Hello LCYO Parents. You have received multiple communications over the past week from the Board of Directors with information pertaining to the financial situation with our on-line registration and league management software vendor, Count Me InCorporation (CMI.) We recognize the situation is unfortunate and more than a bit confusing. As a result, the followingFrequently Asked Questions have been compiled for your use. We hope you find them helpful. Q: Will the 2009 baseball/softball season still go on? A: As was mentioned in the December 10th letter from League President Phil Urbina, the 2009 season will go on. As was previously stated, our greatest asset is our volunteer coaches who give so much of their time to ensure a meaningful experience for your son and/or daughter. The Board continues to explore all available options to recover our money and is determined that any cost reductions necessary have minimal impact on your child’s LCYO experience. Q: What has happened since the last e-mail was sent and what is the Board doing to get our money from CMI? A: The Board of Directors established an Executive Committee that continues to meet regularly and, most recently, secured legal representation with a firm familiar with the laws of the state of Washington (CMI’s headquarters.) We have also filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Washington’s Consumer Protection Division. In addition, a budget committee has been organized to review and monitor LCYO’s cash flow position. Q: How does the credit card dispute work and what if it was on a previous billing statement that I paid? A: It is extremely important that you dispute the registration and/or sponsorship charge on your credit or debit card (which was processed as a credit transaction and should be disputed in the same manner.) We realize each bank/credit card company handles this differently but most allow a dispute between 60-90 days from the date of the billing cycle. Even if you signed up on October 1, you should still be able to dispute the charge. LCYO has put extensive supporting material on our website to facilitate the process. Please check www.LCYO.org for specific information. Your child will remain registered throughout this process and will not lose their spot on a team for the upcoming season. Q: When should I send in a check and where do I mail it? A: While we understand you may want to wait until you have confirmation of your charge account credit, LCYO is accepting and tracking any new registration payments that are received. Please send your registration check – made payable to LCYO – to the following address: La Costa Youth Organization 7668 El Camino Real #104-610 Carlsbad, CA 92009 In the memo portion, please indicate your child’s name and division (Div 1A, Mustang South, Pony…) In addition, we will be accepting registration payments at your child’s Evaluation Day next month (this does not apply to T-ball and Pee-Wee divisions.) Please check the website and your mailbox for specific division information. Q: How can I help? A: There are plenty of opportunities to help: · Our annual Golf Tournament is an excellent way to help the League and have some fun. Scheduled for April 24 at Encinitas Ranch, the success of this year’s event is even more critical. Please consider putting together a foursome. Look for more information in the coming weeks at www.LCYO.org or you can now book on-line at http://www.sangolf.com/event_1_4.htm · Team sponsorships are still available. $275 secures your business’ name on team banners and team web pages. Higher level sponsorships are available that include League website display. Family sponsorshipsare encouraged this year as well. · Donations are always welcome. Any level donation is welcomed. Please consider one additional registration donation to help out. Please contact Sponsorship Director Vince Tully at sponsorship@lcyo.org for more information. Q: Is there someone at LCYO I can call with questions? A: We realize it may be frustrating not to be able to speak with someone directly. Please remember that our league has no paid staff – the Board is made up of all volunteer parents working hard on your behalf. E-mail to online@lcyo.org is the best way to reach us and we strive to be as responsive as possible. We appreciate your understanding. Sincerely, Leslie Sippel Saldana LCYO Team Parent Director
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Important FAQs from LCYO
Friday, December 12, 2008
Letter to LCYO from CMI
We hope that this email will be all that your bank needs as supporting evidence that CMI does not intend to pay the funds it received to LCYO and thus the services you paid for are not being rendered.
Contact Information for "Count Me In"
If your credit card company asks for you to contact CMI directly or just for their contact information, here it is:
Count Me In
411 - 108th Ave. NE
Suite 720
Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: 866-268-6863
Fax: 425-671-0280
Fax: 866-729-0280
Disputing Credit Card Charges for the Spring 2009 Season
LCYO Parents,
As mentioned in the letter from Phil Urbina, LCYO President, we are requesting anyone who paid for their child’s spring 2009 registration with a credit card to contact that credit card company and dispute the charge. Each company may have different procedures to handle the dispute but all will request information regarding the transaction. Below are some key points to assist you with that process.
- If you paid by credit card, call your credit card company immediately and dispute the bill (the charge on your bill should read either "CMI (La Costa Youth Organization)" or "Count Me In (La Costa Youth Organization).
- Explain that the company (Count Me In or CMI) that accepted credit card payments for LCYO baseball/softball, took your money but did not pass it along to the league.
- Inform them that we have made numerous attempts to contact CMI but all calls go unanswered.
- When you dispute the bill say that it was for services that were not performed and that your child could not be registered for baseball/softball because CMI took your payment but did not pass it along to the league.
- Inform them the registration was immediate and that your child has now missed registration.
- Please do this immediately!
Once you have received a refund or credit to your credit card account, we ask that you mail a check for the registration fees to our LCYO mail box. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE YOUR CREDIT OR REFUND BEFORE SENDIING A CHECK. Your child will remain registered throughout this process and will not lose their spot on a team for the upcoming season.
Please e-mail if you have any problems or need additional information.
