|
Post by johne on May 20, 2013 21:32:26 GMT 10
Happy to move on barb05... thanks for the fun!!! On your issue of BV sponsoring events, fully agree that increased resources would be a great for us to reach more young players and provide better pathways to clubs... and while you're plan is moderately priced, I think even $11k of additional funding from our state body would be well above anything they could put forward to contribute to any program at primary schools. Last time I was active in running school programs for BV, we were actually charging the schools for the events... I think this has changed, but it shows how under-resourced our sport is when it comes to running these sort of recruitment programs. The real challenge for baseball over the next couple of years will be finding ways to offset the loss of funding from the federal gov't and still remain relevant in a landscape that is now crowded with fun, exciting recruitment programs and increased professionalism of our competitors. Over the past 16 months have offered our facilities at Valhalla High Performance Training Institute to Baseball Victoria on three separate occasions for use in their Schools Program. We thought that an indoor training facility with 4 machines that can be set at a speed perfect for primary school children may actually help to get more kids playing our Game in the Eastern Suburbs. We are still waiting for them to even respond to our offers. It is very hard to get calls returned by Baseball Victoria Staff even when you are trying to help them develop the game. You could have buses of school kids coming in and out of here each day if they so wanted. Im sure that I am not the only one who has trouble getting calls, emails and texts returned by BV and their staff. I guess they must be very very busy!
|
|
|
Post by barb05 on May 20, 2013 22:29:56 GMT 10
It's busy in winter John, they're off doing... Um... They're planning special ... Um They're getting the office ready for... Um
Maybe they're sitting in the office with phone off playing sudoku.
Sudoku helps them work out the fixture.
|
|
|
Post by aueagle30 on May 21, 2013 11:59:57 GMT 10
johne, from your post, I've understood your offer to BV for use of the Valhalla High Performance Training Institute to be free of charge. Is my understanding correct, or have you offered the facility to BV at a cost?
I only ask because it may affect the response from BV... if you're offering the facility for free, I can think of no reason BV wouldn't make the most of any in-kind offer made to enhance it's recruitment programs.
If it's at a cost, even a reduced cost, Valhalla would be similar to a number of indoor sports facilities that, I presume, contact local and state sporting organisations as a part of their direct marketing plan... Considering BV's resources are already stretched, I'm assuming any cost to use an indoor facility is unnecessary, particularly when most schools still have some form of recreational area on-site for BV to conduct their sessions... should BV be expected to call every private organisation that contacts them with offers they have no intention of engaging? Considering our administration struggles at times to keep up with its communication responsibility to its clubs and members, perhaps this would be an unnecessary drain on time?
I've said a number of times I think BV's biggest problem in the way it conducts itself is its lack of adequate communication... Perhaps they owe johne a greater level of communication than other private enterprises because of his connection to our sport... Perhaps you could argue a good organisation will engage with all its potential suppliers to build stronger relationships and generate greater opportunities... I'm not necessarily disagreeing with either of these tenets, just offering some reasoning beyond BV's staff are just stupid and lazy.
|
|
|
Post by oldmanriver on May 21, 2013 12:04:36 GMT 10
Let's face facts, BV just mirrors the ABF, find a glass house and ensconce themselves in it. From there only the easiest question will be answered and the to hard file is very much full. For a small association that certainly doesn't need paid staff, cars etc we seem to be full of major secrets and no information. Alot of the information seems to stem from the forum, not from the people that are supposed to be charge with running the game. One paid official, usually given the title of General Manager will run a whole cricket association and then report to the Board of Management with a Pennant committee looking after any problems that require their needs, otherwise, there is only one point of contact. The MPCA has approx 132 senior sides and approx the same in junior teams and one person looks after fixturing and any other problems that may accur. The rest is done by volunteers. But all are answerable to the member Clubs. People have these ideas that we are an ELITE sport, we are not. If someone has the time to research the playing figures of various sports, you will find that baseball is a fair way down the pecking order. The fact is, baseball is a weekend sport and will be a weekend sport for many years to come regardless of how many grand plans are put forward, there just isn't the money to impliment any major changes.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2013 13:01:32 GMT 10
Yeah I am interested to hear if your offer Johne was at cost, either heavily reduced or at the usual cost, ? Regardless though the failure to communicate and liaise is dissappointing on the face of it. As an aside my boy has taken up Soccer which no doubt is a lamplighter when it comes to developing a player base in Junior sport, and I cannot belief how completely stuffed up the Fixturing is 5 weeks into the season with teams added/deleted, giving walkovers, being swapped between Divisions and Fixtures changing week in week out, and crazy weekends where 3 teams all have a Bye on the same weekend
|
|
|
Post by johne on May 21, 2013 13:13:33 GMT 10
Nathan, We were not looking for any payment from Baseball Victoria to use our Facilities during School Hours and never requested any payment what-so-ever.
