Mission Statement:
The goal of the Softball Players Committee is to create a first class Softball League in Torrington and maintain the highest quality Softball League possible by working with everyone at all levels from Players, Sponsors, the Recreation Commission, and the Recreation Department.
Summary:
1. The Torrington Softball Committee works to ensure that the voice of the
Softball Sponsors, Managers, and Players are taken into consideration when decisions are made that affect the game, rules, safety and playing conditions.
2. The Torrington Softball Committee offers the Recreation Commission and the Recreation Department the advantage of knowing what the Torrington Softball teams really want in their League.
Organization:
1. The Torrington Softball Committee has been established with a 5-member board consisting of either Team managers, Sponsors or a Representative appointed by such teams to carry out the responsibilities of the Softball Committee and to act in accordance with the guidance and support of the Recreation Commission and or Recreation Department.
2. When a committee member is needed, the remaining softball committee members appoint the new committee member through a vote. (Majority).
3. Committee members should be well qualified with a strong understanding of the league and ideally be Managers, Sponsors or players that have many years of experience within the Softball league.
Communication:
1. During the season, the Softball Committee members are responsible to talk with the Team managers, Sponsors and Players to get a feel of what they want in the league.
2. The Team managers should receive a list of names of the representatives on the Softball Committee, whom they could contact to voice their opinions on the state of the league.
3. If a Team Manager wanted to contact a committee member, he would call the Committee member assigned to the division he plays in.
4. It is to be made very clear that the Softball Committee is in no way, shape or form to act as an Arbitrator in any disagreement between teams, players and or the Recreation Department or Commission.
5. If such a disagreement or problem were to arise, the Softball Committee would not get involved and let the parties discuss their issues.
6. In effect, the Softball Committee is not a bargaining unit for the Softball players.
Surveys:
1.There will be many ideas and suggestions made.
2. The Committee will conduct Surveys to determine what the teams in the league feel should be done to help improve the league.
3. The Survey questions will be determined be sampling ideas and getting feedback from the teams in the league.
4. The Committee will meet to determine which questions; improvements or ideas have merit for consideration to be placed on the Survey.
5. Naturally, it is impossible to have every proposal put on a survey.
6. The committee, will at times, look to consult the Recreation Commission or Recreation Department as to the merits of including questions on the survey.
7. In a Survey, Players from the League would be given an opportunity to vote on proposals for the league.
8. These Proposals would then be tallied and the final vote would be given to the Recreation Commission and the Recreation Department for Evaluation.
9. The final vote would also be published on the Torrington Softball web site.
12. The team managers and the Recreation Commission would by no means consider the Survey a binding agreement.
13. The Survey is simply the voice of the teams in the league expressing their opinions on what they feel would improve the league and make the league more enjoyable.
14. The Recreation Commission, the Recreation Department and the city of Torrington have the final say.
League Meetings:
1. At least once a year, the Softball Committee will recommend that a meeting be held for all Team Managers before the rosters are available, to talk over the changes that will take place in the league in the upcoming year.
2. Members of the Recreation Commission should attend along with the Softball Committee to exchange ideas and offer input.
3. If needed, the Softball Committee would like to hold a meeting with the Team Managers after the season in the early Fall to touch base with the teams as to the progress everyone feels is being made by the Softball Committee and to talk about the issues that face the league.
Web Site:
www.torringtonsoftball.com
1. There is a web site operating for Torrington Softball right now. The site includes Rules, Schedules, Standings and League information. This web site has been online since 1999 and has been supported by the Recreation Department.
2. An area for the Softball Committee has been created on the Torrington Softball Web site.
3. The web site has on it, the description of what the Softball Committee is about. An updated document similar to this will be published on the web site for any clarification when needed by Team managers, Sponsors or players as to what the intent of the Softball Committee is.
4. The Web site will maintain a Players feedback form. This form would be in place year round and offer the players a chance to submit their thoughts on ideas for league improvements.
6. The forms submitted via E-mail are being kept in a separate file under a given name such as Feedback Forms 2002.
7. The feedback forms are free for viewing at any time by any of the Committee members, Recreation Commission members or an official from the Recreation Department.
8. This Feedback forms are used to gather information though out the year on the state of the league and the feeling of players who wish to input their thoughts.
Field Improvements:
1. The Committee will look at alternative ways to help improve the facilities at the Toro fields. These alternative methods could include donations, benefit tournaments and other ideas to establish and keep the Toro fields in top-notch condition for Softball.
Costs:
1. Cost to the city is zero!
2. The Softball Committee uses their own funding and works with donations to sustain the Committee.
3. A Players Committee Account has been established and is now set up at the Recreation Office.
4. All Monies contributed to the Players Committee will be held in the Player Committee Account fund at the Recreation office of the City of Torrington.
3. All the Softball Committee may ask for is the use of the Armory for a Meeting as outlined in the League Meeting section of this proposal.
1.In the event that the Softball Committee needs to express their opinion, offer suggestions, or state the position of the committee to the Recreation commission, Commissioner, Recreation Director or employee, City employee or Mayor, a consensus must be agreed upon and voted on by all committee members. (Majority)
2. Everyone on the Softball Committee does agree and understand that under no circumstance that any decision is made or acted upon without the express consent of the entire Softball Committee through a vote (Majority).
3. All Committee members must be able and willing to put aside their own opinions so as to make sure the feedback and input that we give to the Recreation Department and the city of Torrington is not tainted for personal gain.
4. In the event that a committee member is found to be in violation of one or more of the By-Laws, a meeting would be held to determine the extent of such violation and if needed, in extreme cases, a vote will be taken by the other 4 members of the Committee to terminate such member from the committee (Majority).