CHESHIRE FLAMES - CVFL Softballcvflsoftball.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Flames...CYB, an elite travel-level softball program for girls age eight (8) through eighteen (18). The Flames

Last Edit 18th February 2016 BBavaro

BYLAWS of the

CHESHIRE FLAMES

ADOPTED Apr 1st, 2016

I. INTRODUCTIONThe "Cheshire Flames" (hereinafter collectively referred to as "The Flames" or

"Flames") is a division of Cheshire Youth Baseball, Inc. (hereinafter "CYB" or"CYB/CYS"), a Connecticut nonprofit corporation with federally-recognized tax exemptstatus, authorized and empowered by CYB to manage and operate, as a division ofCYB, an elite travel-level softball program for girls age eight (8) through eighteen (18).

The Flames' teams are generally comprised of players that possess a significantcommitment to softball and an above-average skill and determination level for their age.The philosophy of the Flames is to have fun within a high-quality learning environmentwhile offering an elevated competitive challenge for the players. The Flames' programwelcomes input and ideas from players, families and other members of the communityin an effort to improve the experience and competition for players who seek an elevatedlevel of play.

II. MISSION STATEMENTAs a member of CYB/CYS, the Flames share the same fundamental goals of

offering Cheshire youth the opportunity to enjoy the game of softball through advancingtheir knowledge and physical skills within a well-structured and safe environment. TheFlames also strive to provide an environment where players learn the social benefits ofhard work, ethical behavior, sportsmanship and teamwork - beneficial attributes theseyoung citizens should possess long after youth softball. Beyond these common goals,the Flames offer players accelerated skill development and the opportunity toexperience softball at a more challenging level against a higher level of competition,helping to promote their enjoyment and long-term affiliation with the game.

The Flames Division does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religiousaffiliation or national origin relative to any volunteer position within the Flamesorganization. However, playing opportunities on Flames softball teams is generallyreserved exclusively for girls, in recognition both of the unique and well-documentedgrowth and development opportunities that such an environment provides for girls, andof the extensive playing opportunities available elsewhere for boys at all age levels inCYB.

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IN. FLAMES CODE OF CONDUCT

A. In GeneralAll Managers, coaches, players and parents are expected to follow at all times

the published CYB/CYS Code of Conduct. It is the responsibility of all Managers,coaches, parents and players within the Flames Division to report any violation to theFlames' Executive Board or the CYB/CYS Executive Board for potential disciplinaryaction. All coaches, Managers, board members and other Flames volunteers arerequired to fill out the required Volunteer Form from CYB/CYS and consent to routinecriminal background checks.

All Flames Participants (Managers, coaches, players and parents) are expected

Be courteous and show respect to ail game officials, opponents, coaches andspectators;- Exercise self-control;- Be familiar with the rules and regulations of the game;- Refrain from the use of profane and/or abusive language;- Respect the integrity and judgment of game officials;- Refrain from the use of alcohol and illegal drugs prior to and during games and theuse of tobacco during games;- Practice good sportsmanship at all times and insist that players do the same;

Encourage the team s spectators to positively support our team and refrain frombooing and negative demonstrations; and- Win with dignity and lose with grace.

B. Players' and Coaches' CommitmentThe Flames expect all Managers, coaches and players to be committed one

hundred percent (100%) to the Flames' philosophy. This means, among other thingsattending all of the games and all of the practices. There will be instances in whichthere will be unavoidable conflicts, and a player or coach may not be able to attend agame or practice. In such instances, the player or coach must provide the Manager orother designated Team representative with as much advance notice as possible tomake sure there are enough players that day to field a team, conduct an effectivepractice and/or avoid any game forfeits. All Flames Managers and coaches are fullycommitted to: teaching all of the players all aspects of the game; developing all of theplayers' skills to their fullest; and consistently providing positive reinforcement to theplayers.

IV. FLAMES COMMITTEEThe overall governing body of the Flames division of CYB/CYS shall be known

as the Flames Committee (hereinafter "Committee"). The Committee is an authorizedgoverning body of CYB/CYS which reports to the CYB/CYS Executive Board. The vastmajority of decisions regarding the day-to-day operations of the Flames division are theresponsibility of said Committee. Among the responsibilities of the Committee are twooverarching tasks: the selection and approval of Flames Team Managers, and any and

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?u dj.s^|p'!nary act'on associated with any Flames-related activities or functions on or offthe field, involving any Manager, coach, assistant coach, player, parent or spectator.

