The following is our ongoing effort to keep all members apprised of the latest KCMSSL happenings:
This Newsletter’s Table of Contents:
- Safety & Health Guidelines — HEAT
- Rainoutline.com
- 2026 All-Star Games / Picnic / Skills Contests, etc.
- Are You a Military Veteran??
- Do You Qualify as a KCMSSL Ambassador
- Choice Hotel Discount For You
- Pull Tabs
- Online Store
HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES
The care and safety of our members remain our priority. Therefore, using our website as the focal point for valuable information, we ask that you please click here — https://kcseniorsoftball.org/?page_id=31 — to review some of the basics to maintain your best possible health and safety guidelines–especially the “High Heat Days” portion…due to the upcoming hot part of the season.
When to cancel any of our games due to heat had been a lengthy topic of controversy within the organization for years. In the past, we had solely let that decision up to our individual Conference Coordinators (in conjunction with input from the corresponding conference’s managers). Needless to say, that just led to additional controversy. Therefore, your board made an organization-wide decision a couple of years ago as to when games are to be canceled (due to the “heat index”) and when they can be played.
Again, those guidelines are below and on our website. Please be aware, these guidelines are our initial attempt at pinpointing an agreed-upon “RealFeel” temperature as the go / no-go reading relative to when games will be canceled and when they can be played. Meaning??….meaning that as we trial test these current guidelines, we may find the future need to increase or lower this 100° RealFeel reading as our guide. Please be patient, and feel free to provide us with constructive feedback accordingly.
Our bottom-line goal here is our members’ safety and health. We are NOT wishing to make our play any more difficult (dealing with the number of hot days we continue to encounter). We’d prefer every day you play to be the perfect weather day, but we know that’s not possible.
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If you wish to review RealFeel’s overall parameters, here is the link: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweather-realfeel/784 . And if you wish to understand the development of the RealFeel’s guide a bit better, access this site: https://www.accuweather.com/en/accuweather-ready/accuweathers-realfeel-temperature-guide-provides-unique-outdoor-insight-amid-heat-wave/329215
We will use the “RealFeel” (not ReelFeel Shade) reading as the temperature (readily visible on the iPhone or Android app) as our policy’s guide. And the 100° reading, in the sun, as the no-play cut-off reading.
If you’d like to track a variety heat index characteristics and readings for your current location or your destination location (like the park at which you are going to play), go to the app store on your phone to download the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool app — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=erg.com.nioshheatindex . Or if you have an iPhone – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/osha-niosh-heat-safety-tool/id1239425102
The RealFeel temperature takes into account the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and angle of the sun.
Of course, the Conference Coordinator (CC) can always make the decision not to play even if the RealFeel reading is under the 100° reading, if he / she so chooses. If the first game starts on the “30” (i.e., 5:30) and the RealFeel reading is 100° or more at 5:00, but the RealFeel is forecasted to be under 100° at 6:00, the games may be started. The same would be for games played in the morning. If the RealFeel reading is under 100° at the start of the game but goes over that reading towards the end of the game (or is forecasted to go over that 100° reading by the end), the decision can be made to conclude that game in progress.
- The CC, or anyone else wishing to utilize RealFeel, can go to the AccuWeather website and type in the zip code for their appropriate ballpark to get the corresponding RealFeel information. OR…he / she can access the same AccuWeather information on their phone app. Below are snapshots of the Android phone’s AccuWeather home screen (for Overland Park, KS) and the next 4-hour forecast. Each person’s phone can be set to whatever zip code or city / state desired and changed as he / she wishes.
- The CC can then make the decision as to whether or not to cancel their games at a pre-determined time prior to their games—a time which they feel is best for their conference’s players.
- The CC can also, in the case of morning leagues, play the first game under the 100° mark and then not play the second game if over the 100° mark. In the case of the evening conferences, a CC could decide not to play the first sets of game(s) but play the late games—when the RealFeel is forecasted to drop below the 100° mark.
- Non-compliance by the CC may result in removal of the CC from his / her coordinator position.
OUR RAINOUTLINE.COM WEBSITE…..AND CORRESPONDING APP:
Ever get to the ballpark only to discover you are the only one there…because the fields are pretty much flooded from a “very recent” rainstorm; or arrive there on a sweltering hot day to again find yourself alone at the park because the games were cancelled due to unacceptable heat-index readings? Or even worse yet, you experience a downpour at your house and you don’t go to the park–thinking the games are going to be cancelled….only to find out later your team ended up being short of players because you, mistakenly, had not shown up?
Immediate game cancellation updates are available to every KCMSSL member via text and / or email, based on how each member wishes to set up his / her preferred method of notification from the Rainoutline.com website: https://rainoutline.com/login .
