OSA contacts, positions and responsibilities

Oxford Softball Association and the league is run by an executive committee, occasional captains’ committee meetings (the ‘full’ committee), and by working groups.

The Full Committee

Also known as ‘Captains Meetings’, comprising of a rep from each team, plus the Exec Committee

  • Should meet at least once per year (usually pre-season)
  • Two meetings may be necessary if significant changes are planned for the season
  • A form of the full committee is also needed for disciplinary, appeal or protest meetings (see rules and constitution)

Executive Committee 2023/24

  • Chair: Jake Roberts (Oddsox)
  • Vice Chair: Jacob Murphy (Angels)
  • Secretary: Rachael Wallington (Guardians)
  • Development Officer: Jen Edis (Angels)
  • Treasurer: Chris Dore (Sharks)
  • Div 2 Players rep: Dustin Fox (Tigers)
  • Div 1 Players rep: Monique Geyer-Johnson (Rebels)

Executive Committee Remit

Working groups

These smaller groups, of typically 3 people each, have responsibilities in specific areas of running the league.  They do not necessarily meet formally, but liaise and gain consensus between themselves (e.g. agree on an urgent rule change).  Minor decisions can be taken (often via messaging and email etc.) and announced. More significant changes or major decisions (recommendations) should be passed to the Executive. The Exec member in each working group should not normally take ‘actions’ but should act as a liaison point.

Fixtures and stats group

Fixtures secretary: Chris Dore (Sharks)

Jacob Stevens (Spirits), Jacob Murphy (Angels), Fiona Mounsdon (Rebels)

Remit:

  • Generally to formulate the playing schedule and to book pitches
  • (General format of the competition to be agreed by the Executive and Full Committee)
  • Produce a draft fixture list prior to the pre-season captains meeting (Full Committee)
  • Produce a final fixture list at least one week before season start
  • Deal with scheduling changes due to rain outs, and other reasons
  • Reconvening and rescheduling abandoned games (due to weather etc.)
  • Playing a strong role in advising on the collection of statistics for end of season awards
  • Check each other’s work and report to the Exec.

Facilities group

Facilities secretary: Jake Roberts (Oddsox)

John Christianson (Angels), Vacancy

Remit:

  • Generally to liaise and organise playing and other facilities as needed by the OSA
  • Liaise with rugby club regarding grounds and kit store etc before and during the season
  • Organise the orientation and finer placement of pitches/diamonds
  • Supervise/organise (or order) line marking, including forwarding of diagrams
  • Negotiate changes or improvements in facilities
  • Look after any physical assets owned by the OSA (e.g. bases, training equipment etc.) and strive to improve such assets and facilities
  • Look after the maintenance in facilities (and relationships) during the season
  • Be the point of contact in dealing with OSL’s hosts
  • Liaise closely with the Fixtures Section regarding schedule and pitch booking
  • Report to the Exec

Umpiring and rules group

Umpire chief: Paul Taylor (Angels)

Jacob Murphy (Angels); Chris Dore (Sharks), Max Goddard (Mavericks), Fiona Mounsdon (Rebels)

Remit:

  • Prepare changes to previous versions of the OSL rules
  • Get consensus on amendments to the rules, between other members of the section and propose the new copy of the rules to the Exec well before the season begins
  • Update/maintain rules docs
  • Know the rules for the benefit of our umpires
  • Playing a strong role in advising on the collection of statistics for end of season awards
  • Organise and liaise with umpires throughout the season
  • Organise umpire training as necessary
  • Organise and maintain methods of feedback on team behaviour towards umpires

Comms/publicity group

Comms secretary: Katie Cooper (Oddsox)

Max Goddard (Mavericks), Ellie Schwartz (Mavericks)

Remit

  • Manage and write copy for social media, website and other public-facing media
  • With the Development Section, organise recruitment drives, usually pre-season
  • Publicise the League’s games and any other activities of the OSA during the season
  • Liaise with the BSF over their portrayal of the OSL/OSA in other publicity
  • Support the information in the website and write copy for the website as necessary
  • Have the foremost interest in the image and branding of the OSA and OSL
  • Manage a ‘suggestions box’ or collate recommendations from the grassroots/teams/players on rules, format changes or other items and pass these on to the relevant section and/or Exec
  • Liaise closely with the Exec, the Development Section and other sections as needed
  • Report on plans and activities to the Exec

