Messages from the Commissioner

2012-02-07T14:29:00.001-08:00

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER

There are a number of important events that are coming up during the next several weeks. Please take note of these dates

CANDIDATES FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS – DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR NAME IN WRITING, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012 - Members who would like to run must submit their name in writing to Rob Stothard, rvstothard@aol.com no later than 2/28/12.
ANNUAL MEETING – TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012 @ 8:30 AM – There are four (4) board members whose term will expire (Rob Stothard, Dick Greeno, Gary Simon, Sam Deitz). The other five (5) board members (Len Bizzarro, Barry Kaplan, Marvin Kaplan, Wayne Lotoza, John Roig) have two years remaining on their term of office. Ballots will be handed out at the Annual Meeting.

ANNUAL DINNER – DANCE – THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 – 6:30PM – 10:30PM – This event will be held at the Pavilion Grille at 301 Yamato Ave. Boca Raton (NE Corner of Dixie Hwy and Yamato). Please RSVP to your Manager no later than TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH. No cost for members. Wives and guests will be $30.00. ATTENTION MANAGERS – NO LATER THAN FEB 16, 2012 , A LIST OF MEMBERS AND GUESTS MUST BE GIVEN TO THE COMMISH.
- FEBRUARY 28, 2012 – DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ALL FUNDS FOR WIVES AND GUESTS.
ALL STAR GAME- MARCH 15TH OR MARCH 20TH – DEPENDS ON SEASON COMPLETION

2011-12-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

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2011-12-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

POSTED DECEMBER 21, 2011
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER - ROLE OF THE MANAGER

The primary mission of this league was to set up a recreational softball league for seniors 55 years and older. It is not a tournament league. The players’ abilities vary as much as their ages. We strive for competitiveness among teams, and camaraderie among players. In order, to accomplish our purpose the league has set up rules, regulations and guidelines that are written in our by-laws and other documents. The nine Board members who are elected by our members are obligated to enforce these documents, and the rules associated with them. Managers have been given the responsibility and authority to choose, manage and oversee their players.

Since the inception of our league, Managers have been given the responsibility to select their players. One of the few joys in being a manager is to choose players for his team. This occurs at the draft where managers receive written information about each and every player (ranking, missing games, injuries, etc.). Each manager based upon the order he has chosen will select players. He makes the choice and lives with the outcome. This method of drafting does not guarantee parity among teams, and in fact if you were to review past drafts, a number of our impact players may vary as much as five picks different from previous years. But no one can argue with the results. During the past 6 seasons our league has been very competitive and successful, and in fact final playoff determination required results from the last week of play. When the draft is completed, and sent out to our members, a variety of comments are made by our members. Comments such as,” How can he take John Doe as a 1st round pick” or “Why did that Manager take Jim Smith as a 10th round pick”, and a variety of other criticisms ensue. Although, many of you disagree with the managers selections, it is the managers’ job to choose his team. Managers don’t only look at players’ abilities, they take into consideration their attitude, their willingness to play hard, and their job in putting together a team chemistry. This is a team sport and not one or two superstars on one team can guarantee success.

Now let’s talk about trades. As Commissioner, I have seen approximately 50 trades during the past 12 seasons. All but one went through, or we can say that 98% of the trades were consummated. During the first 6 weeks of play, managers can initiate trades. For the same reason that managers have the authority to choose players, it follows that the managers should be able to make trades. That is their responsibility, and they should live or die with the results. I realize that a number of you have been upset with the recent trades no different than some of you were upset with the draft picks. As long as the Managers represents the league in a positive manner, and he does what he feels is best for his team, the trade should be allowed to go through. Again, results matters. Shelly, one of the managers involved in this recently hullabaloo has won two (2) softball championships in two consecutive summer seasons, a feat no other manager has achieved. Shelly initiated this trade, and he has provided me with reasonable reasons for making this trade. Who am I to argue with success.

CALENDER OF EVENTS

CHOOSE-UP GAMES – 12/22, 12/27, 12/29
ANNUAL ELECTIONS- THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012 AT 8:30AM
ANNUAL DINNER DANCE - THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 6PM-10PM
ALL STAR GAME - THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 AT 9:30AM

2011-10-31T12:04:00.001-07:00

2011-09-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

POSTED SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

2011-08-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

POSTED 8/25/11

2011-06-27T20:38:00.001-07:00

2011-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

2011-04-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

2011-03-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

POSTED 2/23/2011

2011-01-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

POSTED JANUARY 2, 2011

2010-12-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

POSTED DECEMBER 15, 2010
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER

First, I would like to wish all of you a happy holiday and a healthy new year.

