bcasa election of directors and officers

BCASA
ELECTION OF
DIRECTORS
AND
OFFICERS
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In accordance with the Handbook of the Constitution: Part 5 – Directors
Position
President
In Nomination
Jake Dewitt
From
District 9
As there were no other nominations for the
position of President by the deadline of
September 18, 2014 it is proposed that the
incumbent remain in the position by
acclamation.
Minor Director
Ann Holmes
District 9
As there were no other nominations for the
position of Minor Director by the deadline of
September 18, 2014 it is proposed that the
incumbent remain in the position by
acclamation.
Senior Director
Rob Upton
Jim Ullock
District 7
District 7
Director of Coaching
Joni Frei
Kevin Langley
District 9
District 7
Member-at-Large
Lori Skinner
Kim Shelley
David Wilson
District 1
District 1
District 12
New directors will take office after the Motion to
Adjourn of the 2014 Annual General Meeting
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Rob Upton
Position: Senior Director
Two years ago I was elected to the Softball BC board of directors. During that time, I have
learned a great deal as a director, while maintaining contact with the senior softball community
as the coach of a Senior A Women’s team. I would like to build on that experience in the senior
category by representing male and female players as well as clubs at the board level. I feel I
could better accomplish this as the senior director of SBBC.
My strengths include:
 An ability to make tough decisions
 Develop programmes and processes to attract and retain participants to softball
 In touch with both the Minor and Senior Fastpitch communities as an executive member
of Surrey Storm
 History of supporting Softball BC
Experience:
1994 – Present: Member Softball BC
1994 – Present: Coach Surrey Storm Fastpitch (Senior Women)
1997 – 2008: President of Surrey Storm Fastpitch
1999-2003: Vice President Cloverdale Minor Softball
2000-2003: Cloverdale Athlete Park Games Supervisor, Canada Cup
2004 – 2009: Cloverdale Athlete Park Site Supervisor, Canada Cup
2005: Co-Chair of Bantam Girls Canadian Championship, Cloverdale Athlete Park
2007: Transportation Chair for the Junior and Senior Women’s Canadian Championships
2009-Present: Senior Director, Surrey Storm Fastpitch
2009-2010: Member, Board of Directors, Canadian Open Fastpitch
2010: Site Supervisor, Canadian Open Fastpitch (Cloverdale Athlete Park)
2000-2011: Member of Stacy Soldan Memorial Tournament Organizing Committee
2012: Member of Kassandra Kaulius Memorial Tournament Organizing Committee
2012: Venue Supervisor for Surrey BC Summer Games
2013: Elected to Board of Directors as Member at Large
2014: Provincial Advisor for BC Summer Games, Nanaimo
2014: Chair of Boundary Review Committee for Softball BC
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Jim Ullock
Position: Senior Director
Jim moved to British Columbia in 1976. He was stationed at CFB Esquimalt and began his Naval
Career at the age of 17.
Jim's love for fastpitch began during his stay in Victoria when he had the privilege of watching
the Victoria Bates Men’s’ Fastball Team play at Royal Athletic Park with crowds in excess of
1500! Hordes of fans came out to cheer on their team.
Having never playing organized ball as a kid, but having the desire to one day play at a high level
of competition, Jim started his fastpitch career at the late age of 18.
His first attempt to play on a team was while in the navy and posted on HMCS Provider. He did
not make the team but was told by Coach Keith Hazel (BC Softball Hall of Fame) that he had
potential, that he should keep working on it and come back next year.
The following year and for 37 years after that, Jim has never looked back. He has been part of
many teams: playing; coaching; managing; umpiring; and, parenting the game of Fastpitch
Softball.
Major Playing Accomplishments
 World Masters Champions
 Western Canadian Champions
 Provincial Masters Champions
 Provincial Men’s Champions.
Current Playing Status
 Senior Men’s Roster
 Master 40+ Roster
 Master 50+ Roster
Jim’s passion for the game has also been demonstrated with the minor side of the game. In
1986 his minor coaching career began when he coached his son during his first year of Mites
with Esquimalt Minor Softball.
Coaching Accomplishments
 NCCP Level 3 Technical
 Canpitch Regional Instructor
 NCCP Softball Pitching Instructor
 Men’s Provincials Champions
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Masters Provincial Champions
Masters Western Champions
Summer Games Minor Champions
Western Canada Games Bronze
Provincial Minors Champions
Provincial Regional Champions
Going into his 30th year of coaching with BC Softball and over the past decade, Jim has worked
on the executive of Cloverdale Minor Softball Association where he has shared his passion with
hundreds of young athletes looking to hone their skills.
Currently Jim is working with more than 200 kids in a weekly development program where he
has erected a year round softball training complex. The complex features a full 75’ dirt infield
as well as pitching lanes and hitting lanes. The program focusses on individual and player
development. Jim also provides pitching instruction using the Canpitch Program .
Jim has been sharing his passion and love for the game of fastpitch for 38 years strong and
looks forward to many years to come as an ambassador for the sport he truly loves!
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JONI FREI
SOFTBALL B.C. DIRECTOR OF COACHING APPLICATION
CAREER EXPERIENCE
CURRENT:
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Technical Director South Surrey White Rock Minor Softball Association
Head Coach Canada Futures Collegiate Showcase Team
Certified Teacher (K-12) British Columbia & Georgia.
Owner of Beyond The White Lines Softball Academy
NCCP CANpitch Regional Pitching Instructor
NCCP Learning Facilitator
TSC Strength & Conditioning Coach
8 year member of National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)
Executive Member SSWRMSA
Executive Member Team B.C. Softball NAIG
3 Star Coach NFCA Coaches College
FORMER:
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Gold Medal North American Indigenous Games (Head Coach Team B.C. NAIG)
International Softball Clinician: Denmark, Italy, Holland, Austria, Germany
Instructor of Physical Education Mercer University
Associate Head Coach “America’s Team”
Pre-nursing Biology Instructor-Sprott-Shaw College
Technical Director, Head Coach, Recruiting Coordinator of Okanagan Elite Softball Association
Head Softball Coach Austrian National Team
Assistant Softball Coach Mercer University (NCAA DIV I)
Kennesaw State University Assistant Softball Coach (NCAA DIV I)
Member of the Dutch Professional Softball League
Georgia Military College Assistant Softball Coach (GJCAA)
Reinhardt College Assistant Softball Coach (NAIA)
Health Studies Instructor Georgia Military College
Director of Softball Operations at The Next Level Athlete Development Center
Twist Sport Conditioning Strength & Conditioning Coach
EDUCATION
Kennesaw State University
Master of Public Administration
Aug 2005 – May 2006
Georgia College & State University
B. Sc. Health and Physical Education: Kinesiology & Teacher Certification
Cum Laude
Aug 2000 – May 2005
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Kevin Langley
SOFTBALL B.C. DIRECTOR OF COACHING APPLICATION
Executive Positions
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Chairman – Lower Mainland Softball Committee – 2007 - Current
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President - South Surrey White Rock Minor Softball Association - 2005 - 2011
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Host Committee – Canada Cup International Women Softball Tournament - 2006 – 2010
Coaching Positions
Head Coach
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Storm 2000A – 2013-Current
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New Westminster Squirt C - 2013
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Delta Heat 95 – 2011-2012
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SSWRMSA Thunder 93 – 2007-2011
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SSWRMSA Thunder 98 – 2009 – 2010
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SSWRMSA Thunder 91 – 2006 – 2007
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SSWRMSA Girls’ softball C level(Peewee and Bantam) team 2004 – 2006
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Boys Baseball Team 2004 – 2007
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Adult Softball Team 1994 - 2004
Assistant Coach
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Poco Ravens Junior Ladies 2011-2012
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Douglas College 2009 – 2011
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SSWRMSA Thunder Midget B 2007-2008
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SSWRMSA Thunder 93 2006-2007
Training and Certifications
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NCCP Level 2 – Softball
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NCCP Level 1 - Baseball
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Umpire Level 2 - Softball
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Learn to Play introduction seminar 2005
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Lori Skinner
Position Objective: Member-at-Large
Lori Skinner
lyskinne@shaw.ca
250-704-0406
My softball career started 45 years ago. In 1969 I joined the Esquimalt Softball Association. I
played my last fastball game at the age of 49 in Edmonton at the World Master’s Games.
In 1983 while playing at South Hill Memorial Park we discovered minor girl’s teams playing out
of Little Mountain, which was the baseball/softball program. We wanted to bring these girls into
the Softball BC program, so started a minor girls’ league at the Hill. These teams needed
coaches, hence my coaching career started.
In 1988 I moved home to Victoria to end my playing career and concentrate on my coaching
career. As my playing days were almost done and not sure if I really wanted to coach forever,
wondered how I could stay in the game. An umpire approached me and said why you don’t give
this a try. I have been officiating for over 20 years now.
While I was coaching, playing and umpiring, Pat Hall approached me to ask if I would become
the District 1 Senior Coordinator. I told her I was a little busy at the time and it would have to
wait. I became the District 1 Senior Coordinator in 2005 and held the position for 8 years.
I have seen this game evolve over the years with category changes and age changes within
categories.
There was no “C” division when I started out and adult recreation leagues were not associated
with Softball BC.
In the senior ranks we have bent over backwards to try and save the Men’s program. We want
more participation at Western’s and Canadian’s. In the Women’s program we have adopted what
other provinces do. We send the top 2 teams to the Canadian and the next eligible team to the
Western. We now allow a year to fundraise.
We have offered gift packages to recreational leagues so they too can show off the Softball BC
logo.
In the Minor program, we need the grassroots players as they have become the foundation of
Softball BC.
We have some good Minor Coordinators out there that every year try to be proactive with the
many motions they bring to the table.
