MAR 2014

I ’m a WWII baby boomer, born in 1952. So, I

grew up in the 50’s and 60’s and graduated high

school in 1970. The 50’s were pretty tame compared

to the 60’s. I grew up In the middle of atomic war

scares, the Cuban Missile crisis, the JFK, RFK and MLK

assassinations, the Civil Rights movements and

Vietnam War protests. So, the world was in some

major “cold war” turmoil but one thing that I DON’T

remember hearing or seeing was the daily reports of

youth sport coaches sexually or physically molesting

kids.

ALL of my grade school and high school coaches were

wonderful, well intended, hardworking individuals

that could be trusted with any kid in town. That

doesn’t seem to be the case since the turn of this

century. It sickens me to read or hear about some of

the disgusting behavior that has been uncovered. It

was just a little over 2 years ago when the national

news reports surfaced regarding the alleged sexual

misconduct of Jerry Sandusky (Penn State Asst.

Football Coach), Bernie Fine (Syracuse Asst. Basketball

Coach) and Bobby Dodd (AAU President and Executive

Director). And unfortunately, those high profile cases

appear to be just the tip of the iceberg.

Since I graduated from college in 1976, my first

priority had always been the safety of the kids that

participate in our events but I fully admit that being

on the lookout for pedophiles was NOT on my radar. I

was always more concerned with unsportsmanlike

conduct and potential physical abuse of the athletes

by some knucklehead coach that thought slapping,

pushing or kicking his/her players was the way to

“teach a kid” how to play. However, since the early

2000’s, EVERYBODY’S focus should include the

prevention and detection of sexual and physical abuse

situations. To that end, we were one of the first

statewide youth sports organizations to preach the

need for Background Checks for Coaches and Officials.

We followed that up by implementing Codes of

Conduct for all the players, coaches, officials,

administrators and volunteers. Once we had all of

that in place, we started recommending that youth

coaches get themselves better educated. Playing a

little high school or college ball and owning a whistle

and a clip board, doesn’t make you a qualified youth

sport coach.

So, when the Sandusky, Fine and Dodd stories became

daily headlines in the Sports page, I started to focus

on what else should we be doing? The simple answer

came to me on the long drive home from Grandma’s

house during Christmas break………………………we

needed “Trusted Coaches!!!”

Realizing that most coaches are volunteers and have

limited time available, we came up with four basic

needs for every coach: 1) Background Checks, 2)

Coaches Education, 3) Concussion Training and 4)

Basic First Aid Training.

Coaches Education: Volunteer coaches need to “get

their minds right” before they ever take on the

responsibility of coaching kids. The Positive Coaches

Alliance’s Double Goal Coaches education program

does that. The PCA does have some additional X’s and

O’s videos but the Double Goal Coaches program is

designed to teach coaches the basics of coaching kids.

There are some good coaches’ education tools out

there but we researched them all and are convinced

that the PCA’s program is the BEST! FYI, Mark

Murphy, the Green Bay Packers President, is one of

the national spokespersons for the PCA and we hope

to help Mark spread the word in Wisconsin.

BADGER TRACKS- NOTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DAN KLINKHAMMER

TRUSTED COACHES VERIFICATION CARD

First Aid Training: If you play sports, you are going to

get some “owwweeees,” but when that happens will

your kid’s coach know how to diagnose or treat that

injury? You can’t always rely on the Trainer to treat

your kid’s injuries. A large share of injuries happen in

practice and the coach may be the only adult on the

field or in the building. For your child’s safety, the

coach needs to know the basics and should be

properly equipped to administer proper first aid. And

sometimes, the key to first aid knowledge is to know

what NOT TO DO!!!!

Background Checks: Passing a national background

check should be the first step in the process used for

selecting a coach. In my opinion, a county or

statewide background check is worthless! You need to

know if that prospective coach has any record of

misconduct ANYWHERE in the nation. The bad guys

move around a lot and they aren’t willing to tattle on

themselves.

We researched the four components of the Trusted

Coaches program and quickly realized that the rack

rate cost of these four services was in the vicinity of

$95.00 per coach AND the time commitment was

much longer than most volunteer coaches are willing

to invest. So, we focused on cutting the cost and

lessening the time to complete the basic four

components of the Trusted Coaches Card. In order to

do that, we had to shoot our own concussion video

and our own First Aid Video. Then we followed up by

striking an agreement with the PCA to get a significant

discount on their on-line Double Goal Coaches videos.

The last piece of the puzzle fell into place when we

were recently approved to conduct background checks

through a nationally accredited screening service.