A- Composition of the Flames CommitteeD ^ The, r'3^,05 Committee is comprised of two bodies: the Flames' ExecutiveBoard, and the Flames' Team Manager Board.

/c\ i ^FlameuS Executive Board. The Flames Executive Board shall consist of five(5) elected members, as follows:

a. President: The President of the Flames shall be responsible for overseeingand managing all aspects the day-to-day operations of the Flames division. ThePresident of the Flames shall also serve as, and carry the title of, "Vice President forFlames Operations" on the Executive Board of CYB/CYS with full voting rights therein

b. Four (4) additional persons who:(i) possess a high degree of experience within the Flames organization;(ii) have demonstrated a consistent high level of performance whileserving in various leadership roles within the Flames;(m) have a proven history of faithfully abiding by the Flames bylaws andoverall development philosophy;(iv) have previously served in one or more leadership positions within theFlames organization; and(v) have acquired extensive knowledge of all Flames operations, includingbut not limited to, budget issues, the tryout process, the selection ofManagers and coaches, and field allocations.

By ejection to the Flames' Executive Board, the other (non-President) four (4)members of the Flames' Executive Board are also members of the CYB/CYS GeneralBoard with General Board voting rights. AH members of the Flames Executive Boardshall serve one-year terms, except the President, who shall serve a two (2) year term.

2. The Flames Team Manager Board.k ¦ Tn6 f !?mes Tearn Mana9er Board shal1 be comprised of, on a season by seasonbasis, all of those Managers appointed and approved for each season by the FlamesExecutive Board to manage each and every approved and rostered Flames team Allmembers of the Flames Team Manager Board shall serve one-year terms.

B- Flames Executive Board Selection ProcessThe Flames Executive Board members will be elected as follows-President - The position of President of the Flames is also a CYB/CYS Executive

^vDr^SoSit'0in ^nd therefore the election process for this position is governed by theCYB/CYS selection process. However, the Flames Committee should by Septembereach year nominate the position of Flames President to the CYB/CYS Board. TheFlames President is also, within the CYB/CYS general management structure, knownas and referred to as the CYB/CYS "Vice President for Flames Operations."

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As for all of the other four (4) listed positions on the Flames Executive Board,said positions shall be filled pursuant to the nomination and election process describedherein. All of the persons holding the other four (4) Flames Executive Board positionsalso become members of CYB/CYS General Board, will be nominated by the FlamesCommittee and will be voted into position by the CYB/CYS voting membership.

The general process is as follows: The Flames Committee will discuss currentExecutive Board member performance and/or other circumstances that may dictate theneed for a change. The Flames Committee will hear other nominations for FlamesExecutive Board positions. The Flames Committee will vote to determine all of thosecandidates for each and every Flames Executive Board position that the Committeewishes to nominate. All such nominations will then be presented by the current FlamesPresident to the CYB/CYS Executive Board for approval for the upcoming season.

It is expected that the Flames Committee nominations for all of those positionslisted in Section IV(A)(1) above will be presented and approved at the OctoberCYB/CYS General Meeting, establishing the Flames leadership in ample time for theupcoming year.

C. Flames Team Manager BoardThe Flames Team Manager Board members will be selected annually based on

the Manager Selection process outlined in Section VI below.

D. Voting Membership and GovernanceThe voting membership of the Flames Committee includes the members of the

Flames Executive Board and the Flames Team Manager Board. The Flames ExecutiveBoard is responsible for the team Manager selection process including a vote on teamManager nominations. All other matters related to the Flames Division will be discussedand brought to a vote, if necessary, by the entire voting membership of the FlamesCommittee. For all matters other than selection of team Managers, a quorum for votingpurposes is defined as two thirds (2/3) of the entire Flames Committee.

E. Board Member Performance ReviewThe Flames Executive Board and the Flames Team Manager Board will be

evaluated two times per year - mid-season and year-end. The performance review willbe facilitated by a formal survey process administered by the Flames President Themid-year checkpoint will serve as a mechanism to provide interim feedback to theFlames Executive Board and Manager/Coaching staffs. The mid-year feedback as wellas the end-of-year feedback will be used as input into the board member and Managerselection process for the following year.

