Montgomery Baseball & Softball League (NJ)

Accident / Injury Reporting:

If a serious* accident or injury occurs during a game or on MBL property (at the McKnight Baseball Complex), a Manager, Coach, or League Director must follow the MBL Injury Reporting Procedures and fill out the MBL Accident/Injury Claim Form.  (* - A “serious” accident or injury is defined as one whereby a player is removed from a game due to any injury, or when the injured party is bleeding, loses consciousness, or suffers a head trauma).  Managers, Coaches, and League Directors should familiarize themselves with these policies and procedures in advance of any incident. 

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at the McKnight Baseball Complex

A sudden cardiac emergency can occur at any time, any place – even at the ballpark.  Recent news events have highlighted the importance of this issue.  In the event of a sudden cardiac emergency, knowing and administering CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and having access to an AED* (Automated External Defibrillator) can often mean the difference between life and death. 

* An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses a potentially life-threatening irregular-heartbeat in a patient, and is able to apply an electrical “shock” intended to allow the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. With simple audio and visual commands, AEDs are designed to be simple enough for virtually anyone to use.  

For the safety of our players, coaches, umpires, and spectators, Montgomery Baseball League has installed two AEDs at the McKnight Baseball Complex.  Each AED (ZOLL AED-Plus) device is located in an bright red, easy-to-spot, metal box:

• •         One is located on the outside wall of the equipment shed between Fields A and B
  •         The other on the outside wall of the garage next to the left field foul pole of Field D near the Concession Stand. 

The next time you are at the McKnight Baseball Complex, please take a moment to note of where they are located.

While AEDs are designed to be easy enough for anyone to use, becoming familiar with one in advance could help save precious time in an emergency situation.  MBL has provided this link to an 8-minute AED training video that will show you how to properly use the AED devices that we have at the McKnight Baseball Complex.  

If someone is experiencing a cardiac emergency, knowing even basic CPR can help the victim until an AED - or professional help - can arrive.  Therefore, in addition to the AED training video (above), MBL has also provided a link to a 2 minute Hands-Only CPR training video. 

While neither of these videos is intended to replace formal CPR/AED training, reviewing them may help make a difference when professionally trained emergency responders are not available.  MBL encourages all parents and spectators, as well as all Managers, Coaches, Umpires, to familiarize themselves with these videos.  Beginning with the 2014 season, all MBL managers and coaches will be required to acknowledge viewing these videos annually prior to the start of the Spring Rec season. 

Concussion Awareness:

Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion. Click HERE to take the course (less than 30 minutes) and get ready for the new season!

Managers and Coaches can print off this Clipboard Sheet - which outlines signs and symptoms of a concussion - to keep with them during practices and games. 

Code of Conduct / Misconduct Reporting:

Montgomery Baseball League (MBL) is proud to provide youth sports programs and events intended to promote structured physical activity, healthy competition, sportsmanship, respect for others, and to develop a love of the game of baseball.  All MBL programs and events should be safe, pleasant, and fun environments for all involved. 

All participants in MBL programs – including managers, coaches, umpires, volunteer staff, families, spectators, and players – are expected to demonstrate conduct and behavior that is generally accepted as “appropriate” for a family-oriented, youth-sports environment, consistent with the ideas outlined above.  No member of the MBL community should ever be subject to aggressive or threatening behavior, harassment, intimidation, teasing, bullying, or other “inappropriate behavior” at any time during the course of an MBL game, practice, or event. 

If for any reason you feel that any individual within Montgomery Baseball community has displayed inappropriate conduct towards another person, or behavior that could be considered destructive to MBL or personal property in any way, please report the incident to MBL by completing a Misconduct Incident Report.

The Misconduct Incident Report will be reviewed by the President of MBL and – at the discretion of the President – members of the MBL Board of Directors.  The President and/or a member of the MBL Board of Directors may contact you for additional information and/or to advise you of any action to be taken as a result of the report.  The report will remain completely confidential. 

