Participants Guide

​Our primary objective is to promote a positive and relaxed environment in which all girls can learn the game and have fun putting their skills to the test in friendly competition with their peers. All players, coaches and parents are expected to follow our code of conduct described here. We utilize the (Ontario) Provincial Women's Softball Association rules, to allow the competitive girls to develop their skills on a par with girls throughout the province, yet inserting a local flair encompassing modifications to enable the beginners to enjoy themselves and improve their knowledge and skills relating to the game.

Players​

1. Play the game for the game's sake.
2. Play hard at all times, but always play fair no matter what the cost.
3. Be generous in victory and gracious in defeat.
4. Obey the rules of the game and accept the umpire's calls with
   ​dignity and good grace, even the ones you think are wrong.
5. Do what is best for the team even if it is not best for you.
6. Applaud the efforts of your teammates and encourage them at all times.
7. Applaud the efforts of the players on the other team.
8. Have fun!

Coaches

1. As with any other sport, softball should be fun.
2. Treat your players with respect and understanding. Encourage them to do their best at all times.
3. The rules of the game must be respected. Neither you nor your players should seek to evade or break either the spirit or the letter of those rules.
4. The only advantage that should be sought is that of superior skill.
5. Treat your opponents and all spectators with courtesy.
6. Umpires have honest intentions and must be in control of the game. Accept their decisions with dignity and good grace, however bad you may consider the call to be. Encourage your players to do the same thing.
7. While winning is desirable, winning at all costs defeats the purpose of the game.
8. If your team does its best at all times, both winning and losing can be positive experiences.
9. Remember the Golden Rule “Treat others the way you want to be treated”. 

Parents

1. Help your child to make the most of the season. Attitudes learned here will be reflected in later life.
2. Make athletic participation a positive experience for your child and for all the players.
3. Try to relieve the pressure of competition; do not increase it. A child can be easily affected by outside influences.
4. Be considerate of your child's coaches. These volunteers give their personal time. Without them there would be no league. They are providing a valuable community service for which we should be grateful. Offer to help whenever possible.
5. Applaud good plays both by the opposition and by your child's team.
6. Do not belittle the efforts of the weaker players. They are doing their best.
7. Umpires have either gained their training through attending Provincial Umpire Clinics and/or are highly skilled players within our local softball system. The umpire must try to watch every move on the field of play and apply the rules to the best of his/her ability. This is a difficult task and typically the first job in their life. Please do not make it any more difficult by questioning or denigrating their call of the game.
8. Accept the result of the game. Encourage your child to be a good winner and a good loser.
9. Encourage your child to attend as many practices as possible. Coaches cannot teach skills in a game situation.
10. Make every effort to ensure that your child attends the games. We do our best to select balanced teams. If players do not regularly attend games, that balance can be easily destroyed. While the league and the coaches recognize that non-attendance is sometimes unavoidable, we urge parents to discourage casual absenteeism.

Injury

1. The sport of softball and the activities relating thereto, including but not limited to practices and Clinics does include an element of risk to injury.
2. We purchase superior grade equipment and have a scheduled life cycle for all equipment so that old equipment is not used.
3. In the unlikely event that a player or spectator is injured, the coaches of the two teams involved are to prepare a report detailing the circumstances so we can ensure that participants and parents are made aware that some ongoing attention may be needed.
   
4. The injury report will be forwarded promptly to league directors and the family will be contacted.