Second, I thought it might be fun to provide some trivial information about out league in the form of........Did you know that....
the average age of our members is 64.2 years old
the league will complete its 8th season in April
the league started in April 2003 with 44 members and 4 teams
the league today has about 140 members, and 9 teams
the league has 9 board members elected for a term of 4 years
the deadline for trades is January 1st for the winter league
the minimum number of roster players needed to start a league game is seven
no forfeiture of games have occurred in our league's history
about one out of three games we play are separated by only one or two runs
the number of new softball used per year is about 550
open choose-up games will be on 12/23/10, 12/28/10, and 12/30/10
the Annual Dinner Dance is scheduled to be on Saturday, March 12, 2011

2010-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

PUBLISHED BY SENIOR SOFTBALL, USA
SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

A COMMISSIONER'S PERSPECTIVE ON SUCCESSFUL SENIOR SOFTBALL LEAGUES
WRITTEN BY: Marvin Kaplan,
Commissioner, Cushing Senior Softball League

Many of us have a strong passion for playing competitive and recreational softball. The most important component in the formation of a softball league is the members who have this strong love for the game. What are other components necessary to take a league from an OK level to an exceptional status?

Ten years ago, when I started playing senior softball, I could not wait to join a league….any league. I had not played softball for over 30 years, and although I always had a love for the game, as a working senior executive travelling half of my time, there was no time in my schedule to play softball.

When I retired and joined a league, I could not wait to play. I met many players with the same goals in mind. After a few months in the league, I realized there was constant bickering among a number of players. Idle chatter occurs in all leagues. In fact, you will always find a small minority of people in any organization chronically complaining about anything and everything. I call these people the 5 percenters. Five percent of people generate 95 percent of the chatter. The content of these idle chats or rumors is not the issue; the concern that we all have is the irritation it causes among other members in the league.

Eight years ago, a few of us started a new softball league. The Cushing Senior Softball League started with 40 players. Now, we have 140 members. We are a recreational league of 55+ year old players, and is considered one of the more successful and competitive leagues in South Florida.

As commissioner, my goal was to establish the best league possible. To achieve that objective, I used my experience as a healthcare executive in running a start-up, and fast growth company that achieved sales of $150 million. As we formed the league, a board of directors was set up; documents, rules, and code of conduct were created.

So is there a difference between an OK league and an exceptional league? You bet there is. First and foremost, everyone in the organization; Board of Directors, Managers and Members must all be on board with the mission, purpose and goals of the league.

What I learned is that there are a few essential factors that must be integrated in the formation of a league. You need to establish open and honest communications with members. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, namely, by emails, old-fashioned face-to face discussions and a monthly message sent by the commissioner on informative topics. In addition, we have set-up a website which provides daily updates of our league, information about our members, and links to other softball sites. Enforcement of the rules, regulations and code of conduct are essential documents. Selective enforcement of rules is both inappropriate and unacceptable, because it creates confusion and inconsistency, and it is one of the major reasons why rumors and complaints take place among players.

There are a few ways to measure your league’s performance:
1. Growth of membership
2. Attrition of members
3. Membership feedback
4. Reduction of idle chatter and rumors

Operating a softball league is no different than running a small company. Proper planning, enforcing the rules and effective communications are essential factors in operating an exceptional league.
_______________________________________________
Senior Softball-USA
Phone: (916) 326-5303
Fax: (916) 326-5304
2701 K Street, Suite 101A
Sacramento, CA 95816

Send us e-mail Senior Softball-USA is dedicated to informing and uniting the Senior Softball Players of America and the World. Senior Softball-USA sanctions tournaments and championships, registers players, writes the rulebook, publishes Senior Softball-USA News, hosts International Softball Tours and promotes Senior Softball throughout the world. More than 1.5 million men and women over 40 play Senior Softball in the United States today.

2010-08-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

POSTED AUGUST 18, 2010

2010-08-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

POSTED AUGUST 10, 2010

2010-06-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

POSTED JUNE 26, 2010
GAMES START AT 9:30 AM ON-TIME

2010-03-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

REPLACEMENT PLAYERS
MARCH 8, 2010

2010-03-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

COMMISSIONER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
MARCH 8, 2010

2010-02-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS
ON MARCH 16, 2010
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 16, 2010

2010-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
POSTED FEBRUARY 16, 2010

HOLIDAY MESSAGE - 12/21/09

2009-12-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

2009-11-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

RESIGNATION OF GEORGE CUSHING
November 18, 2009

George,
We will really miss you, as you have been the
backbone of the league for many years. From all the
guys we wish you well, and a long and healthy life
to you and your wife in California.
Wayne Lotoza
PS: you will also need to get a computer so you can
keep up with the "HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT".

2009-11-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

START OF THE WINTER 2009/2010 SEASON
NOVEMBER 4, 2009

2009-08-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

UPCOMING WINTER SEASON
AUGUST 11, 2009

2009-07-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

SPONSORS - JULY 30, 2009

2009-06-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

REPLACEMENT PLAYERS
JUNE 29, 2009