NEW PLAYERS TO SMGSA IN 8U AND HIGHER DIVISIONS (INCLUDING THOSE MOVING UP FROM 6U) ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A SKILLS EVALUATION IN JANUARY.

 

This evaluation is not a try-out as all registered players are placed on a team. The evaluation is a way for the Managers and Board of Directors to assess each player in order to create teams that are equal as possible. If you played at SMGSA during the prior spring season, your coach provided player ratings that are used during team selection

All Pitchers (8U and higher) plus Catchers (10U and higher) are also asked to attend a Skills Evaluations day. The 6U players do not have evaluations.

Preliminaries

To ensure equitable distribution of talent, all players in the 8U, 10U, 12U and 14/16U divisions will participate in player evaluations. Additionally, all pitchers and catchers will have their specific position skills evaluated.

Prospective managers or their designated representatives are required to attend evaluations. In addition, the player agent will require that managers help to conduct the evaluations for a division other than the one in which they are managing.

The player agent and competition committee will attend and supervise all player evaluations. The player agent will provide each manager a list of all the registered players in his/her division. The list will have spaces for managers to enter pitcher and catcher rating points, along with general player rating points.

SMGSA Competition Committee

Starting with July 2010, and each year thereafter at its first meeting, generally in July, the SMGSA Executive Board will choose three of its members to serve as a competition committee, hereafter referred to as the CC. If the League President is not among the three chosen to serve on the CC, he/she will participate in CC discussions as a non-voting observer. One of the goals of the SMGSA is to achieve competitive balance between teams. The CC is formed to assist the league in accomplishing this goal by overseeing player evaluation and selection policies and making decisions on matters affecting league parity and fair competition. In the event that one or more of the CC members has a conflict of interest involving a decision to be made by the CC, two alternate members should also be picked, so that they may serve the remaining members will choose another board member as a replacement. Specific situations that create a conflict of interest include, but are not limited to:

• CC member is a parent of a player who will be specifically affected by a CC decision.
• CC member is a parent of a player whose TEAM will be specifically affected by a CC decision.
• CC member is a manager or coach of a team that would be specifically affected by a CC decision.
• CC member has or had a current season request for a CC ruling that is identical or closely related to the decision at hand.

(Note: these situations are not intended to include decisions that affect all age divisions)

Playing Above Or Below USA-Eligible Division

It is highly recommended that players participate in their correct USA-eligible age division. Parent requests for a player to participate at a higher-than-eligible division will only be considered under conditions deemed in the best interests of the league, as decided by the CC. The only conditions that warrant a player participating at a higher division are:

•     A pitcher expected to be singularly dominant in her correct age-eligible division. Such a pitcher will be assigned pitcher rating points in the top 50% of pitchers in the older age division, and, if a manager’s pre- draft round assignment, will be assigned to round one.
• A special parent request to keep siblings together on the same team, managed by a parent or relative. 
• The need for additional players to complete rosters in a higher division. 
• A surplus of pitchers exists in the younger division, and less than one pitcher available for each team in the older division. 
• Players who did not participate in SMGSA during the previous spring season will be ineligible to play at a division higher than her youngest USA-eligible division. 
• To be considered for “play up”, a player must have been selected to an SMGSA primary (gold) all-star team the previous summer by vote, not manager selection, at the age level immediately preceding the level requested. 
• Players who play up through parental request will be eligible for all stars in the division they play in only. If a player “plays up” as a result of a board decision then the girl will have the option to play down for in her USA-eligible division for all stars. 
• A player in her last year of 6U eligibility, after parental or league request, may be considered for play in the 8U division. The player must have played at least one season in 6U division and must attend 8U evaluations. The CC and player agent will review player skills, maturity and league needs and make a placement decision. 

If appropriate, the CC may request that a player participate at a level lower than her correct age-eligible division. Parent permission is required before a player is asked to participate outside her correct age-eligible division. 

If a player is recommended for participation outside her correct age-eligible division, she will be evaluated in both her correct age-eligible division AND the division for which she is recommended. 

Evaluation Procedure (pitchers) 

Pitcher evaluations will include an extra component in addition to general player evaluations. Pitchers will be given an opportunity to display command of a variety of pitches, if applicable. 

Each manager should consider each pitcher’s skills in each of the following categories: 

• Speed 
• Accuracy
• Variety/Command of Pitches 

Considering the skills above, each manager will enter a whole-number rating of 1-low to 5-high for each pitcher. 

Evaluation Procedure (Catchers) 

10U and older catchers will be provided with full catcher’s gear and given the opportunity to demonstrate catching skills. Each manager should consider each catcher’s skills in each of the following categories: 

• Ability to catch pitched balls and block low pitches Agility behind the plate
• Arm strength and accuracy throwing to bases 

Each manager will consider the skills above, and enter a whole number rating of 1-low to 10-high for each catcher. 

Evaluation Procedure (all players) 

All players will be given an opportunity to display a variety of softball skills at player evaluations. Each manager should consider each player’s skills in each of the following categories: 

• Outfield fielding and throwing 
• Infield fielding and throwing 
• Hitting
• Base running 
• Bunting (optional)

Considering the skills above, each manager will enter a whole-number rating of 1-low to 10-high for each player. 

Compilation and Presentation of Ratings 

After player evaluations, the player agent will average all player ratings to generate a rating for each player (rounded to tenths). Pitcher and catcher ratings, if applicable, will be averaged separately, and listed under a separate heading for each pitcher and catcher. For draft purposes, a player’s official rating is the sum of her player rating and pitcher rating. Catcher rating points are not included in a player’s official rating. The CC reserves the right to adjust a player’s rating if it appears that a gross misjudgment of actual talent is evident. 

The player agent will compile all ratings for and construct an official draft list for each division. Drafts lists may include the following information: 

Player’s Name
Birth Year
School
Player Rating
Pitcher Rating (if applicable) Catcher Rating (if applicable)

Previous year rating (if available)
Previous year all-star?
Sister in same draft?
Parent offer to coach / be a team parent
Special Requests (ex. “same team” placement, manager requests) 

Ratings Completed By Manager For Following Year 

No later than one week, prior to all-star evaluations, managers will complete a rating sheet for each player on his/her team and submit said sheet to the Player Agent. A manager will not be able to participate in the all-star selection meeting if ratings sheets have not been submitted. 

Rating sheets will include 1-low to 10-high number ratings for several playing skills, along with pitching skills on a 1-low to 5-high scale, if applicable. 

Managers will also be asked to comment on other player attributes including, but not limited to, attitude, spirit, reliability, and knowledge of the game. Level of parent participation will also be requested. 

Prior to the spring draft for the following season, the Player Agent will average all numeric ratings for each player to form a base rating. The CC may make adjustments for one or more of the following considerations: 

• Comparison between team average rating and average rating in the age division.
• Uniform rating decrease to account for upcoming age-division jump.
• Updated pitcher ratings obtained for returning pitchers at the following spring player evaluations. 

Ratings obtained from the prior season’s rating sheet will be available in the following season’s draft.