Development group

Development officer: Jen Edis (Angels)

Grace Pedder (Beavers), Jake Roberts (Oddsox), Kiri Lizama (Angels)

Remit:

  • Co-ordinate recruitment in close liaison with members of the Comms/Publicity Section
  • Organise training events, ideally several pre-season and during at least the first half of the season, with the emphasis on new and developing players
  • Maintain an informal database of applicants (new players) to the league
  • Maintain a fair and transparent way of allocating new, centrally recruited, players to teams within the league
  • Take the lead in outreach activities with a view to bringing in new players and teams to the league
  • Organise indoor softball, during the off season
  • Report on plans and activities to the Exec

Website group

Webmaster: Mark Norman (Oddsox)

Contact the webmasters

Dustin Fox (Tigers), Ben Gross (Spirits)

Ideally two or more individuals, taking input from the Exec and various sections of the OSA.  Remit:

  • Maintain website technically, including applying appropriate security updates
  • Maintaining good security standards (ensuring good password quality etc of all, including team representatives entering scores etc.)
  • Monitor for certificate, hosting, software licencing renewals
  • (Unless an individual from the Comms/publicity section has taken the lead with this) to ensure that messages to the League mailbox are forwarded to the correct individuals (automatically or otherwise)
  • Similarly, help with the OSA’s archive of documents (including working documents), currently on Google Drive
  • Enter teams, fixtures and players from the rosters collected at the beginning of the season
  • Organise and provide the means for score entering by teams
  • Paste content to the site as provided by other sections, especially the Comms/Publicity Section

Social/events group

Social secretary: Anna Jacob (Mavericks)

Dustin Fox (Tigers), Zoe Handscombe (Spirits), Grace Pedder (Beavers), Josh Bates (Rebels), Becky Davis (Rebels)

Remit:

  • Responsible for liaison with the Clubhouse and maintaining good relations with the rugby club
  • Run a mid-season barbecue and, ideally, other social events during the season
  • Organise (plan and book) the season end social, and awards
  • Ideally organise at least one off-season event
  • Ideally organise a little fundraising for charity and league facilities

Tournaments group

Tournaments sec.s: Jake Roberts (Oddsox)

Lesley Roberts (Oddsox)

Remit

  • Encourage and advise teams wishing to enter tournaments
  • Early encouragement (and timely reminders to ensure) Oxford teams are represented at ‘Nationals’ tournaments (both league winners and combination teams, e.g. single sex teams)
    • N.B. Attendees at Nationals may have to have representation at the BSF AGM (usually in February each year)
    • Ensure that we have captains and a team is entered before the deadline for single sex nationals etc.
  • Ideally organise an Oxford tournament where a few outside teams are invited (liaise with the Facilities Section and the Oxford Harlequins Facilities staff)

Weather watchers

John Christianson (Angels), Jacob Stevens (Spirits)

Remit

  • At least two people (ideally two)
  • Check weather on meteorology websites
  • Make call on postponing games by 4.30 pm on game day
  • Either inform Exec, or Comms/Publicity Secretary (as appropriate) to make an announcement by 4.30pm on game days

Safeguarding group

Safeguarding secretary: Stella Ackrell (Knights)

Lesley Roberts (Oddsox), Lesley Bowman (Beavers)

Contact the safeguarding group

Remit:

  • Point of contact for the league and BSUK
  • Look after policies re children, vulnerable adults and overbearing behaviour
  • Oversee or directly manage parental permissions etc. for U18 players
  • (If needed) be the conduit for investigations (although we would expect to use the resources of BSUK in such situations)

Finance and grants group

Stella Ackrell (Knights), Chris Dore (Sharks)

Remit:

  • Write occasional (one per year?) grant proposals to grant-giving bodies
  • Tie in projects to development or facilities development
  • Liaise closely with the development and facilities groups

Equality Diversity and Inclusivity group

Chris Robson (Rebels), Stella Ackrell (Knights), Chris Dore (Spirits)

Remit:

  • Monitor our policies and general outlook (including rules) to become (and remain) as inclusive as possible
  • Look at sex, gender, race, religion issues and ensure that our sport, and our league, are as attractive as possible to all elements within our community and beyond
  • Occasionally examine our league rules with a view to inclusivity
  • Report to, and make recommendations to the OSA Exec