Belmont Baseball Organization
By-laws, Baseball Division
Updated October 2019
Organizational Information:
General Information: Belmont Baseball Organization (henceforth known as “BBO”), is a non-profit educational organization that promotes good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for authority to the children of Belmont and Canterbury, by providing a supervised program under the Rules and Regulations of Cal Ripken Baseball, Incorporated.
Philosophy: It is our philosophy to teach these children so they may be well-adjusted, stronger, happier children who will grow to be good, decent, healthy and trustworthy citizens. This league will promote the ideals of good sportsmanship, skill development, self-confidence and fun.
Board of Directors:
Nominations: Nominations for board members will take place in the August meeting, which is held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. If a person is interested in an officer position on the board, one must first be nominated. Nominations may be accepted via email, US mail, or in person at the discretion of the President, or by request and agreement of the entire board. Elections will take place in the September meeting and nominees should attend. All adult league members shall be entitled to 1 vote at the September meeting. Each position shall be voted upon independently, starting with the President. The person receiving a majority vote shall be declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the outgoing President shall make the final decision. All positions are held for 1 year with no limit on term. No more than 2 positions shall be held by any board member. Board functions can be performed by the committee when required. The board has the right to combine, add or eliminate positions as necessary, and should a board position become vacant, the board will vote to fill this position at the next monthly meeting.
A majority of Board Members will be required to have an official vote.
Board Makeup: the board will be made up of no less than 5 members. Those positions must include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Player Agent.
Board Position Descriptions:
President: Provide oversight of all league activities to ensure compliance with the BBO mission.
Schedule and preside over league meetings.
Serve as a liaison to regional, state and national organizations by attending required meeting.
Oversee opening and closing day ceremonies.
Arbitrate any conflicts that may arise between members.
Shall be 1 of 2 signatures on the league’s bank account(s).
Complete yearly chartering and required paperwork.
Obtain and renew organization’s insurance.
Sign annual facility use contracts with school district.
Vice-President: Shall preside in the absence of the President and carry out such duties and assignments for the organization. This includes distribution and upkeep of first aid kit, ice packs, etc.; distribution and collection of injury reports and other safety duties as assigned. The vice-president shall also be responsible for league umpires.
· Attend district and state meetings with the President.
· Manage practice and game schedules.
· Recruit new umpire candidates.
· Manage umpire pool for each division.
· Schedule umpires for all games, working with the Vice President to ensure game schedule accuracy.
· Review rules annually with all new and returning umpires.
· Track games worked by each umpire and submit information to the Treasurer for payment (if applicable).
Secretary: Shall maintain agendas and meeting minutes.
· Works with the President in ensuring that appropriate fields are reserved and shall process necessary facility use documents to the school district and parks and rec program.
· Responsible for updating by-laws and league forms with board approved changes.
· Responsible for copying and distributing league forms (registration/medical release forms/information for flyers, etc.).
Treasurer: Manage league finances and accounts.
· 1 of 2 signatures required on league bank account(s).
· Manage all receivables and payables.
· Provides financial reporting to the board.
· Presents written annual statements at the October meeting.
· Check post office mailbox for league mail.
· Maintains necessary records and submits reports as required to the State of NH for the preservation of the league’s status as a non-profit organization, including yearly tax filings.
· Shall seek board approval on expenditures over $300 and will submit receipts for all expenditures.
Player Agent and Coaching Coordinator: This person is the Registrar for the league and will determine the best options for registration of players (in person, via mail or online). This agent must also organize the in-person registrations to ensure a smooth registration process, then compile and input the registrations into the league database.
This member will also recruit head and assistance coaches for all divisions and present those volunteers to the board for approval.
· Coordinate preseason player clinics, including securing location, equipment and volunteers.
· Organize the evaluation process. This includes securing the location, confirming head coaches being in attendance and scheduling the time and date for each division. The player agent will run the evaluations with help from other board members.
· Oversee the draft.
· The player agent can coach a team, provided that person does not participate in the draft process. The player agent must choose a fellow board member as their proxy for draft purposes.
· Shall make decisions in regard to player placement on teams.
· The player agent will also arbitrate player and parent conflicts.
· Responsible for collecting necessary coaching certification information.
· Provide a hands-on coaching clinic for approved coaches. The purpose of the clinic is to ensure that all coaches are teaching the same fundamental skills and that each coach understands the BBO objective(s).
· Shall preside over the coached meeting, confirm attendance and prepare team binders for distribution. The player agent will also be responsible for collecting the team binders at the end of the season.
· Shall maintain BBO’s library of coaching books and videos (if applicable).
Information Officer: Shall manage all web content, including team website and social media sites.
· This officer is responsible for advertising league registrations dates and locations.
· Oversee the league’s publicity efforts and shall contact the media to provide information on game scores and/or publicize league events.
· If a qualified individual, not on the board, volunteers for this position, duties can be assigned to that person by a majority vote.
League Development Manager: Shall be responsible for recruiting and retaining sponsors. This person will send out league letters to current and new team and banner sponsors.
· This position will work with the treasurer to invoice all applicable fees.
· They will research new fundraising opportunities and bring new ideas to the board for approval.
· Distribute, collect and tally fundraiser monies and report totals to board.
· Responsible for recruiting volunteers for fundraising events.
· Organize and purchase team uniforms. Uniforms may be ordered after board approval and team placement.
· Shall process background checks for all league officials and coaches.
Equipment/Field Manager: Shall coordinate field maintenance and improvements.
· Maintain and manage equipment inventory; this includes being responsible or distribution and collection of equipment given to coaches.
· Make annual equipment purchase recommendations.
· Ensure field is equipped with necessary items (field liner, rakes, lime, removable pitcher’s mound, bases, etc.).
· Oversee the BBO’s annual field clean up.
Disciplinary Action: All board members are expected to adhere to all Cal Ripken and BBO rules and requirements. Board members are subject to review and appropriate action may be taken by their fellow board members as deemed necessary.
Meetings: BBO meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, unless it is mutually agreed by the board that a meeting is not necessary that month. There shall be no more than two months per year without holding a meeting. Meetings are held locally and will start at 6:30 pm. Meetings are generally open to the public, unless it is designated as a “closed meeting”, in which only board members may attend. Meetings are to follow Robert’s Rules of Order. The President is responsible for planning and supervision of the meeting. Minutes from each meeting are kept by the Secretary and are distributed to members via email no later than a week after the meeting. Copies of the meeting minutes can be provided to the general public upon request.
Meeting requirements: All board members are required to attend 75% of the monthly meetings. Upon the 4th missed meeting, a resignation will automatically be accepted. The only excused absences shall include league business or employment obligations, unless otherwise voted on by the board. Meeting attendance will be taken by the secretary and reported to the president. Upon the fourth missed meeting, it will be reported in the minutes that the member’s resignation was accepted by the remainder of the board, without exception.
Bi-Annual Review of By-laws: By-laws will be reviewed bi-annually. By-laws will be reviewed in January and July of the review year. Changes can be submitted and accepted in those meetings.
Registration/Residency/Fees/Financial Aid/Refunds and Fundraising:
Registration: Dates will be set by the current board of directors, no later than the January meeting. Every effort will be made to ensure that a variety of days and times are scheduled. Notice of registrations will also be communicated via flyers, BBO website, local newspapers, BBO’s social media site(s) and email. Players can register in person, via mail or online (if applicable). The last evaluation date shall be the cutoff for registration for majors and minors. The registration cut-off for coach pitch and tee ball shall be two weeks prior to opening day. Late registrations may be accepted at the discretion of the board. The board will also determine if there will be a $25 fee for late registrations. The Player Agent will place the late registrants on teams if team rosters are equal in players. Otherwise the player will be placed in the team with the least number of players. Only age appropriate siblings are guaranteed placement on the same team.
Requirements: All players interested in playing for BBO must be either a Belmont or Canterbury resident, or a resident of a neighboring town that does not have a Cal Ripken League affiliation. New players must be able to provide proof of residency, a birth certificate and medical release. Players that are returning do not need to provide a birth certificate but do need to provide proof of residency and medical release.