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For the umpire program to be sustainable we need kids to be brought along and protected from
harassment until they are old enough to handle it. Some umpires need to take a step back from
their own agenda and help out.
Ladies and Gentlemen I would be honoured if you elected me as your Member-at-Large.
Respectfully,
Lori Skinner
History
Player 1969- 2005
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Successfully played in many Provincials and Western’s
Had the honour of representing BC at 2 Canadians bringing home a medal in 1 and a personal
award in another.
Played in 2 World Master’s Games bringing home a medal in 1.
Coach 1983- current
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Coached minor up to recreational and elite ladies ball.
Umpire 1992-current
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Umpire- in-Chief at Langford Fastball for 5 years
Umpire-in-Chief at 3 provincials
Umpired many Provincials and a few Western’s
Umpired at a Canadian
District Coordinator – 2005-2014
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This position has given me the opportunity to represent Softball BC as the supervisor at many
provincials, both Senior and Minor. I was honoured to be the Assistant Supervisor at the
Master’s Men Western’s. In 2012 and the Supervisor at the 2014 U16 Boys and Girls Western.
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Kim Shelley
Position: Member-at-Large
I have been involved in Softball for as far back as I can remember. In various capacities, I have held positions
on executive association committees of Men’s, Women’s and Minor organizations over the years. My current
positions is Past-President of the Victoria Saanich Women’s Fastball League. I am also a coach of a Women’s
Senior A team.
My coaching experience include: Minor Girls – A and B, Junior Women A and B, Senior Women A and B
and Zone 6 Summer Games (female). I am on the fields with the players and with the membership.
I am a trained NCCP facilitator and have delivered the Learn to Play curriculum and certified hundreds of
coaches in British Columbia.
Softball has provided my family with amazing memories. This is important because I am apprehensive that
softball is a dying sport and we all need to be concerned that other families may not be afforded the
opportunity to create those memories! The continual decline of registrations should be an alarming to all of us.
We need to examine the facts and CHANGE what we are doing. What we have been doing hasn’t been
working, the numbers show that.
As a coach, my faith and respect for Softball BC has not grown and in fact I would say has diminished. When
speaking with other coaches and players, I hear many of the same concerns. These concerns include lack of
communication, lack of transparency, and apparent favoritism for certain areas, divisions or leagues, to name a
few. While I am not 100% certain of any or all of these are true or partially true, I too have some of these
feelings.
I was prepared to walk away, to convince teams and associations to look for alternatives to being a member of
Softball BC. Walking away is easy. I have never been known to take the easy route. I am part of this
membership, I am a consumer. I am asking you to allow me to advocate for every member of Softball BC to
have a voice, to be heard and to be treated with respect.
I would like to know that Softball BC is considering and will put your concerns forward regarding the
following issues: The Olympic Committee decision on Softball back in the Olympics. Is Softball BC prepared
if Softball is allowed back into the Olympics? Are we going to allow other provinces to produce better, more
willing athletes to represent Canada? Will our province have the best athletes ready to take the field to
represent BC on Canada’s National Softball Team? Do we put enough resources into the house programs to
keep our program alive? Do we create enough excitement for athletes to choose Softball over other sports?
Do we keep our spectators engaged? Are our coaches feeling properly supported? Are the rules applied fairly
to all members? Is it time to listen to the concerns and frustrations of the membership and do what we can to
make dealing with the governing bod of this sport a positive experience?
Being around for the length of time I have, you may have heard my name. I question things. I stand up for the
rights of all Softball BC members. I respect the game. I want my future grandchildren to play this sport. I
look for the best solution. My goal as Member-at-Large is to be there for you as a coach, league executive
member, or player. I will speak out for you and demand answers. I will share those answers. If elected, I will
be a Director that helps the membership to understand and bring clarity to policies, processes and procedures
of Softball BC.
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David Wilson
Position: Member-at-Large
david101@shaw.ca
Coaching & Volunteering
2012 – 2014 Spruce City Minor Boys Softball Association, Prince George, BC
2014 – U12 Coach “C” Boys
U16 Coach “B” Boys
Zone 8 Boys Summer Games Coach
Executive member, Treasurer SCMBSA
2013 – U12 Coach “C” Boys
Executive member, Treasurer SCMBSA
2012 – U12 Coach “C” Boys
2012 – 2014
Prince George Spruce Kings Junior A Hockey Club, BCHL
2014 – Board of Director Member, Treasurer
2013 – Board of Director Member, Treasurer
2012 – Host Services Volunteer
1993 – 2005 Cloverdale Minor Softball Association
1995 - 2005 Squirt to Midget Coach Boys
1996 - 2003 Executive member, CMSA
2002 - District 7 Minor Coordinator – Softball BC - Interm
2000 - Zone 3 Boys Summer Games Coach
2000 - NCCP Level 2 Coach Certification
1999 - NCCP Level 1 Coach Certification
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