When the dust settled, we were able to get the price

down to $35.00 per coach, which includes a National

Background Check, the PCA Coaches education

program and the first aid and concussion videos. All

delivered on-line!!! Each participating coach will also

have to download a photo, which will be transferred

to their “Trusted Coaches Card” that will be mailed

directly to those coaches that successfully pass all four

components of the program. Note: We are suggesting

that these Trusted Coaches cards would be valid for 3

years, however, if your association needs to do a

background check every year, we can do those annual

background checks for $15.00 per coach, with volume

discounts available.

All of the above will be delivered through a new

website that we are building, specifically for the

Trusted Coaches Card. We are in the final stages of

completion and we expect to have this service

available to the public on or before June, 2014. Note:

The Trusted Coaches website will also feature a

“national registry” component to it, so parents can

check to see if their child’s coach has participated and

passed the basic elements of the Trusted Coaches

program.

Here at the WSS and at our sister organization in

Minnesota the MYAS, we like options and we think

you do too! Nobody is telling you that you have to run

your coaches thru this program. We created this

service to foster better coaches, lessen the burden for

those volunteer administrators and to help insure the

safety of your kids. Only you can determine how

much that is worth, but we’ve done everything we can

to make this service user friendly and affordable. We

will keep you posted on the arrival of the finished

product.

Lastly, we believe that this sort of concept and service

sets us apart from all of the other “event operators”

out there. This is proof of our commitment to youth

sports in Minnesota and Wisconsin. And now you

know how we spend some of those entry fee dollars

that you send us!!

Marketing Update By: Brian Meeter, WSS Marketing Director

W ith a growing organization such as the Wisconsin Sports Services, little victories have a way of motivating our team. Within just a few short weeks before our first Badgerland State Championship basketball tournament, we began the

search for a sponsor for this tournament. Why so late? We wanted to make sure we had a solid product to offer any potential sponsor. First-year tournaments can be hard to attract sponsors, especially if you don’t know what your numbers are going to be. Well, we landed our sponsor, Gerhards Kitchen and Bath Stores, www.GerhardsStore.com. They have 13 locations across the Upper Midwest and are in all the markets where we hold the state tournaments, which was a big help. This was definitely a victory for our team, and we celebrate every victory.

A few key things made this event worth sponsoring and gave me the confidence to go out there and actively seek a sponsor. First, the number of teams participating in our tournament saw a steady stream of growth. From 60 one week, to 90 the following, all the way up to 150 teams, our staff was getting the word out about our tournament. With 150 teams, the sponsorship package became a lot more attractive. Secondly, our web traffic was increasing quite drastically as we were signing up more teams, sending out more registration materials, and doing a terrific job of digital marketing. With a vibrant tournament developing and a website that was growing daily, the tournament was viable; now it was just up to me to find the right sponsor.

The key to our success in finding a sponsor was that we now had something concrete to offer. Sponsorship budgets have tightened in the past 6+ years. Businesses seem to be interested in sponsoring again, but they seem more likely to sponsor a product with legs rather than just an idea. Once our tournament had legs, it was easier to promote to potential sponsors.

Below is a list of sponsorship opportunities. Contact Brian Meeter for more information at brian@wisportsservices.org or 608-780-2054.

Badgerland State Basketball Championships (NOT AVAILABLE)

Badgerland Nationals Wrestling Tournament (Partially Available)

Badgerland Baseball Ring Sponsor (Available)

Fall Fast Pitch (Partially Available)

Tournament Central (Some Spots Available)

Tournament Index for each sport (Some Spots Available)

Badgerland Baseball Championships (Partially Available)

Badgerland Super Saver Basketball Tournaments (Partially Available)

Thank you for considering our sponsorship opportunities. For more information and to get a first-hand view of our work, visit www.wisportsservices.org.

By: Jake Wenzel, WSS Staff Badgerland Baseball Championships Update

W isconsin Sports Services is proud to announce that the Madison Mallards,

Green Bay Bullfrogs, and La Crosse Loggers have agreed to provide a night at

the ballpark for all teams

participating in the Badgerland Baseball

Championships. On the nights of July 25 and 26

after teams get done competing on the field for

the BBC, they will get the opportunity to sit

back and watch some of college baseball’s

finest players. The night will also include each

team getting introduced in front of the crowd

before the game, throwing out the first pitch,

and having a meet and greet with the college players and coaches after the game. We hope

that the opportunity for these young athletes to see what it takes to play at the highest level

is something that they will cherish for a lifetime.

We would like to thank the Madison Mallards, Green Bay Bullfrogs, and La Crosse Loggers for

providing the opportunity for players, coaches, and parents of the BBC to enjoy America’s

pastime. The WSS is looking forward to having all of your teams compete in the BBC this

summer and would like to wish everybody good luck as their seasons get underway.