F. Additional Administrative PersonnelThe Flames Committee shall have the authority to appoint, on an annual basis,

additional persons to certain designated positions to help manage key roles and taskson behalf of the Flames. Those positions are as follows:

- Treasurer;

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- Secretary;- Fundraising Director;- Field Director;- Website Director;- CVFL Commissioner; and,- Uniform and Equipment Director.

hM Thet- general r®sPonsibilities and expectations of those persons appointed toSta^H08' f S? apf S ^ ln the attached Schedule A' These appointments are at thediscretion of the Flames Committee and shall be voted on by said Committee. QualifiedFlameT p °natf j!™® and skills in such Positions are welcome to contact theFlames Committee about doing so. Prior experience within the Flames division ispreferred but not required for persons seeking to serve in these appointed positions.

V. DIVISION COMPOSITION and GENERAL PLAYER POLICY

A. Definition of "Legacy" playora

The term legacy player" as used herein is defined to mean any non-Cheshireresident player who, during the immediately preceding softball season:

bv CYR/CYqlnl?fi'n" fUlly and R®creation softbai1 as administeredby CYB/CYS and fully completed all established requirements thereof; and

(2) satisfactorily completed a full season with a designated Flames team ThenirfT!,! Ex®cutlv® Board ^ have final say, in its sole discretion, as to whether any

nin0n h P!ayfr accluired "legacy" status. Once designated as aItrTl ph h- eaCh lUCh P'T"may be treated' for futur® eli9ibility PurPoees as if shewere a Cheshire resident. Said status as a "legacy" player, once earned is notecessarily permanent, as for example, if the legacy player leaves the Flames

Zf™atr t0 P ay f SelSOn f0r an0ther team and then' in a subsequent seasonseeks to tryout again for a Flames team. 1

(3) if a Cheshire resident player of equal talent joins or returns to the organization

player 0 'a' process they will get priority status over a "legacy"

B. 10U. 11U and 12U DivisionsRostered players at these age levels must be residents of the Town of Cheshire

fhk ^'9?a f laCy Players 38 defined her®in' However, one (1) player per team atthis age level may be a non-resident upon approval of the Committee.

not pnnnnh nn 'it"^ tl^°uts'lin th® 0Pinl'on of the designated team manager there arenot enough qualified and level-appropriate resident players available from the in-townpool, the Manager may request permission from the Committee to add an additionaloermksih? t r t0|hlS team' However' under no circumstances shall it beILtT f CUlia P arr 18 3 Cheshlre resident or designated legacy player infavor of a non-resident player. y H y

All players selected for teams at these levels are required to play Park andRecreation spring softball in-house or travel program without exception up to 12U, and

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are required to meet any established playing requirements (i.e., minimum number ofgames) set forth by CYB/CYS. however, players who have made their respectivemiddle school Softball teams and are actively rostered to said teams are exempt fromhaving to play park and recreation softball.

C. 14U DivisionThe composition of rosters for teams at this level must be at least sixty seven

percent (67%) resident Cheshire players and/or legacy players as that term is definedherein.

If, at the time of tryouts, in the opinion of the designated team Manager, there arenot enough qualified and level-appropriate resident players available from the in-townpool, the team Manager may request permission from the Committee to add additionalnon-resident players to his or her team. However, under no circumstances shall it bepermissible to cut a player who is a Cheshire resident or designated legacy player infavor of a non-resident player, unless it is obvious that the player to be cut does notmeet the minimum necessary skill requirements to safely participate in a meaningfulway in competitive softball for the team.

D. 16U & 18U DivisionsThe composition of rosters for teams at this level must be at least thirty percent

(30%) resident Cheshire players and/or legacy players as that term is defined herein.If, at the time of tryouts, in the opinion of the designated team Manager, there are

not enough qualified and level-appropriate resident players available from the in-townpool, the team Manager may request permission from the Committee to add additionalnon-resident players to his or her team. However, under no circumstances shall it bepermissible to cut a player who is a Cheshire resident or designated legacy player infavor of a non-resident player, unless it is obvious that the player to be cut does notmeet the minimum necessary skill requirements to safely participate in a meaningfulway in competitive softball for the team.

