A PAPILLION RECREATIONAL ORGANIZATION
SPORTS PROGRAM
PAPILLION BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
These are the By-laws of the Papillion Baseball Association, a sub-organization of the Papillion Recreation Organization, and serve as the rules and regulations of the Papillion Baseball Association. This document can only be modified as permitted in section 16 of this document entitled AMENDMENTS. All amendments shall be documented in Suffix A of this document. This document was last updated and ratified by the PBA Board of Directors on September 23th, 2022. This version supercedes and invalidates any and all other versions.
BY-LAWS
1. TITLE:
This Papillion Recreation Organization (PRO) sports program and the Papillion Baseball Association, hereinafter referred to as PBA may be affiliated with other sports-oriented bodies as determined by its Board of Directors and the PRO Board of Directors.
2. OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of the PBA are to foster the sport of baseball for PRO through a goal-
Oriented educational program dedicated to developing baseball at every age and level of competition. PBA will educate all participants in the art of baseball and will provide an educational forum for all players, parents, coaches, and umpires to further their development of leadership, self-discipline, and sportsmanship qualities.
3. MEMBERSHIP:
Any individual residing in the Papillion/LaVista school district, attending a Papillion school or resides outside the Papillion/LaVista school district that is between the ages of five (4) and eighteen (18) years if age, and properly registered with the PBA will be considered a PBA member in good standing. Parents of each registered player will also be considered members in good standing.
An individual residing outside the limits of the PBA who does not have a child participating in any PRO sports program may become a member in good standing of this organization by requesting membership to the Board of Directors. The request must receive the majority vote approval of the Board of Directors. Upon approval the requestor must pay the annual membership dues to the Treasurer of PBA via registration of a player. The term of membership under this section shall be one (1) year.
Volunteers may be designated as members by approval of the Board of Directors. At no time will anyone be denied membership due to race, creed, national origin, or physical disability.
4. VOTING PRIVILEGES:
Each member Eighteen 19 years of age or older shall have one vote at a general membership meeting, to exercise control and operation of the PBA.
5. OFFICERS:
The officers, hereinafter referred to, as the Board of Directors, will be composed of members who will fulfill, in a most diligent manner, the duties of the office to which elected. The term of office is one year. They are responsible to the members of the PBA and are charged with the task of facilitating and furthering the growth and enjoyment of Baseball in the community through facilitation and education of Baseball, and player development.
6. ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
Except for the PRO Representative, the Board of Directors shall be elected at large from the PBA membership during the annual meeting. The election may be by voice vote, or by secret ballot. The PRO Representative shall be appointed from the PRO Board of Directors.
7. BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Composed of the PBA Officers who are elected at large, the appointed League Commissioners, and the appointed PRO Board Member. Performs duties such as serving on PBA committees, assists in promoting Baseball in the Papillion area. Approves PBA operating budget and ensures PBA’s financial records are reviewed at least once each fiscal year.
Only members in good standing of the PBA and PRO shall be eligible to participate in its business meetings and only members in good standing shall be eligible to serve on its Board of Directors.
7a. DIRECTOR:
Responsible to the Board of Directors for the overall growth and development of the PBA. Represents Baseball on the PRO Board of Directors, as a voting member of PRO. Supervises the management of PBA. Chairs the regularly scheduled meetings. Acts on requests of the Board of Directors, as an exofficio member of all committees. Oversees the appointment of all committees and non officer positions required. Casts the deciding ballot in the event of a tie vote at any meeting of the Board of Directors, as necessary, to conduct business. Attends all association grievance and protest hearings. This position requires at least 1 year of prior service as a member of the PBA Board of Directors.
7b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Responsible to assist the Director with the overall growth and development of the PBA. Chairs the regularly scheduled meetings in the absence of the Director. Assists in supervising and managing the league commissioners and league coaches of PBA. Acts on requests of the Board of Directors, as an exofficio member of all committees as appointed by the Director. Represents Baseball on the PRO Board of Directors, as a voting member of PRO, in the Directors absence. Attends all association grievance and protest hearings.
