LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 2018 NFCA Convention kicks off in less than a month on Wednesday Dec. 5 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.  Over the course of four days, attendees have a wide array of opportunities to educate themselves, network, conduct business, be recognized for their achievements, discover innovative products and have fun.

To get those more acquainted with the on-going proceedings, this feature takes a look at the first two days of activities. But before we dive into things, the most important item to point out is registration. Be sure to pick up your credential and lanyard. Without this combination, attendees will be unable to attend all the great sessions and social events offered in the Windy City.

For those arriving on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and want to beat the crowd, there is a four-hour window (noon-4:00 p.m.) available to pick up your credentials and lanyards. The registration booth will be open 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 6. On Friday, Dec. 7 hours will be 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., while Saturday, Dec. 10, the booth opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at noon.

At 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the NFCA’s “First Pitch” Opening Welcome and Keynote gets the ball rolling with NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman, NFCA President Karen Weekly and keynote Holly Rowe.

REGISTER HERE | SCHEDULE | SPEAKERS | EXHIBITORS

Business

Wednesday
Committee meetings are held at 12:15 and 1:30 p.m., respectively. It is a chance to discuss changes and have healthy conversations about the future of the sport in an intimate setting with your peers. Later in the evening, the NCAA Division I, II and III Head Coaches committees meet to discuss the important issues leading into their respective business meetings on Thursday.

Thursday
The morning (8:30-11:30 a.m.) is set aside for our several of our membership’s caucus meetings. New to the fold in 2018 is a combined High School & Travel Ball caucus. The meetings bring together the respective membership groups to discuss current issues, review and discuss pending legislation, create action plans for future changes to the game and collaboratively shape the sport for the future.

Additionally, several NCAA Division I conference coaches and members of WeCOACH will gather to discuss their business.

Educational Opportunities
There are many opportunities to gain valuable knowledge from our preconvention seminars (additional coast) to our keynote speaker on the first day, followed by Thursday’s first two speaker sessions.

Wednesday
Held simultaneously 9:00 a.m. to Noon, the seminars offered are “Fill Up the Boxscore! Developing a Complete Offense,” “Lessons in Leadership: A Letter to my Younger Self” and “Team Culture Toolkit.” Click HERE for an earlier preview of these educational offerings.

Also on the docket is the Rookie Orientation presented by Triple Crown Sports for first-time attendees (2-2:45 p.m.), featuring head coaches Pat Conlan (Georgetown), Mickey Dean (Auburn) and Rhoda Revelle (Nebraska) and Pregame Chatter: A Discussion of Issues Surrounding the Game of Softball. The latter will be moderated by NFCA President Karen Weekly and is an opportunity for coaches of all levels to come together and address current issues in the sport at the beginning of the 2018 National Convention.

Thursday
The first two coaches take the stage in the afternoon. At 3:00 p.m., LSU head coach Beth Torina talks pitching in “The Center: Creating the Complete Pitcher”. She is followed by Lonni Alameda, head coach of the 2018 Women’s College World Series champions Florida State, who talk about her team’s run to the title in “The Championship Journey of Team 35.”

One of the most anticipated and helpful sessions of the NFCA Convention, the Mentoring Workshop, is being held from 7-9:00 p.m. Grab a seat next to some of the best and the brightest in the game. This event pairs coaches at all levels for conversation and promotes professional growth and networking between coaches at all levels of the game. 

Extra Inning Fireside Chats follows the mentoring session. Attendees can build on the connections made in the mentoring workshop or just stop by to hear perspectives on other subjects from top coaches in a laid back setting.

LGBT and ally coaches can join the Equality Coaching Alliance’s “LGBT Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Gathering (5-6:00 p.m.). From 9-10:00 p.m., Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ (FCA) Softball Director Dana Jenkins leads a devotional aimed specifically at the trials a coach may face.