(ALL Players On Teams Formed Prior To 2016 Will Be Grandfathered & Bylaws WillApply To Fall 2016 Recruiting & Forward)

E. Playing timeIt shall be Flames policy that all players, excluding alternates, must play at least

two (2) innings per game, OR, a total of four (4) innings or a full game over twoconsecutive games (some timed games can be less than a 4 inning game and areconsidered to be "a full game" for play requirements) with exception of commitmentviolations see Section V.g,2(e).1) below.

F. Alternate playersA Team is permitted to add developmental players to its roster who can be

designated as "alternates". Each team is limited to only two (2) such players perseason. The playing time of alternate players is not guaranteed, and under nocircumstances shall the playing time of regularly rostered players be diminished tocreate playing time for alternates. Alternates must possess the requisite skills, maturity

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and athleticism to safely compete at the Flames level of play. Under no circumstancesshall an alternate be allowed to "play up"; all alternates must compete within the agedivision appropriate for them as determined by their date of birth.

G. Tryouts1. Advertising.

(a) For 10U-12U The dates, times and locations of all Flames tryouts shallbe advertised in the Cheshire Herald, through the use of printed flyers distributed in theschools, and/or via posting to the CYB/CYS website, as well as the Cheshire Flameswebsite as determined by the Flames Committee. Such advertising shall be placed ordistributed within a reasonable time in advance of the actual tryouts so as to provideadequate notice to interested players.

(b) For 14U & Above The dates, times and locations of all Flames tryoutsshall be advertised on the Cheshire Flames website, as determined by the FlamesCommittee. Such advertising shall be placed or distributed within a reasonable time inadvance of the actual tryouts so as to provide adequate notice to interested players.

2. The Overall Process.Players must earn a roster position on a Flames team. The process to earn a

roster position is highly selective and involves multiple evaluations including winterworkouts, player tryouts and prior year performance/evaluation.

During the off-season, winter clinics/practices will be open to all players in eachage group who are interested in trying out for a Flames team. The selected Manager isresponsible for organizing/leading the winter workouts and will begin to assess playersduring the winter workouts.

Final team selection will be determined during player tryouts. Flames tryouts willtake place in March. Generally, there will be 2 to 3 tryout dates. The selected Manageras well as other Flames team Managers and/or CYB/CYS Board Members will completeplayer evaluations during the tryout. The intent of the evaluation is to establish anobjective review of the players' skills by using a quantitative/numbering-rating processthat identifies various Softball skill levels.

The overall player selection process involves the evaluation of many tangiblesand intangibles including:

(a) Eligibility: Players trying out for the Flames must be Cheshire residents ordefined "legacy" players registered with CYB/CYS and softball age eligible orsubject to age group section V (a-d) above;(b) Softball talent and ability: This is the primary criteria for selection to a

Flames team. Specific criteria are left to the subjective judgment of the Managers,coaches and the Committee, and includes but is not limited to: overall physical fitnessand athleticism; level of mastery of essential skills such as throwing, fielding, catching,base running, hitting (and pitching and catching for those specific positions); speed;

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situational awareness and understanding of the game; and any other criteria deemednecessary by the evaluators.

(c) Coachability: Potential players must exhibit, both on and off the field: astrong willingness and ability to learn new concepts quickly; respect for authority; theability to operate in a cohesive and positive manner within a team dynamic; a desire towork hard in practice as well as during games; and the ability to follow directions quicklyand correctly.

(d) Sportsmanship: Potential players must demonstrate respect for theircoaches, teammates and opposing players.

(e) Commitment: Players (and parents and guardians) must recognize andaccept that participation on a Flames team requires a much more intensive commitmentto the sport than that required for Park and Recreation Softball. All players must acceptthat they are required to attend all practices and games throughout the season, and tomake every effort to comply with this requirement as well as communication of allmissed events;

1) Commitment is based on on-time full effort participation in practices &game time preparation. Lack of commitment by a player can result inloss of playing time and the decision is the sole discretion of themanager

a. All instances of player commitment issues must becommunicated to the player and must be dually reported to theboard with circumstances of violation

FLAMES PLAYERS MAY NOT PLAY FOR, OR BE ROSTERED IN ANY CAPACITYWITH, ANY OTHER TRAVEL TEAM OUTSIDE THE FLAMES ORGANIZATION.

The final selection of the team is the responsibility of the team Manager. Thoseplayers not selected should be communicated with directly by the Manager and givensome advice in terms of areas where improvement is needed or recommended. Thiscommunication basically translates into an explanation as to why the player did notmake the team.