7c. TREASURER/SECRETARY:
Responsible for collecting all fees due PBA verifying expenditures and coordinating these receipts and expenses with the PRO Treasurer. Shall serve as chairman of the Finance Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Shall maintain an accurate accounting as it relates to the current budget. Responsible for ensuring all funds are presented to the PRO Treasurer within 10 days of collection. Acts as parliamentarian for the PBA meetings. Prepares meeting minutes and makes all PBA records available for Association Members. Responsible for proper registration of players and verification of necessary data in accordance with PRO, Association, State and National Guidelines. Prepares meeting minutes and makes all PBA records available for Association. Members Compiles data required by PBA officers and committees. Serves on committees as required.
7d. REGISTRATION /COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR:
Arrange for and oversee all registration activities. Is responsible for the assembling of teams either by blind a draft, school or parent player/coach requests as dictated paragraph 24 RECREATIONAL TEAM SELECTION. Is responsible for organizing photo schedules with our photographer. Communicates with all PBA members. This position requires at least 1 year of prior service as a member of the PBA Board of Directors due having access to sensitive information.
7e. UNIFORM DIRECTOR:
Is responsible for (if necessary changes are wanted) collecting at least four competitive bids for uniforms/trophies for the recreational teams. The bids are to be presented to the Board of Directors with a proposal. The Board will vote on which bid will be accepted. The artwork for the uniforms must also be approved by the Board. Responsible for ordering and distributing all uniforms to the appropriate Commissioner. Is responsible for ordering trophies. T-ball, Coach Pitch, & Machine Pitch (if no tournament in Machine Pitch) will all receive participation medals. Machine Pitch (if there is a tournament), 10U, 12U & 14U will only get a trophy/medal if they win 1st or 2nd place in the end of the season tournament. The fall league will not distribute any medals or trophies.
7f. EQUIPMENT DIRECTOR:
Responsible for Board approved equipment purchases and the maintenance and distribution of PBA equipment. Maintains equipment control through accurate inventories and appropriate storage practices. Reports activities to the Board of Directors and prepares spring and fall equipment purchase proposals for budget preparation. Will keep the storage unit (at Dino Storage) neat and organized.
7g. SCHEDULING DIRECTOR:
Is responsible to prepare and maintain game schedules for each league in the PBA during authorized seasons of play. Monitor the scheduled play for any need to reschedule games due to cancellation by weather, field closure or schedule changes. Coordinate the rescheduling of any games with that league Commissioner and coaches by verbal confirmation. Maintain an up-to-date master schedule for league and tournament games. Coordinating the schedule with the Umpire Director and keep them updated on any changes in the schedule. Will be responsible to give the practice & game schedules of all age groups to the City of Papillion. This position is recommended to have at least 1 year of prior serviced as a member of the PBA Board of Directors. Prefer experience on how the league is formed and ran.
7h. PROMOTIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR:
Works closely with the Director and is responsible for the promotion of the sport of Baseball by presentations to the news media and advertisements. Edits and publishes the newsletter or other PBA publications and ensures appropriate approval is obtained for all releases through the Director.
7i. FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR:
Is responsible for working with volunteers and corporate donors to generate revenue income from fundraising that allows us to augment our operations and services. They will explore and pursue promising fundraising opportunities such as developing grant applications, organizing events and drives, and seeking corporate partnerships and donations.
7j. UMPIRE DIRECTOR:
Arrange for and oversee all umpires. Is responsible for the training and scheduling of all umpires for league and tournament games. Shall be responsible for communicating with the scheduling director to have up-to-date game schedules for ages 10U to 14U during authorized seasons of play. Coordinate rescheduling of any games with the scheduling Director due to cancellations by weather or schedule changes. Maintain an up to date master schedule for league and tournament/end of season games. Send schedule to PSOA. Inform PSOA of any schedule changes or cancellations of games.
7k. LEAGUE COMMISSIONERS:
T-BALL, COACH PITCH, MACHINE PITCH, 10U, 12U, 14U, MABL
These are appointed positions that assist the Board of Directors in registering players and selecting and with managing coaches, organizing, and running tryouts and overseeing the team selection process. They manage the day-to-day operations of their respective divisions during the season in accordance with Board of Directors directives and policies. Over looks their league games & practices and makes any changes when necessary to help coaches with scheduling conflicts. Will communicate any changes done to the schedule to the Scheduling director.
8. VANCANCIES:
The vacancy of an elected office shall be filled, for the unexpired term, by simple majority vote of the PBA Board of Directors. Absence from three consecutive regular Board of Directors meetings or 25% of the Director called functions without a reasonable excuse can be considered a resignation. More than 1 person can hold a Board of Directors position if there are not enough people to cover the positions.
9. GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE
The Board of Directors (a minimum of four) will sit on the Grievance Committee, chaired by the Director. The Umpire Director will sit on a Grievance Committee dealing with a question of Baseball rules, umpires, or other officiating questions. The duties are to resolve grievances as presented, in accordance with established association procedures. The grievance must be presented in writing to any PBA Board Member. Disposition of grievance must be delivered in writing within 10 days to parties involved and will be made part of the minutes of the Board of Directors meeting. All game protests must be conducted in accordance with governing association rules. PBA must be notified of all protests and grievances regardless of association participation, within 48 hours after occurrence. The initial notification will be to the appropriate Commissioner. The Committee will meet only when necessary. The procedure of the Grievance Committee is detailed in the PBA Grievance Committee Procedure and Guidelines.
10. DICIPLINARY COMMITTEE
The PBA Disciplinary Committee is made up of four board members, the commissioner of the league involved if convened for a coach, the Umpire Director if convened for an Umpire and chaired by the Director, Asst. Director or a Chairperson appointed by the Director. The Committee will meet only when necessary. The procedure of the Disciplinary Committee is detailed in the PBA Disciplinary Committee Procedure and Guidelines.
11. QUORUM:
The quorum for the transactions of any meeting shall be with the following minimums required to open a meeting:
A. Four Officers or a majority of the current Directors shall be required to transact business at any meeting of the Board of Directors.
B. Four Officers or a majority of the current Directors and at least 2 other General Members must be in attendance to transact business at any General Membership meeting.
12. ORDER OF BUSINESS:
The order of business at any meeting of the PBA Board of Directors shall follow PBA policies and procedures and then Robert’s Rules of order. A written agenda shall be published and made available at the beginning of each meeting of the Board of Directors or General Membership.
13. MEETING:
The place and hour of meetings shall be fixed by the Director or Board of Directors as the occasion demands. A record shall be kept of attendance of members as well as the business transacted. Notice of all proposed business to be placed on the agenda shall be given to the Secretary in sufficient time to prepare an agenda prior to the meeting. All meetings will follow the normal agenda of established parliamentary procedures. The business on the agenda shall be presented in the order as the Director may direct. The courtesy of the meeting may be extended to interested parties at the discretion of the Director. Public notice of the “General Membership” meetings will be provided to all members not less than two weeks prior to the meeting.
14. ASSOCATION MEETINGS:
The PBA Board of Directors will hold a minimum of one General Membership meeting each year. An annual meeting of the PBA membership shall be held in September with published notification being provided a minimum of two weeks prior to the date scheduled. A published agenda shall be furnished at all Board of Directors and General Membership meetings.
15. RESOLUTIONS AND RULINGS:
In accordance with standard parliamentary procedures, a motion to suspend a rule or rules must be seconded and carried by a 2/3-majority vote (of voting members present) before any Amendment can be acted upon.
Resolutions or other temporary rulings may be adopted by the PBA at any meeting. All resolutions shall require a majority vote for adoption. Resolutions shall be effective from the date of adoption and shall be valid only until the next General Membership meeting, at which time they must be either adopted as amendments or terminated.
Any resolutions or temporary rulings shall be presented to the PRO Board monthly meeting following the PBA meeting along with a copy of the minutes from the PBA monthly meeting.
The PBA Board of Directors shall have the authority to transact the ongoing business and to enforce the provisions of this document. In cases of emergency, the Board of Directors may make a ruling and settle any problem, which is not specifically covered by these rules or other PRO documents.
16. AMENDMENTS:
Amendments or deletions to the organization structure will require 2/3 approval of the PBA Board of Directors. Amendments or deletions must be presented to the PRO Board of Directors for approval and then voted on by the PBA General Membership at their annual or attempted to resolve differences by the PRO Board of Directors and the PBA Board of Directors will be made. If differences cannot be resolved by the two Boards, the differences will be presented to the PRO General Membership at the next PRO General Membership meeting for final resolution.
17. VOTING:
All motions at General Membership meetings or Board of Directors meetings shall be determined by an oral response or show of hands unless a secret ballot is requested by any voting member.
