The 2014 Softball Manitoba Coaching Clinic schedule for the Winnipeg area is now ready. The clinics will be held at the Home Run Sports Training Centre located at 905 King Edward Street, Winnipeg MB. We will be updating the Rural schedule once we confirm dates and locations. Please check back in the new year for updates.

Future Coaching Certification Requirements:

Mandatory for 2014 – All “A” teams (excluding U12 A) attending Provincial Championships are required to have 1 coach on the roster who has completed the Competition Introduction Course (old NCCP level 2), the Making Ethical Decisions Module and on-line exam.

2015 Coach Development Review - It will be discussed that teams registered in a U10 “B”, “C”, U12 “B”, “C”, U14 “B”, “C”, U16 “B”, “C” and U18 “BB”, “C” will require a Community Softball Coaching level (old NCCP Level I equivalent) coach signed on its roster and participating in the coaching of the team during the competition.

Also up for discussion - All registered coaches on U12 “A”, U14 “A”, U16 “A” and U18 “Open” teams must be certified at the Competition-Introduction level.

If you're interested in registering for a clinic please contact Carol at: 204-925-5673 or via email: softball@softball.mb.ca

Softball Manitoba is hosting a Spring Break 3-Day Skills Clinic. Skill areas taught will include Throwing, Catching, Fielding, Hitting, Base Running and Sliding. Participants are asked to bring gym wear, running shoes, a glove, a helmet and a bat (if you have one, if not one will be provided)

Clinic Dates are: April 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2014
Cost: $60.00

Clinic Times:
Morning Session - for ages 7-10 years: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Afternoon Session - for ages 11 - 14 years: 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Each session is open to the first 30 paid participants
Location: Home Run Sports Training Centre at 905 King Edward St. Winnipeg MB.

Deadline to register is Monday, March 21, 2014.

If you're interested in registering for a clinic please contact Carol at: 204-925-5673 or via email: softball@softball.mb.ca

Softball Manitoba will be holding a Team Canada Catching Clinic conducted by Hailey Unger. Hailey is a catcher and played for Team Toba who won a silver medal at the 2013 Canada Summer Games. She was also selected to represent Canada at the 2013 International Softball Federation Junior Women's World Championship. Hailey is an Oak Park High School graduate and she just completed her freshman year with the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers in Mitchell, S.D., where she earned All-GPAC First Team accolades and led her team in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

Clinic for Catchers - Aged 13 - 17
Dates: May 29th, June 5th, June 12th, 2014
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Home Run Sports Training Centre, 905 King Edward St. Winnipeg MB
Cost: $120 - open to the first 20 catchers
Please bring your own equipment to the clinic.

Clinic for Catchers - Aged 9 - 12
Dates: June 3rd, June 10th, June 17th, 2014
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Home Run Sports Training Centre, 905 King Edward St. Winnipeg MB
Cost: $120 - open to the first 20 catchers.
Please bring your own equipment to the clinic.

Hailey could also be available for one-on-one work with catchers at team practices for $50 an hour and is willing to do some hitting work as well. Please contact Hailey directly to set this up. hailey.unger.12@dwu.edu

If you are interested in attending these clinics please contact Carol at 204-925-5673 or email: softball@softball.mb.ca

Softball Manitoba is pleased to extend an invitation to interested candidates for the Head Coach position of the U18 Female Provincial Team Program that will participate in the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.

The Program goal is for the best players from Manitoba to play together and work towards winning the Gold Medal in Softball at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.

The Coach will be expected to develop and mentor players and coaches throughout the province by offering skills camps, coaching clinics, and other professional development ideas.

The Games Policies and an Application for the Head Coach position is available on the Softball Manitoba website http://www.softball.mb.ca.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience coaching at the competitive softball level. The Head Coach must be fully certified (theory, technical and practical) under the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) to at least Level 3, or the equivalent level in the new NCCP, competition stream, Development context, (Trained status) in Softball no later than May 1, 2015.

Assistant Coaches will be selected by the Head Coach by June 1, 2014. At least one (1) coach, either head coach or assistant, must be a female, as according to the Western Canada Summer Games Technical Package. The Assistants must also commit to being certified at the coaching certification requirement as listed in the Softball Manitoba Games Policy - Competition Development. Coaching certification must be completed no later than ninety (90) days before the opening of the Games.

Deadline for application is March 15, 2014 (send to Softball Manitoba). Those candidates that are short-listed will be contacted for an Interview. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for mid-April, 2014.

The 2015 Western Canada Summer Games will be held in Wood Buffalo, Alberta from August 7-15th. The Games will bring together approximately 2,600 athletes, coaches, managers and officials from the four western provinces and two territories for days of high-caliber multi-sport competition. U18 Female is the Category for Softball at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games (Player Age Eligibility = under 18 years old as of Jan.1, 2015 – born in 1997 and later).

For more information regarding the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games Program – Please Contact:

Ken Stewart
Games Committee Chairperson
Softball Manitoba
Phone: (204) 667-8566
Email: ken04@mymts.net

Don Klym
Executive Director
Softball Manitoba
Phone: (204) 925-5674
Email: donklym@mts.net

In 2014 the John Blumberg Softball Complex will be starting a new co-ed 6 male/4 female Slo-Pitch League.

