Forest Glen Baseball Association

The Forest Glen Baseball Association (the "FGBA") is a volunteer organization that was established in 1968 for the purpose of providing a minor baseball program in the community of Mississauga East. The FGBA functions as an independent organization under the auspices of the Mississauga Recreation and Parks Department. Over its almost 40 years of operation, the FGBA has earned a reputation for its innovation and creativity in delivering an exciting, community-oriented baseball program.

FGBA's baseball program is offered to male and female players aged from 4 to 21. While the geographic area served primarily by the FGBA is bounded by Dixie Road on the west, the CPR Railway tracks below Dundas Street on the south, Highway 401 on the north and the boundary with Etobicoke on the east, players are eligible to register with the FGBA if they reside anywhere in Mississauga.

The FGBA Executive:

The FGBA Executive administers the FGBA's baseball program, including all related activities and events.

The FGBA Executive is comprised of ten persons elected at the Annual General Meeting in October of each year. In addition to the Executive, several volunteers take on major roles in the organization, including Umpire-in-Chief, Director of BlastBall Academy, T-Ball Convener, Rookie Ball Convener and MBA Representative.

Further details concerning the Executive and the other officers, and their roles and responsibilities, are set out under "About Us – Executive".

House League Programs:

The FGBA's BlastBall, T-Ball and Rookie-Ball programs are designed for children aged 4 to 9 and are operated as house league programs. All games at these Levels are played locally on diamonds situated at Forest Glen Public School, Glen Forest High School and Gulleden Park (see "Maps" to locate these diamonds). More detailed information concerning each of these programs can be found under "Levels/Teams".

Of particular importance to the administration of the House League Programs are the guidelines provided to coaches as to the levels of skills development sought for children of each age group and the recently introduced program of coach and player clinics delivered by our Director -- Coach and Player Development. The Player Development Guidelines are reproduced at the end of this document.

MBA Programs:

All other FGBA programs are integrated with city-wide minor baseball programs administered by the Mississauga Baseball Association ("MBA").

These programs offer two degrees of competition – the 'AA' (or "Select") Series is aimed at players whose skills are more highly developed within their age groups, while the 'A' Series is designed for players whose skills range from the beginner level to the advanced level. Competition in the Select Series is available at all Levels from Tyke to Junior (children and youths aged from 10 to 21). The 'A' Series accepts teams from the Tyke Level to the Midget Level (children and youths aged from 10 to 18). Home games for FGBA teams entered at these Levels take place on diamonds located at Garnetwood Park and Fleetwood Park (see "Maps" to locate these diamonds), while games hosted by other MBA member associations are played at various diamonds throughout the city (all of these diamonds can be identified in "Maps").

The MBA sponsors annual playoffs at each Level for both Series which begin in mid-August of each year, and culminate in the City of Mississauga Championship Finals, which are held on the weekend preceding the Labour Day Weekend of each year (the second weekend preceding the Labour Day Weekend for Midget Major 'AA' and Junior).

Further details concerning both the 'A' and 'AA' Series programs are set out under "Levels/Teams".

The FGBA's Role in the MBA:

The MBA is a volunteer association established in 1975 for the purpose of integrating the minor baseball programs administered by its member associations throughout the City of Mississauga. Like the FGBA, the MBA functions as an independent organization under the auspices of the Mississauga Parks and Recreation Department.

The MBA Council consists of 20 representatives, four from each of the five member associations (one of which is the FGBA). The MBA Executive consists of four officers elected annually from among the representatives. The Executive is assisted by several appointed Directors, including Chair of the Rules, Discipline and Protests Committee, Overall Series Convenor, Registrar, Umpire-in-Chief, Scheduler, and one Convener for each Level.

Membership in the MBA is of vital importance to the FGBA. Like many of the other associations comprising the MBA, the FGBA serves a comparatively small geographical area such that the FGBA is unable to draw enough players at any of the MBA Programs levels to operate viable and sufficiently competitive house league programs at those levels. The MBA Programs permit FGBA teams to compete with a variety of teams from other associations throughout Mississauga.