We were however asked to submit a quote to use our Facilities for the July School Holidays Camp. This came about because of a conversation I had with baseball Victoria about running a School Holiday Camp together.
In that conversation I was told that Baseball Victoria would most likely run their July Camp at the Westside Indoor Sports Centre Altona "because they had a rock climbing wall" but that I was a free to submit a quote for the use of our Facilities.
On April 23 I emailed Baseball Victoria a quote for the exclusive use of our facility including our 4 Iron Mike Machines, the 3 Pitching Mounds, the dedicated tee area, bats, balls, etc. The price tendered was 40% less than we receive from Football Clubs to hire our Facility.
The last paragraph of my email stated "To assist us in scheduling for the School Holidays could you please let me know when you have made your decision on whether you will be utilizing our Centre" To this day I have not received a reply to my email. No discussions about negotiating an even better rate than we offered - nothing.
I have however, read on their Website that Baseball Victoria will be running their July Camps at the Knox and Altona Leisure Centres . Apparently, according to the Baseball Victoria Website, these "fabulous venues" offer "a full size footy field, tennis courts, beach volleyball courts and indoor rock climbing".
My cousin's boys do Auskick every Saturday and I am yet to see the Auskick Coaches produce a baseball bat and ball to introduce the kids to Baseball. Baseball Victoria however, seemingly have based their choice of Facility on the availability of Football, Tennis, Rock Climbing,etc. I can only assume that is the reason they have chosen those Centres, because if the decision were based on relative costs, surely someone from Baseball Victoria would have picked up the phone to discuss the cost with me.
Last September School Holidays we ran a Camp jointly with Baseball Victoria that was 100% Baseball Orientated. At the end of that Camp the kids had learnt new Baseball skills (I must admit though that they hadn't got to do any rock climbing, tennis, football or volleyball) and we handed Baseball Victoria a payment of $6,250 clear profit (after paying Coaches, lunches, ground hire,etc).
You mentioned Nathan, that Baseball Victoria need to "offset the loss of funding from the Federal Government". I would have thought that Camps conducted each School Holidays that generate $6,250 in profit may be one way to do just that.
|
|
|
Post by farnt on May 21, 2013 13:40:49 GMT 10
Love your spirit and intent Johne.
|
|
|
Post by paulbrown on May 21, 2013 14:24:41 GMT 10
Love the passion but is it losing sight of this thread?
I am not sure what a more successful baseball association looks like. But l know it doesn't look like another league that only 10% of the baseball community can participate in. I know that it doesn't need criticism from the couch, if you are not happy about something put your d**n hand up and do something about it.
I am the vice president of our local soccer club that my two kids play at. I am currently organising a gala day for U7's. Another local club in Eltham has 180 U7 players with a total of 1000 juniors on it's books. One club!
So if you want to know where the kids are going........
If you want to increase participation, engage the local schools, get into the kids and families as early as possible.
Stop worrying about what 2% of the baseball community can acheive and worry about 90% of the players who will never play division 1 or state teams or ABL or college or minor league or MLB. Get the kids in and the rest will look after it self.
We only need pathways if there is a kid walking down the path!
|
|
|
Post by headinsand on May 21, 2013 17:04:55 GMT 10
I also thought it was strange promoting a BASEBALL camp by telling people, we have footy, rock climbing, tennis, beach volley ball, sounds more like a "baby sitting" service. Ages say 4-18. I'd love to see a "pitching or hitting master class" with a 4/5 year old!!
|
|
|
Post by aueagle30 on May 22, 2013 10:49:53 GMT 10
johne, I appreciate the background... based on your information, I'm at a loss... To ignore any organisation offering in-kind contributions and fail to communicate with any organisation providing a requested quote shows a lack of business acumen and a distinct lack of professionalism.
We must do better.
I agree with headinsand... it seems BV are offering a babysitting service, rather than a baseball experience... they've noted the inclusion of baseball batting cages as an aside to all other experiences on offer... perhaps this is a considered strategy to target more kids not already involved in baseball... probably could have been achieved with much less effort... I find it strange.
I do see these issues as being related to the topic of the competition's structural change... BV's board is looking to make changes to our structure as a means of increasing participation and enhancing the experience of current members... the changes mooted by the SLC, that included many recommendations from the board, would place a great deal more burden on volunteers at club level.
While our club people are passionate and all want our sport to improve, they're also screaming out for some relief... they're short on resources, over-worked, tired.
If BV want the clubs to become more active in their efforts, surely the clubs and members must hold BV to higher standards of professionalism... surely we must expect more from the programs we offer than a mere baby-sitting service.
Focus on sound, basic business principles and delivering quality core business programs should be demanded of our administration before any club administrator could agree to taking on greater burdens.
|
|