (Oct. 22 & 23 events)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Gopher State Fall Basketball League play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
MYAS Winter Basketball Jamboree entry deadline (Oct. 29 event)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session entry deadline (Oct. 30 play date)
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Gopher State Fall Classic Girls' Basketball Tournament; various grades/divisions; Spring Lake Park HS
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Gopher State Fall Classic Boys' Basketball Tournament; various grades/divisions; Spring Lake Park HS
Monday, October 24, 2011
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament entry deadline (Nov. 5 event)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session entry deadline (Nov. 6 play date)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
MYAS Winter Basketball Jamboree; various grades/divisions; Bloomington Jefferson HS
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Monday, October 31, 2011
St. Louis Park Early Bird BK Tournament (admin. by MYAS) entry deadline (Nov. 12-13 event)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session entry deadline (Nov. 13 play date)
Saturday, November 5, 2011
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament; various grades/divisions; Osseo HS
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Monday, November 7, 2011
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament entry deadline (Nov. 19 event)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session entry deadline (Nov. 20 play date)
Saturday-Sunday, November 12-13, 2011
St. Louis Park Early Bird Basketball Tournament (admin. by MYAS); various grades/divisions
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Gopher State Winter Basketball League entry deadline (begins Dec. 3)
Saturday, November 19, 2011
MYAS Youth Sports University; 8:00am-12:00pm; Schwan Center @ the National Sports Center
Saturday, November 19, 2011
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament; various grades/divisions; Fridley HS
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Gopher State Basketball Second Session boys' play date; various grades/divisions/sites
Monday, November 21, 2011
MYAS Super Saver Basketball Tournament entry deadline (Dec. 3 & 4 events)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Gopher State Winter Basketball League Coaches' Meeting; time/site TBD
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:
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General Liability
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Sexual Misconduct
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Participant Accident
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Directors & Officers Liability
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Crime/Embezzlement
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Automobile
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Umbrella
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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 Trusted Employees, has designed a criminal background check system that offers three affordable options to youth sports associations. Trusted Employees, 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 763-746-1716 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 763-746-1716 or mike@myas.org.
MYAS Sponsors
The MYAS is very appreciative of the support we receive from our numerous sponsors, and we would like to encourage you to support them whenever possible. Their generosity benefits you, our participants, as it helps us keep our entry and participation fees as low as possible. Please click here to view our current sponsors.
MYAS Membership Meetings
MYAS membership meetings are held at our offices (1011 Osborne Road NE; Spring Lake Park, MN 55432) on the last Tuesday of each month at 9:00am (unless notified otherwise). All MYAS members are welcome to attend.
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