FALL BALL AND OTHER ISSUES
NFCA CONVENTION PROPOSALS
Submitted by Rayburn F Hesse
ALL MEMBERS
DIVISION I CAUCUS
TRAVEL BALL MEMBERS only travel ball coaches allowed to vote
1. Resolved, that travel ball coaches will agree, albeit informally, not to roster players who have completed a year of D1 college softball, in which they were rostered, unless that player had previously been associated with the intended travel ball team. Non-binding resolution was proposed, seconded and discussed.
FALL RECRUITING CALENDAR
While RFH urged all coaches, especially Division 1, to “stand up and be counted” on this issue, no D1 coaches voted in favor of the eight-week proposal. Instead, the D1 coaches and assistant coaches voted virtually as a bloc against change.
Yet, as NFCA leaders acknowledged before and after the vote, there are many differences of opinion within D1 -- and these divergent views were well noted during caucus discussions Thursday and Friday. Virtually all expressed awareness of the dissent -- indeed the deep unhappiness -- by travel ball coaches, parents and players. But they were openly split on how best to respond to this ferment. Some coaches want to do away with fall recruiting, some favored the eight week concept, but the prevailing opinion seemed to be that the four-week window, while criticized in caucus by a number of D1 coacbes, should remain for at least a year. During these caucuses, many coaches and NFCA leadership acknowledged awareness of the problems this past fall, especially the amount of class time missed, the conflict with SAT exams, conflicts in scheduling informal visits, the travel costs, and the difficulty in seeing and evaluating so many players in these extra-large tournaments with widely dispersed game sites. Yet, in open session, when it would have been reassuring to travel ball coaches to hear that their messages were received and understood, the D1 coaches sat silent.
NCAA has just allowed coaches a 45 day fall training cycle which no longer has to be continuous days, giving them more flexibility. In caucus, some coaches said they need to instill this flexibility in their fall calendars before changing the recruiting window. While several coaches cited time away from their own teams as a problem with fall ball recruiting, and some said they appreciated the extra time the four-week window afforded, these aspects did not seem to be the major rationale for keeping the four-week window..
Instead, as NFCA leaders discussed afterward with SPY, while there seems to be broad agreement that the calendar should and will be “tweaked” to create more flexibility, there is no agreement within the D1 caucus on what changes to make, thus the coaches were reluctant to endorse a specific change, as proposed by RFH, or offer their own alternatives.
Moreover, as was noted in the various caucus sessions, and explained to the Travel Ball caucus, the NCAA rule-making process is slow and deliberative. Any changes to be enacted for 2008 should have been proposed by July 2007. Any changes introduced in 2008 probably would not become effective until August 2009.
This NCAA process is a critical consideration for those seeking change – the implication being that there would be no change in the four-week calendar until 2009.
Surprisingly, given the emphasis several D1 coaches applied to their critical views during caucuses, none spoke after the motion was introduced and seconded.
During their meeting with travel ball coaches, NFCA officials repeatedly stressed that D1 coaches prefer to do business through the Head Coaches Committee, which several travel ball coaches criticized because of the lack of transparency. Obviously, travel ball is not nearly as coordinated a group as D1. Note: Fifty travel ball coaches registered for the convention; only 25 travel ball coaches attended the Friday caucus; only 11 showed up at Saturday’s session, the absentees included some who were outspoken in the caucus. None of the 11 spoke up during the actual voting session. Note: most of the 64 Gold teams who competed at 2007 Gold Nationals do not belong to NFCA, nor do most of the top 50 18A teams. Thus, some of the coaches who were most critical during the four-week period, several of whom sent emails to NFCA declaring the need for change, were not at the conference. Ironically, some Gold coaches who were at the convention did not attend the travel ball caucus.
To be sure, after the session, the chair of the HCC attempted to assure SPY that the fall calendar is a “hot topic” which will be explored through the HCC process. SPY was extremely critical of the HCC process in his floor remarks, echoing comments during the travel ball caucus about the lack of transparency. Eg, the HCC committee had closed-door meetings during the convention to consider D1 coaches comments offered during the caucuses, including so-called hot topics such as fall ball, umpiring, and NCAA rules interpretations; but, remedial proposals, if any, will be generated through conference calls by conference chairs to members. SPY argued on the floor that a bare majority in each of the 19 conferences recorded as approving the calendar might not exceed 39% of all D1 members, and thus the actual vote may have fallen short of a two-thirds vote of members, while meeting a two-thirds majority of HCC representatives. NFCA officials acknowledged that possibility.
SPY has protested that the minutes of HCC deliberations are not posted on the NFCA web site; an RFH proposal to require all HCC deliberations be subject to a vote in open convention was not considered. Travel ball coaches learned for the first time that there is a separate web site for D1 coaches, which does report HCC information. (See a note below for D1 action re umpires.)
NFCA officials offered assurances during the travel ball caucus and after the convention that more information will be disseminated. A SPY motion that minutes of the Board of Directors will be published was approved.
Under the parliamentary rules for the business session, all members could vote on the proposals offered by SPY – coaches and their assistants – but also DII, DIII, JC etc. SPY was disappointed that none of the latter took the floor, despite the critical emails some had sent to SPY.