New Tools
With another sold-out exhibit show, the exhibit hall opens its doors to members at 11:00 a.m. and runs through 6 p.m. The growth of our sport depends on the investment of these entities, so come show your support and discover innovative products, apparel and services and cultivate relationships that will ultimately benefit your teams.

Awards

Thursday
Following the morning business meetings, head over to the Victory Club Luncheon where head and associate head coaches receive recognition for milestone victories obtained during the 2018 season, while enjoying lunch and conversation with peers.

Being Social

Wednesday
Added to the menu this year is an exclusive gathering geared towards our high school, travel ball and our affiliate memberships. The Grassroots Forum: Meet & Mingle (1:30-2:30 p.m.) allows youth coaches and instructors from around the country to grow their network and join in on various discussions from X’s and O’s to player and team management.

Following the First Pitch Opening Session, join attendees at the USSSA Leadoff Reception, a two-hour (6:30-8:30 p.m.) event filled with networking, laughter and FREE food, beer and wine. End your day by joining Wilson Sporting Goods as it hosts the evening’s afterparty from 9-11:00 pm.

Thursday
After you’ve perused the exhibit hall and mingled with company representatives, you can relax and socialize at the only NFCA Convention Happy Hour (5-6:30 p.m.) hosted by Scrap Yard Sports. Additionally, NFCA items and company products will be on hand to give away throughout the evening.

If you want to venture out into the city later in the evening, Diamond Sports and PGF will hold a reception at Pinstripes from 10:00 pm to 1:00 a.m.

Health & Fitness
Thursday
Want to start your day off right with a little exercise before you dive into a full day of convention programming? Join Dartmouth head coach Jen Williams, as she returns for a third year to lead her “Windy City Workout” boot camp. New to the early morning workout schedule is our 7^th Inning Stretch Yoga with Benthany College’s Cassie Moore.

OTTAWA — “(Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) thinks today’s budget will distract Canadians from all of this. He is using the budget — a critical element of any government’s agenda — as nothing more than a political prop in an unprecedented cover-up.” — Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer, March 19

—

Andrew Scheer and his Conservative caucus members have been scathing in their attacks on this week’s decision by the Liberal-dominated House of Commons justice committee to abruptly end its examination of the SNC-Lavalin affair.

In addition to calling it a cover-up and a snub to all Canadians, the leader of the official Opposition called it an attempt by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to undermine the role of Parliament.

The committee’s decision came on the same day as the federal budget was being tabled. So Scheer wove that into his broader criticism of the government, describing the budget as a “political prop” by a prime minister determined to divert the public’s attention from the scandal engulfing his government.

That raises a question that cuts to the core of this week’s two big national political stories, the budget and the everlasting SNC-Lavalin saga: can the regularly scheduled tabling of a federal budget be described as a political prop?

Spoiler alert: The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of “no baloney” to “full of baloney” (complete methodology below).

Scheer’s remark earns a rating of “a lot of baloney” — the statement is mostly inaccurate but contains elements of truth.

THE FACTS

The SNC-Lavalin controversy slammed like a runaway train into Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s delivery of Tuesday’s budget, the government’s final spending blueprint before a federal election scheduled for this fall.

While the budget lockup was underway several blocks east of Parliament Hill, the Liberal majority on the House of Commons justice committee voted to end its five-week inquiry into the controversy, enraging Conservatives and New Democrats alike.

By the time Morneau reached the Commons to deliver his 4 p.m. budget speech, he faced some serious Conservative roadblocks. The Conservatives forced a vote on a motion to allow MPs on the fisheries committee to travel. Several Tory MPs voted both for and against.

They then stood — one at a time — to apologize for voting twice. But they each managed to also denounce the Liberals’ earlier decision, which prevented former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould from reappearing before the justice committee. Chants of “Let her speak” filled the chamber, while more points of privilege and points of order ate up the clock.