18. BUDGET:
A yearly or seasonal budget will be prepared by the Treasurer in cooperation with the Executive Board, Equipment Manager, and the Finance Committee. The PBA Director will submit the proposed budget to the PBA Board of Directors for approval. Once approved, the proposed budget will be presented by the PBA Director or his/her designee to the PRO Board of Directors, the PBA Director or his/her designee will the submit it to the PRO Treasurer for enactment.
19. FUNDS / DONATIONS / GIFTS:
All monetary and material funds, donations, gifts offered to further the objectives of the PBA must be offered to and accepted by the PBA and PRO Board of Directors. Donations, gifts with a cash value in excess of five hundred dollars must be approved by the PRO Board of Directors before the donation, gift is accepted by the PBA. Monetary donations, gift accepted by PRO on behalf of the Baseball program will be deposited in the Baseball program’s account by the PRO Treasurer. Non-monetary donations, gifts accepted by PRO on behalf of the Baseball program will be used as specified in writing by the donor, if so specified. All services rendered as donations shall be reported to the PRO Treasurer to ensure compliance with State and National non-profit laws and regulations.
20. COACHES:
Each team playing under the auspices of the PBA will have a head coach for that particular season. Each coach is responsible to and under the direction of their respective Commissioner. All Head Coaches & Assistant Coaches will be required to conduct a background check provided by PBA. Concussion handouts from the CDC Heads up will be given to Head Coaches & Assistant Coach as a means of concussion training.
21. COACH SELECTION:
A committee consisting of the PBA Director, the PRO Representative, and the Commissioner of the recreational age group will be formed only in the event two or more individuals desire to coach the same team. The committee will be responsible for selecting the head coach for subject team(s), based upon their determination and appropriate qualifications. They will consider such things as experience, responsibility, attitude, education, etc. Whenever possible, an effort should be made to acquire non-parent Competitive Coaches.
22. DISCIPLINE:
Each coach is responsible for the conduct of his/her own team during practice, team travel and on playing field. Appeal for redress by a player and/or parents shall be made to the grievance Committee of the PBA in writing.
23. FEES:
Registration fees will be set by the PBA Board of Directors and approved by the PRO Board of Directors. Fees are payable upon registration and must be paid prior to eligibility for play or practice. Registration forms and players releases must be completed, or the player is not eligible to participate in practice or games.
24. RECREATIONAL TEAM SELECTION:
The PBA Director, Recreational Commissioner and Recreational Coaches and/or Registrations Director will form the Team Selection Committee for recreational league will also be responsible for forming the teams. The Team Selection Committee PBA Director and/or Registrations Director will attempt to honor requests by parents and coaches as special circumstances dictate the addition or removal of a player on a given team.
The method of team selection for players eight and under will be, as far as possible, to assign teams according to the elementary school in their neighborhood and player/parent coach requests.
The method of team selection for players in Mustang 10U and older age groups will follow a skill assessment and draft. All players within a given age group will attend a skill assessment session and be given a number. The Skill Assessment Committee will grade all players on ability in specific skill areas (fielding, throwing, batting, sometimes pitching and catching.) and assigned a numeric value to each skill. Numeric values shall be from 1-5, with 1 5 showing above average skill level, a 3 showing average skill level, and a 5 1 showing below average skill. The individual scores will then be added together, and a composite score will be assigned to each player. The players will then be organized by age and score from lowest highest number to highest lowest number and then divided into rounds of draft by the number of teams in that age group. The coaches will then draw names numbers for the drafting order and proceed with the draft in rotational order, drawing blindly from the first round through the last round. The first rounds will be players that scored a 5, next will be 4’s, then 3’s, 2’s and last 1’s. for Pitchers then Catchers. The Coaches will be allowed to trade 1 player from the draw. Any player not attending tryouts will be given a score agreed upon by the Skill Assessment Committee. Coaches having their own child/children in the league will be given that player automatically in the round they fall in based on the score assigned to the child/children.
All teams must meet the 80/20 60/40 Rule with their players. 60% 80% of all team players must have residence in the Papillion/La Vista School District of Nebraska and 40% 20% can be from outside of the Papillion/La Vista School District of Nebraska.
25. TEAM SIZE
The maximum size for a team is as determined by the PBA.
26. COMPETITIVE/TRAVEL (WRECKERS) TEAM SELECTION:
The method of team selection for players wishing to participate on a competitive team will be as follows. Tryouts will take place in June/July. All competitive advertisements will be sent to the membership by email. Notifications will be placed at least two weeks prior to the tryout date.
