LYBSA Affiliate Team Policy

Qualification: In order for a team to be considered an LYBSA Affiliate team, they must meet the following criteria:

1. All players must register with LYBSA and pay the appropriate fee

1. Those players participating in rec = normal rec fee
2. Those players not participating in rec = $155 
3. Senior Affiliate registration is for High School aged only that LYBSA does not have a rec program for (i.e. teams with no recreation division) fee = $55.

2. All Affiliate coaches (including assistants) must submit to an LYBSA background screening
3. All Head Coaches of Affiliate teams must sign the coaches contract to manage an Affiliate team.
4. To manage an Affiliate team, one must also manage or coach an LYBSA rec team.
5. Player Qualification rules:

1. A minimum of 50% of the roster players must reside within the Lakeshore school district or attend Lakeshore Public Schools.  
2. All Affiliate teams are expected to give Lakeshore players first chance to try out for new teams or open positions, and players are expected to participate in the rec program, however, the following exemptions will be allowed for both baseball and softball:

1. 8U are allowed up to 1 non-participating players per team
2. 9u and 10u are allowed up to 2 non-participating players per team
3. 11u and 12u are allowed up to 3 non-participating players per team
4. 13u are allowed up to 4 non-participating players per team
5. 14U are allowed up to 50% non-participating players per team

3. All teams must hold at least a limited tryout per season or have open tryouts for all positions. If your team is 100% the same from the previous year then tryouts do not have to be held. If your team is 100% the same and you will not be holding tryouts, your roster must be turned in to the LYBSA Affiliate Director by 8/1 of that year.
4. The expectation for rec participation is that a player participates in at least 70% of the rec team games throughout the season. LYBSA Reserves the right to bill a player who does not play in at least 70% of the rec games the Out of District Fee on top of what was paid to participate in the rec season. LYBSA also reserves the right to remove the player from their Affiliate team if a player signs up for rec and does not attend games. 
5. It is also expected that an Affiliate team honor any players’ interest in playing All-Stars, and provide a schedule to allow for said participation.

Guidelines:

1. Team names: Softball will use Pirates and Baseball will use Thunder
2. Primary team colors: Red and white, along with black and/or gray. Teams are allowed to have one fun or alternate jersey of any color as long as it includes the approved Thunder or Pirates logo.
3. Affiliate teams are required to use the approved logos for all apparel. Jersey must include the name Thunder or Pirates. Failure to do so is in violation of the guidelines. If the Affiliate Committee decides Thunder and Pirates will have matching jerseys for the upcoming season, all teams are required to use those jerseys.
4. Affiliate team parents are required to work at least one shift per player during each travel tournament hosted by LYBSA, in return for indoor facility and field usage as well as a chance to share in the proceeds from the tournament. Tournament proceeds will be determined by the LYBSA Affiliate Committee at the conclusion of each season. LYBSA reserves the right to determine any and all proceeds. Affiliate team members who hire people to work their shift will not receive credit if hired help is not part of the approved list from the Concession Manager. They will be turned away at sign in.

1. Additionally it is required that all Affiliate teams be available to work every travel tournament hosted by LYBSA. This requires that Affiliate schedules have a “blackout” weekend for the complementary sport, i.e. Pirate softball teams must be available to work a Thunder baseball tournament and Thunder teams must be available to work a Pirate softball tournament. It is expected that during the “blackout” weekend the non-participating team works during bracket play, typically Sunday. Thunder families will work during Sunday bracket play of the Pirate tournaments and conversely Pirate families will work Sunday bracket play during Thunder tournaments.    
2. See the transparency section below for the resulting action if an Affiliate team fails to provide a schedule that supports “blackout” dates.

5. Field/Indoor Hitting Facility use: Affiliate teams shall have access to the LYBSA fields as well as the indoor hitting facility with the following conditions:

1. Teams are not allowed to schedule practice time in the building until all registration fees are paid for the upcoming season.
2. All facility scheduling needs are to be done through the LYBSA Affiliate Director. This includes the scheduling of double-headers or round robin events.
3. LYBSA teams and events such as clinics will take priority in all facilities. Indoor facility for Affiliate teams will end 4/1 of each year so LYBSA Rec teams may use the facility.
4. Field prep/equipment: Any field prep or use of equipment to prep fields needs to be coordinated by the Affiliate Director or with an LYBSA board member.
5. Umpires: It is the responsibility of the Affiliate team to schedule and pay umpires for any of their games outside of LYBSA hosted tournaments. LYBSA Umpire in Charge (UIC) is not responsible for finding umpires for Affiliate teams. Please do not contact our LYBSA UIC.

6. Transparency:

1. As mentioned above, when forming a new Affiliate team, or filling open positions, the tryout should be communicated to the appropriate age groups through LYBSA, so that our current players who may have an interest are given the opportunity to tryout.
2. Financials:

1. While the Affiliate teams are independently funded, each team must keep a general ledger, or some type of accounting of income and expenditures that can be available upon request from the LYBSA board or an Affiliate team parent.
2. LYBSA Affiliate teams must establish their own accounts and may not under any circumstance utilize LYBSA’s 501c3 tax exemption.

3. Failure to comply with guidelines:

1. The success of all LYBSA entities, both recreation and Affiliate programs, is dependent on the adherence of these guidelines.  As such LYBSA reserves the right to withhold the following from any Affiliate team failing to adhere to the aforementioned guidelines:

1. A portion or all of the tournament proceeds, i.e. gate fees, may be withheld.
2. Access to the LYBSA indoor facility may be forfeited or limited.
3. Recognition as an LYBSA Affiliate team may be forfeited, hence resulting in a loss of LYBSA insurance coverage.

2. The LYBSA Board encourages all Affiliate team managers to reach out to the LYBSA Affiliate Director with any questions regarding the guidelines.  

4. LYBSA will hold tournament proceeds until at a minimum the conclusion of the season and at a maximum the start of the following season as deemed necessary.
5. LYBSA reserves the right each season to determine team payout amounts. Team payouts are based on tournament success and LYBSA needs for equipment, park improvements, etc. There is no guarantee of profit share from LYBSA to Affiliate teams.

Revised 7-16-2024