LZBSA Full Time Travel Softball Policy
Table of Contents
1.Organization
2.Player Eligibility
3.Managers
4.Rosters
5.Games & Schedules
6.Uniforms & Equipment
7.Finances & Accounting
1st Edition - Approved by LZBSA Board of Directors 12/6/2012
Ver 1.1 – Par 2.1 modified to align with current practice – approved by Board June 5, 2014
- Organization
1.1.The LZBSA Girls Travel teams will be known as the Lake Zurich Lightning.
1.2.The Lightning Program President shall be responsible for operations at the Program level and shall oversee individual team operations.
1.3. Teams can be formed at the following age levels:
1.3.1.10U – One team
1.3.2.12U – Two teams
1.3.3.14U – Two teams
1.3.4.16U – Two teams
1.3.5.18U – Two teams
1.4.In an age level where 2 teams are allowed, 1 or 2 may register as a younger, odd number age for tournament play (i.e. – an 11U team would count as 1 of the 2 allowed 12U teams).
1.4.1.A younger, odd number age level team may not be formed if doing so requires an otherwise eligible, travel level viable, older player be cut from a roster spot.
(1.4.1 added Aug-2012 to clarify current practice)
1.5.The decision as to how many teams will be formed in a given year shall be made by the Program President. Key, but not the only, factors in the decision will include emergence of adult leadership candidates, sufficient number of players registering for & attending tryouts, viability of pitching skill for the age level.
- Player Eligibility
2.1.1.Eligibility for Lightning softball is as described in the LZBSA By-laws.
(2.1 revised June-2014)
2.1.2.A player shall be registered and in good standing with LZBSA before she will be allowed to start practice.
- Managers
3.1.Candidates for team manager shall submit a written request for consideration Program President by August 1, or earlier date as publically announced.
3.2.Candidates shall be approved by the LZBSA Board and selected by Travel Program President (with assistance from Executive Committee as appropriate).
3.3.Managers shall sign a Manager Agreement as developed by the LZBSA Board of Directors.
3.4.Managers shall participate in LZBSA sponsored coaching/manager clinics/camps/meetings.to remain in good standing.
3.4.1.Managers shall encourage & recruit their coaches to participate in LZBSA sponsored coaching/manager clinics/camps/meetings as appropriate.
- Rosters
4.1.Tryouts for all eligible player candidates will be held on an annual basis, prior to the upcoming season.
4.1.1.All players must tryout every year.
4.1.2.Roster spots are not guaranteed to carry over year to year.
4.1.3.Tryout schedules shall be publically announced and coordinated by the Program President.
4.1.3.1.All team specific special need or make-up tryouts shall be coordinated through the Program President. No independent, private tryout sessions shall be permitted.
4.1.4.Rosters shall be finalized and players contacted as soon as possible after the last relevant tryout session.
4.1.4.1.72 hrs is the “as soon as possible” expectation.
4.1.5.Each player/family must sign an LZBSA approved travel/competitive letter of commitment before they will be accepted to participate in the travel program.
4.2.Players are encouraged to play at their actual age level each year; however they are not prohibited from trying out for a higher age level team.
4.2.1.Placement of a player on either team will be determined by the managers of each team with the approval from the Travel Program president and,as appropriate, Girls Vice-Commissioner.
4.2.2.In order to be placed on the higher age level team the following criteria must be met:
4.2.2.1.The younger team is not put at a competitive disadvantage by not having the candidate player on its roster.
4.2.2.2.The player will play a significant role on the older team, and not just be filling a roster space
4.2.3.Maximum roster size is 15 players.
4.3.Player borrowing - Events during a playing schedule (injuries, illness, etc.) can leave a team understaffed for a short period of time. Lightning teams are authorized to borrow players for limited participation in Full Time Travel games as follows:
4.3.1.1.From Other Lightning Team - Player may be borrowed from another LZBSA Full Time Travel Team with players playing up no more than 1 bracket. (i.e. - a 10U may play for the 12U, but not the 14U)
a)The communication of the need to borrow a player will go through the managers, not the parents, with the manager of the team from whom a player is being borrowed contacting his team's parents for volunteers to fill the request
b)Unless approved by the borrowed player’s parents and the manager of her original team, the borrowed player’s first priority will be her original team’s game and practice schedule.
4.3.1.2.From House - In the case where no other Full Time Travel players are available to fill the roster, a player may be borrowed from a House team only if no other Full Time Travel players are available to fill the roster,
a)A Lightning manager may solicit up to three in-house players from the respective House league. These players would be known as Part Time players.
b)Part Time Players must be an active participant in the LZBSA program and will only participate with the Full Time Team when the roster falls below 10 players due to injury or illness.
c)The Part Time player’s first obligation is to the in-house program. Part Time players who choose to miss an House team game without approval of its manager will be dismissed from the House team without refund of the player’s registration fees.
d)Full Time Travel Managers who elect to utilize a Part Time Player that has an House commitment will be suspended for 1 week and must appear before the LZBSA disciplinary committee before rejoining the team.
e)Part Time players will be limited to 3 Full Time Travel season games or 1 tournament.
f)House players that are borrowed under these guidelines will maintain their eligibility for LZBSA sponsored Post Season Travel Teams.
