Dear Cambridge Baseball Academy Parents,

The members of the Cambridge Baseball Academy (CBA) board would like to welcome you to the Cambridge Baseball Academy Community and the 2014-2015 season! This handbook is intended to provide you with all the information you’ll need regarding our program, including important dates and contact information for the CBA Board. As always, the CBA Board members are available to address any questions/concerns you may have during the season.

The 2013-2014 season proved to be very exciting, and there were numerous successes to celebrate as a relatively new program. We will be continuing our focus on playing competitive baseball, while utilizing extremely unique and influential resources in our community. By participating in our program, your sons’ exposure to positive, professional instruction will be a standard you should expect, while also beginning to develop and strengthen your sons relationship with the Cambridge High School coaches and players.

The CBA would not have the success we experience withoutthe many volunteers who help make our association function. We would like to thank all the Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Team Managers, Volunteers, Players, and Parents who commit their time and energy to maintain our success and create a fun and rewarding environment for our children.

We are establishing a theme for the CBA in 2014: “We are Family”. Our efforts to build a program of competitive character based athletes and parents will make our family stronger, and in the long run more successful. In 2014-2015 our Family will be growing to offer opportunities for athletes ranging in age from 11u-14u. These four age levels will allow continuity with instruction, terminology and exposure. Multiple teams at every level are a goal of the CBA. The CBA can offer many things to players in our community that simply cannot be found, even in the highest and most competitive levels of travel baseball.

We are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with Cambridge High School, a new High School program that recognizes the importance of developing a strong feeder program.It is the goal of the CBA to better align coaches, terminologies, strategies and techniques that will allow for advanced learning, and preparation for the opportunity to play at the high school level. We are grateful that Cambridge High School offers support to the CBA.

As members of The CBA, we will have the opportunity to leverage many beneficial resources within our community. It will be the goal of our board, to identify, solicit, and partner with some of the most influential and successful individuals and businesses in the world of baseball skill and development. These relationships will undoubtedly go a long way toadvancing the skill and profile of our program.CBAwill have rules in place to provide a safe and fun environment for all participants, including players, parents and coaches. The CBA will strongly encourage all coaches to adopt a minimum contribution policy which suggests each team find an opportunity for each participant to contribute to the team on a game by game basis. The CBA also has extremely high standards to hold coaches and parents accountable, and an experienced governing body to ensure each team plays by the standards set by the CBA. Games will be held at various parks across the county, state, and country, and this exposure carries with it an incredibly responsibility to represent the CBA with the utmost respect for our opponents, umpires, teammates and anyone affiliated with the CBA.

Since youth baseball can be an expensive endeavor for our families, we encourage you to acquire sponsorships to help fund our team expenses. This will help us make this a memorable season for our athletes. CBA is a volunteer organization, and many volunteers are always needed from each team during the season to help run the gates, concessions, and tournament and travel planning and organization. Your willingness to share this responsibility evenly among parents goes a long way to building our team and program culture. I would like to encourage all parents to check with their employers, as several offer Grants to organizations like ours 501 (c) 3. These gifts are typically tied to your participation or volunteerism within our program.

Thank you for choosing the CBA and allowing your child to participate in the 2014-2015 season. This handbook, as well as CBA Board Member contact information, will eventually be available through our web site. Thank you in advance for your support and dedication. We look forward to an outstanding year with the Cambridge Baseball Academy. Go BEARS!

Respectfully,

Tony Schuster

Cambridge Baseball Academy, President

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MISSION AND VISION

PARENT’S CODE OF ETHICS

COACH’S CODE OF ETHICS

NATIONAL STANDARD FOR YOUTH SPORTS

PREAMBLE

ARTICLE I – PURPOSE

ARTICLE II – COACHING

ARTICLE III – CONDUCT

ARTICLE IV – PRACTICES

ARTICLE V – GAMES

ARTICLE VI – EQUIPMENT

ARTICLE VII – SPORTSMANSHIP

ARTICLE VIII – ELECTION OF OFFICERS

ARTICLE IX – OFFICERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

ARTICLE X – GENERAL RULES

ARTICLE XI – LIABILITY

REFUND POLICY

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

SPECIAL NOTES

2014-2015 Cambridge Baseball Academy Board

NAMEPOSITIONEMAILPHONE

Tony 309-287-8021

TBDVice-PresidentTBDTBD

TBDSecretaryTBDTBD

Dale BD

TBDBaseball DirectorTBDTBD

TBDCommunicationsTBDTBD

TBD11u Team Rep.TBDTBD

TBD12u Team Rep.TBDTBD

TBD13u Team Rep.TBDTBD

TBD14u Team Rep.TBDTBD

TBDHS LiasonTBDTBD

Mission and Vision

Mission

The Cambridge Baseball Academy (CBA) is a non-profit organization created to develop 11u-14u baseball players, while preparing them for the following year of competition and expectations. The CBA is dedicated to fielding competitive teams who will play of mix of independently scheduled games, as well as weekend tournaments. The CBA strives to make our program a destination for all players and parents seeking excellence on and off the field.

