The BDGSA is excited to announce that we have a U10 Rep Head Coach for the 2020/2021 season!

U10 (2011/2012) – Mike Jackson - packersguy1979@gmail.com

Mike has coached many positions in Barrie Minor and most recently was an Assistant Coach for Tyke for BDGSA.  Mike’s coaching philosophy is Fair Play and focusing on the development of fundamentals.

U10 Rep Tryout Dates:

Wednesday September 9^th – 6-8pm

Thursday  September 10^th – 6-8pm

These tryouts will be held at Ferndale Woods (138 Ferndale Drive South - accessed off Summerset Drive)

All players must adhere to all Covid 19 protocols and must complete the following before attending try outs:

·       Review PWSA Return to Play Strategic Plan and BDGSA Addendum (below)

Please register here for tryouts:

 2020 REP Tryout Registration

 Rep Tryout Dates - 2020/2021 Season

The BDGSA is pleased to announce the following rep head coaches for the upcoming 2020/2021 season:

U12 (2009/2010) – Sean McGuinness – seanmcguinness@hotmail.com

Sean has coached many positions in both Barrie Minor and BDGSA.  Most recently Sean was a U10 house league head coach and helped our current U12 Rep team during winter development.

U14 (2007/2008) – Jason Duval – jduval11@hotmail.com

Jason has coached in the BDGSA for several years in our house league and select programs.  Jason was the assistant coach of the 2019 U12 Select Provincial Bronze Medalists!  Most recently Jason took on the role as head coach of the 2020 U12 Rep team.

U14 (2007/2008) - Brad Leliever - bl198328@gmail.com

Brad has coached in the BDGSA for several years in our house league, select, and rep programs. Brad was the head coach of the 2019 U12 Provincial Gold Medalists!  Most recently Brad was the head coach of the 2020 U14 Rep Team.

U16 (2005/2006) - David Mahaffey - mahaffeysoftball@gmail.com

Dave has coached in the BDGSA for many years in our rep program.  He most recently coached our 2019 U14 rep team to a top 10 finish at provincials. Most recently Dave was the recipient of our Coach of the Year award in 2019 and the head coach of the 2020 U16 Rep Team.

And new this year

U19 (2002/2004) - David Mahaffey - mahaffeysoftball@gmail.com

Dave will be taking on a dual role as both the U16 and U19 Rep Teams to continue the development of skills and opportunities of our more mature athletes.

Upcoming Try Out Dates

Please note that all try outs will be held at Shear Park (21 Holgate St. Barrie)

U12 Rep Try Out dates:

·      Monday September 7^th 3:30pm - 5:30pm

·      Thursday September 10^th 6pm – 8pm

·      Tuesday September 15^th 6pm-8pm (of necessary)

U14 Rep Try Out dates:

·      Monday September 7^th (All players) 5:45pm – 8pm

·      Tuesday September 8^th (Duval) 6pm – 8pm

·      Tuesday September 8^th (LeLeiver) 8:15pm – 10pm

·      Thursday September 10^th (Duval) 8:15pm – 10pm (if necessary)

U16 Rep Try Out dates:

·      Monday September 7^th 11am – 1pm

·      Wednesday September 9^th 6pm – 8pm

U19 Rep Try Out dates:

·      Monday September 7^th 1:15pm – 3:15pm

·      Wednesday September 9^th 8:15pm – 10pm

All players must adhere to all Covid 19 protocols and must complete the following before attending try outs:

·      Review  PWSA Return to Play Strategic Plan and BDGSA Addendum (below)

Please register here for tryouts:

 2020 REP Tryout Registration

Please note: We are still actively pursuing a coach for our U10 (2011/2012) division for the upcoming year.  Once a coach has been announced, we will post additional tryout dates.  Contact rep.bdgsa@gmail.com if you're interested

BDGSA Addendum

Barrie & District Girls Softball will be following the PWSA Return to Play Strategic Plan with the following addendums:

BDGSA will be returning to play for practices only.  Practice or training is a more controlled environment than the game environment. Practice can also accommodate fewer numbers of participants than games.

Individual diamonds within the City will be used, not the BCSC (sports complex).  Therefore, entry to the diamond will be controlled by players arriving no more than 15 minutes prior to practice.  No player or coach will enter the diamond until the previous team has vacated the diamond, therefore players and coaches must wait in their vehicle until the other team has vacated the area.

Dugouts and benches will not be utilized and therefore sanitization will not be required prior to the next team entering the diamond.

Practices will consist of batting, throwing, catching and drills that maintain a safe distance of 6 feet between players and coaches.  Any running or running of bases will not involve close proximity with another player or coach.

Balls & Bats – BDGSA will follow the PWSA RTP plan.

