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April

Updated Tuesday September 11, 2018 by Nashua Cal Ripken.

4/2/18

 

Attendees: Pat Patterson, Amy Sweeney, Derek Thibeault, Matt Demers, Steve Drescher, J.D. Fier, Gary Smith, Paul Hebert

 

Absent: Paul Metivier, Andrew Witkowski

 

7:00 Call to order – Pat

 

7:00 Field Update – Steve D (ATTACHMENT)

  • Field Clean up – tentative 4/21

    • Clean trash, leaves, under bleachers, dugouts, there is to be no touching of fields

    • Need coaches to bring rakes, shovels, trash bags

    • JD will send team schedules for clean up

  • Regional Tournament

    • Scoreboard discussion

 

7:20 Clinics – Gary/Scott

  • Coaches Clinic run by Austin W. set for 4/8

  • Other items in the works with Austin and Bobby T from AB along with Play Ball and the High School coaches

  • Silver Knights Clinic set for June 3rd

 

7:30 Play Ball (Apparel & Info Distribution – Pat

  • Pat is working on the packets and schedule of events for 4/14 and 4/21

 

7:35 Schedule Discussion – J.D.

  • JD went over games and practices per level and the tight schedule we will have at the upper levels

  • All-Star uniforms must be ordered 1st week of May

  • 5 Star not using the field this year

  • The city wants an agreement on who is using the fields outside of NCR

 

7:40 Registration – Derek (for Andrew)

  • 480.  Still plenty of spots open for lower levels. 

  • Compared to April 1st last year (down 45 total)

  • Majors even (84 players)

  • AAA down slightly from 124 to 114

  • Minors is down significantly

  • Rookies is relatively even

  • Tee ball down ~10 from last year.

  • Majors Draft completed

  • AAA Draft scheduled for 4/5 at Great Harvest

 

7:50 Coordinators – All

  • T-Ball – Pat

  • Rookies – Chad

  • Minors – open possibly committee with Scott W and Andy W

  • AAA and Majors is open, Majors not needed

 

8:00 Fundraising & Sponsor Update – Amy & Angela

  • 4/12 Texas Roadhouse

    • Can do a 50/50 raffle

  • 5/15 Buffalo Wild Wings

  • Calendars

    • Rough draft done – needs a couple revisions

    • 10 Minimum sell, 25 for Sweatshirt

    • How many to print – 4800-5000

    • Getting an envelope this year

  • Sponsors

    • Need to get banner art to Matt

 

8:15 Finance Update – Paul

  • Finances are good

  • Only expenses so far were charter and insurance

  • Locksmith bill is all set

 

8:30 Media Update – Matt

  • New Logo/Branding

  • Trying to get communications out more than 7 days prior to event

 

8:45 Purchasing Update – Pat (For Paul M)

  • Uniforms will be in by the 14th

  • Baseballs in by this Friday 4/6

  • Equipment in by next week

  • J.D. asked about purchasing the umpire ap Arbitor cost is $10/per head/per year

 

8:50 Nashua Cal Ripken/Little League Exhibition - Derek

  • Agreed to do the exhibition again this year

    • Murray 4:00 (2 seeds) - Lajoie 7:00(1 seeds)

    • Need to pick a date for cutoff for standings

    • LL asked about AAA exhibition but we are not prepared at this time to do

    • Derek will work with Alex Comeau LL’s president

8:55 Silver Knights Nights - Pat

  • July 13th

  • June 13th – Back up date

 

Steve Drescher Attachment

Field Update

  • City is still planning on April 27 but that could change if the weather improves, everything dries

out and if they have the time to get to the middle schools and high school fields. These fields are

first priority then Cal Ripken and softball. This date confirmed via email on 4/2/18 with the Park

Rec Department.

  • City Field Priority List – submitted to the Park Rec, I stressed to the Park Rec that Jackson, Dube and Murray are priority fields.

Regional Tournament Update

  • As a board, we voted on hosting the 12-Year- Old Regional Tournament in January. We were not forced or talked into hosting this tournament. There was no pressure from the NE Cal Ripken Committee for us to take this tournament. They had two other options and if something were to happen, they would find a host for this summer. The Cal Ripken Regional process is to work with the host league and not put them in a financial crisis.

  • As we discussed as a group in November and December, we are running this tournament to strengthen our Cal Ripken program and not to make money. We will end up making infrastructure improvements that we probably would not do unless we had to. We want to put on a nice tournament to show case our league and have a great experience for the boys and parents.

  • With that, there are improvements that we should do to make this tournament first class.

    • Dube Field bullpen/warm up mound area

    • Gift bags for players

    • Windscreen for Dube and Murray; No room for one at Jackson due to press box

    • Scoreboard/pitch count – will be discussed below.

  • We had a very good Fundraiser the other night at the Club National for the 12-Year- Old Tournament. Thank you to the parents and everyone who attended and to Amy Sweeney for her generous contribution.

  • Courtyard Marriott – official hotel

  • In May the signing of the regionals contract will take place for the tournament at which time we

  • need to provide a check. We will be receiving trophies, baseballs, etc at this meeting. Date has not been determined.

  • Most of these donations are one-time donations and these individuals/companies are doing this

for the regionals of via contributions from people I know. These companies get hit up quite often and not looking to be ongoing sponsors.

  • Trying to get additional funding for the bullpen for Dube Field. This is requirement for the regional tournament.

  • Megan Haskall and Valerie Brown have been taking the lead in meeting with some parents. Today they had a meeting to bring forward anything they can do to help.

  • Need to discuss opening ceremonies. Will coordinate with Gary and if anyone else wants to be a part of this please let me know.

Scoreboards

  • We need to provide two working electronic scoreboards for the regionals. We have this today. This is adequate for the regionals. Confusion has come in when we asked for input on improvements on all the fields. Scoreboards were brought forward at both fields. Later on, Pat was approached by a family that wanted to purchase a score board as well as a company.

  • Initial verbal ballpark quote we were working with in the fall was 5-7K plus installation for approximately 10K.

  • Dube Field

    • Scoreboard works

    • Dimensions: 5 feet wide; little under 4 feet tall; add on panel is 3’

    • Suggestion: Keep existing score board

    • Purchase Home and Visitor pitch count – wireless solution

    • Add on Panel: Either one of the sponsors or put one on the front and one facing Amherst Street

  • Murray Field

    • Scoreboard works

    • Dimensions: 14’x5’; Scoreboard is 88” off the ground, with supports standing 102” apart.

    • There are several ways to attach a scoreboard to those steel posts.  Right now there are brackets that are screwed into the top and bottom of the scoreboard, keeping it in place.

    • Suggestion: Keep existing score board

    • Purchase Home and Visitor pitch count – wireless solution

    • Add on Panel: Either one of the sponsors

Questions:

  • Do we need new scoreboards?

  • Can we purchase pitch count add on parts; Do we want to do this?

  • How best for signage at each field for the donations?

Action Items from Meeting:

  • Pat will look into wireless remote pitch counters for each field

  • Pat will look into if existing scoreboard at Dube can be converted to wireless access

  • Pat, Matt, JD, Steve get best cost info we can and Pat will present to potential donors

  • JD will assist with install questions. Per Pat the vendor does not require a particular installer for warranty purposes

  • Steve D will get a formal quote for the Dube Field bullpen

  • Steve D will notify Park Rec that field cleanup day is April 21

  • JD and Matt D will send out communications about field cleanup