100% mobile?? Then you may wish to utilize one of these rainoutline.com phone apps instead: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rainoutline.app2 , or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rainoutline/id6448003606 .
Your choice. Or you may still wish to call a rainout line phone number. Well, you can still do that–913.586.8080. But at least this is only one number you will need to remember, instead of possibly 6. All 6 of our current park locations are part of the Rainoutline.com – KC Metro Senior Softball League webpage or phone app. You can customize your alerts based on your personal preferences. And if or when we ever do add a new conference location to our venue umbrella, we will simply add that new venue to the listing, and you will continue to be kept as “up-to-date” as possible!!
OUR 2026 ALL-STAR GAMES / PICNIC / SKILLS CONTESTS, ETC., VENUE
Just a reminder, we are moving “up North” to Happy Rock Park – 7565 NE Antioch Rd, Gladstone, MO 64119 – https://maps.app.goo.gl/eh2hdspDoNGuH2oBA for our 2026 All-Star Games / Picnic / Skills Contest, etc. We were unable to again secure Black Bob Park for this year’s event…as we did last season. This year’s event date? Saturday, September 12th. More details to come on game start times, etc.
For those who attended the 2025 event, you may recall “Two Guys and a Grill” provided the food. We are currently exploring other food options for this year’s event. Either way, THE FOOD WILL CONTINUE TO BE FREE TO ALL ATTENDEES!!
More details to come in future monthly newsletters. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to contact any of your board members — https://kcseniorsoftball.org/?page_id=70 .
ATTENTION ALL MILITARY VETERANS!!!!
With the 4th of July right around the corner, our search continues for more KCMSSL military service veterans to add to our website’s “Military Service Wall” – https://kcseniorsoftball.org/?page_id=7781 . We have already collected information on 134 of our current or deceased members. Please help grow this list.
Provide the following:
- Photo of the subject military serviceperson (we would prefer a recent picture…..we simply want those viewing the individual’s information to be able to “put a familiar face with a name”):
- Full Name:
- Branch of Service:
Send your information to: John Mondi – jmondi@kc.rr.com, or mail it to John — 12901 Travis St. Apt 106, Bldg 11, Overland Park, KS 66209-4291. Questions?…..please give John a call – 913.284.6005.
ARE YOU A 20-YEAR KCMSSL “AMBASSADOR”?
THERE IS NEW CRITERIA TO QUALIFY YOU FOR AN AMBASSADOR JACKET !!
As of this year, 2026, your Board of Directors agreed to expand the universe of those eligible to receive an Ambassador jacket, or windbreaker.
What are the new criteria’s requirement options in this expanded format? Qualifying service consists of earning “credit points” via the :
- Number of years played in the league, and / or
- Number of years served as a team manager and / or
- Number of years served as a conference coordinator, co-coordinator, and / or
- Number of years of service on the Board of Directors.
Any member who accumulates a total of 20 qualifying credits, in any combination of playing, managing, coordinating, or serving on the Board, is now eligible for an Ambassador jacket. Qualifying service is limited to four credits per calendar year – one credit point each for each qualifying category: Managing; Coordinating; Playing; and/or Serving on the Board of Directors.
If you believe you qualify, please open this KCMSSL Ambassador Jacket Application- https://kcseniorsoftball.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ambassador-Jacket-Application-Form-Fillable.pdf – and complete ALL of the information to see if you meet the necessary requirements to become an Ambassador. Please return your completed application to Barry Gordon barrygordo@aol.com, 913-827 7722, If you have any questions or require additional information, please also contact Barry.
DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th!
The existing 20-year player pathway remains; this proposal simply adds leadership and board roles as additional qualifying service credits toward the same Ambassador recognition.
CONTINUE TO SAVE THOSE PULL TABS!!!!
For any one of you who did not see Deb Brown’s Facebook posting (with Alan — from Ronald McDonald House) feel free to click on the following link –Facebook . The KCMSSL continues to work with Ronald McDonald House to assist with the needs of long-term care children’s families. If you haven’t already done so, start saving your “pop tabs” (ring tabs, pull tabs, or whatever you call them). Bring them to your manager! Managers, give them to your conference coordinator! Conference coordinators, make sure you have the tabs with you at your specific conference venue, because Deb Brown plans to stop by a couple of times during the season to pick them up and deliver them to our local Ronald McDonald House location. For more information, please click on our website link: https://kcseniorsoftball.org/?page_id=6836
KCMSSL ONLINE STORE
Don’t forget to visit our online store for a variety of KCMSSL hats, shirts, and outerwear: https://kcmssl.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
If you have any questions about any of the above, please get in touch. We hope to see you on the playing field.