Equipment – BDGSA will follow the PWSA RTP plan

Current Provincial Guidelines

• Max 50 people per diamond
• Training (try outs) only, no games or scrimmages
• As the Province enters further stages of opening, BDGSA will adhere to all provincial and municipal guidelines and protocols while utilizing fields and in accordance with City of Barrie permit rules and regulations. 

City of Barrie

• Facilities such as washrooms will not be open, portable toilets only provided by the City and Cleaned daily by the City of Barrie.
• COVID signage is in place at the diamonds – page 4 …#3. 

Barrie & District Girls Softball

Declaration and Contact Tracing:

• Declaration (attached) to be completed every 14 days by Players, Coaches and Parent (if minor)
• All players and coaches will complete an Attendance Check-in (https://bdgsa.sportngin.com/register/form/346165463) which includes the online assessment tool (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/) before heading to the ball diamond
• Dugouts are Out of Bounds. All Players and Coaches are responsible to bring their own lawn chair, which will be placed 6 feet (2 Meters) apart from another, and all belongings will be kept in this space (includes equipment bags, water bottles, equipment etc.). 
• Coaches to ensure Players have proper PPE and to follow proper sanitation guidelines.
• Coaches to direct Players not show up at the diamond until 10 minutes before practice to allow previous Team to vacate.
• An Executive Member will attend every practice to reinforce all guidelines

Further Protocol Clarification of the PWSA RTP plan:

• Temperature taking will be done at home and as part of the Tracker info that BDGSA will be using (https://bdgsa.sportngin.com/register/form/346165463)
• Limit entrances doesn't apply as we are using individual baseball diamond(s) in town and not the BCSC 
• We are asking our players and parents if unwell not to come to practice and no weekend play is planned 
• We have instructed coaches if they need to use the porta-let that they need to sanitize before and after each use  
• The app tracks the attendance of each practice 
• No need for Concessions because we are at Shear park for practices only. We have told teams that dugouts are off limits 
• All participants must pre-register for each tryout they attend
• All persons present must wear a face mask for the entire tryout and practice physical distancing
• Spectators will be limited to a total of 50 persons which will include administrators, coaches, officials, umpires, parents, fans, etc.

 We are so pleased at the turnout for the 2019 AGM with close to 30 members in attendance.  We appreciate everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to participate in some very important decisions for our league for the upcoming season.  Anyone wishing to help out in any role within our league, please do not hesitate to reach out the appropriate contact below to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Our league continues to grow and improve thanks to the dedication of our volunteers. 

 We would like to welcome the new 2019/2020 Executive and Directors:

 President – Sean Hayward (returning member 1^st term of 2 year term as President) - bdgsa.president@gmail.com

 Past President – Christi Groves (returning member) - bdgsa.pastpresident@gmail.com

Vice President – Jon Alcide (new member) - bdgsa.vicepresident@gmail.com

 VP Houseleague – Chris Size (new member) - bdgsa.vphouse@gmail.com

 VP Rep – Brad LeLiever (new member) - rep.bdgsa@gmail.com

 Treasurer - Kristine Janaway (returning member) - bdgsa.treasurer@gmail.com

 Secretary - Michelle Hayward (returning member) - bdgsa.secretary@gmail.com

 In addition to the newly appointed Executive, we would like to welcome some additional members to our team:

 Equipment Manager – Peter Stibbard (new member) - bdgsa.equipment@gmail.com

 Umpire-in-Chief - Peter Kluszczynski (returning in same position) - kluzzy@sympatico.ca

 Director of Social Media - Danielle Morgan (returning in same position) - bdgsa.media@gmail.com

 Director of Select – Fred Morgan (new member) - bdgsa.select@gmail.com

 Director of Sponsorship – Carolyn Graham (new member) - bdgsa.sponsor@gmail.com

 Barrie Bash Convener - Sean Hayward - barrie.bash19@gmail.com

 We are currently looking for candidates for the following roles.  If interested please contact Sean or Michelle Hayward at the above emails:

 Bingo Coordinator - this person is responsible for recruiting, training and scheduling our bingo volunteers. This is a critical position in our organization as our Bingo revenue helps to pay for our umpires.

 Director of Volunteers - this person is responsible for keeping a list of active volunteers, coordinating and scheduling for regular and one time volunteer positions (i.e. event day, Barrie Bash, banquet etc).

 We would also like to congratulate our following 2019 award winners:

 Winner of the 2019 Coach of the Year Award – Dave Mahaffey

 Winner of the 2019 Wayne Kennedy Volunteer of the Year Award – Christina Nancekivell

Down 7-6 in the bottom of the 7^th, the girls hit a bases loaded double for a walk off win to bring home

the Bronze medal from the OSSTA Squirt Provincial Championships in St. Catharines.

Congratulations ladies!

Mission Accomplished! Barrie Storm U12 Rep goes undefeated at the Provincial Grand Championship in Windsor to secure a spot in the Gold Medal game.