The Director of PBA Board of Directors and the Commissioners will recruit and develop coaches. Current coaches and assistant coaches will be encouraged to participate. In the event more than one person is interested in the same coaching position, the Board of Directors PBA Director, Commissioner, and the PRO Representative will make the final selection. Coaching assignments will be completed, for each age level, prior to tryouts. No more than one coach will be assigned to each team prior to tryouts unless the coach and the assistant coach do not have children participating.
Tryouts will take place over a minimum of 2 hours of total duration of each age level. Players and parents will be informed at the onset of tryouts of the following:
Introduction of the coach
Tryout procedures and schedule
Evaluation process (skills to be tested)
Number of positions available (size of roster)
Additional fees and total estimated costs
Outline of season schedule and possible tournaments
Every attempt will be made to make this a fair and open tryout.
Tryout evaluations will be performed by any Director of PBA, the Commissioner, the Competitive coach and at least one PBA Board of Directors and Travel Coaches Member. This will create a panel of at least 4 evaluators. In no event will there be less than 3 evaluators present at any tryout session. Each evaluator will make an independent judgment of the players. Although the Head Coach will make the final decisions, the majority of the evaluators must agree on final roster. If a conflict of interest is evident, (i.e. one of the above individuals is a parent of a child trying out) another Board Member must be assigned by the PBA Board to participate in the evaluation process for the individual with the conflict.
All positions are open to competition from all interested players. Each player should be able to display the skills at their desired field position.
The Head Coach will determine the size of the roster and will fill that roster to its entirety at the conclusion of the tryouts. In the event a new player makes themselves available at a later date, the Head Coach, at his/her discretion can make an addition to the roster. In no event will a player be dropped from a roster to make room for a new player. Every attempt will be made to complete tryouts in reasonably good weather and field conditions. Rescheduling may be necessary, but safety and fairness are the goal.
All teams must meet the 80/20 60/40 Rule with their players. 60% 80% of all team players must have residence in the Papillion/La Vista School District of Nebraska and 40% 20% can be from outside of the Papillion/La Vista School District of Nebraska.
The style of uniform will be chosen and approved by the PBA Board of Directors.
27. PLAYING TIME:
For those teams participating within the recreational leagues, the playing time is specified by PBA recreational league rules.
For those players participating on a competitive team, the playing time is specified by PBA recreational league rules the Head Coach of the Competitive/ Travel team.
28. EQUIPMENT:
The coach has responsibility for all PRO equipment checked out to him/her by the PBA. The PBA Board of Directors has the power to establish a player’s financial responsibility for the uniform or their equipment, not to exceed program replacement cost.
29. ALL-STAR TEAMS:
The PBA policy will be to form All-Star teams. The selection Committee for All Star teams will be by player vote only. The PBA Board of Directors will pick 2 Head Coaches in each age group. Depending on the number of teams per age group will determine how many are picked per team. Each coach will pick their best skilled player/players and the players will pick 1 player that they think I the best skilled player.
30. TEAM TRAVEL:
Team travel to out of town tournaments must be approved by the PBA and PRO Board of Directors. Upon approval, participation will ultimately be decided upon by parents of the players due to the cost of travel, which will be borne, by the parents.
31. FUND RAISING:
The intent of any fund-raising activity must be approved by the PBA and PRO Board of Directors at least one month prior to the proposed date of activity.
32. NON VOTING POSITIONS:
A) Pictures and Awards:
Coordinates and is responsible for scheduling team and individual pictures and distribution of pictures. Responsible for all participation, association awards and all tournament awards. Responsible for any other awards as directed by PBA Board of Directors.
B) EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
Coordinates and is responsible for educating and training board members, commissioners, and coaches on training techniques and player development. Responsible to develop and proctor the PBA coaches training sessions.
33. CODE OF CONDUCT:
Officers, coaches, volunteers, or employee of the PBA will not smoke, use tobacco, alcohol, or any illegal substances on, or near, the field during games or practices or while players or adults not of their family are present.
34. PRECEDENCE:
The PRO Articles of Incorporation, PRO By-laws, and other PRO documents approved by the PRO General Membership, have precedence over: 1) this document, 2) other PBA documents, and 3) any PBA rules and policies, exclusive of playing rules and regulations as set forth by the sport of Baseball governing association. (E.g., PONY BASEBALL, INC. and other as they originate.)