Equally disappointing is the continued silence of some of country’s top coaches at these NFCA conventions, people whom you would expect to lead on issues.
Even the rank and file D1 coaches who were quite vociferous in their condemnation during caucuses of the size of several specific tournaments did not speak up on Saturday when SPY’s trial motion to limit size was proposed. Note: the number 104 was quite arbitrary; SPY had hoped to provoke open discussion with a non-binding motion. Indeed, the scenario seemed to be that every D1 coach and assistant had agreed not to speak during the session, except NFCA President Carol Bruggeman who spoke against SPY’s motion on publishing the annual budget, described as unnecessary.
No other D1 coach spoke, pro or con. Admittedly, they have opted for their HCC process, but, the travel ball caucus had urged their leadership to engage in open discussion in front of all members. Instead, travel ball coaches are left with the assurance that the HCC process and decisions will be more fully reported in the future.
SPY cast one of the few votes against the bylaws change which would end the closing business session, and replace it with a “Summit” at which debate could occur in open session – before the membership groups break out into their individual business meetings. To no avail, travel ball coaches in their caucuses had expressed a preference for open business meetings to conclude conventions.
Early Verbals
A motion by SPY to seek NCAA rules that would not permit even unofficial contacts and visits with players until after completion of their sophomore year was not seconded. But, no known action was taken by the HCC on this subject. Frankly, given the complaints heard all summer and fall at tournaments, and via email, the expectation was that a few college coaches would echo the concerns, or offer other remedies, but they sat mute. Expressing concern in D1 caucuses is encouraging, but it would have been informative for travel ball and other coaches to hear those concerns. SPY fully expected any formal remedies would go through the closed-loop HCC process, but to say nothing? SPY tried quietly to provoke some discussion by staring at some D1 coaches who are the major offenders vis early verbals.
The silence of D1 coaches on these issues, notwithstanding their obvious preference for the closed-door discussions via the HCC process only reinforces the prevailing opinion that NFCA is primarily a D1 conference. Indeed, for all the good NFCA does through its awards, clinics, and the like – and this week’s technical sessions were alone worth the price of admission – it marches to a D1 drummer – even when good public relations argues for more openness. Perhaps the proposed Summit will be more productive.
At the end of the convention no decisive action was taken on the fall recruiting calendar or early verbals. We were left with a promise that these “hot topics” would be pursued through the D1 process.
The Judicial Alternative
When NFCA officials informed SPY before the business session that the four-week window was in effect a fait accompli for 2008, SPY advised that NCAA could be sued, and an injunction sought on grounds that players educational obligations were abrogated by the four-week window – counter to the rational which NFCA offered in obtaining NCAA concurrence.
SPY had been urged by certain D1 and travel ball coaches to consider filing such a brief, and on the floor Saturday cited that possibility of seeking an injunction which would set aside the four week window.
But, no D1 coach spoke in favor of rescinding the window, and the two most outspoken travel ball coaches were not at the convention.
On reflection of this lack of support, SPY has declared to NFCA officials that he would not file such a suit.
SPY’s rationale as stated afterward to NFCA officials:
“I am not Alonzo Quiana, the Man of La Mancha, given to tilting at windmills and fighting the unbeatable foe. While I strongly disagree with the way in which NFCA operates through the HCC, and deplore the secrecy, I also recognize majority will. The HCC is their preferred method of conducting business., and I hope for more transparency. I have been the advocate for others, driven by my concern for the players, but my role in softball is as a reporter. It is time for others to step up. If someone sues NCAA to suspend the fall calendar, I will report it, perhaps even support it, but a reporter informs about the news, a reporter does not make the news. My goal was to be heard at NFCA, and I was given that opportunity.” Note: if you’re getting the feeling that SPY was usually alone in debates, with the exception of motions offered by highschool and DII representatives, you’re right. Was feeling a bit like the Old Man and the Sea.
A VOICE FOR SOFTBALL
Division II coaches voted to create their own HCC to encourage DII coaches to be more proactive, while encouraging more members to be active in NFCA. The fact is that travel ball coaches are the largest group numerically in NFCA, but send the fewest members to conventions. More, as noted above, the top Gold teams and top 18A teams are not members. Perhaps the HCC model offers some opportunity for travel ball to coalesce. As NFCA officials said repeatedly, D1 coaches will do whatever they choose. Travel ball HCC would not over-rule D1 on fundamental college issues, but, perhaps, a travel ball HCC would be more open and more effective than travel ball coaches being on the sidelines of discussion, as they are now.
PITCHING DISTANCE
The original proposal sought to have all travel ball, starting with 14U, pitch from 43 feet. After objections, the motion was amended to include 16U. This proposal will be forwarded to ASA. The original rationale was that starting at 14U would enable college coaches to better evaluate talent at the lower levels. SPY objected: “we need to aid Darfur and resolve the crisis in the Middle East but we don’t need to make it easier for college coaches to recruit 15-year old children.”
The highschool coaches did adopt a proposal to recommend to the National Federation of High Schools that the pitching distance for highschools be moved from 40 feet to 43 feet.
To SPY’s knowledge, no motions were made with respect to metal cleats, which ASA recently rejected for Junior Olympic softball.
MORE TO COME
Waiting for clarification by NFCA on a few non-travel ball points, eg, umpiring. Will advise.
end