OTTAWA – Baseball Canada announces that the Saskatoon Minor Baseball Association has become the fourth amateur baseball association in Canada to be RBI Approved as they are officially recognized as “Reaching Baseball Ideals.”
“We are truly honoured to be one of the first few associations to be recognized in this program,” says Geoff Hughes, Minor Division Supervisor with Baseball Saskatoon.
“When we looked at the criteria to be approved, I said why haven’t we already done this?”
Baseball Saskatoon initiated the pitch count in the Peewee Division for the 2008 season and will expanded it to the Mosquito and Bantam divisions for 2009. That was the final hurdle to their becoming RBI Approved.
The association also has their coaching staffs for each provincial and elite level teams meet the coaching certification requirements of Baseball Canada. The house league teams must also have at least one coach certified at the appropriate level of the NCCP. The association has also established the Rally Cap program in their Rookie Division for several years, which has helped increase the number of girls playing baseball in the region.
Hughes says that being RBI Approved will now help Baseball Saskatoon grow and promote the game to even greater lengths.
“This stamp from Baseball Canada shows that we are offering quality services and that we comply to a national standard.”
For 2009, RBI accreditations are awarded to local baseball associations that comply with the minimum operating standards in these four areas:
· Development Programs
· Membership with Baseball Canada
· Coaches Training
· Accessibility
An Association can become a Baseball Canada RBI Approved Association in 2009 by meeting these following criteria:
· The Association is a member in good standing with the Provincial Baseball Association (as recognized by Baseball Canada) and with Baseball Canada through the registration of all players, coaches and umpires participating in the local Association.
· The Association is fully utilizing the Rally Cap program as the main Initiation program for kids between 5 and 8
· The Association is providing support to its coaches by driving them to the Baseball Canada NCCP Programs ensuring that all Rep level coaches are properly certified as per Baseball Canada requirements and that all house league/community programs have at least one coach per team who have completed the Initiation Coach level at minimum
· The Association is providing access to all programs to boys and girls at any age
· The Association is in support and using the Baseball Canada pitch counts for the Mosquito and Pee-Wee divisions
In order to become a RBI Approved association for 2009, simply send an email to rbi@baseball.ca addressing all the criteria mentioned above. Baseball Canada will contact you to approve your Association or to ask additional questions.