To stay current with information regarding the 2014 BBC and other

baseball events, please check our website at www.wisportsservices.org.

2014 BBC Locations

July 25-27, 2014

10u - Kaukauna, WI

11u - Waukesha, WI

12u - Holmen, WI

13u - Marshall, WI

14u - Kaukauna, WI

BADGERLAND Basketball By: Lance Klinkhammer, WSS Staff

W ow, that was a lot of fun. I still can’t believe it’s over! There was some great basketball played

over the past two weekends in the state of Wisconsin at the WSS Boys’ & Girls’ Badgerland

State Basketball Championships. Our WSS staff put a lot of time and effort into organizing this

tournament over the past few months and I’m very proud to say that our inaugural event turned out to be an

absolutely wonderful success in 2014! We’re already planning for more teams and more playing locations,

and we can’t wait for March of 2015 to get here so we can do it all over again.

On a personal note, I enjoyed meeting many of the participating coaches and players at the event for the first

time these past few weekends and so did the rest of our WSS staff. I was very impressed by the classy

behavior exhibited by everyone throughout the duration of the tournament. It is my belief that

demonstrating good sportsmanship is more important than winning or losing at competitive events as it is

vital in creating a positive experience for all. There were some very intense games played; credit the players

and coaches for leaving their very best on the court this weekend and their graciousness for the game,

regardless of the outcome. Thank you to all teams for playing this year in the Badgerland State Basketball

Championships!

Without further ado, here are your 2014 WSS Badgerland State Champions!

GIRLS

4th GRADE – WAUKESHA SOUTH

5th GRADE – MONONA GROVE

6th GRADE – OCONOMOWOC

7th GRADE – APPLETON NORTH

8th GRADE — MILTON

BOYS

4th GRADE – PEWAUKEE BLACK

5th GRADE TIER I – KIMBERLY WHITE

5th GRADE TIER II – GREEN BAY NOTRE DAME

6th GRADE TIER I – NICOLET

6th GRADE TIER II – WAUKESHA NORTH

7th GRADE TIER I – MADISON EAST

7th GRADE TIER II – FREEDOM

8th GRADE TIER I – JANESVILLE

I’d like to thank all those that partnered with us to create a wonderful event in 2014. Although it’s not possible to recognize every individual who assisted with the event, I’d like to extend a special thank you to:

Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse

Jake Erickson, Nick Bernhardt & AJ Halverson

Brookfield Central High School/Booster Club

Dave Carnell & Staff

Blacktop Sports

Rich Mosley & Family

Fox Valley Lutheran High School

Shawn Hill & Staff

Higher Level Camps

Cheryl Mohr & Family

Pius XI High School & Grizz Sports

Bruce & Nate Janczak

Ripon Backboard Club/Ripon High School

TJ Rogers, Danelle Phillips & Traci Merrill

SEA’s of Stoughton & Verona

Amy Slaby, Doug Slaby & Larry Anderson

South Milwaukee High School

Ante Udovicic, Jeff Ness & Pete Narrai

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Mike Wilson

We would also like to thank all the families and friends for coming out this weekend to support their coaches

and players who participated in the first-ever WSS Badgerland State Basketball Championships. We hope you

all had a wonderful experience at our event!

W atch for our upcoming USSSA Spring Basketball 5-on-5 tournament

opportunities the weekend of May 31st-June 1st and June 14th! We’ll also be

coordinating a 3-on-3 event on Saturday, June 15th. Information will be

available shortly on our website about these event on June 15th. and we’ll be

sending information out to all teams that participated in our Badgerland State Basketball

Championships once it is available.

Congratulations

4th Grade Girls!!

Congratulations

5th Grade Girls!!

Congratulations

6th Grade Girls!!

Congratulations

7th Grade Girls!!

Congratulations

8th Grade Girls!!

Congratulations

4th Grade Boys!!

Congratulations

5th Grade Tier 1 Boys!!

Congratulations

5th Grade Tier II Boys!!

Congratulations

6th Grade Tier I Boys!!

Congratulations

6th Grade Tier II Boys!!

Congratulations

7th Grade Tier I Boys!!

Congratulations

7th Grade Tier II Boys!!

Congratulations

8th Grade Tier I Boys!!

Congratulations

8th Grade Tier II Boys!!

WSS ADULT SLOW PITCH By: Adam Klinkhammer, WSS Staff

H ere in the Midwest we’ve

“enjoyed” some slightly

warmer weather recently,

indicating that the grip of the polar vortex

might be loosening its chokehold that has

made hibernating bears of us all. As the

ground thaws and the snow melts, our

thoughts eventually turn to summertime

activities and slow pitch softball tops the

list. Teams and leagues are already forming

and most tournament schedules are almost

complete. Be sure to include on that list the

USSSA State Tournament being held in

Janesville the weekend of August 9-10 at

the beautiful Dawson Fields Complex. All of

the information for the State Tournament is

published on the WSS website.