Philosophy

CBA is committed to developing our athletes, through competitive scheduling, qualified coaching, and a continuous search of personal, individual, and team excellence. Players will be encouraged to remember that discipline, hard work, and dedication will bring rewards on the field, as well as their own personal development. Coaches will teach the fundamentals, while incorporating advanced technique and strategy where applicable, and the Board will utilize and search out all avenues to ensure the best resources are being fully utilized.

Sportsmanship will always remain the utmost priority within the CBA. All decisions made by the CBA will keep Sportsmanship as a key component as we grow and develop. The CBA considers itself a competitive avenue for athletes and parents looking for opportunities beyond what traditional recreation leagues may.

Our teams will personify excellence, hustle, determination, loyalty and effort in everything we do. It will always be our goal to find the right players and parents to compliment and advance the goals of the CBA.This organization is governed by, and consists of, volunteers, that actively support and partner with Cambridge High School and its baseball program. That partnership, and privilege of wearing the Cambridge name should be embraced, and its positive reputation preserved.

Parents Code of Ethics

I hereby pledge to provide positive support, care and encouragement for my child participating in youth sports by following this CODE OF ETHICS.

• I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches and officials at every game, practice or other youth sports events.

• I will place the emotional and physical well-being of my child ahead of any personal desire to win.

• I will insist that my child plays in a safe and healthy environment.

• I will support the coaches and officials working with my child to provide a positive, enjoyable experience for all.

• I will demand a drug-free, alcohol-free and tobacco-free sports environment for my child and agree to refrain from their use at all youth sports events.

• I will remember that the game is for children and not for adults.

• I will do my very best to make youth sports fun for my child.

• I will ask my child to treat other players, coaches, fans and officials with respect regardless of race, sex, creed or ability.

• I will promise to help my child enjoy the youth sports experience within my personal constraints by supporting coaches and board members, being a respectful fan and supporter of the CBA..

• I will require that my child’s coach be trained in the responsibilities of being a Youth Sports Coach and that the coach agrees to the Youth Sports Coaches’ Code Of Ethics.

• I will read the NYSCA National Standards for youth sports and do everything within my power to assist all youth sports organizations to implement and enforce them.

  • I will complete on line certification called “The Role of Parents in Youth Sports” prior to my child beginning participation. Head coaches will provide details.

Coaches’ Code of Ethics

I hereby pledge to live up to my certification as aCBA Coach by following The CBA Code of Ethics.

• I will place the emotional and physical well-being of my players ahead of any personal desire to win.

• I will remember to treat each player as an individual remembering the large spread of emotional and physical development for the same age group.

• I will do my very best to provide a safe play situation for my players.

• I will promise to review and practice the necessary first aid principles needed to treat the injuries of my players.

• I will do my best to organize practices that are fun and challenging for all my players.

• I will lead by example in demonstrating fair play and sportsmanship to all my players.

• I will ensure that I am knowledgeable in the rules of each sport that I coach and that I will teach these rules to my players.

• I will use those coaching techniques appropriate for each of the skills that I teach.

• I will remember that I am a youth coach and that the game is for children not adults.

I will attend at least one coaching clinic prior to the beginning of the spring and summer season.

National Standard for Youth Sports

These standards are endorsed and supported by over 60 national agencies and organizations.

 PROPER SPORTS ENVIRONMENT o Parents must consider and carefully choose the proper sports environment for their child, including the appropriate age and development for participation, the rules of the sport, the age range of the participants, and the proper level of physical and emotional stress.

 PROGRAMS BASED ON THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN o Parents must select youth sports programs that are developed and organized to enhance the emotional, physical, social and educational well-being of children.  DRUG AND ALCOHOL-FREE ENVIRONMENT o Parents must support a drug and alcohol-free environment for their children.

 PART OFA CHILD’S LIFE o Parents must recognize that youth sports are only a part of a child’s life.

 TRAINING o Parents must insist that coaches are trained and certified.

 PARENTS’ACTIVE ROLE o Parents must make a serious effort to take an active role in the youth sports experience of their child providing positive support as a spectator, coach, league administrator, and/or caring parent.

 POSITIVE ROLE MODELS o Parents must be a positive role model exhibiting sportsmanlike behavior at games, practices, and home, while also giving positive reinforcement to their child and support to their child’s coaches.