- Games & Schedules
5.1.Lightning seasons shall be scheduled along the following guidelines:
5.1.1.10U
- 30 –35 games per season.
- 10 home games
- 4 tournaments
- 12U & Older
- 40-50 games per season
- 10-15 home games
- 5-7 tournaments
- Additional home games will be allowed contingent on field availability.
- In-house team games will take preference over Lightning games in excess of guidelines.
- Uniforms & Equipment
6.1.Uniformsshall include the Lake Zurich name or Lake Zurich logo and must be approved by the Executive Committee.
6.2.All teams will wear the same uniforms.
6.3.All Lightning players shall wear face masks when playing infield positions
(6.3 added Aug-2012 by consensus of Program Managers & with approval of Program President)
6.4.Catchers gear batting helmetswill be provided by LZBSA to newly formed teams and replaced every two years to insure that adequate protective gear is provided to each team.
(Batting helmets added Sept-2012 to reflect current practice)
- Finances & Accounting
7.1.Registration fees
7.1.1.Fees shall be determined by the LZBSA Board of Directors on an annual basis.
7.1.2.Fees shall cover the cost of uniforms, insurance, tournaments, umpires, property management, league registration fees, field sets, and indoor practice facility rental.
7.1.2.1.Fees are non-refundable for any reason, including injury, unless a written request describing extraordinary circumstances is approved by the Program President and Executive Committee of the LZBSA Board of Directors
7.1.2.2.Guidance – Fees are intended to provide for a reasonable, but minimum acceptable travel experience. Teams that decide to rent additional indoor practice time, play home games/tournaments in excess of guideline, engage with paid instructors, etc. must fund related expense through additional fees or fundraising.
(Guidance added Sept-2012)
7.2.Accounting
7.2.1.Lightning Travel Softball’s fiscal year begins on August 1 and ends the following July 31, or at the completion of the last tournament any team is registered for, whichever occurs later.
(Definition approved April-2011 as part of Lightning Program Level Management)
7.2.2.The Program President shall be responsible for:
7.2.2.1.Coordinating development of Program & Team Level budgets
7.2.2.2.Processing revenue deposits & payment requests through the LZBSA Treasurer
7.2.2.3.Distributing team & Lightning Program financial reports to Team Managers
7.2.3.Team Managers shall be responsible for:
7.2.3.1.Submitting draft team budgets to the Program President
7.2.3.2.Submitting revenue for deposit, requesting expense payment or reimbursement
7.2.3.3.Managing team finances within budget.
7.2.4.Financial accounting shall be structured to include 2 types of accounts – Program Level & Team Level
7.2.5.Program Level Account
7.2.5.1.Revenue (Income) for the Program Level account shall be generated through a mandatory fall fundraiser.
7.2.5.2.Spirit Wear orders shall be processed thru the Program Level account to facilitate best-pricing thru bulk purchasing, and possible inventorying, of commonly ordered items (such as hats, visors, socks, etc.)
7.2.5.3.Program Level funds shall be used to:
a) Support resources, tools, equipment, specialized instruction and similar items that are shared by all teams
b)Offset LZBSA player head tax
c)Provide safety gear (for example, batting helmets) with a life expectancy greater than 1 year
d)Provide stocks of common use items (softball, ice packs, scorebooks, etc)
7.2.5.4.At the end of a fiscal year, any Program Level balance shall carry over to the following fiscal year, subject to Board of Directors review.
(7.2.5approved April-2011 as part of Lightning Program Level Management)
7.2.6.Team Level Accounts
7.2.6.1.A Team Level account shall be established each year for each Lightning team.
7.2.6.2.Revenue (Income) for Team Level accounts shall be generated through registration fees, supplemental parental contributions and team initiated fundraisers.
7.2.6.3.Team Level funds shall be used to:
a) Uniforms
b)League fees
c)Tournament fees
d)Practice facility rental
e)Home game umpire & field set charges
f)LZBSA player head tax (CapEx contribution)
g)Incidentals approved by the Program President
h)Guidance - Funds are expected to be used to increase player skills, knowledge and/or love of the game, not as reimbursements for parental expenses, such as hotel rooms, individual lessons, etc.
7.2.6.4.All team revenue generated through fundraisers or supplemental parental contributions shall be turned over to the Program President for deposit into the LZBSA bank account and crediting to the Team Level account.
a)Team related expenses can be paid for out-of-pocket or by requesting an LZBSA check through the Program President.
b)Out-of-pocket expense can be reimbursed by filing a check request through the Program President
c)Check requests shall be fulfilled using current LZBSA processes.
(7.2.6.4 added Sept-2012 to clarify long standing expectations and align with LZBSA policy)
7.2.6.5.At the end of a fiscal year, any Team Level balance shall revert back to LZBSA.
7.2.7.Team Fundraising
7.2.7.1.Teams will be allowed to have team fund raising events, food sales, garage sales, golf outings, etc. with the funds used to support a teams’ training, travel or equipment needs.
7.2.7.2.Fundraising activities shall be conducted in accordance with LZBSA Full Time Travel Baseball/Softball Fundraiser Policy.
7.2.7.3.Participation in the Full Time Girls Travel Program will require participation in fund raising events.
LZBSA Full Time Travel Softball Policy – Ver. 1.1
7/12/2015