For more information or to register your team please contact Marshall Shuster at theshu@shaw.ca

The first draft of the 2014 Competition Calendar is ready to view. Please note that this is only a draft and there may be some changes made.

The U12, U14, U16 Coaches Guides are now available for sale at the Softball Manitoba office. The cost per manual is $30.00

The U16 guide contains a season’s worth of practice plans (34 practices in total) divided into four training phases (including indoor and outdoor practices), with each phase having its own objectives and outcomes. Our coaching guides will assist softball coaches with the critical skill of developing and conducting sequential and well-organized practices.

The Coaching Association of Canada and its partners recognize the value of having certified NCCP coaches that are engaged in Professional Development programs which reinforce the values of lifelong learning and sharing amongst the coaching community.

This is the basis for the Professional Development policy that comes into effect this January. Starting in January 2014, you will begin to see your Professional Development activities and points tracked on your transcript in The Locker. As part of your ongoing commitment to coaching, all certified coaches will be required to maintain their certification by accumulating PD points over a set time frame.

In order to help you understand what this new policy means to you we’ve created an FAQ section on our website to help answer any of your questions. http://coach.ca/maintenance-of-certification-s16745 Check it out stay tuned for more information on Maintenance of Certification and PD in the New Year.

Contact Us For more information or for questions or comments contact: communications@coach.ca

Who can Apply:
Any umpire member of a Provincial/Territorial (P/T) Association who is registered with Softball Canada and who is entering the first, second year or subsequent year of a post-secondary educational institution. Must be a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident. The deadline to apply is April 30th.

Two-$1,000.00 Scholarships will be awarded annually.

Click here to download the Ed Bitz Scholarship Policy 2014

Click here to download the Ed Bitz Scholarship Application Form

This Bursary is to be presented annually by Softball Manitoba to a student/athlete who exhibits exemplary sportsmanship and dedication to Softball. The deadline to apply is August 1st.

Softball Manitoba offers two bursaries - Softball Manitoba Bursary and the Eugene Michalow Memorial Bursary. The deadline to apply is August 1st.

Softball Canada offers the Ethel Boyce Achievement Award for all registered softball players enrolled at a Canadian Post-Secondary Institution. The deadline to apply is September 15th.

For all coaches: If you have taken any coach course in the last two to three years and have not completed your Making Ethical Decisions test online, please do so.

For all coaches who are CERTIFIED level 1, level 2 and level 3: You need to complete the Making Ethical Decisions test online in order to maintain your certification status. Please go to www.coach.ca/elearning-s13846

If you would like to take the Making Ethical Decisions course module before you take the exam, please contact Coaching Manitoba at 925-5692 to find out when it is taking place.

If you have any questions please contact softball@softball.mb.ca.

SOFTBALL MANITOBA DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER

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Softball Manitoba and Softball Canada would like to congratulate Haylee O’Neill from Oakville, MB as the winner of the 2013 Home Run Sports Coach of the Year Award. As Head Coach of Team Manitoba, she led her women’s softball team to a silver medal (the highest performance ever for Manitoba) at the 2013 Canada Summer Games. She focuses on the holistic development of all her athletes ensuring that they have the technical/tactical skills, mental skills, physical skills and proper nutrition habits necessary to excel.

As Softball Manitoba’s Master Learning Facilitator, she trains and develops Manitoba’s Learning Facilitators as well as facilitating NCCP clinics for coaches. In addition, she is the Coordinator for Softball Manitoba’s Junior Clinician Program which trains young adults to be skills clinicians and is also involved in the Inner City Youth Softball Development Program. None of these programs would have reached their 2013 success without Haylee’s leadership and ability to share her coaching expertise.

This year Haylee was also named to Softball Canada’s Women’s National Team Coaches Pool assisting the team at various events this past summer. Her coaching ability is undeniably recognized within the softball community and any athlete that works with her is extremely privileged. She shows her passion, dedication and selflessness in everything she does.

Haylee O’Neill is a very deserving recipient of the 2013 Home Run Sports Coach of the Year. She will receive this award at the Softball Canada Hall of Fame Banquet in Yellowknife NT on November 16, 2013.

Softball Canada along with the Player Development Working Group is pleased to announce the launch of its new Triple Play website, targeting softball players aged 10 to 18 years old. The website can be accessed by visiting http://www.tripleplaysoftball.ca

'Our Triple Play Program is now a reality and its excellent website is now launched' said Softball Canada President Kevin Quinn. 'This website is a very exciting tool which has sections for players, coaches and parents. This will eventually provide young athletes the opportunity to see how they match up against other athletes across Canada and will provide some very useful information for coaches and parents as well.

For more information click on the link above or contact:

Mary Cahill
Manager - Domestic Programs
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3107
mcahill@softball.ca

Softball Canada and Softball Manitoba are pleased to announce a Youth Development Program called Learn to Play. All Schools, Minor Softball Associations, coaches and Youth Organizations are welcome to contact us to learn more about this new and exciting program.