{"id":11579,"date":"2026-09-15T18:26:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/?p=11579"},"modified":"2026-09-15T18:26:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:26:31","slug":"kcmssl-september-2026-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/?p=11579","title":{"rendered":"KCMSSL &#8212; September 2026 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span dir=\"ltr\">The following is part of our ongoing efforts to keep all members\u00a0apprised of the latest KCMSSL happenings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>This Newsletter&#8217;s Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>All-Star Games \/ Picnic, Etc. Review<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>End of 2026\u00a0Season<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Annual Membership Meeting<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Board of Directors Election<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Membership Survey<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8220;Rookie&#8221; Skill Rating Reviews<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Military Service Wall<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pull Tabs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span dir=\"ltr\"><strong>ALL-STAR\u00a0 GAMES \/ PICNIC, ETC.\u00a0 REVIEW<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Early feedback from participants at\u00a0this year&#8217;s All-Star Games \/ Picnic \/ Skills Contests at Happy Rock Park has been positive.\u00a0 Was\u00a0the drive somewhat of\u00a0an inconvenience for a\u00a0majority of our\u00a0membership?\u00a0 \u00a0Probably&#8230;because the complex is not &#8220;just around the corner&#8221; for most,\u00a0<strong>but it&#8217;s a once-per-season\u00a0trip.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Happy Rock Park offers us 5 fields&#8211;perfect for\u00a0the 4-5 hour timeline\u00a0we desire\u00a0to address\u00a0our litany of games, the picnic, skill events, sports memorabilia auction, etc.\u00a0 And having those\u00a0fields\u00a0situated so closely together (in a circle) allots participants and spectators very easy\u00a0navigation\u00a0from one field to another &#8212; https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/j8kaZm4RVWMXmUK69 .\u00a0 We also received nothing but positive comments about\u00a0the fields&#8217; playing conditions.\u00a0 Not to mention, the park offers more parking than any one of our other current conference\u00a0venues.\u00a0 So, we now have two viable\u00a0locations (Black Bob Park and Happy Rock) to consider using going forward.<\/p>\n<p>We do, however, need\u00a0to sincerely apologize\u00a0for the one hornet\u00a0nest we had to eliminate near the 3rd base dugout on Field #4 \ud83d\ude41 .\u00a0 Sorry about that, but we were\u00a0unaware of its presence until the nest was disturbed and one person got stung.<\/p>\n<p>One final note.\u00a0 We wish\u00a0to address\u00a0our past,\u00a0current, and future &#8220;wanna-bee&#8221; participants for the Pitching Accuracy skill event.\u00a0 We have already voted to change this\u00a0event&#8217;s rules for 2027.\u00a0 The\u00a0new guidelines will\u00a0make things much more appealing\u00a0for our\u00a0contestants, since the changes\u00a0will allow for easier\u00a0and, subsequently\u00a0more, scoring.\u00a0 We will share the details of these changes with all members as we get closer to next year&#8217;s event.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2026\u00a0 SEASON\u00a0 COMING\u00a0 TO\u00a0 A\u00a0 CLOSE;\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\">Our 2026\u00a0season has already ended for a couple of conferences, while others (due to heatouts &amp; rainouts) may run close to the end of October.\u00a0 \u00a0There were new challenges again this season, as always.\u00a0 \u00a0Let&#8217;s all keep in mind that<\/span>\u00a0whatever level of success that was achieved for\u00a0your conference\u00a0was the result of the ongoing dedicated efforts of our team managers, conference coordinators, and conference directors.\u00a0 <strong>OUR THANKS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span dir=\"ltr\"><strong>ANNUAL\u00a0 MEMBERSHIP\u00a0 MEETING<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\">Plan now to attend <strong>our Annual Membership Meeting &#8212; scheduled for Saturday &#8211; December 12th, at the Tomahawk Ridge Community Center<\/strong> &#8211; 11902 Lowell Ave, Overland Park, KS 66213 &#8212; https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/vWXu1h9K2dxNbYgUA, beginning at 9:00 AM with free coffee &amp; Big Daddy&#8217;s Donuts.