Morneau’s speech was delayed an hour, and when he finally rose to speak, he was drowned out by opposition MPs. Eventually, the Conservatives walked out of the Commons, with Scheer calling the committee’s decision “an assault on democracy.”

Watch:

Morneau’s budget aimed billions in new spending at a variety of areas — from pharmacare to retraining workers to helping first-time homebuyers. It was a deficit-friendly, pre-election platform that contrasted with the Conservative mantra of balanced books. Morneau decided the government would use up a big windfall, and run near-term deficits of almost $20 billion. He offered no timeline for bringing the budget back to balance, and made no apologies.

The budget document credited a stronger economy for an extra $27.8 billion in revenue over the next six years, compared with the numbers in the government’s fall update. The new budget will spend about $22.8 billion of that additional cash, and the government said it has earmarked another $4 billion in spending since the fall update.

Morneau called this “investments to grow our economy for the long term — while we bring the books back towards balance.”

Trudeau, meanwhile, accused the Conservatives of using the SNC-Lavalin affair to avoid talking about their own “failed” approach to the economy. “The Conservatives still don’t want to talk about jobs, about growth, about investing in Canadians because they’re realizing they have no plan,” he said.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Financial experts say that while budgets can certainly be used by governments to make political gains, they are an annual ritual of government that are scheduled to take place on dates that are set weeks in advance.

“The content of the budget is the real issue, and here the claim the budget was used as a prop is weak,” said Brett House, the deputy chief economist at Scotiabank. “Though the revenue windfall was spent, and we would have preferred to see it saved, the amount was not large and wasn’t devoted to a big signature project or program.”

Kevin Page, the former parliamentary budget officer, agrees there is no single big initiative in the budget to draw attention away from other issues such as SNC-Lavalin.

“Budgets are not mandatory but it is a long-standing tradition and a best practice to table a fiscal plan before the start of the fiscal year,” said Page, the president of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa.

“This budget does not look like a prop.”

Doug Porter, the chief economist of BMO Financial Group, says there is little doubt the government would like to shift the focus to other matters, including the economy and fiscal policy.

“But, it’s also fair to say that, as the quote suggests, a budget is ‘a critical element of any government’s agenda,'” he said.

Porter said the convention has generally become to unveil a new budget in February or March before the start of the new fiscal year on April 1.

“It’s a convention that is followed by all 10 provinces as well.”

THE VERDICT

The government usually releases a budget at this time of year. Though a lot is riding on the pre-election blueprint the Liberals tabled Tuesday, and Trudeau wasted no time in using it to attack the Conservative record, it didn’t feature a showcase signature initiative aimed at changing the political channel.

For those reasons, Scheer’s assertion that the Liberals were using the budget as a political prop contains “a lot of baloney.”

METHODOLOGY

The Baloney Meter is a project of The Canadian Press that examines the level of accuracy in statements made by politicians. Each claim is researched and assigned a rating based on the following scale:

No baloney — the statement is completely accurate

A little baloney — the statement is mostly accurate but more information is required

Some baloney — the statement is partly accurate but important details are missing

A lot of baloney — the statement is mostly inaccurate but contains elements of truth

Full of baloney — the statement is completely inaccurate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association revealed that 160 student-athletes, representing 92 programs, received 2018 NFCA High School All-Region accolades.

These awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s five regions with first- and second-team recognitions. NFCA member coaches from each region’s respective committees selected the honorees, and recipients are now eligible for the 2018 NFCA High School All-America squads.

2018 NFCA High School All-Region Teams

Donovan Catholic High School (East) out of Toms River, N.J., led the way with seven overall selections. Sheldon High School (West) out of Sacramento, Calif. and Mt. St. Dominic Academy (East) from Caldwell, N.J. had five student-athletes recognized, while East Islip High School (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) collected four plaudits.

Donovan Catholic and Mt. St. Dominic topped the charts with four first-team honors. East Islip, Ohio’s Keystone (LaGrange, Ohio) High School (North) and Spain Park High School out of Alabama earned three first-team honors.