Weather-Related Safety

Ahhh, Baseball:  Most everyone enjoys the warm sunshine, cool breezes, and smell of fresh cut grass that signal “spring” each year.  But sometimes Mother Nature likes to play her own games with the joys of our beloved outdoor sport.  Rain, thunder, lightning, and wet or muddy field conditions sometimes force us to delay, postpone, or even cancel games for the sake of player safety.  Sometimes we get that decision right, sometimes we don’t.  However, MBL will continue to make every reasonable effort to preserve our game schedule as long as the fields are safe for play, and communicate with our MBL families in a timely manner when they are not.That said, please be aware of the following weather-related policies:

RAIN OUT / RAIN DELAY POLICY:

1. 1. The MBL Weather Hotline will be updated as appropriate with current field status of the McKnight Baseball Complex.  This will be the primary source of field information.  MBL also utilizes a Text Alert system to notify families of game delays and field closures.  Please refer to the bottom of the MBL Home Page for information on the MBL Weather Hotline and subscribing to the MBL Text Alert service. 
   2. The MBL VP of Field Maintenance, League Official, or (during tournaments) Tournament Director will be responsible for deciding if the current field conditions at the McKnight Baseball Complex are safe enough for play.  In the event that fields are determined to be unsafe for play, the MBL Weather Hotline will be updated and an MBL Text Alert will be sent to subscribers. 
   3. In some situations, extra volunteers may be needed to help prepare the fields so that games will not be delayed or postponed.  While all adult assistance is appreciated, all volunteers are asked to follow the lead and direction of a League Official when preparing the fields so as to not misuse resources.
   4. In some situations, games can be started and played during light rain – as long as field conditions are safe for play.  The VP of Field Maintenance, League Official, Tournament Director, and/or Umpire will make the determination as to whether field conditions are safe to start an individual game.  Once a game is started, however, only the Umpire can stop play. 
   5. If during the course of a game, the Umpire determines that the field conditions are no longer safe for play, the Umpire can call the game.  Official Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken rules for each age/division will determine if the game will end with the final score as-is or if the game can be picked up at a later date/time. 
      

Please note:  In the event that a game must be rescheduled, your Team Manager will notify you with details about make-up games as soon as possible.  This information may not be immediately available as it often requires coordination of players, coaches, umpires, and field availability, so your patience is appreciated. 

LIGHTENING POLICY:

For the safety of our players, coaches, officials, and spectators, MBL has adopted a strict Lightening Policy that all visitors to the McKnight Baseball Complex must adhere to.   In general:

"IF YOU CAN SEE IT, FLEE IT.   IF YOU CAN HEAR IT, CLEAR IT."

1. 1. If lightening is observed anywhere in the skyline or if thunder is heard, all games at the McKnight Baseball Complex must be immediately halted for thirty (30) minutes. 
   2. During a “lightening delay”, all players, coaches, and spectators must seek immediate shelter in vehicles; the Concession Stand will be closed.  No one will be permitted to take shelter in Dugouts or under the Concession Stand awning, as these locations do not provide safe shelter from lightening. 
   3. All adults in attendance will proactively ensure that all children and others in their care will remain in their vehicles until the Umpire says that it is safe to resume play.  Anyone who chooses to leave their vehicle during a lightening delay does so at their own risk.  Players and Coaches are encouraged to not leave the Complex unless/until the Umpire calls the game. 
   4. If, within the thirty (30) minute delay, lightning is observed or thunder heard again, all games will be halted for thirty (30) minutes from that subsequent event.   
   5. After 25 minutes with no lightning observed or thunder heard, the Umpire may allow players to leave their vehicles and return to the dugouts to make preparations to resume play.  Upon resumption of game activities, each team will be allowed a small amount of extra time to warm up when they take the field defensively. 
   6. If play resumes, but lightning is observed or thunder heard again, all games must be immediately halted for thirty (30) minutes from that subsequent event.
   7. The scheduled time limit for games will be enforced irrespective of any lightening delays.  If, in the determination of the Umpire, League Official, and/or Tournament Director, it appears likely that a game will be able to restart in a reasonable amount of time, and there are no other games scheduled on that field after the current game, and both Team Managers agree, the scheduled game time limit may be extended to allow for completion of the game – field conditions permitting. 
   8. If the Umpire determines that there is not enough time to restart the game following a lightening delay, of if field conditions are determined to be unsafe, the Umpire can call the game.  Official Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken rules for each age/division will determine if the game will end with the final score as-is or if the game can be picked up at a later date/time. 
   9. No consideration will be given to completing the game when making decisions regarding halting or resuming the game. The only factor that will be considered is the presence/absence of lightning/thunder and field/player safety.
   10. The decision to cancel a game due to lightening delays will have no impact on the start of subsequent scheduled games. 

For addition information about weather safety and outdoor sports activities, please refer to the National Weather Service Outdoor Sport Lightening Safety link.