All information has been provided by the ECSA Board, NAGAAA, and USA Softball. If there are resources that you believe would benefit the league’s leadership community, please email secretary@emeraldcitysoftball.org.
If there are questions that you would like to see in the FAQ section, please email secretary@emeraldcitysoftball.org.
Understand the above ECSA Bylaws, Rules of Play & Exceptions, USA Softball Rules of Play, and banned Softball Bat list.
The Code of Conduct is listed in the ECSA Bylaws. It is expected that you as a coach understand and hold your team accountable.
Understand the NAGAAA Ratings system, and work with the ECSA Ratings group to fairly and timely rate your players’ abilities.
REQUIRED – You must attend or have a team representative present at all Team Leadership meetings.
Community is the lifeblood of our volunteer organization. We ask that you volunteer for at least one committee listed by the board. An online form is available with a list of current committees for registration.
It is the responsibility of the coach/manager to ensure that all players have registered as an ECSA member, paid their player fee, and signed the liability waiver through the ECSA website.
Failure to do so could result in sanctions against the coach & team.
Players need to know what is going on with their team and the ECSA community as a whole. It is your responsibility to cascade all communication provided to you from the board to your team.
ECSA encourages everyone to like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and subscribe to the ECSA Newsflash to stay current on all communications.
Rainout information will be communicated through many avenues (email, facebook, twitter, & text message). ECSA tries to provide an update within 10 minutes to 1 hour after a rainout is announced. It is not ECSAs decision to determine a rainout scenario, but the field crews associated with the play fields.
ECSA encourages everyone to like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and subscribe to the ECSA Newsflash to stay current on all communications.
Game schedule for the season will be communicated to coaches by their respective Division Assistant Commissioner, made publicly available to the public through our website, and ECSA NewsFlash.
Per the ECSA Bylaws & Rules of Play, rainouts make up games will be played the Saturday following the rained out game, unless an exception is made following the ECSA Bylaws & Rules of Play or made by the Executive Board or ECSA league Commissioner.
ECSA encourages coaches/managers to promote both team and league events and fundraising opportunities
ECSA will attempt to provide concession vendors for game days. It is the responsibility of the coaches and managers to communicate that out to their teams & fans, in order for them to make enough business to justify coming back the following weekend. For a schedule of the vendors to be present, click HERE.
ECSA encourages all coaches and managers to provide feedback to any aspect of the league. Without your feedback, we cannot improve our organization!
Set Expectations and Boundaries
As a coach, you should set boundaries with your team. Encourage them to not discuss a situation during the game. Set the expectation for your player to 5-10 minutes after your last game of the day, request that they do a ‘self check’ if they are still heated about the situation before coming to you. This will help reduce emotional reactions from both parties and encourage a productive outcome.
Use Friendly Reminders
Players, amid the excitement of the game, often don’t realize when they’ve crossed the line with a remark or an action. You can remind them to keep their emotions in check and their comments to themselves in a friendly, but firm, manner. Usually a friendly reminder can remedy the situation.
Know the league’s or Tournament’s Code of Conduct
Knowing your league;’s rules thoroughly is extremely important. When the league has a policy in place regarding handling disruptive players and spectators, it is your responsibility as the coach/manager to follow those policies. Choosing to deviate from that policy and attempting to handle the situation on your own may result in creating even more problems. Many leagues around the country, regardless of sport, have policies — both voluntary and mandatory — to help give everyone a clear understating of their roles and responsibilities in and around the play fields.
Remain Civil
You can defuse a tense situation with an upset individual or group by maintaining a calm, friendly demeanor. Setting a civil tone from the start is a critical building block for a productive discussion. Keep in mind that being civil may be difficult at times, particularly when someone is accusing you of being the worst coach ever (as an example). Politely ask the individual to tone-down the volume and explain that you’re happy to listen to their point of view, as well as share your own — in an adult manner. If the individual refuses to speak to you in a reasonable manner, end the conversation and report the problem in a written statement to commissioner@emeraldcitysoftball.org.
Listen to Their Point of View
Sure, you may not agree with their stance on an issue you’re discussing, but you still have the obligation to listen to their point of view. Be courteous and listen o what they have to say — if they are speaking to you in a polite manner. If you are not willing to listen to what they have to say, how can you expect them to listen to you? Focus as much on listening to them as getting your own point across.
Control Your Body Language
Of course, the words you use will have a big impact — the same goes for your body language. Examples are placing your hands on your hips, crossing your arms, rolling your eyes. Body language sends a distinct negative, defensive, message, regardless of what you say, and reduces the chances of a productive conversation.
Raise your voice
Embarrass the disgruntled
Take your anger out
Talk behind the player(s)’s back
If you have a situation where you don’t know how to handle the situation, reach out to an ECSA board member that is not involved with the current situation.
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Set expectations early in the season so players know what to expect. Discussions on my teams have been – “are we serious or playing to have fun?” Practices, tournament participation, and playtime should all be consistent to reach these team goals.