In the North, Keystone was joined by Champion High School (Warren, Ohio) and Clarkston (Mich.) High School with three all-region nods. Spain Park and James Madison High School (Vienna, Va.) topped the South Region with three accolades. Seven programs in the South Central Region had two selections with Lincoln (Neb.) Southwest High School grabbing two first-team nods.

The 2018 NFCA High School All-American teams will be announced on Monday, July 9.

Quebec’s new minister responsible for the status of women says the Muslim hijab is a symbol of oppression.

Speaking to reporters after being named to the portfolio Tuesday, Isabelle Charest said the Muslim head scarf does not correspond to her values and is not a way for women to flourish in society.

She said women should not wear the garment. She objects to it because it represents a command for women to cover themselves, she said.

Her statements come as the Coalition Avenir Quebec government prepares to introduce legislation prohibiting public servants in positions of authority — including teachers — from wearing visible religious symbols including the hijab, kippa and turban.

Pierre Arcand, interim leader of the Opposition Liberals, said today that tolerance and calm are needed in the debate prompted by the Coalition government. He said his party favours freedom of choice.

Charest, a former Olympic short track speed skater, was elected for the first time on Oct. 1. She is also junior education minister.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Guiding North Idaho College to its first Northwest Athletic Conference championship, head coach Don Don Williams and her staff have been named the 2018 NFCA NWAC National Coaching Staff of the Year. Under the direction of Williams and assistant coaches- Shay Fuson, Laura Fierro and Dan Silva- the Cardinals finished 2018 with a 50-3 record and the first title in their fourth season of NWAC play.

NIC ended the season on a 23-game winning streak as it swept all five games of the NWAC championship tournament, defeating Columbia Basin, Mt. Hood, Walla Walla, Edmonds and Lower Columbia on its way to the crown. The Cardinals defeated Lower Columbia, 8-5, in the title game. A three-run home run by Jori Kerr put NIC up 6-1 in the third, however Lower Columbia chipped away and following a two-run homer by Christin Robbins in the fifth cut the lead to 6-5. NIC bounced back with two insurance runs in the sixth and held on for the three-run win.

Under Williams, who started the program in 1998, the Cardinals were an offensive juggernaut, leading the league in almost every offensive category. Averaging 12.4 runs per game, NIC hit .468, launched 119 home runs and slugged .820. The Cardinals roped 154 doubles and recorded a .532 on-base percentage. Additionally, NIC’s pitching staff led the NWAC with a 2.51 ERA and held their opposition to a .242 batting average.

VAUGHAN, Ont. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa will ensure provinces follow the Canada Health Act, as an Ontario health-care transformation is raising fears of further privatization.

The provincial Progressive Conservative government is set to unveil sweeping changes to the health system later this month, and the NDP says leaked documents point to a greater role for the private sector.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott has made assurances that the new system will not include two-tier care, paying for more services out of pocket, or paying to jump a queue.

The Canada Health Act prevents private billing for medically necessary health services.

Elliott has not ruled out further private delivery of care, which is already part of the public system in Ontario.

When asked Thursday about Ontario’s health plans, Trudeau said the federal government will always stand up for its responsibilities to defend the Canada Health Act and ensure universal access to a strong health-care system.

“We have acted in the past when provinces have not aligned themselves with the Canada Health Act and we will ensure that every province follows the requirements of the Canada Health Act,” he said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florida State posted a 6-0 mark at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational to strengthens its hold on the No. 1 ranking in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The defending champs received 29 of a possible 32 first-place votes and 793 points.

The Seminoles (11-0) knocked off three top-10 programs – then-No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 8 LSU – along with RV Ohio State, RV Minnesota and Florida Atlantic to remain perfect on the season.

No. 2 UCLA and new-No. 3 Florida kept their perfect records intact as well. The Bruins (9-0) posted four wins in a weather-shortened weekend, while the Gators (11-0) enjoyed a 6-0 week, which included a 7-2 win at then-No. 14 Arizona State.

