SPMSA will not accept outbound player transfer requests prior to March 1st (subject to team formation at the applicable level). SPMSA reserves the right to wait until the current year's registration is closed then verify the number of teams and to conduct evaluations to determine the caliber of the team and the division they will play in.
Player transfers received on or after March 1st of the current registration year and for the upcoming softball season will be evaluated based on Section E.5(d) of the Softball Alberta Handbook and a decision will be made within 7 calendar days.
SPMSA will be providing a competition structure for the various stages of an athlete's development by aligning with the Softball Alberta designated age categories. Through this common approach of developing physical abilities through community sport programs, SPMSA has implemented the following policy:
Players must remain in their designated age/division as established by Softball Alberta and determined by their birth year.
Exceptional cases will be reviewed by the SPMSA Executive
Player Import Policy - click here
Rationale:
SPMSA takes player safety very seriously. All sports have potential for serious injuries. As an Association and as Coaches, we must be prepared to deal with them effectively and
with the athlete’s well being as the top priority. Furthermore, we understand Coaches are volunteers, we do not wish to put them at risk by having no direction in this regard.
Please adhere to the following:
1) Ensure the equipment bag has a stocked first aid kit. If it does not, contact the equipment manager, equipmentmanager@spmsa.com, right away to address this. This first aid kit needs to be at every game and practice. We encourage teams, particularly at older levels, to bring ice packs to each game/practice. Immediate icing is an important part of injury recovery.
2) Should an injury occur during a practice or game and the athlete requests to stop playing, this must be honored immediately. Should you as a coach determine the player should not continue playing (even if the athlete wants to), this should happen immediately. Should parents request that their athlete stop playing due to an injury, this should happen immediately. This is to be done regardless of the impact on the game result.
3) Any injury that requires an athlete to stop playing must be recorded on an Injury Incidence Form. These forms must be submitted within 24 hours to the appropriate Division Representative. The Division Representative, after communication with the Coach, will determine if a Return to Play Form is required.
4) Should the player sustain a serious injury that requires immediate outside medical assistance (i.e.ambulance, hospital) with the injury, they must be cleared to play again by submitting a Return to Play Form. In addition, any player diagnosed with any grade of concussion must submit a Return to Play Form. Any costs associated with this form will be reimbursed by SPMSA upon presentation of a receipt.
If a coach is found to have not followed these procedures, after knowing that the player was injured, they will be sent a reprimand, suspension, or dismissal, as determined by
the board.