Club Licensing Policy Introduced
Baseball Nova Scotia is happy to announce the Club Licensing program has now been launched. As this is the first year, BNS is considering this a 'soft launch' of the program. For most associations, this will not cause any additional work, outside of completing the Club Registration page described below.
Statement on Club Licensing
The Club Licensing Policy is designed to guide member associations toward the best principles for organizational development both on and off the field. An effective program will have numerous benefits for member associations and Baseball Nova Scotia as a whole.
A Club Licensing Policy will provide protection to current member associations in good standing with the PSO, while also allowing for an annual reporting process. The licensing system would require each club to apply for membership each year by submitting basic information, as well as an update on the programming being offered within the Club. Through this reporting, gaps will be identified, and strategies can be developed to address them.
To learn more about the Club Licensing Policy,
click here.
Club Registration
The Club Registration page has been sent directly to currently recognized BNS member associations. If you are a current member association and have not received this email, or are interested in learning more about becoming a BNS member association, please reach out to Emma Hause at
ehause@sportnovascotia.ca.
Some notes on the registration process:
-
Clubs will be asked to submit their Club Registration once a year between January 1st and March 31st (as this is a 'soft launch' year, BNS will not consider associations not in good standing if not completed by March 31st, 2025).
-
The registration should not take more than 10-15 minutes to complete.
-
It's understood that some information for the upcoming season may not be known, or things could change due to unforeseen circumstances, but it's asked that you complete the form outlining your intentions.
-
Registrations will be accepted past March 31st, but your club is not considered in good standing until completed.
-
There's no fee to registering your club.
-
Please ensure you provide as much detail as possible. This information aids Baseball Nova Scotia in understanding where your club could use additional supports or resources.
Catchment Areas
Information collected on the Club Registration page will be used to keep the Club Information page up to date.
Some notes on Catchment Areas:
-
Baseball Nova Scotia consulted with clubs around their catchment areas. Most of the information provided has come directly from associations.
-
The catchment areas serve multiple purposes. Catchment areas will protect our current clubs offering programming in an identified geographic area and prevent new groups from forming that don't meet the criteria of the program. Defined catchment areas will also aide Baseball Nova Scotia in guiding new members to the appropriate associations.
-
Some areas are considered 'open' or 'shared' where residents may have multiple options for associations in which they can register.
-
The Residency rule, per the BNS Handbook, has not changed. Once an athlete is registered with an association, player transfer rules still apply. Players can still tryout with another association if their current association does not offer that program or competitive level.
-
Baseball Nova Scotia will not be monitoring membership registrations by club. Verification will only be done if potential issues are communicated by member clubs, and the policy needs to be referred to.