Fees: League fees are determined by the board members, by majority vote, prior to the start of the registration period.
Children of Board Members: A benefit for being an elected board member, BBO will waive the player registration fee for the upcoming season for the child. Should the board member have more than 1 (one) child playing, the league will waive the youngest players registration fee. These players would still be required to fulfill the fundraising obligations. (See Fundraising)
Financial Aid (Scholarships): A limited number of scholarship opportunities, set by the board prior to the start of the registration period, may be available at the beginning of the season. These scholarships waive the registration fee only. If a parent or guardian of the participant cannot meet the financial obligation required to register a player for the current season, a request must be made to the board of directors. The board will review all requests in a closed session at the next monthly board meeting.
The parent or guardian receiving the waived registration fees will be required to sign a contract that requires them to volunteer their time to the BBO in some fashion (IE: coach, tournament volunteer, concession stand, etc.). Follow through of volunteer time will be monitored by the Player Agent.
Fundraising: It shall be mandatory for ALL registered players (including those of board members and those who’s registration fees are waived), to participate in the league’s annual fundraiser. Families may choose to opt out of the fundraising event by paying in advance of the registration fee (fee to be established by the board of directors by the time of registration). Failure to meet fundraising obligations will result in a penalty t the player, which may include limited regular season player time, or the player’s ineligibility for tournament play. This determination will be made at the discretion of the board.
Refund Policy: To receive a full refund, all requests must be submitted, in writing to the Vice President, by April 1, of the current season. BBO is unable to issue refunds after April 1, except in the case of injury. If a player is injured and unable to play for the remainder of the season, the board will issue a refund on a prorated basis. Please note, a physician’s note may be required as proof of injury.
Clinics: Clinics will be arranged by the Coaching Coordinator/Player Agent, if possible. Clinics are open to all interested participants.
Evaluations: Evaluations will be scheduled during the month of March.
All eligible players wishing to play on a Minor or Major level team, must attend evaluations. This includes all 12-year-old players moving from Minors to Majors.
Evaluators are chosen by the board of directors based upon game knowledge and experience. Evaluators will be a board member with a coach of that division. Evaluators are to score players based upon the player’s abilities the day of the evaluation. The board will do everything in its power to ensure that the evaluators assess all players fairly. Players scores will only be known to the board President, Vice President, Player Agent and Coaching Coordinator, as well as coaches for that division.
Coaches, general league members, or board members will be designated to assist with the evaluations for the purpose of running the evaluation stations. These people will not affect the evaluation in any way, but will simply perform the various functions needed, such as throwing or hitting a ball to a player to assess their ability.
Minor and Major division coaches are welcome to attend evaluations but must not interfere with the evaluation process in any way.
Players must come to evaluations with sneakers and their glove. Parents are not allowed in the evaluation area. Board members will be on hand to guide players to each station and will assist a player if there is an issue.
End of Evaluation Procedure: Each player will be given a grade based upon the following specific abilities: throwing, catching, fielding and hitting.
Score cards will be filled in by the evaluators and will always be kept in confidence. Confidentiality is a must. Once a player is evaluated and scored, their card will be hidden from plain sight. At no time should a player, parent/guardian, team coach or board member (other than those listed as necessary), know a players score or discuss the scoring process. Any person, who discloses scores, player performance or evaluation, or draft process to non-necessary persons, will face disciplinary action as deemed by the board.
Drafting of Players: The Player Agent will direct the draft with the assistance of other board members.
The draft will be scheduled as soon as possible after the evaluations are completed. All manager, or a proxy board member, of Minor and Major teams will attend the draft. Major and Minor teams will be redrafted every year.
Coach Pitch players are drafted by coaches without an evaluation
Tee Ball players are evenly distributed by the Player Agent.
Coaches: Any person interested in coaching must fill out a coach’s application, complete the Coached Code of Conduct and be subject to a background check. Coaches will be voted on by the board, via closed ballot and majority vote. Assistant coaches must be submitted to and approved by the board. All board approved coaches must take the on-line Coaches Certification course. The cost for this certification is the responsibility of the coach, and they must provide proof of completion. A coach can be reimbursed for the certification, if they choose to submit a receipt to the league treasurer.