The FGBA has regularly entered highly competitive teams in the various MBA Programs. In the 2007 season, FGBA teams were entered in six of the nine available MBA Levels.

The FGBA has been a significant contributor of resources to the MBA. For 2007, one of the four elected officers of the MBA was an FGBA representative (the Treasurer) and one of the appointed Directors of the MBA (Overall Series Convenor) was also an FGBA representative. These individuals will continue in those roles for 2007. In addition, the FGBA has regularly provided its proportionate share of MBA Conveners.

The Select Ontario Baseball Association:

Through its membership in the MBA, the FGBA is also a member of the Select Ontario Baseball Association (the "SOBA"). SOBA provides the framework within which weekend tournaments for teams of the Select Series may be sponsored by member minor baseball associations throughout southern Ontario (in such towns and cities as Ajax, Barrie, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Newmarket, North Bay, Oakville, Pickering, South Durham, Vaughan, Waterdown, West Hill and Whitby). SOBA also sponsors the Select Ontario Provincial Championships, which are held on Labour Day Weekend in each year (the weekend preceding the Labour Day Weekend for Midget Major 'AA' and Junior). In 2002, SOBA initiated an "Intact House league" Provincial Championship, an event that continues to grow in popularity.

The MBA sends its City of Mississauga Select Champion and Finalist at each Level of the Select Series to the Provincial Championships.

The FGBA encourages all of its Select Series teams to participate in SOBA sanctioned tournaments – most Select teams take part in two or three tournaments per season. Early in the 2007 season, the FGBA hosted a very successful SOBA sanctioned tournament at the Bantam 'AA' major level.

'AAA' PROGRAM OF The Mississauga Majors Baseball Association:

At the end of the 1998 season, the FGBA joined with two other MBA member associations, the Cawthra Baseball Association ("Cawthra") and the Bloor Baseball Association ("Bloor"), in founding the Mississauga Majors Baseball Association (the "Majors"). The FGBA had the right to appoint one of the five members of the Majors' Board of Governors.

Up until the Majors was created, both Cawthra and Bloor had administered separate 'AAA', or "Rep", baseball programs, both entering teams in all or most of the province-wide 'AAA' Series managed by the Central Ontario Baseball Association. The FGBA drew on too small a pool of playing and coaching talent to be able to support its own 'AAA' program, but referred its most advanced players and coaches to either Cawthra or Bloor for 'AAA' try-outs. The formation of the Majors combined the 'AAA' programs of Cawthra and Bloor, drawing one team for each Series from the combined talent pools of Cawthra, Bloor and the FGBA. At the end of the 2004 season, Cawthra and Bloor merged to form the Mississauga Majors Baseball Association. The FGBA continues to refer players and coaches to their 'AAA' program.

The 'AAA' Program offered by the Majors is aimed at those players at each Level that have demonstrated the most highly developed skills. By participating as a founding member of the 'AAA' Majors, the FGBA has been able to provide access by its most talented players to a higher level of competition, and so to contribute to the improvement of the baseball programs offered at all levels of play in central and eastern Mississauga.

The FGBA's Player Evaluation System:

Because of the wide range of skills exhibited by players registered in the FGBA's House League Programs and in the 'A' Series of the MBA Programs, the FGBA instituted a Player Evaluation System several years ago.

At the end of each season, the head coach of every team is required to complete and submit a reasonably comprehensive skills evaluation form for each player in his or her charge for that season. In early April of each year, a skills evaluation day is held for players who have not previously played on an FGBA team. The information gleaned from the skills evaluation day, and from the skills evaluation forms submitted for the previous season, serves as a basis for conducting a blind draft of teams for the current season.

The main purpose of this process is to attempt to ensure that the teams at each Level are balanced. While balance is important, special requests as to team placement are accepted so that close friends or siblings can play on the same team, or so that transportation requirements can be satisfied.

The Player Evaluation System also enables coaches from the Select Series to identify players who should be moving to the 'AA' level.