\u00a0 Yes, typically this event is held the 1st Saturday of December, but due to renovations occurring at Overland Park&#8217;s\u00a0Matt Ross Community Center, all of that location&#8217;s\u00a0events had to be spread out among the other area centers, so our event ended up\u00a0being pushed back to the 2nd Saturday.\u00a0 At this\u00a0meeting we will:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Recap various\u00a02026\u00a0events and\u00a0what changes may be on the horizon for 2027<\/li>\n<li>Present conference championship shirts to those teams that\u00a0have not yet received them<\/li>\n<li>Present Skills Contests winners (from this year\u2019s All-Star Games festivities) with their photo plaques<\/li>\n<li>Provide trophies to each honoree of the Wes Weddle Spirit of the Game award<\/li>\n<li>And awards to this year\u2019s Rookie of the Year winners<\/li>\n<li>Award Ambassador jackets, or windbreakers, to all qualifying\u00a0recipients (those who have achieved\u00a020 points as a member and\/or accumulated service)<\/li>\n<li>And finally, we will bestow the Presidential Award to\u00a0this year&#8217;s deserving\u00a0member, or members&#8211;if deemed appropriate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\">Numerous other topics will be addressed, to be\u00a0followed by\u00a0questions anyone\u00a0may wish to ask&#8211;<em><strong>which hopefully can be answered<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\">More information is to come in subsequent newsletters between now and December.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>BOARD\u00a0 OF\u00a0 DIRECTORS\u00a0 ELECTIONS<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A heads-up that around November 1st\u00a0you will be receiving an email requesting\u00a0you to vote for 5\u00a0new, or a combination of incumbent and\u00a0new, Board of Directors for our upcoming 2027\u00a0season.\u00a0 There will be a link in the email that you will\u00a0click on to\u00a0cast your votes.\u00a0 Please make your voice heard&#8230;.so WE\u00a0can serve YOU\u00a0in the best way possible.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span dir=\"ltr\"><strong>ANNUAL\u00a0 MEMBERSHIP\u00a0 SURVEY<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\">Once the 2026\u00a0season comes to an end\u00a0for all conferences, you\u00a0will receive\u00a0a request, via this same email\u00a0process, to provide feedback to our Survey Committee\u00a0and ultimately the\u00a0Board of Directors\u00a0as to how the\u00a0events of\u00a0this past season unfolded.\u00a0\u00a0The survey, which will be our 9th annual,\u00a0will be seeking feedback as to what went well&#8230;what didn&#8217;t go so well; what you feel could be improved upon, as well as what you may feel should\u00a0&#8220;stay the same&#8221;;\u00a0etc., etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\">It&#8217;s possible\u00a0we may already be\u00a0aware of some of what you will report, but we&#8217;re quite\u00a0sure we&#8217;re unaware of all the happenings around the league.\u00a0 It is\u00a0our &#8220;desire&#8221; to address everyone&#8217;s\u00a0feelings\/concerns, but please realize that maybe not all of them are\u00a0correctable (to the level you\u00a0may wish).\u00a0<strong>\u00a0As a board member, it is our job to serve you the best we can.\u00a0 But, we are\u00a0unable to do that if we&#8217;re unaware of your desires\/needs, so please assist us&#8211;via this upcoming survey&#8211;by making us aware.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>ANNUAL\u00a0 SKILL\u00a0 RATING\u00a0 REVIEWS\u00a0 FOR\u00a0 OUR\u00a0 &#8220;ROOKIES&#8221;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Another end-of-the-season task\u00a0we have each year\u00a0is conducting skill reviews\/rating adjustments\u00a0for each of our 1st-year members, or our &#8220;rookies&#8221;.\u00a0\u00a0To date we have 116 first-year (rookie) players for our\u00a02026 season.\u00a0 \u00a0If you played with\u00a0or against one of these 116 players during the year,\u00a0you will receive\u00a0an email (once all sessions are\u00a0complete) requesting feedback on his\/her skills&#8211;in an effort to get each individual\u00a0properly skill rated going forward.\u00a0 The email will\u00a0ask for\u00a0your\u00a0feedback on only those rookies who played in the same conference(s) as you.