Coaches Meeting: All head coaches are required to attend the coaches meeting, which takes place prior to the start of the season. Should any assistant coaches be assigned, they are strongly encouraged to attend as well. Assistant coaches will need to be approved by the board and are subject to a background check. The coach’s responsibilities will be provided to all head coaches in a binder at this meeting. When coaches are scheduling practices, they must submit these dates and times to the Vice President for approval (this is based upon field availability and is first come, first served.)
Coaches Duties: Shall conduct themselves in the highest possible standard in all team functions so as to set a proper example for the players. Coaches are always expected to treat players and parents respectfully.
· Work with players to instill good sportsmanship and a competitive spirit, with the emphasis just not on winning, but working to mold good character.
· Assure that all players adhere to the rules, policies and regulations of the leagues. Assume responsibility for the proper and personal conduct of team players, parents and coaches.
· Assure that proper safeguards are taken to protect the players and leagues reputation and interests.
· Attend preseason briefing sessions (coaches meeting), clinics and any other required meetings.
· Communicate with the board on a regular and frequent basis
· Coaches are responsible for ensuring that the fields are properly prepared (raking, lining, unsafe conditions) before the game, and that the fields, benches and/or dugout(s) are clean after each game and are in playable condition for the next team. Coaches are encouraged to enlist the help of players and/or parents to ensure that this responsibility is fulfilled.
· Head coaches are responsible to collect annual fundraising calendars
Disciplinary Action for Coaches: Where a coach or coaches are not adhering to league rules and/or complaints have been registered with the league, the Coaching Coordinator will meeting with the individual(s) to resolve the situation. If compliance is not met by the individual(s) or additional complaints come to the attention of the league, the matter will be brought before the board for review. The board will then decide the appropriate corrective action. The board has the power to suspend or dismiss the individual(s) when necessary.
Disciplinary Action for Players: Players are expected to adhere to Cal Ripken rules, BBO by-laws, and Code of Conduct and behavior guidelines. Players are expected to show respect for coaches and umpired, attend practices and games, and show appropriate and safe behavior in the field and in the dugout.
When a persistent or significant player problem arises, the head coach’s first responsibility is to communicate with the players parents to correct the problem. If the problem still persists, the head coach should contact the Player Agent, who will assist as needed.
Should the Player Agent, after conferring with the board, determine that the removal of a player from the league is required; such notification will be made from the President directly to the player’s parents or guardian. The player, through his adult guardians, will have an opportunity to request a hearing in front of the board. There will be no refund to a player removed for disciplinary reasons.
Any player who misses 2 games or practices in a row without contacting their coach, Player Agent or league President are subject to removal from their team at the discretion of the board.
When a player has failed to adhere to the Code of Conduct the following disciplinary actions will take place:
1st offense- a warning issued by the board Officer on Duty/Team Coach. The offender is to ceases the inappropriate behavior immediately. If not, refer to the protocol for the 2nd offense.
2nd offense- removal from the field. The board Officer on Duty has the authority to ask the offender to leave the premises. If the offender refuses to leave, BBO has the right to contact local law enforcement.
3rd offense- suspension from future events including the possibility of games and all-star competition. Depending on the severity of the offence, the board will determine the length of suspension.
Parent/Guardian Spectator Behavior: These persons will treat coaches, players and umpires with respect at all times, and adhere to the BBO Code of Conduct (distributed and signed at registration). They will not confront coaches or umpires in front of players for any reason. Rude or unruly behavior will not be tolerated, including taunting players from other teams, arguing calls, insulting umpires, etc.
When a parent/guardian has failed to adhere to the Code of Conduct the following disciplinary actions will take place:
1st offense- a warning issued by the board Officer on Duty. The offender is to ceases the inappropriate behavior immediately. If not, refer to the protocol for the 2nd offense.