Development and Support of Coaches:

The FGBA has long enjoyed the dedicated support of volunteer coaches. While most of the coaches are parents of players (both Moms and Dads), some are former players who, as young adults, have continued their involvement with the FGBA by volunteering to coach.

In 2000, the FGBA created the office of Director of Coach and Player Development. The role of the Director has been to provide direct assistance to individual coaches in developing practice regimens and in providing instruction to players.

In 2002, with the assistance of a grant from The Trillium Foundation, the FGBA launched a series of coaching clinics delivered by Frozen Ropes, a baseball training organization based in Guelph, Ontario. This initial series of clinics, together with a library of training information and tools and of professionally developed training manuals maintained by the Director -- Coach and Player Development, has served as the foundation for the delivery of coaching clinics since that time by the Director and by other coaches who have been through the program.

The grant from The Trillium Foundation has also funded the purchase of an assortment of training equipment for use during team practice sessions.

The FGBA and The Trillium Foundation have made this investment in training programs, equipment and facilities to help coaches and players to more effectively develop their skills and to show improvement that translates into success on the playing field.

Development of Umpires :

The FGBA offers opportunities for its players (aged 14 years and older), their parents and any one else who has an interest (male or female) to contribute to its program by serving as umpires.

Junior umpires are provided with training, uniforms and equipment, and are assigned to work with more experienced umpires in the House League Programs until their knowledge and skills are more fully developed. Training takes the form of annual umpiring clinics conducted by the FGBA. Most junior umpires also participate as players in the MBA Programs.

The more experienced umpires work in the MBA Programs umpiring home games for FGBA teams at both the 'A' and 'AA' levels. These umpires must be carded by the MBA, and the FGBA sponsors their attendance at MBA umpiring clinics for carding purposes. Umpires who are of playing age generally are not permitted to umpire in games involving teams whose players are of the same age or older, and are generally paired with senior umpires who assist in, and assess, their development.

Senior umpires are in great demand and, beyond their schedules with the FGBA, are frequently asked to umpire in the MBA Play-offs and Championship Games and in tournaments sponsored by MBA member associations.

Special events :

The FGBA's Director - Fundraising and Communications, assisted by a volunteer committee, organizes several events annually, all of which are operated on a breakeven basis and are aimed at bringing together families in the community whose members are involved in the FGBA as players, coaches, sponsors and fans.

Key among these events are the season-ending Junior and Senior Field Days, outdoor family events in which players take part in various games and competitions and are presented with team and individual playing awards. The Junior Field Day, which occurs in mid-August, is designed for participants in the House League Programs and features games and competitions for the kids, face painting, and sometimes a visit from the Blue Jay mascots, Ace and Diamond. The Senior Field Day occurs on the weekend following Labour Day. Players in the MBA Programs compete for awards in the Golden Glove, Long Ball and Throwing Relay competitions, introduce their favourite coach or umpire to the Dunk Tank, enjoy a barbecue or pizza and have the opportunity to win fabulous prizes in a raffle.

The Fundraising and Communications Committee also organizes the annual team picture day in early June and the Blue Jays Game event, usually in late June or early July. The Blue Jays Game event has in some years involved as many as 100 players and their families.

A feature for the parents is a social evening event. The venue and format of this event change from year to year in order to appeal to as many volunteers and parents as possible.

During 2002, the Fundraising and Communications Committee researched the grant program of The Trillium Foundation, and then prepared a grant submission. A significant amount of work went into this exercise, and was rewarded by a grant in excess of $50,000. The proceeds of this grant have been dedicated to the development of the FGBA's website, the institution of a program of coach and player clinics, the creation of a library of training and instructional materials and the purchase of training equipment and tools, all of which became fully available beginning in 2003.

Summary :

The FGBA, through a dedicated network of volunteers, players, and coaches, is entering its 40th year of providing its members with a consistently high caliber of baseball in Mississauga East. Our commitment to our community and our ability to address its changing needs has ensured that participation in our organization continues to be both a fulfilling and enjoyable experience for all.

With your continuing support we look forward to many more years of exciting youth baseball in Mississauga East.