We are formulating a new program in Wisconsin in an attempt to network all of the tournaments being held around the state. The Tournament Index is already built, which allows tournament operators to post their events to be advertised to the softball community. In addition, we are reaching out to local tournaments to gauge interest about being included in the Wisconsin Tournament Series which is a collection of tournaments that offers paid berths to the USSSA State Tournament. So far we’ve received really good feedback and have added a couple of tournaments to this series. The local events are not

required to be USSSA sanctioned and can continue to use their own playing rules. Being included in the tournament series gives additional value to the local event, including featured advertising on the WSS website. If you are interested in learning more about the Wisconsin Tournament Series, please contact Adam Klinkhammer at adam@wisportsservices.org or call the WSS office at 608-210-1710.

Through our robust NGIN web site, we are able to offer vast capabilities to league administrators and their teams. While USSSA-sanctioned leagues will be able to use a custom league web site for free, we also offer the League Management System to all adult slow pitch leagues for a small per-team fee. Features included in the League Management System include but are not limited to posting of registration forms/deadlines, rules, umpire information, creation of league-wide schedules, easy game score updating, league standings, league announcements, and more. Every team will be provided a custom web page with a full suite of features that includes an online roster, player stats, team-specific game schedules, message boards and photo galleries, all controlled entirely by the team through the permission-based system. Every league will also be offered the use of RainOut Line, which is the latest and greatest weather communication tool on the market today that helps keep the entire league in-the-know regarding inclement weather. More information regarding the League Management System is published on the WSS web site.

Wisconsin Tournament Series

League Management System

I n January, we were contacted by a group from Sheboygan called Mid Lake

Softball about the possibility of sanctioning their new start-up league with

the USSSA. There have been some rumblings in the press lately about the

future of slow pitch softball in the Sheboygan area due to some issues between

the city and the existing softball association. The city has decided to terminate

their contract with the old softball group and have agreed to let Mid Lake run the

Wildwood Softball Complex in 2014. Mid Lake and the WSS have agreed to

partner this year with Mid Lake becoming the first USSSA-sanctioned league in

Wisconsin! By sanctioning their league with USSSA, the Mid Lake Softball

organization will be covered by a $2 million liability insurance policy through

USSSA as well as enjoying all the bells and whistles of the WSS NGIN-powered

website. We encourage any and all leagues to discover the benefits they can

receive by sanctioning with the USSSA.

WSS Welcomes:

For more about Adult Slow Pitch Softball in Wisconsin– Contact Adam at

adam@wisportsservices.org, or 608-210-1710

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

VERONA SEA

MATHY CENTER

MILWAUKEE PIUS

STOUGHTON SEA

VALLEY TROPHY

5th AVE AWARDS

WSN- WISSPORTS.NET

RIPON HIGH SCHOOL

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF

GREATER LA CROSSE

SOUTH MILWAUKEE HIGH SCHOOL

WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE

FOX VALLEY LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL

BROOKFIELD CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

QUALITY INN & SUITES-STOUGHTON

SHERATON– MADISON

HAMPTON INN– ONALASKA

DAYS INN- LA CROSSE

CANDLEWOOD SUITES, LA CROSSE

SHERATON-MILWAUKEE BROOKFIELD

CAMBRIA SUITES– APPLETON

HAMPTON INN– APPLETON

HOLIDAY INN-APPLETON

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS– VERONA

RETLAW PLAZA HOTEL– FON DU LAC

MICROTEL INN & SUITES– FON DU LAC

COUNTRY INN & SUITES– FON DU LAC

DAYS INN– FON DU LAC

HOLIDAY INN– FON DU LAC

COMFORT INN– FON DU LAC

EXECUTIVE LODGE– FON DU LAC

SUPER 8– FON DU LAC

GRIZZ SPORTS

BLACKTOP SPORTS

HIGHER LEVEL CAMPS

RIPON BACKBOARD CLUB

Current partners:

JOSTENS

USJT SPORTS

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

HOLMEN PARK AND RECREATION

ONALASKA PARK AND RECREATION

UW-LA CROSSE VARSITY WRESTLING

HOLMEN YOUTH BASEBALL

PARENT’S ASSOCIATION

ELK MOUND GIRLS BASKETBALL

HOLMEN VIKINGS WRESTLING CLUB

CHIPPEWA-FALLS MCDONELL

HIGH SCHOOL

past partners: