Greetings Present and Future SEFP Parents and Players,

 It’s currently early December and yet the Southeast Board is diligently working to prepare for the upcoming 2012 Spring Season. It’s crazy! Our young Board has one full Spring and Fall under our collective belt, and we’ve learned a lot about what to expect over the course of a season (instead of just winging it!!). We’re ready to hit the ground running for the Spring, and I’d like to take a few moments to give everyone an idea of where we’re heading for 2012.

We’re currently making a big push for registration, which begins in January. We have (or will have) printed close to 7000 fliers and are delivering them to all Vail elementary schools as well as, for the first time ever, to the TUSD schools that fall into our boundaries (22nd and Wilmot). We will complete this before students go on Christmas break, so keep your eyes peeled for the handouts that come home with your daughter. We’ve also ordered 100 registration signs that we will post throughout our boundaries toward the end of December. Those signs will direct people to our website where they can either register there or get information about our registration tables.

We will also be conducting a series of “Spring Training” days in February. The goal of these are three-fold: to teach or provide a refresher course on the basics of softball to our girls; to serve as a skills assessment for the girls so that we can balance the talent across multiple teams; and to serve as training days for new and existing coaches, where they can learn to teach the skills of softball as well as to pick up useful drills to keep practices moving. We hope that this will help us in the process of forming fair/balanced teams, and also to help those teams hit the ground running once practices start.

We need volunteers. Students are more apt to excel in a classroom with a low teacher to student ratio. The same goes with softball. The most successful teams are often the ones who have several volunteers helping to coach and teach players the basic skills of softball. The truth of the matter is that even if we experience a minimal amount of growth over last year’s numbers, we won’t be able to handle it with our current pool of volunteers. This is my number one concern for 2012. Please contact me if you can help with one of our teams. I’d love to have a pool of coaches-in-waiting, prepared and ready to take on a team instead of scrambling at the last minute to find a coach who reluctantly steps up as a “last resort” for a newly formed team. For those of you who have volunteered as a coach or manager this past year, I give you a HUGE THANK YOU! This league wouldn’t exist without your help.

I could go on and on, but feel like I’ve rambled on enough. Keep checking our website, www.southeastfastpitch.com for announcements, registration, important dates, etc. And thanks again for investing in Southeast Fastpitch!

Sincerely,

Derek Batterham

President

Southeast Fastpitch

My name is Derek Batterham, and I’m the new president of Southeast Fastpitch Softball. The Spring season is just around the corner, and I wanted to take a moment to touch base with those of you who have participated in the league in the past as well as those who have indicated an interest in future participation.

My daughters have played in this league for the past five years during which time we’ve seen the league prosper as well as struggle, usually on a year to year basis. I have seen the potential of SEFP and believe that it can become a great place for girls to not only learn the fundamentals of softball and good sportsmanship, but also a place that produces teams that can compete at a high level and have FUN in the process. This year, I believe we’re on the right track. For the first time in league history we have a fully functioning five-member board who share my belief in the potential of Southeast Fastpitch Girls Softball, and are passionate about seeing the league thrive.

There are several factors that will determine whether SEFP thrives or merely survives this next season. The first is parental involvement. In my experience, it takes a hands-on staff of at least 4 (ideally 5) to successfully coach & engage a team (8U and up). As you all well know, the attention span of young girls (and boys) is heinously short, so in order to have productive practices that keep the girls engaged, it’s important to have multiple coaches running multiple drills. The ideal staff would have a head coach, 2 assistant coaches, a dugout manager (female), and an assistant manager (female). The dugout managers could also function as assistant coaches, though Baja rules state that two female managers must be in the dugout during games. We currently have needs for coaches, assistant coaches, and managers at all age levels. There are also needs at the league level, from helping out with league registration tables in January, to planning and helping with Opening Ceremonies in March. Please contact me if you can help!

The second factor is financial. In the past, the league has survived on registration fees and candy bar sales to meet the minimum budgetary needs such as player uniforms, umpire fees, league awards, and tournament fees. It doesn’t even begin to address needs such as replacing equipment, or training coaches and players. This year Tucson Parks and Registration has also implemented a new “Field Usage Fee” which charges teams $8.00 for a two-hour block of light usage. This will add an estimated $1200 to our Spring budget. In an attempt to keep our registration costs down and therefore more affordable, we are recruiting a team of corporate sponsors who can contribute tax deductible donations to the league. If you are a business owner or know of a business who might be interested in contributing, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Finally, the third factor is verbal. We need your help in recruiting and spreading the word about Baja Girls Softball. Talk to friends and family members. We also will be posting registration fliers in local businesses as well as distributing them to Southeast elementary schools. Again, if you can help…well, you know the drill.

Some important dates to remember: registration will start January 1st. Please check out our website (www.southeastfastpitch.com) for registration forms, dates, and registration locations. This season, you will be able to register on our website (for a small processing fee). We will also be conducting a coaching clinic on February 26th where we will cover areas of skills training (hitting, pitching, fielding, throwing), league rules, avoiding BORING practices, etc. WE WON’T LET OUR VOLUNTEERS GO INTO THE SEASON FEELING UNPREPARED!! Practices begin March 1st followed by Opening Ceremonies and league play beginning March 18-19. Again, please be sure to check the website regularly for times, dates, and locations.

I know I’ve been a little long-winded here and I thank you for your patience while I outline the needs of our league. The bottom line is that with your help we can create a softball culture here in Southeast Tucson that will thrive for years to come. Will you join us? On behalf of the whole Southeast Fastpitch board, thank you!

Sincerely,

Derek J. Batterham

President Southeast Fastpitch

Southeast Fastpitch Board

Derek Batterham     President

Patricia Doty          Vice President

Stephanie Pacheco  Player Agent

Gwen Muskiet         Secretary/Treasurer

Sondra Brink           Safety Officer/Equipment Manager