H. Playing Up

Subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth herein, the Flames will allowplayers to "play up" (i.e., be rostered on and compete with a team in an age division thatis one age level higher than that age level that would otherwise be required for thatplayer based upon her date of birth).

In general, it is expected and encouraged that all players should try out and playfor teams that are age-specific for the players' designated softball age. A player'ssoftball age shall be the age of that player as of April 30th of that particular season.However, in special circumstances, to be decided exclusively by the Flames Committeeand not by individual Managers, a maximum of one (1) player, having an age thatqualifies her for participation at the next younger Division, may be allowed to play at thenext higher age Division if ajl of the following criteria are met:

I. The parent(s) or guardian(s) of the player must request permission in writingfrom the Committee prior to tryouts to have the player moved up one age division;

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2. The player must exhibit such an advanced level of skill development,athleticism, ability, knowledge of the game and maturity that it is clear said playercannot gain anything by playing at her designated age level;

3. The player must attend the full tryout process for the older Division team,during which tryouts, the player will be evaluated by Flames Committee personnel withexperience at both age Divisions, who will determine whether or not the player exhibitsthe highly advanced skill level described in section 2 above, and further, whether or notthe player can safely compete at the next higher age Division, taking into account theincreased size, speed and strength of the players, and the associated significantlyincreased risk of injury to the player; and,

4. The Flames Committee must determine that allowing said player to play upwill not adversely impact any other Flames team in any other age Division, and inparticular, the age-appropriate team that said player would otherwise have played for.

Determinations as to "playing up" are within the sole discretion of the FlamesCommittee, and all decisions of the Committee shall be final. If a player is approved toplay up", she may permanently drop back down to the younger age Division if the

higher level of play proves to be beyond her capabilities, but only if there is spaceavailable for her on a younger team. However, once said player has appeared in five(5) games at the higher level, she may not under any circumstances during that seasonreturn to the younger level of play.

The term "has appeared" as used in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed tomean, at a minimum, any time the player has either played at least one defensive half-inning in a game, or had at least one plate appearance in a game. Any combinationthereof in five (5) different games at the higher age division shall preclude that playerfrom returning to the younger level of play during that season.

Players who have "played up" during one season are not required to do so duringall succeeding seasons. Under NO circumstances shall a player who is "playing up"play for, or be rostered or designated as an "alternate" for, a team in a younger ageDivision at any time during the season, unless she is permanently being dropped backdown to the younger age level.

The parent(s) or guardian(s) of any player who is approved to "play up" mustexecute a special liability waiver in favor of CYB/CYS, the Flames division, and allFlames Committee members, Managers, coaches and associated personnel, before theplayer will be allowed to practice or play for the higher age Division team.

I. Roster SizeFlames team Managers shall have sole discretion on the number of players that

comprise their respective teams. While it is up to the individual Manager to decide theoptimal number of players for his/her team, there are certain considerations that everyManager must contemplate before deciding the number of players. Some of theseconsiderations include:

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Injuries one or more players may at some point during the season be unable toplay due to injury

Conflicts - youth may participate in multiple extracurricular activities that couldoverlap with each other at times; this could cause players to miss a game durina theseason

Substitution Rules - Managers must be cognizant of the variety of substitutionrules they may potentially encounter while competing in different leagues andtournaments, and plan accordingly.

VI. CREATION OF TEAM MANAGEMENTA. Manager SelectionEach Flames team shall have one (1) Manager who shall have primary

supervisory responsibility for all aspects of each individual team's operations includingmanagement of assistant coaches and all player issues. All nominations for teamManager for the upcoming season shall approved by the Manager Selection Committeeas soon as possible after the CYB/CYS annual October Board meeting, and no laterthan November 30th. This will allow team Managers the opportunity to provideleadership and commence planning/evaluation through the fall/winter periods inpreparation for the upcoming spring season.

B- Returning Manager in Good StandingAll Managers shall be evaluated each season according the process set forth in

Section VII below. If, following such evaluations, the Committee determines in its solediscretion that a Manager is in good standing within the Flames division, and if saidManager expresses an interest in continuing to serve as a Manager, he or she may benominated as Manager for the upcoming year.

