Cherokee Senior Softball Association

The meeting of the CSSA Board of Directors was held August 8th, 2023, at Hobgood Park, and called to order by Norman Thiem at 6:30 P.M.

Board Members Present: Norman Thiem, Randy Bergman, James Bauch, Dan Bonham, Dick O’Connor, Robbie Crider, Dewey Hom, Ray DeLuca, Maria Burden, Marty Aftewicz, Leland Brown, John Humeston and Steve Fleming.
Board Members Bob Werner, Mike Maguire, Mike Parson were absent.

A. Minutes of the July 3rd, 2023 meeting, having been emailed to all, were Board approved.
B. Treasurer’s Report: An updated report will be emailed later for approval.

C. Hall of Fame: Ray DeLuca, representing the Hall of Fame (HOF) committee presented a first draft of requirements and guidelines for the CSSA HOF. The draft was discussed, revisions proposed, and it was agreed that at the next B.O.D. meeting, the details and procedures would be confirmed and voted upon so that the first inductees could be nominated and voted in before the 2023 banquet where HOF inductions will take place.

D. Fee Waiver for 80-UP Club Members: It was discussed and approved by the B.O.D. that members of the 80-UP club will each be granted a waiver of fees for one league per season. The waivers became effective for the fall 2023 season. Funding comes from the CSSA charity fund.

E. Rule Update: Pitching Around the Screen: This proposal is to make the rule consistent with the “Pitcher must remain behind the screen” rule to help ensure player safety, and not allow an unfair advantage to the pitcher. Several proposals were presented and discussed at length, with the following rule update agreed upon:
First violation (pitching around the screen) in game:
Penalty: Dead ball, ball on batter, warning to pitcher.
Second violation:
Penalty: Dead ball, ball on batter, all runners advance ONE base. Pitcher removed from pitching position for remainder of game.
The rule update was voted upon and was approved by the Board of Directors.

The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. The September B.O.D. meeting date and location will be determined later.

Hello Players, Managers and League Directors!
Our 2023 fall season is off to a good start, but unfortunately COVID 19 is making a bit of a comeback. As seniors, we need to all do our part to keep each other safe from spreading this serious virus around.
CSSA will adhere to the CDC’s up to date COVID 19 protocols. We need everyone to be familiar with this information and follow it if or when you may have been exposed. Let’s honor those we lost during the height of the pandemic by keeping each other safe now!
For further information click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

Good news, CSSA members, Randy Bergman has ordered a new batch of CSSA hats and they are available now! We have them in stock (two options: mesh back and solid gray fabric). These high-quality lids are the same as our previous hats, minus the 25th Anniversary logo. See Randy Bergman at Hobgood Park most Monday mornings, Tuesday nights, Wednesday mornings and Wednesday nights. $10 each.

The meeting of the CSSA Board of Directors was held July 3rd, 2023, at Wicked Wings, Kennesaw, and called to order by Norman Thiem at 6:40 P.M.

Board Members Present: Norman Thiem, Dick O’Connor, Robbie Crider, Dewey Hom, Maria Burden, Mike Parson, Marty Aftewicz, John Humeston and Mike Maguire. Craig Pearson was a visitor.

Board Members James Bauch, Ray DeLuca, Bob Werner, Dan Bonham, Leland Brown, Steve Fleming and Randy Bergman were absent. Jerome Willingham was a guest.
A. Minutes of the June 5, 2023 meeting, having been emailed to all, were Board approved.
B. Financial Statement: Treasurer Mike Maguire presented financials and the report was Board approved.
C. League Headcounts: League directors reported their current headcounts and roster needs for the upcoming Fall season.
D. CSSA Golf Tournament: This year’s summer tournament (having been rescheduled due to thunderstorms) will be held on July 24th, 2023 at the Fairways of Canton Golf Club 400 Laurel Canyon Pkwy, Canton, GA 30114
More foursomes are still needed.
Fees: $90/single – $360 /foursome. Also available for purchase….Strings, Red Bombs and Mulligans for $5.00 each! Package Includes: Green Fee, Cart Fee, Range Balls,Tax & Gratuity, and a buffet lunch including hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans and coleslaw. Register and pay at : https://www.teampages.com/forms/25013-Charity-Events Hole Sponsors: Hole sponsors are also still needed.
E. Evaluations: Fall Evaluations will be held Saturday, July 22nd from 12-2 p.m., Sunday July 23rd from 12-2 p.m., Saturday, July 29th from 12-2 p.m. and Sunday, July 30th from 12-2 p.m. The Board again discussed evaluations and how to better screen new players trying out to determine when they are not available to play and make the tryout/draft process even more seamless. New players will be assigned a league or leagues based on the results, and can only be drafted to teams within that league (or leagues). It was decided that an additional “interview station” will be set up at check-in manned by Norman Thiem to be sure that the right questions are asked of new players so they are not drafted to a league that plays when they might not be available for scheduling reasons. There will be an all-managers meeting prior to the beginning of the draft to review the rules and ensure a smoother draft process. Yard signs promoting evaluations were picked up for posting by board members.
F. Hall of Fame Committee: A list of the first four inductee candidates will be brought to the August board of directors meeting.
G. Double Elimination Tournaments: The possibility of establishing double elimination tournaments for the Patriots and Masters leagues was discussed.
H. Fall Player Fees to be Payable at TeamPages: Pending a few adjustments to the menus and wording in the League Fees section of TeamPages, players will be able to pay their fall fees at this link: https://www.teampages.com/forms/25010-League-Fees :
I. Championship Shirts: Spring 2023 Championship shirts are now ready and available to the winning teams.

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. The August B.O.D. meeting date and location will be determined later.

Hey players, your CSSA Board of Directors and volunteers are busy getting ready for CSSA’s fall softball season, which starts in early August. It’s time to pay your fees right here on the TeamPages website. You must have your fees paid prior to the first game of the season, so let’s get it done! Fees are $55.00 per league you play in, plus a $1.10 web processing fee. Still a bargain for 10 weeks of fun, friendship and great sportsmanship.

Click here to pay your fees: https://www.teampages.com/forms/25010-League-Fees

And please help us spread the word to men and women age 49+ that evaluations continue Saturday, July 29th and Sunday July 30th from 12-2 p.m. at Hobgood Park, Field #4 for the fall season. We would like to see a great turnout and bring in more new players this fall.