2nd offense- removal from the field. The board Officer on Duty has the authority to ask the offender to leave the premises. If the offender refuses to leave, BBO has the right to contact local law enforcement.
3rd offense- suspension from future events. Depending on the severity of the offence, the board will determine the length of suspension.
General Items:
Equipment: In all cases where players can or must provide equipment, the equipment is expected to be appropriate and safe for an athletic activity. Players are not prohibited from playing a game in which they cannot comply with aesthetic uniform requirements but cannot participate if out of compliance with safety requirements.
Players must wear a league provided shirt. Jackets and sweatshirts are allowed as needed, but the team shirt must be visible.
It is the player’s responsibility to provide grey baseball pants and baseball socks (white or black). Players will also provide their own gloves and footwear. Nonmetal cleats are encouraged and required for upper level players.
The league will provide a minimum number of bats. Players are encouraged to bring, use and share their bats.
Helmets with facemasks must be worn by batters, batters warming up and runners. Majors players have the option of using a facemask. Players may purchase their own helmets, provided it meets league standards of safety.
The league will provide all catchers equipment, and it will consist of a helmet, face mask (with functional throat guard), chest protector and shin guards. Players may bring their own catcher’s equipment, as long as it meets approval by the head coach, and the board if necessary. Catchers equipment must be worn by a player preforming catching functions, including warming up a pitcher.
Safety: A first-aid kit must be readily available or the duration of the game.
· At least 1 coach from each team must have a cell phone.
· Field status in inclement weather will be determined by a collaboration of the board.
· Field status once the game is underway will be determined by the umpire.
Tournament Teams: The BBO will form tournament teams to represent the league and its athletes in various Cal Ripken tournaments during the season, and in the District and State Post Season Tournaments. Tournament teams will be determined no later than the weekend before Memorial Day. The purpose is to field a highly competitive team that will best represent the values of the BBO and Cal Ripken baseball. If fielding a team to these standards is not possible, the board reserves the right to withdraw from tournament play.
Eligibility Requirements: Each player will be required to submit that he/she meets the age and residency requirements set forth by Cal Ripken baseball. All players must have also participated in the BBO annual fundraiser to be eligible for tournament play. Players from outside of Belmont/Canterbury are not eligible for tournament play if they reside in a town that holds an affiliation with Cal Ripken League.
Commitment and Schedules: Selection to any post season tournament team requires full commitment from the player and their parent/guardian. Players are required to attend all practices and games without exception. Tournament play begins at the end of the regular season, with District and State tournaments continuing throughout the end of July. Commitment requirements suggest if you know if advance that the player will be away due to family vacations, sporting events, camps, etc. that your player will not be eligible for tournament play. The BBO reserves the right to remove any player from the team who does not meet the full commitment requirements.
Team Selection: Players will be nominated for the 8/9 Junior All Star team by their regular season managers. Players for the 12U tournament team(s) will be nominated by their majors or minors level coaches. Players from the majors will have priority to be nominated. Players for the 10U tournament team(s) will be nominated from any level by league coaches. Minors players eligible for the coach pitch (9U) tournament teams will be given priority. If it is necessary, tournament team tryouts can be held at the board’s discretion.
Each team will carry 11-15 players, the final number will be set at the team manager’s discretion per the Cal Ripken Baseball Rules. At the conclusion of the evaluations, the team manager for each age group and the Player Agent shall select the teams. Players that are selected will be notified in a timely manner by their manager.
Manager/Coach Selection: The Player Agent will select managers and coaches. These nominations will be submitted to the BBO Board for consideration. After reviewing all applications, the board will approve or deny the selection by majority vote. This process will be used for all managers and coaches for all tournament teams.
Participation and Fees: During tournament play, managers will follow Cal Ripken Baseball Rules. Cal Ripken does not have a minimum play rule. Therefore, it will be at the sole discretion of the manager to utilize each player as they see fit, and in the manner that best serves the team. Each player and parent must be mindful of this and accept this before making the commitment that is required. A fee may be charged to offset the cost of uniforms and tournament entrance fees. The fee will be determined by the BBO and will be made known to all tournament players as soon as possible.
Revised October 2017