C. New Managers

At times, new Managerial candidates may be needed (e.g., poor performance ofan existing Manager, an existing Manager stepping down, etc.). In this case, an emailrequest for Managerial applications will be sent to families that participated the previousyear in Flames Summer or Fall leagues. An early September dead line for applying willbe stated in the correspondence. If necessary the Flames Executive Board may also attheir discretion and after discussion at a Flames Committee meeting, search additionalsources to find applicants. Upon receipt of applications, the Flames President willcompile a list of all applicants, who will thereafter be interviewed by the ManagerSelection Committee. If there are no applicants for a particular opening as of thedeadline, applications for that position will remain open and an additional email will besent to the same group to so state.

D. Manager Selection CommitteeA Manager Selection Committee will be formed that will include:- The Flames President;- One additional Member of the Flames Executive Board; and,

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- One additional person to be chosen by the Executive Board who are deemedqualified to be involved in said Manager selection process.

No person who is a Managerial candidate may serve on the Manager SelectionCommittee. The Manager Selection Committee will interview each candidate, includingall incumbent Managers seeking re-appointment. Manager candidates will be evaluatedbased on a set of criteria including, but not limited to:

- Managing/coaching experience;- Softball knowledge;- Role model for children/players;- Adherence to the CYB/CYS Code of Conduct as well as the Cheshire Flames

Charter and Guidelines;- Time availability and commitment; and,- Satisfactory history with CYB/CYS/Flames.

The Manager Selection Committee will recommend to the Flames Committee aManager candidate for each team. In cases where the Manager Selection Committeecannot agree between two (or more) equally qualified candidates, the FlamesCommittee may elect to have a second round of interviews with only those two (ormore) candidates. In the event the Manager Selection Committee is still unable toagree on a consensus candidate, the Flames President will assess the input from theManager Selection Committee and make a final recommendation.

Upon selecting a Manager candidate for each team, the Flames President willpresent a list of all of the preferred Flames nominees for Manager for the upcomingseason to the next scheduled general CYB/CYS monthly Board meeting for the purposeof having list approved by the CYB/CYS Executive Board.

E. Special ConsiderationShould an incumbent Manager decline to seek re-appointment, and if there is

more than one (1) Managerial candidate seeking said position, the Manager SelectionCommittee, following all scheduled interviews, shall prepare a List, ranking eachcandidate in order of preference. If the approved candidate has a child tryout out for thesame team for which he/she is managing, the child must make the team based onability. Under no circumstance should a child make a team because their parent iseither the Manager, or the currently nominated Manager for next season. SinceManagers are selected in advance of tryouts, if the Manager's child does not make theteam, the Manager will have the option to step down. If the approved Manager declinesto serve, for any reason, the Flames President will review the List prepared by theManager Selection Committee to determine the next most-qualified candidate for theposition, and will offer the position to said candidate. Final approval of said Managershall follow the process described in Section VI(A)(3).

F. Assistant CoachesUpon the completion of player tryouts and team selection, each Flames Manager

may select assistant coaches from the parent pool of players who have been selected

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to the team. Assistant coaches may be chosen from the list of Manager applicants whowere not selected for that position, but there is no obligation to do so. Managers mayalso select independent non-parents that have good standing with CYB/CYS, to assistin coaching. Managers have sole and complete discretion in the selection of theircoaching staffs, subject to: (a) review at any time by the Director of Enforcement/Disciplinary Actions if such review is deemed warranted by specific issues, actions orconduct; and (b) all such assistant coaches filing the required CYB/CYS VolunteerApplication Forms and passing any required background checks.

When selecting assistant coaches, Managers shall employ, af a minimum, thefollowing criteria:

- Coaching experience;- Softball knowledge;- Role model for children/players;- Demonstrated ability and willingness to abide by the CYB/CYS Code

of Conduct, and the Flames Bylaws and Operational Policies;- Time availability and level of commitment; and- Satisfactory history with CYB/CYS/Flames.

This list represents some suggested guidelines for Managers, and is not intended tointerfere with each Manager's subjective staff preferences.

All assistant coaches report to, and are subordinate to, the Manager. Managersmay dismiss assistant coaches at any time the Manager deems same to be in the bestinterests of his or her team.