 PARENTAL COMMITMENT o Parents must demonstrate their commitment to their child’s youth sports experience by annually signing a Parental Code of Ethics, and making their childs attendance at all practices and games a priority for the benefit of their child, as well as the team.

 SAFE PLAYING SITUATIONS o Parents must insist upon safe playing facilities, healthy playing situations, and proper first-aid applications, should the need arise.

 DRUG ANDALCOHOL-FREE ADULTS o Parents must be drug and alcohol-free at all youth league sporting events.

Cambridge Baseball Academy Association By-Laws

PREAMBLE

It is the primary purpose of The Cambridge Baseball Academy (CBA) to promote, encourage, direct and operate baseball teams and programs for the participants and the families of the CBA. In order to promote the growth of physical, mental, social, educational and spiritual welfare of the participants in the program, we will prioritize the ideals of good citizenship and good sportsmanship through an organized sport program.

ARTICLE I – PURPOSE

1. All Baseball Team Squad Members (hereafter referred to as “Member” or “Members”) and parents must display good citizenship, good sportsmanship and positive behavior at all times.

2. Baseball registration and team selection shall be governed by CBA Rules.

3. Baseball Team sizes, games scheduled, practice philosophy and all general culture building items will be governed by CBA Rules.

4. All Baseball participants will participate by age group as mandated by the USSSA guidelines. (Based on an age cutoff designated annually by their National Organization.) Players wishing to play up, based on grade or ability must have parents present their individual case for review by the CBA board. Board decisions will be final in this regard.

5. The Head Baseball Coach of each team shall appoint a parent volunteer to serve as Team Rep. The Team Rep shall assist the Head Coach by handling communication with the team parents, drink schedules, gate duty schedule, fund raising, banquets, etc. Team Reps for the CBA should work together to share best practices among all CBA teams. The Team Rep will also represent each team at scheduled Board meetings in a non-voting capacity.

ARTICLE II - COACHING

1. Size of Coaching Staffs shall conform to CBA Rules. (no more than three coaches)

2. It is in the best interest of the participants in our program to have Head Coaches and Assistants of the highest character and qualifications. Anyone wishing to coach in the CBA shall apply by annually completing a Coaches Application. Head Coaches willsubmit an application directly to the Board President for review. Those applicants may then be submitted to the board (if deemed qualified) for review by Board members. A panel built by the CBA President will interview all applicants. Head coaches must be approved by the CBA President and Varsity Baseball Coach at Cambridge High School.

3. The Head Coach of each team may recruit or choose his or her own Assistants (up to two formal Asst. Coaches). All selections for Assistant Coaches must be submitted for approval by the Board. All coaches are required by the CBA board to submit an application for a background check. These background checks are performed by a private service. All information obtained from background checks is held private and confidential with assigned executive board members.

4. Baseball Coaches should have a parents’ meeting within two weeks of the 2014-2015 being selected.This meeting will be used to get acquainted, answer parents’ questions, and establish parameters for disciplinary actions. Coaches can establish, within reason, their own rules for missing practices and games, use of profanity, fighting, disrespect, failure to follow instructions, etc.

5. Coaches shall not use profane or disrespectful language toward players, parents or one another when working with the teams on the practice field or during games on the playing field. The use of any form of tobacco is prohibited on the practice and playing fields. All Board Members are responsible for monitoring and reporting to the CBA Board any offenders. Violation of these rules may result in suspension of the guilty person for the remainder of the season.

6. Head Coaches shall be responsible for all phases of the operation of their team,including all functions of the baseball Team, (banquets, fund raisers, traveletc.)

7. Parents will be advised with at least one warning if their child is creating a problem. If the problem persists, the Coach can ask the CBA board to withdraw the player from the program. The CBA Board must be notified in writing, when the first warning is issued.

8. Suitable conduct is expected at all CBA functions. Coaches, Trainers, Team Reps, Players, and Parents should not smoke, consume alcoholic beverages, or use profane language or illegal drugs at any time during practice or a game. Each Member is expected to follow all CBA Rules.

9. Problems arising as a result of violations of sections 1 through 9 of this Article shall be dealt with by the Head Coach, and if the problem is not resolved it shall be brought before the CBA Board.

ARTICLE III – CONDUCT (See Code of Ethics)

ARTICLE IV - PRACTICES

1. All members must attend all practices. Permission to miss a practice must be obtained in advance from the Head Coach excluding cases of family emergency or severe illness.

2. Members must be on time for all practice sessions and attend the entire practice. Head Coaches may set their own individual team rules/guidelines for missing practices. All practice times will be scheduled within the practice rules set by the CBA. Members and Parents should be informed of the rules at the beginning of the season at the Parents’ meeting.