Rochester Youth Baseball Association

RYBA officials will make a city-wide RYBA cancellation decision by 4:30pm the day of the game working directly with the City Park and Rec department. If this decision is made the RYBAMN.COM website will indicate the cancellations and local radio stations will be called. After 5pm, it is the joint decision of the two coaches until game time on the playing conditions of the field to ensure safety of the RYBA players. One exception is at the Rochester Baseball Complex (RBC) the decision is made by the field staff crew on duty. Furthermore, at RBC fields may be locked by the field crew until they are playable to prevent undesired consquences to the field conditions, please respect that they are locked and do not enter. Once games have started it is the umpires decision to continue play or cancel the game. Coaches that would make the decision between 5:00 and 5:30pm that the field is unplayable must call the umpire coordinator, Zach Dunbar, at 507-261-7480 to notify the umpire before arriving. Please note that weather in Rochester may frequently be different across the multiple zip codes of area and that city-wide decisions will be only for broad whether conditions. RYBA (umpire coordinator) will reschedule the game, location, and arrange an umpire for the event and will notify coaches of the new information. Reschedules most likely will be on Fridays or weekends to accommodate field time. All Traveling baseball games are not covered by this process and are individual decisions prior to games due to the travel requirements by the visiting team.

RESCHEDULED GAMES: If your game was cancelled due to rain or some unforseen reason, RYBA (umpire coordinator) will reschedule the game, location, and arrange an umpire for the event and will notify coaches of the new information. Reschedules most likely will be on Fridays or weekends to accommodate.

RYBA officials will make a city-wide RYBA cancellation decision by 4:30pm the day of the game working directly with the City Park and Rec department. If this decision is made the RYBAMN.COM website will indicate the cancellations and local radio stations will be called. After 5pm, it is the joint decision of the two coaches until game time on the playing conditions of the field to ensure safety of the RYBA players.  Please note that weather in Rochester may frequently be different across the multiple zip codes of area and that city-wide decisions will be only for broad whether conditions. 

Kinderball - 3rd grade games are not rescheduled due to weather.

Lightning/Threatening Weather

Prior to the start of a contest, the host school is responsible for determining whether or not the conditions present a threat to the safety of participants and spectators, and will determine whether or not the contest will begin. Once the contest begins, the officials have the authority to postpone or suspend a contest due to unsafe weather conditions -- that decision may not be over-ruled. School officials also still have this authority. The Superintendent or his/her designee may over-rule an official and suspend or postpone a contest once it has begun. In other words, once a contest has begun either the officials or school authorities may postpone or suspend a contest, and cannot be over-ruled by the other party. When in doubt, error on the side of safety.

  While lightning on the horizon should warn of potential danger, lightning associated with thunder or thunder alone means that there is immediate danger to athletes, officials, and spectators. The adage — "If you can hear it, clear it." — should be used to make decisions to postpone or cancel the activity. Lightning can strike 10 miles ahead of or behind the storm front and thunderhead clouds.

When considering resumption of an athletic activity, the MSHSL recommends that everyone should wait at least 30 minutes after the last flash of lighting or sound of thunder before returning to the field or activity.

Additional lightning-safety guidelines have been developed with the assistance of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), and are listed below:

1. As a minimum, NSSL staff strongly recommend that by the time the monitor obtains a flash-to-bang count of 30 seconds (equivalent to six miles), all individuals should have left the athletics site and reached a safe structure or location.  Athletics events may need to be terminated. 
2. The existence of blue sky and the absence of rain are not protection from lightning.  Lightning can, and does, strike as far as 10 miles away from the rain shaft.  It does not have to be raining for lightning to strike 
    
3. If no safe structure or location is within a reasonable distance, find a thick grove of small trees surrounded by taller trees or a dry ditch.  Assume a crouched position on the ground with only the balls of the feet touching the ground, wrap your arms around your knees and lower your head.  Minimize contact with the ground, because lightning current often enters a victim through the ground rather than by a direct overhead strike.  MINIMIZE YOUR BODY'S SURFACE AREA, AND MINIMIZE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND!  DO NOT LIE FLAT!  If unable to reach safe shelter, stay away from the tallest trees or objects (such as light poles or flag poles), metal objects (such as fences or bleachers), individual trees, standing pools of water, and open fields.  Avoid being the highest object in a field.  Do not take shelter under a single, tall tree. 
4. A person who feels his or her hair stand on end, or skin tingle should immediately crouch, as described in item 3. 
5. Avoid using the telephone, except in emergency situations.  People have been struck by lighting while using a land-line telephone.  A cellular phone or a portable remote phone is a safe alternative to land-line phones, if the person and the antenna are located within a safe structure or location, and if all other precautions are followed. 
6. People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge.  Therefore, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is safe for the responder.  If possible, an injured person should be moved to a safer location before starting CPR.  Lightning-strike victims who show signs of cardiac or respiratory arrest need emergency help quickly.  Prompt, aggressive CPR has been highly effective for the survival of victims of lightning.

