August, 2003
To: All potential Travel
Players and Parents,
Prior to having your daughter try out, Miss Shen would like
you and your daughter to
take the following information into consideration:
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Travel team player rosters are
selected shortly after the try out and carry 12-14 players per team. Generally, each age division will have an
“A” level team and a “B” level team.
The number of players on a roster is at the discretion of the coach.
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Practice will
probably begin when the cold weather arrives. Most teams practice in school
gyms beginning in November with a few weeks off during December for the
Holidays. Practice will resume after the New Year. When field conditions permit, practice outdoors will begin 1-2
days per week during the months of April and May. Practice with your travel team is in addition to your recreation
games and practices;
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The travel-playing season may
begin as early as Memorial weekend and continue into June, July, and end in
early August. Travel teams participate
in the Hudson Mohawk (HM) travel league and numerous tournaments throughout the
playing season. You can expect that HM
games will begin the first Sunday in June and continue the following two
Sundays with double-header day games.
After the school year ends, generally, travel teams play two nights per
week beginning at 6:15 PM, but may have more or less games during a week,
depending on the HM schedule. Unlike
recreational play, games are not necessarily held on the same day from week to
week. You may, at the coach’s
discretion, be expected to be at all game locations at least 1 hour prior to
the start of game time. The team will
play a 12-14 game HM season that includes one-half of games played at Miss Shen
and the remaining games at visiting locations.
The locations of the away games are local (e.g., Latham, E, Greenbush,
and Saratoga, but may be as far as Amsterdam, Hoosick Falls or
Queensbury). In addition to the HM games,
at the coach’s discretion, practices may be held during the playing season. Typically, your team will participate in at
least four tournaments from May-August. Most local invitational tournaments
begin with a three game pool play beginning with one game on Friday night and
two on Saturday, or all three played Saturday, with single elimination games
beginning Sunday morning. Each player is expected to attend these games. At the team’s discretion, additional
tournaments may be played out of town and require overnight stay.
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Commitment from
both the player and parent is a very big part of being on a travel team. There is much effort, time, and money
invested in a travel team. It is
expected, with limited exceptions, that all players attend all practices and
games. However, we realize that special
occasions do arise (e.g., school functions, religious commitment, weddings,
etc.,) and sometimes they are unexpected;
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Parent involvement and participation is a
very big part of being on a travel team. With your daughter’s selection to a
team, you are also being selected to
be part of the team. You will be
required to bring your daughter to all/most practices. When determining your vacation plans or
other activities, you will need to consider the team’s HM and tournament game
schedule. When a conflict arises with
your schedule, you are expected to notify your coach well in advance. In
addition, beyond writing the usual checks for the cost of gym usage, uniforms,
registration fee, misc. equipment, tournament fees not covered by the league,
and out of town tournament expenses, you will be asked to help prepare fields
before games and work the concession stand when assigned. If you are not able to attend your scheduled
work assignment, it will be your responsibility to find a replacement;
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Consequences resulting
from failure to comply with any of these rules could affect your daughter’s
playing time. In fact, if there is a
history of a player missing too many games during a season, it could affect
whether your daughter is selected for a team.
This is because it is not fair to the other 11-12 players on the team
who have worked through practices and prioritized their schedule to accommodate
the needs of the team. Absences
require a team to carry additional players to compensate for possible shortages. Carrying more players than otherwise needed
simply to cover unscheduled absence results in more bench time for all
players. This is not fair to the player
that has dedicated and committed their time to the team;
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The travel program is a competitive program and
is a separate program and is distinctly different from the Miss Shen recreation
program. Positions and playing time are earned. There is no guarantee of playing time or
that your daughter will play her favorite fielding position. Playing time and fielding positions are
assigned at the discretion of the coaching staff and will be made based on the
needs of the team and the player’s performance.
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The intention of this notice is
to bring to your attention the above expectations of both players and
parents. It is not intended to scare potential
players from participating. The travel
program is very exciting for players and parents. Players have a great time learning the game, supporting
teammates, and building friendship through softball.
Thank you for your time,
Bill Steele
2003 President
Miss Shen Softball