To be eligible to be selected to the Team an athlete must be in good standing with Softball Canada, must be a Canadian Citizen holding a Canadian passport valid up to 6 months after the World Championships (that is to December 31, 2013), or alternatively must be a person eligible for Canadian Citizenship who is actively pursuing Citizenship.

 

To be eligible to be selected to the Team, the athlete must further meet any age requirements and citizenship requirements stipulated by the organizers of the event at which the Team will be competing.

 

 

The Head Coach has final authority for all selection decisions, including selecting athletes to the Team, removing athletes from the Team, and selecting replacement athletes to the Team where applicable. In making selection decisions, the Head Coach will consult with the Operations Manager - National Teams (NT), and with the coaching staff, defined for the purposes of this document to include assistant coaches, scouts and evaluators as designated by Softball Canada. 

 

 

Selection of athletes will occur in a phased manner. Athletes will first attend one of two evaluation camps, may then advance to a final camp, may then be selected to a team competing at the World Championships. The evaluation camps are open camps (subject to pre-registration requirements, age restrictions and capacity) whereas the other phases of Team selection are by invitation of the Head Coach.

 

 

Athletes attending one of the two evaluation camps will be put through a series of tests (Appendix B) representing suggested minimum standards for both technical and fitness performance. Following that evaluation the Head Coach will decide which players will then move on to the next phase of the camp. The Head Coach may advance players not meeting the suggested minimum standards at his/her discretion. Following each evaluation camp the Head Coach will decide the players that will be invited to the final camp. The Head Coach has the discretion to invite athletes to the final camp who were unable to attend an evaluation camp.

 

 

Athletes invited to the final camp will be evaluated using the evaluation process outlined in Appendix A, the “Five Star Rating System”.  Evaluations are specific to positional requirements – infield, outfield, pitchers and catchers. This process will act as a resource for athlete evaluation. In addition, the Head Coach will have the discretion to organize any other drills, practice and games that will assist in the selection process

 

 

Following the final selection camp the Head Coach will, in consultation with the Asssistant Coaches and Manager - National Teams, select the final Team of 17 athletes, and reserves, for the 2013 ISF Junior Women’s World Championships, with the goal being to put together the best possible Team for the event.

 

Factors that will be considered in this selection include physical and technical aspects of the game, as well as team dynamics. These factors, which will be assigned weight by the Head Coach, as he or she deems appropriate for the decision-making process, include:

 

- Previous and current performance
- Experience
- Positional requirements (primary and backup)
- Present and projected development and/or improvement
- Leadership/Contribution to team chemistry
- Availability for competition and training
- The depth chart, as developed from the evaluation criteria in Appendix A

 

It is understood that in making selections to create the best possible Team, it is possible that the best individual athletes may not be selected. The Head Coach also has the discretion to name an athlete to the Team even though that athlete may not have participated in evaluation camps or other selection activities.

 

The timelines that will be followed in selecting the athletes to the 2013 ISF Junior Women’s World Championship team will be as follows. Note that specific events, dates and times may be subject to change.

 

• A player evaluation camp will be held in May, 2013 in British Columbia and another will be

   held in Ontario in June, 2013. These are open camps (subject to pre-registration requirements,

   age restrictions and capacity).
• A final camp will be held in Brampton, Ontario in mid-June, 2013.
• The Head Coach will select a team of athletes to represent Canada at the 2013 ISF Junior

   Women’s World Championship no later than June 28, 2013.
• Alternates may be added to the Team to replace an athlete removed from the team pursuant to

   section 5. The addition of alternates to the team is at the sole discretion of the Head Coach and

   will be in keeping with the philosophy of fielding the best possible team.

 

 

 

If unforeseen circumstances arise which do not allow for this selection process or the above timelines to be implemented as outlined in this document, Softball Canada reserves the right to identify an alternate process or alternate timelines. Should this occur, all athletes in the Selection process will be notified of these changes in a timely manner.

 

 

An athlete may be removed from a camp or from a Team where the athlete:

 

   - Is unable to meet performance expectations;
   - Is unable to perform due to injury, illness or for other medical reason as determined by

     Softball Canada’s medical staff;
   - Is unable to commit to the required Team activities  (note that an athlete may

     obtain an exemption from the Head Coach and Softball Canada)
   - Violates team rules; or
   - Exhibits conduct that is detrimental to the image of the National Team program of Softball

     Canada.

 

 

Where necessary and appropriate, an athlete removed from a Team may be replaced by an alternate selected by the Head Coach.