Now That Practices Have Started

ALL COACHES/ASSISTANT COACHES/PARENTS

Field Status -- To check the status of the fields regarding weather related or maintenance related closures simply check the HOME PAGE of the FMYSA website or “Like us” and follow us on Facebook. Field Statuses are located in the upper right hand side of the FMYSA website and each complex or field has its own status, www.fmysa.com. Our Facebook Page will also be updated as soon as the field status information is provided to us. Often times Facebook is updated first.

What Time are Field Status Updates Made -- Please don’t call, text, or email regarding field statuses. As soon as we know, the updates will be made. We have asked the TOFM to notify us no later than 3:00 PM daily and as soon as possible on weekends (we try to update by 7:30 AM on Saturday's and by 10:30 AM on Sunday's). Many times we are actually walking the fields to assess them as early as 5:00 AM on the weekends, but it takes a fair amount of time to evaluate 25 fields. We will always push to try and have fields open as long as safety is not a concern.

What Triggers a Field Status Change -- Field Status changes are ONLY MADE when there is a CHANGE IN STATUS "from Open to Closed, or Closed to Open) for one or more fields. For example, if we have 10 straight days of sunshine, we will not update daily, the Field Status will simply remain OPEN. Same is true if we have 3 straight days of rain, the Field Status will simply remain CLOSED. Another thing that would trigger a change in status is if an individual field were to be closed due to an irrigation leak, a maintenance issue, a safety issue, etc. Though these one-off closures are rare, we do recommend checking the website on a regular basis.    

Base Removal Policy – FMYSA teams are to remove bases and place them on the shelf in the dugouts at Bakersfield Park, or in the appropriate dugout storage units at other fields/parks. 

Scenarios – please review:

1. If you have a noon practice on Sunday and no other team is waiting to immediately take the field, remove the bases from the field.
2. If you are the last practice of the night, remove the bases from the field.
3. If you are the last game of the day or night (no other team is immediately waiting to take the field), remove the bases from the field.
4. In all cases; practices, scrimmages or games, if there is no other team immediately waiting to take the field, remove the bases from the field.

Consequences – Lost practice slot. Removing bases from the field has always been a policy of FMYSA.  It is covered at all coaches meetings and posted on the FMYSA website. 

1. First offense, you receive an email notifying you that bases were left out on your field and reminding you that a repeat occurrence will result in the loss of a scheduled practice.
2. Next offense, you will receive an email notification that your team has lost a scheduled practice time.

We don’t ever want to have to get to step two, but it has become such a problem system wide, that we have to enforce this policy.  This can all be avoided if we provide the simple courtesy of removing the bases from the fields.  Thank you in advance for your help with this matter.

It is very important to the TOFM that the bases be removed from the fields so they can spend time doing the critical work they need to do to keep our parks and fields in great shape.  It may not seem like a lot of extra work for them to you, but trust me; it really slows them down during the course of a day’s work.  There are very few TOFM field crew workers to take care of multiple parks and fields and our efforts to remove the bases goes a long way in maintaining a good working relationship with them.

Practice Field Cancelation Notification – Coaches only, please remember you must email fields@fmysa.com ASAP when you know you will NOT BE USING your scheduled practice slot (the sooner the better for all involved). Many times there is a backlog of other teams that are looking for a practice field. Additionally, fields@fmysa.com MUST BE NOTIFIED anytime a scheduled field is not going to be used.

Consequences – As a reminder, failure to provide notification can cause forfeiture of your practice slot.

Field Requests – fields@fmysa.com – Coaches only, this is the email all field related communication must be sent to.

• Emails will be monitored from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM daily. Please take this into consideration when waiting for a reply.
• All field requests MUST be emailed --- do not text or call in field requests.
• In case of EMERGENCY; field lights are not on, dugout gates are locked, a water line has broken, vandalism has occurred, etc., please call or text Tracy Black at 214.538.7755. (Text is preferred.)
• As always, we will do everything possible to find you a field, but please know that open practice fields become few and far between once games start.

Thanks for your support and let’s have a great season!