Unfortunately, the game was suspended and ultimately called off at 9pm due to a severe storm passing through the region. With Barrie up 2 to 1 in the middle of the 5^th inning of a tight contest with respected rival the Brampton Blazers Burgundy, PWSA reverted to the last completed inning - which was tied. PWSA made the decision to award Gold Medals to both teams. Barrie Storm Squirt Rep Team could not be prouder to share this honor with Brampton Blazers Burgundy.

With an overall season record of 38 wins and 8 losses, this group of young ladies had its most successful season to date. The coaches could not be more proud of the girls and the work they put in over the last year.  Congrats ladies!!

Congratulations to our U14 Rep Team on their Tier II A Pool 10th place finish!

 U16 Barrie Rep Storm wins Bronze medals in Tier II B Pool Provincials.  Well done ladies!!

The Barrie Storm U10 Select conquer the elements to bring home Bronze from Etobicoke!

Congratulations to the Barrie Squirt Select team in battling through 45 degree weather to bring home a well-deserved Bronze medal from Etobicoke this weekend.

Great Job ladies!

 What is this Certification?

Respect In Sport, RIS, is an on-line self-paced educational package that covers ALL sport activities and is broken down into two Certification Level Programs, one for Parents and Players, and one for Coaches and Leaders.

Why was RIS instituted?

The Provincial Women’s Softball Association (PWSA) and BDGSA has introduced this requirement in an attempt to mitigate some of the disturbing behaviours such as abuse, bullying, and harassment that are becoming all too prominent in our sport, and to recognize and prevent these behaviours. The Leader program also deals with positive response requirements for, and interaction strategies with, young athletes.

Which Certification do I need?

Parents AND Players are required to take the “Player/Parent Program in order to qualify for league play, and BDGSA encourages both the parent and player to participate in the program and follow along together. Coaches are required to take the “Activity Leaders Program”, even if they already have the Player/Parent certification.

Will one Certification cover both Levels?

NO. The package for Leaders will not cover the Parent/Player program. That means a Coach with a player-daughter will have to take the Leader program and the player will have to take the Parent/Player program separately, preferably with the spouse/partner of the coach.

Do I need to Certify each child in my family?

NO. The RIS certification covers the entire family regardless of how many children you have.

What do I do if I am already RIS Certified in another sport?

NOTHING. If you already have a RIS certificate obtained though another sport, you are covered. Just submit your Certificate Number to BDGSA.

Does RIS expire?

YES. You will need to get recertified every FIVE (5) years.

Where can I get Certified?

Parents and Players: https://softballcanada-parent.respectgroupinc.com/

Coaches and Activity Leaders: https://softballcanada-activityleader.respectgroupinc.com/

New Barrie Storm apparel is now available at Centretown Sports!  The apparel will be available throughout the year.  We have exciting new products to check out! 

This year, Centretown will be offering hoodies (navy and red), triple threat jackets (red and navy), sweatpants (navy and grey), toques (red and navy), caps (red and navy), 3/4 length sleeve Rawlings hoodies (grey), and long sleeve T-shirts (white and navy).  $5 from every sale will be given back to the BDGSA so don’t delay, head out to Centretown, show your league spirit, and grab your items.

More information on apparel below:

//s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00284347/2018-BDGSA-Apparel-Pricing.pdf

The goal of the BDGSA Softball Programs is to ensure all players have a rewarding, memorable, safe and fun experience while participating in our programs. Providing a safe environment is a collaborative process. We ask that parents/guardians/coaches/spectators adhere to the guidelines below and we ask that you also share the following league guidelines with your child/ren:

Respect others and their property

Hands off

No bullying behavior by players, coaches or parents

Listen to the coaches/team managers

Stay with the team while at the ball park

Use appropriate language at all times (this applies to everyone)

HAVE FUN!

If the above guidelines cannot be met, the BDSGA Executive will follow up to address concerns. Parent, coach, and/or player conferences may be required to address concerns at any time during the season.

** Physical or emotional aggression towards another person or oneself (by anyone) may result in a temporary or full suspension from the league. **

Now that the league games have started and the rep and select programs are also well underway, please provide feedback to the league throughout the year so that the Executive can be kept apprised of the year (good or bad).  Please click on this link https://www.leaguelineup.com/formpreview.asp?url=barriesoftball&formID=123153 to let us know how your year is going.  We are doing our best and would like to continue to improve. 

Coaches with a record check on file (completed within the last 4 years) must complete this form if planning to coach again in the 2018 season.  Please submit your completed forms to bdgsa.vphouse@gmail.com.

//s3.amazonaws.com/my.llfiles.com/00284347/BDGSA-Annual-OFFENCE-DECLARATION-for-Volunteers-2018.pdf