Dear gents of the BA League,
Ah, here it is, the first email of the usually warmer and sunnier, sometimes wetter, and always more grass-stainy of the BA seasons – the outdoor one! Plucked straight from the flower bed that is the league and delivered straight to the crystal vase that is your inbox. Warning, this email is long – longer than a run up the wing from Mike Tourond – but please have a read, we really think it’s all information you should know.
First order of business, a warm welcome to the newest members of the BA Soccer League! We are convinced, and expect you will be soon enough, that this is a league unlike any other. As you have no doubt read in our separate communication to the Newbies that is surely NOT caught in your spam filter, there is an emphasis here on keeping everything fun, friendly and respectful every single week. We really hope you enjoy your first season in the league and implore you to make at least a few appearances at the pub to enjoy the company of your league mates (don’t worry – we’re all sweaty, no one will judge). There will be prizes, and as always good food, drink and company!
Rosters
We found six men crazy enough to take on duties to manage a team this year. May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. Here they are, your BA managers:
- Red – Tom Borbely
- Yellow – Mark Meng
- Navy – Eben Crofton
- Orange – Alex Martel
- Pink – Ryan Zurawell
- Light Blue – Chris Bradley
You can find your team and game info on TeamSnap (see note below). The full list of teams is also on the website – click here
Opening Day Reminders
This is it – you are officially out of time to drop those last 10 pounds from your waistline! Game #1 is this Saturday, May 28th! We considered lying to you about the start time, but in the interest of transparency and after discussing it with our legal advisors, we’re just going to ask you to PLEASE show up at 9:30 sharp this first week even though that’s 30 minutes before the games start – we gather at the junction between the 3 fields. There are a few things we would like to give your captains time to sort out – shirts, quick introductions, and any instructions we have asked the managers to brief you on. Note to all managers – any opposition scouting film you were planning to review on a MS Surface tablet is exclusive property of the league and may not be used without expressed written consent.
Other Reminders
TeamSnap – Please accept your invitation to TeamSnap, whether via the website or the phone app – it’s a vital tool we want to get everybody using, especially as we’ve now got some integration with the BA website that will make everyone’s life easier. Please get that done ASAP so your captain doesn’t have to pull out whatever hair remains on his head (and even if you’re on Tom’s team, do it anyway, please).
Website Launch – Speaking of the website, we all owe Brian Garson a huge tip of the hat for his tireless efforts to redesign and hugely improve our league’s website. It has a fresh and pretty face (for those of you that can’t help falling for one) but more importantly some added functionality, most notably the schedule and standings integration from TeamSnap. On that note, please double check that your availability is marked properly, as the website launch may have altered what you already entered. Managers – please be aware this might be the case and follow up with your guys. Click here to check out our new digital home and set your bookmarks (if that’s your kind of thing).
The Bad Alibi – The big news here is that The Bad Alibi (Youville Dr across from Bob MacQuarrie Rec Complex in Orleans) is introducing a breakfast menu and will have a spot for us on the patio from noon onwards on Saturdays. While the breakfast menu does limit some of their other selections (we are still trying to figure out whether wings will be available), they have confirmed that they will continue to crank the free nachos out of the kitchen for us!
Long weekends – We do not play on Saturdays of long weekends but… great news for those who still need a place to go (sorry, the Bad Alibi won’t let you come in at 10am) – Field 6 at Potvin will be made available for a non-official kickaround on those Saturdays at 10am thanks to Rhys Williams of Capital Property Group http://www.cpgottawa.com. New this year, you can mark your availability for those on TeamSnap! On that note, please tell us if you have a business you would like us to promote on the website, or even better, if you’d like to sponsor any prize giveaways this season – we’d actually love to do both! Send us an email including the logo of your business: info@basoccer.ca
Give back our stuff – Anyone holding a league ball, a team shirt or a first aid kit/cooler hostage from the indoor season – this is your official warning to release the hostages or ensure safe passage via a trusted 3rd party to the field this Saturday, May 28th. Please find Howard Weingarden (team Yellow) if you have a league ball; any shirts from indoor go to Mark Meng (team Yellow), and first aid kits/coolers to Jason Robinson (team Orange). If all else fails and you can’t find these fellows, flag down Rhys Williams (team Orange) and he’ll get stuff to the right people.
What’s In a Name?
In addition to warming up those killer quads and chiseled calf muscles, we need you to fire up some of those (ahem… well preserved…) brain cells and think of a clever name for your team, one that is related to your shirt colour. Your wit shall be put to a league-wide vote and each member of the team adjudged to have the best name will be the recipient of a $10 gift card, probably for The Bad Alibi, in addition to the admiration and envy (it’s possible to have both at the same time!) of your leaguemates.
The BA Code of Conduct
Yes, this is oft repeated, but just call us suckers for the classics. The BASL is known as one of Ottawa’s absolute best recreational leagues when it comes to sportsmanship and camaraderie – this includes equal respect for teammates and opponents alike (within a few years those opponents will be your teammates), as well as referees. Make no mistake, we do love a good and competitive atmosphere, and everyone has a bad day from time to time – there will be slip ups – but anyone who develops a pattern of rash challenges, abusive behaviour, or just general lack of respect for the league’s goal of a fun and friendly atmosphere, will stick out like a sore thumb and will be dealt with swiftly and accordingly. This is our BA code of conduct. New players – you’ve been informed. Returning members – you certainly know this, and we are counting on you to set the example for newer players.
A Note to the Spares
The bespectacled Dave Willey and his partner in crime Chris Bradley are your points of contact for the weekly grind of filling the unfilled roster spots. You should be aware – there are vacations, there is the heat of an Ottawa summer, and most of all, there are aging and tired bodies out there (we’re only really talking about one guy in particular and he knows who he is). All that to say, expect that you will be called upon fairly often this season to fill spots as the season progresses. We would really appreciate if you could pay your $15 game fee immediately upon confirming with Dave/Chris that you have accepted an assignment to play. Those fees can be sent to baslpayments@gmail.com – thanks in advance for your co-operation.
The Derecho… er… Big Storm
Just a general note to mention that we are a family here, not just a collection of individuals that like soccer and beer. If you’ve been impacted by the storm, we’d like to know – whether it’s because we can brainstorm to help with a problem, pool together resources, or just be a shoulder to cry/vent on, we’re all here for all of that. You don’t even have to ask for any help, just putting it out there that your BA family (and the executive team) is here for you.
Lastly… COVID of course
Look, we’d like to party like it was 2019 but we still take our cues from Ottawa Public Health, who is adamant that anyone with any symptoms of illness (Covid-19 or otherwise), or anyone in contact with someone at high-risk of Covid-19 needs to self-isolate for five days. We are not requiring pre-game health checks at this time but please don’t be the guy that blows this for us, especially if you have any reason to consider staying away. That’s all we will say about that.
Here’s to another fun-filled season in the BA. We are all looking forward to getting together to do what we love to do most… and also a good game of soccer beforehand! See you all on Saturday morning at 9:30!
May your gamedays be warm and your beer cold!
Your BA Executive Team