<\/p>\n<p>Our player rating system is only as good as the information we\/you feed\u00a0into it.\u00a0 \u00a0Therefore, help us make it\u00a0the best\u00a0it can be by providing feedback\u00a0to these skill rating requests.<\/p>\n<p>And as always, if there is any other member you feel is currently improperly rated, please email\u00a0a request for review\u00a0to Clint Berger &#8211; clintberger@hotmail.com.\u00a0 A couple of sentences simply stating why you feel the person is incorrectly rated is all that is needed.\u00a0\u00a0Don&#8217;t know what base-rating your player of interest possesses?\u00a0 Your manager may be able to assist, or simply ask Clint to provide you that\u00a0person&#8217;s base rating.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully, most of you know that a person&#8217;s base rating\u00a0is reduced\u00a0one rating point\u00a0for each\u00a05-year drop in the listed\u00a0age of the conference in which the member participates.\u00a0 Example:\u00a0 When a\u00a0#5 base-rated 60-year-old player participates in a 55-year-old conference, his\/her adjusted rating <strong>for that conference <\/strong>drops from a 5\u00a0down to a 4.\u00a0 \u00a0And only the ratings from the top 12 rated players on a team&#8217;s roster are utilized in the team&#8217;s overall rating.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>MILITARY SERVICE WALL<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We have\u00a0already collected military service information on 134\u00a0of our current\u00a0or deceased\u00a0members.\u00a0 If you have served in our military, please help grow\u00a0this\u00a0list by providing\u00a0the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Photo\u00a0of the subject military serviceperson <\/strong>(we would prefer a recent\u00a0picture&#8230;we simply want those viewing the individual&#8217;s information to be able to &#8220;put a familiar face with a\u00a0name&#8221;):<\/li>\n<li><strong>Full Name:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Branch of Service:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Send your\u00a0information to:\u00a0John Mondi\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"mailto:jmondi@kc.rr.com\" data-cke-saved-href=\"mailto:jmondi@kc.rr.com\"><strong>jmondi@kc.rr.com<\/strong><\/a>, or mail it to John &#8212;\u00a010517 W 102nd Ter., Overland Park, KS\u00a0 \u00a066214.\u00a0 Questions?&#8230;..please give John\u00a0a call &#8211; 913.284.6005.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span dir=\"ltr\">\u00a0<strong>CONTINUE\u00a0 TO\u00a0 SAVE\u00a0 THOSE\u00a0 PULL\u00a0 TABS!!!!\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Continue to collect those\u00a0&#8220;pull tabs&#8221;\u00a0to turn\u00a0over to Deb Brown &#8212; for the local Ronald McDonald House.\u00a0\u00a0You may also hand them in, at\u00a0your convenience, to your team manager, your conference coordinator, or any one of the\u00a0board members.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>You can even bring whatever you&#8217;ve collected\u00a0to date\u00a0to our Annual December Membership Meeting and\u00a0give to Deb.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>This is\u00a0a charitable organization to\u00a0which all of us should be\u00a0able\u00a0to contribute.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Ronald-McDonald-Hours-logo.png\" alt=\"\" data-cke-saved-src=\"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Ronald-McDonald-Hours-logo.png\" \/>\u00a0\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_jar0BvmfOc8IH5wwYoymnfk7tE9KbnBw_w&amp;usqp=CAU\" alt=\"Aluminum soda can tabs | Etsy\" data-cke-saved-src=\"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_jar0BvmfOc8IH5wwYoymnfk7tE9KbnBw_w&amp;usqp=CAU\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following is part of our ongoing efforts to keep all members\u00a0apprised of the latest KCMSSL happenings. This Newsletter&#8217;s Table of Contents: All-Star Games \/ Picnic, Etc. Review End of 2026\u00a0Season Annual Membership Meeting Board of Directors Election Membership Survey &#8220;Rookie&#8221; Skill Rating Reviews Military Service Wall Pull Tabs ALL-STAR\u00a0 GAMES \/ PICNIC, ETC.\u00a0 REVIEW [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11579"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11580,"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11579\/revisions\/11580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcseniorsoftball.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}