Competition - Where Does SNECAA Go From Here?

The essence of sports is competition. The objective, obviously is to win the game. Without competition, what would be the point? If you've ever been to one of those childrens league games where they don't keep score, you probably had the same feeling I did, that something was definitely missing. On the other hand, in my years of playing, coaching, and umpiring, I have seen way too much of the opposite extreme, where it seems that the emphasis was entirely upon winning, and much of the enjoyment gets sucked right out of the competition. Why does winning become so important, especially at the amateur level? At the end of a "championship game," the winners jump up and down and hug each other. The crowd cheers, maybe a trophy is given. But in very short order, everyone goes back to their lives, and not long afterward, it's hard to even remember who won.

There is something in our human nature, especially among men, that drives us to compete, and sometimes we go a little overboard. I'm often just as guilty as the next guy, at least "in the moment." But I'll bet that if I presented various scenarios to you where you might have to choose between your personal integrity or christian witness and winning a softball game, you wouldn't have any problem responding with the "right" answer. But it's a lot harder out there on the field, "in the moment" when you are trying your hardest to win. When you think about it, this is a lot like life ... the christian walk sounds really clear and easy when you hear an inspiring message at church, at least until you get to the exit of the church parking lot ... yes?

SNECAA was born out of a desire to "get it right." It has taken a lot of work to get it going... legal setup, insurance, field acquisition, scheduling, rule making, web site building... and the sense I get right now is that we as a league are sitting at the parking lot exit. What SNECAA will be like going forward will be determined by how we act on the field, how we treat each other, and what our witness is before fans, umpires, and one another. Throughout the rest of this season, and over the winter, there will be a lot of issues and decisions that will provide the opportunity to "get it right." Here are just a few:

SAFETY ISSUES - We already insist on a "double bag" rule at first, and we are considering a new rule to protect our pitchers, many of whom are not.. ahem ... young men. We all have jobs and families at home, and it seems that the balls are flying off the bats faster this year. Over the winter, we will probably take another look at the bats we allow and the ball we use. In the meantime, here's a conversation starter... If you or a fellow player feel you HAVE TO use a souped up bat so you can hit an occasional home run, even at the increased risk to another player, is this the right league for you?

SCHEDULING - We are testing a new doubleheader format beginning July 7, which should be fun. If this format is successful, it certainly could be expanded to start earlier into June. But there are lots of other scheduling changes that could enhance SNECAA's mission. We already have an unbalanced schedule, which this year is pretty random, but what if we introduced some intention into it for future years. Divisional play by region could reduce travel times, or unbalancing the schedule by previous years record might result in more competitive games... The top four teams so far this year are 15-0 against the bottom four. In the four games between the top two teams and the bottom two, the average margin of victory was over 17 runs. If a team consciously sets out to be as inclusive as possible and focuses on fellowship, shouldn't we as a league protect them from enduring regular thrashings as their reward? What if we consciously scheduled teams of equal ability based, say, on previous season record or even scheduled the second half of each season based on the first half record? We could create many more close games, and isn't that the type of competition we really want?

FELLOWSHIP - At the Spring meetings, there were a lot of ideas thrown around for enhancing fellowship in the league. A single field with multiple games allows for more fellowship before and after games. Or perhaps not all of our doubleheaders in the current format need to be two games between the same teams. Tournaments, cookouts, charitable events, all have been discussed.... stay tuned for those possibilities. But the first fellowship-oriented undertaking this year has been this web site and the associated league lineup website. We have worked hard to get the websites set up and running, and the league lineup site alone has received over 800 visits in the first eight weeks... over 100 per week. We now have over half of the teams keeping stats on line for their teams.

Then there is this blog. I hope that going forward, it will generate some good online conversation, beginning with this article. I look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback, as we try to find balance between healthy competition, fellowship, outreach, witness, sportsmanship, and Christ-like attitude that can make SNECAA a truly great league.

Doubleheaders Begin on July 7th!

One of the innovations we are trying this year is the scheduling of doubleheaders, which will begin on July 7th. This seems like a great way to get a lot more games in, but will require everyone's cooperation to get two games in before dark. Here are the doubleheader rules:

• Game 1 starts PROMPTLY at 6:15 PM... start with nine players if you have to (Remember you can add at the bottom of your lineup)
• Each batter goes to the plate with a 1-1 count (with grace foul).
• Between innings, hustle in hustle out ... NO infield or outfield balls... after the 1st Inning, pitchers may take ONE warmup pitch if desired.
• After 50 minutes of play in Game 1, if you have not reached the 7th, the game will end upon completion of THAT inning... Game 2 will begin immediately.

If we can make this work, it opens up lots of scheduling possibilities for future seasons.

Announcing the "Players' Award"

So what’s so different about SNECAA? We’re still playing competitively, trying hard to do well and help our teams win. We still have moments of frustration, maybe tension. We still pray before and after the games. So again, what makes SNECAA different?

Well hopefully, the differences will unfold as our new league grows and improves over the years. But here’s one thing that is totally new. We are pleased to announce that this year, SNECAA will have two championship awards. In addition to the traditional championship that goes to the winner of the playoffs, we are pleased to announce that we will also give a “Players’ Award,” which will go to the team which is voted by all the players to have best exemplified sportsmanship and a Christ-like attitude on the field.

This could be considered a small step, but it is our hope that this award will ultimately be viewed as equal in value to the traditional championship, if not even greater in value. The difference between winning and losing on the field is often determined by circumstances beyond our control, a bad hop, a fluke hit, an umpire’s call, etc. Just as in life, we cannot always control our circumstances, but we CAN control our reactions and attitudes in the midst of those circumstances.

Over my years in softball (really all sports), I can easily think of teams that I just didn’t enjoy playing… you know what I’m talking about, I don’t think I need to elaborate… but there were also many teams that I looked forward to playing. Win or lose, it was always competitive AND fun, with encouragement (“Great play, shortstop!”), good natured ribbing, and lots of fellowship both before and after the game. I would rather have lost a heartbreaker to one of those teams than won big in a joyless game.

So at the end of the season, we will distribute ballots to all the coaches for distribution to their players with the opportunity to vote for the best team in terms of sportsmanship and Christ-like attitude. Their will also be an opportunity on the ballot to make suggestions for next season.

Meanwhile, take note of which teams are deserving of this honor, to become the first recipient of the Players Award.

Sincerely

Chuck LaMarre

Commissioner

Welcome to SNECAA!

Welcome to SNECAA!

In the forty or so years I’ve been playing softball, mostly in christian church leagues, I’ve had a similar conversation with many other players and coaches, where we’ve expressed a dream or vision about everything that a men’s softball league could be. That dream is finally a reality with the formation of the Southern New England Christian Athletic Association, or as it’s coming to be known, SNECAA.

Our vision is for a league that emphasizes our christian brotherhood and fellowship first, honoring Christ in all we do and say, upholding family, and reaching out to those who are far from God, all while maintaining an atmosphere of fun and spirited competition. Maintaining these principles will not always be easy. We are from all walks of life, no doubt have many different beliefs, and love to compete, so there may be differences of opinion, especially in the heat of the moment.

But we also hold much in common, much more than any differences, and we want to embrace and cultivate that which we have common. We believe in Jesus Christ and the saving power of the cross. This makes us first and foremost brothers in Christ. We hope and expect that as SNECAA grows and develops, our example of fellowship and brotherhood, both on the field and off, will draw many men and their families to Christ.

Let the adventure begin!

Rob McDonald