G. Manager and coach performance reviewsManagers and coaches will be evaluated two times per year. The first evaluation

will happen in early June, about mid-season. The second evaluation will happen inAugust, immediately following the end of the season. Both evaluations will be facilitatedby a formal survey process. The Flames President shall cause a survey to bedistributed to all parents of players in the Flames Division. In a timely manner after thesurveys are collected, the Flames President or his designee shall meet with each teamManager and coaching staff to discuss available positive feedback as well as areaswhere improvement is needed. All survey responses will remain confidential and thefeedback will be grouped and summarized when presented to each teamManager/coaching staff.

H. Professional Coaching AssistanceIt is up to the discretion of each team Manager as to whether to engage

professional coaching assistance. The funding for any such professional coachingassistance shall be borne by the individual Flames team seeking to hire same. Toensure proper coordination, communication and oversight across the Flames Division,each Manager will provide periodic updates at the Flames Committee meetings on theuse of any outside coaching assistance.

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VII. FeesA. Base fee (Includes B below) -

(2/16)096 ^ CaPPed 10U $400 t0 18U Pay T0 P'ay With Showcase $900a. Base fees are determined each year by the team based on some or all

of the following factorsi. Winter workouts & Gym Timeii. Tournament and League

1. Includes 10U-14U Standard League2. 16U Scrimmage League3. Pay To Play (based on # of tournaments- volume

increases based age of team)a. College Showcase Tournament >35% hiqher (16-

-ISU)iii. Equipment (includes, team needs, safety and compliance)iv. Uniforms (players and coaches)v. Credits for tournament hosting

1. Net of tournament cost (umpires, trophies etc)

B. Non-refundable commitment fee of $200 will be collected each year whichsecures the players spot on the respective Flames team. Depending on thatyears agreed upon fee schedule each additional payment will be need to bemade by (30) days of the payment due date without exception or risk beingremoved from the team. Any hardship delay must be approved by theFlames President.

C. Refunds of paid fees will be allowed as follows:a. Any non-commitment payment can be refunded before the start of the

season up to 85%. This covers the cost of winter workoutsi. Ex. Total Fee $650 - $200 = ($450 * 85% = $382.50)

b. Any non-commitment payment can be refunded for a season endinginjury based on % of completion of the season (tournament payments)

i. April-85%ii. May - 75%iii. Jun-40%iv. July-0%

c. Any non-commitment payment can be refunded based on % ofcompletion of the season

i. April-80%ii. May-50%iii. Jun-20%iv. Jul - 0%

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VIII AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWSThese bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of at least three-quarters

(3/4) of the entire Flames Committee at a meeting called for said purpose.Amendments may be proposed by any member of the Flames Committee. All proposedamendments shall be reduced to written form, a copy of which shall be provided to eachmember of the Committee at least thirty (30) days in advance of any scheduled votethereon.

This shall certify that the foregoing Bylaws of the Cheshire Flames, consisting oftwelve (12) pages, were approved and adopted by the Flames Committee at a meetingconducted for that purpose on-dan 1st, 2016.

Certification

Brian BavaroPresident of the Flames

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SCHEDULE A

Treasurer:Budget preparationCheckbook managementMonthly board financial reportLiaison with CYB TreasurerBoard attendance (CYB/CYS) every 2nd month

Secretary:Meeting agenda and MinutesCVFL & Flames Invitational Tournament Letters and Welcome PacketBoard attendance (CYB/CYS) every alternate monthTournament Director CVFL

Fundraising Director:Provide fundraising opportunities for board approvalOrganize & monitor activities to completionCoordination of tournament food serviceThank you letters/Pictures/(Trophies to large retail sponsors)

Field Director:Field condition management (all) - primaryLime/Speedy dry distribution for fieldsTournament field crew maintenance mgt.Creation of Field Allocation schedule Spring w/ President

Website Director:CVFL & Flames site content updates.CVFL Scores updates all Divisions

CVFL Commissioner:Coordination/Communication with all teamsOrganize CVFL TournamentMonitor budget with treasurer incl. weather payback scenarioMaintain and review progress of teams in each division

Uniform and Equipment Director:Team coordination for designCoordination of team budgets requirements for equipmentUniform measurementsOrdering and liaison with Uniform & equipment providers

Documents

CHESHIRE FLAMES - CVFL Softballcvflsoftball.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Flames...CYB, an elite travel-level softball program for girls age eight (8) through eighteen (18). The Flames