No. 6 Alabama, No. 10 Louisiana, No. 19 Indiana and No. 23 Texas Tech are the other undefeated programs after two weeks. The Crimson Tide (10-0) swept through the Hillenbrand Invitational, which included a 6-1 win over the hosts and then-No. 9 Arizona. The Ragin’ Cajuns (11-0) joined the top-10 following seven home wins last week, two of which came against RV California.

The Hoosiers (9-0) continued its hot start, second best in program history, rifling up five spots. IU swept four games at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge against Duke and Syracuse in Durham, N.C. 

New to the poll and the final undefeated team in the rankings is No. 23 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders (10-0) swept the competition at the Plainsman Invitational, recording three shutouts and a win over host and then-No. 21 Auburn.

No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 9 LSU all competed at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational, posting 4-1, 3-2 and 3-2 records, respectively. The Sooners (9-1) captured wins over then-no. 18 Kentucky, RV Notre Dame, FAU and then-RV Hofstra. 

The Lady Vols (8-2) triumphed over RV Notre Dame, new-No. 24 Minnesota and then-RV Utah and also dropped a decision to then-No. 23 James Madison. The Tigers (9-2) defeated No. 20 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Texas and RV Ohio State and also fell to then-No. 19 Oregon.

No. 5 Washington and No. 8 Georgia also posted perfect weekends. The Huskies (8-1) earned wins over then-No. 25 Mississippi State, No. 12 Arkansas, UCF and North Dakota State in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, while the Bulldogs (9-1) breezed through its home weekend against Buffalo, Winthrop and Omaha, outscoring the competition 60-4.

Joining Texas Tech as top-25 newcomers are and No. 25 Illinois. Then-No. 17 Michigan, then-No. 22 Texas A&M and Mississippi State dropped out.

The 2019 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. The records reflect games played through Feb. 17, 2019.

2019 USA Today / NFCA Division I
Top 25 Coaches Poll – February 19 (Week 2)

Rank

School

Totals

2019

Record

Prev. Ranking

1

Florida State (29)

793

11-0

1

2

UCLA (2)

767

9-0

2

3

Florida

721

11-0

4

4

Oklahoma

708

9-1

3

5

Washington (1)

676

8-1

5

6

Alabama

614

10-0

7

7

Tennessee

561

8-2

6

8

Georgia

544

9-1

10

9

LSU

536

9-2

8

10

Louisiana

511

11-0

13

11

Texas

485

7-1

11

12

Arkansas

461

8-1

12

13

Arizona State

404

8-2

14

14

Arizona

393

6-4

9

15

South Carolina

366

7-2

15

16

Kentucky

269

6-5

18

17

Oregon

242

7-2

19

18

James Madison

227

3-2

23

19

Indiana

209

9-0

24

20

Oklahoma State

176

7-3

20

21

Baylor

144

7-4

16

22

Auburn

120

7-3

21

23

Texas Tech

89

10-0

RV

24

Minnesota

57

4-3

RV

25

Illinois

52

7-2

RV

 

New to Poll: No. 23 Texas Tech, No. 24 Minnesota, No. 25 Illinois

Dropped Out: No. 17 Michigan (4-5), No. 22 Texas A&M (8-3), No. 25 Mississippi State (6-3). 

Receiving Votes: Michigan (44), Texas A&M (44), Oregon State (35), Mississippi State (26), Louisiana Tech (23), North Carolina (23), Notre Dame (12), Northwestern (10), Ohio State (10), Boise State (9), Loyola Marymount (7), Nebraska (6), Ole Miss (6), Liberty (4), Missouri (4), NC State (4), New Mexico State (3), Southern Illinois (2), Virginia Tech (2), California (1).

The 2019 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Record reflect games played through Feb. 17, 2019.