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About Softball BC
In 2011 Softball BC’s implementation plan for LTPD was introduced at the Annual General Meeting and the plan was reviewed by Drew Mitchell, a Canadian Sport for Life expert and the Manager of Sport Technical and Performance Services with the BC Sport Agency.
We have seen the benefits of the “Own the Podium” program and if, through the efforts of members, we can put the same amount of energy into our Long Term Player Development program there is no telling how great the rewards may be. I encouraged you last year to “give the LTPD model a chance to influence the way we are structuring our league and Association schedules to allow for more time to learn the sport of Softball and less time trying to compete to win a place on the Podium.” Did we succeed? In some areas yes we did. In the majority of the area there was little or no change. It is very hard at the Board level to alter the way Leagues and Associations run their programs. The Board can offer new directions that have proven to be successful in the sport sector in other sports, however if not endorsed and supported by the membership our chance of succeeding are limited at best.
Why change? Do we define our sport by competition or do we use competition to achieve our core purpose, vision values and strategic objectives which at the core is about player development? Implementation of Softball’s Long Term Player Development model is crucial for Softball Canada, Softball BC and our partners to achieve our organizations’ stated vision and strategic objectives. If we are to serve the long-term interest of all participants, the objective(s) for each stage of development must be considered in defining events/competitions and establishing benchmarks of success.
I invite you to familiarize yourself with the Vision, Mission and Value statements of the organization and to consider the strategic priorities of the Board of Directors reviewed with the members at the Annual General Meeting in October 2010 and ‘The Base Path Forward’ the implementation plan of LTPD for Softball in British Columbia.
The success of meeting our strategic priorities can only be achieved with the commitment of Volunteers, Coaches and Parents.
Dennis Bidin
President – Softball BC
Dennis Bidin
President, Softball B.C.