 The Code of Conduct reflects policy and expectations of the Rochester Youth Baseball (RYBA) organization.  It is intended to provide guidance to all those persons who are associated with RYBA and in particular those involved or responsible for directing their activities: players, coaches, umpires, parents, spectators, and members of the RYBA board of directors.

The purposes of the Codes of Conduct are to make the game of baseball more attractive, healthy and a worthwhile activity for children participating in RYBA Baseball.  A very important aspect of the RYBA baseball program at all levels is teaching and promoting good sportsmanship.  All individuals attending RYBA functions are expected to conduct themselves in a dignified and orderly manner. 

RYBA CODE OF BEHAVIOR:

• No foul or obscene language or verbal abuse of officials, coaches, parents or players
• No spectators on the field without coach approval
• No use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco at any event with minors
• Good sportsmanship is expected at all times
• Behavior expectations are for both on the field and in the spectator area
• Abide by all rules and regulations adopted by RYBA baseball
• Abide by all civil and criminal laws (including stipulations based on age and location of playing fields, etc.)

VIOLATIONS FOR BREAKING THE RYBA CODE OF BEHAVIOR:

• Immediately upon violations of the Code of Behavior at an RYBA event, and at the coach’s, umpire’s, or league official’s discretion, the manager, player, spectator or coach may be ejected and if so, will be instructed to leave the grounds. If such person refuses to leave the grounds, the game will be forfeited to the non-offending team. Based on the seriousness of the violation, the offending person may, may not, be warned before being ejected.
• After receiving the Umpire’s report that a manager, coach, spectator or player has been ejected, the offending person is required to meet with the RYBA Compliance Committee before attending an RYBA event as a coach, spectator, or player.  The RYBA House Commissioner or Traveling Director will notify the ejected person in writing, email, or telephone of the date, time and location of the Compliance Committee meeting.  It will be the decision of the Compliance Committee whether to suspend indefinitely or reinstate that manager, coach, spectator or player.  In the case of a spectator, he or she will not be allowed on the grounds until reinstated by the Executive Committee.
• Law enforcement will be called for any unlawful behavior by the coach, umpire or league official. If an individual that has been ejected refuses to leave the grounds, law enforcement may also be called.

REPEAT VIOLATIONS OR SERIOUS ACTIONS:

• RYBA will not tolerate repeated violations or any actions considered serious in nature.  If the Compliance Committee determines that the offender has multiple repeat violations or serious actions, the offender will be restricted from participating in or attending any RYBA event or activity.

Respect for the game starts with the following basic principles for spectators:

• Remember that children participate in sports for their enjoyment, not yours.
• Encourage your child to participate, do not force them.
• Focus on the child’s efforts and performance rather than winning or losing.
• Encourage children always to play according to the rules and to settle disputes without resorting to hostility
• Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or losing a competition.
• Remember that children learn best by example. 
• Appreciate good performances and skillful plays by all participants.
• Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities.
• Respect official’s decisions and teach children to do likewise.  Do not criticize, argue, or heckle any participant.
• Respect and appreciate volunteer coaches & officials.  Without them, your child could not participate.
• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person regardless of gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
• Spectators should never enter the field of play

The RYBA Compliance committee is comprised of the following board members but may change based on the situation:

• Current President (or President-Elect)
• Program Director (House Program Chairperson or Traveling Director)
• Grade Level commissioner and/or up to 2 additional board members

A minimum of 3 board members will be involved and/or investigate the situation.  For House program violations the grade commissioner will lead and present the information to the committee. For Traveling program, the Traveling Director (or delegate) will lead and present the information to the committee. The committee should not involve any board member that may be considered “part of the situation”.

The offending individual has the right to explain their view of the situation to the Compliance Committee or to a member(s) of the committee.

The Compliance Committee will review the information and make a final decision.   The decision will be based on the seriousness, the number of violations, and other factors that are specific to the situation but will result in one of the following or variation of one of the following:

• A warning to the offending individual.
• Placement of the individual on probation via board member monitoring (suspension if any future violations occur)
• Suspension of the individual from attending or participating in RYBA activities (by date or number of events).
• Termination of the individual’s affiliation with the specific team for the reminder of the season.
• Restriction from the individual to attend any RYBA activity (enforced with law enforcement, if necessary).

All decisions will be communicated in writing, either email or postal mail.  They will include a summary of the allegations, any information relevant to the situation, and the resulting decision.  No refunds will be given to participants that are restricted from RYBA activities due to violations of our code of conduct.

This code of conduct and the resulting penalties & repercussions are meant to be a guideline for use by the RYBA participants, and for the RYBA Board of Directors. They are also to remind coaches, parents, players & spectators that the game is intended to be enjoyed.  If any of these behaviors outlined above exist, it diminishes the ability of our youth of Rochester to enjoy and grow through playing baseball.

RYBA - “Youth Growing Through Baseball”