Thank you for your support and understanding in this matter.
Sincerely,
Ed Mungovan
Treasurer
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
An Important Message about LCYO
Dear LCYO Parents,
I am writing to apprise you of a serious financial issue facing La Costa Youth Organization. The on-line company LCYO uses to process the credit card payments you made to register your son or daughter with LCYO for the 2009 Spring season has not forwarded the money to our organization. On Saturday, Dec. 6 Count Me In (CMI) informed LCYO and its 200+ other youth sports organization clients via e-mail that it is seeking additional funding and hopes to pay all monies due us. However, it can not provide us any assurances or a timeline of when we can expect payment.
First, let me assure you that despite this problem, the 2009 Baseball and Softball season will go on as planned. Our greatest asset is our volunteer coaches who teach your children the technical aspects of the games as well as lessons that apply on and off the field. Though we may face cuts in some areas, the LCYO Board of Directors is determined that they will not lessen the experience our children receive from participating in LCYO programs.
Your LCYO Board of Directors is busy examining all options available to us to recoup the approximately $180,000 owed to us by CMI, which is based in
We have been advised by a Visa/MasterCard official to instruct parents to immediately challenge their credit card charges paid to CMI. Our treasurer will soon provide instructions on how to do so via e-mail and on our website, www.lcyo.org.
The LCYO Board of Directors has temporarily suspended the ability to use credit cards for those who still need to pay for Spring registration or team sponsorships. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. If you still need to pay for Spring registration, please send a check payable to LCYO at the following address:
La Costa Youth Organization
7668 El Camino Real #104-610
Though we are hoping for the best, we are preparing for a difficult situation. LCYO has provided a quality softball and baseball experience for children in
Thank you for your support and understanding.
Respectfully,
Phil Urbina
President, La Costa Youth Organization
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
August President's Column
Dear Parents,
In my June column I shared with you the stellar results of our parent survey. The survey is essentially the LCYO report card, letting us know how we did in providing a fun and safe environment for your children to learn the games of softball and baseball.
We received 865 responses representing every one of our teams in the league and 70 percent of our 1,600 players. More than 94 percent of respondents felt their child learned the fundaments of softball and baseball; gave a positive assessment of their coaches; felt good sportsmanship was practiced and that their child was treated fairly and had the opportunity to play a variety of positions.
The survey also provided an opportunity for you to comment on other areas of the LCYO program. This month I’d like to provide general responses to some of those comments. I would like to thank Team Parent Coordinator Leslie Sippel Saldana, Baseball Director Dean White and Softball Director Ed Mungovan for putting together the following responses:
Fences – Many of you commented on the poor condition of the fences at our various fields. We're pleased to report that 100 percent of the white portable fences have been repaired – as well as the carts that hold them. We are also exploring the idea of pouring concrete pads in the fence cages at certain field locations (i.e., La Costa Meadows) to improve the ease of moving the fence carts and also reduce the wear and tear on the carts (and the parents!).
Field Conditions – Regarding field conditions, like all other local youth and adult recreational sports, LCYO does not have its own ball fields, so we must share fields that belong to the City of Carlsbad and the Encinitas Union School District. It also means these fields get a lot of use not only during our Spring and Fall seasons but also year-round due to the needs of accommodating other sports and school programs. Even though the City of Carlsbad and EUSD dedicate some resources for the upkeep of these fields, LCYO reviews the conditions of all fields on a regular basis and, when in need, we allocate LCYO funds to maintain, repair, or enhance the conditions of these fields. With the consent of either the City or EUSD, providing quality and safe fields for LCYO players is often dependant on the after-hours volunteer work of board members and coaches in conjunction with our paid fields contractor, Clausen Fields.
Practice Time – With respect to practice time, LCYO’s Board of Directors attempts to find that balance of practices vs. games, taking into consideration that this is a 1) recreational league and 2) you, as a family, have other (non- baseball/softball) related responsibilities with your children. In preseason, we try to allocate practice times twice a week for each team over a period of three weeks (four weeks for softball). Once the season begins we also attempt to dedicate some optional practice field time in each division. Each coach is different in his/her approach to practices during the season. With 1,600 players this is one area where it’s impossible to satisfy the varying needs and schedules of our players. The City and EUSD work with LCYO and other sports leagues competing for the same field times. Our allocation is never enough to provide the flexibility for all teams to have additional practice times once the season begins.
Scheduling – With 105 baseball and 35 softball teams it’s a monumental job to schedule more than 700 games on 15 different fields during the spring. Many require light scheduling as well. LCYO uses both an objective and subjective approach in scheduling practices and games. Scheduling is done by a software program set up to assure accuracy in opponents and to also balance game start times and days for each team. The subjective part deals with the need to accommodate the schedules of the many dedicated LCYO coaches who volunteer to manage more than one team in different divisions. Meeting the needs of these coaches sometimes upsets the scheduling balance we strive for but is necessary for LCYO to have enough coaches to accommodate the 1,600 players. With that being said, the Board is asking Division Directors in the future to pay extra attention to scheduling imbalances.
With respect to Spring Break, our league is fortunate to have a geographic reach across multiple public school districts that allows our families the opportunity to make new friendships. However, these districts (Encinitas, San Dieguito, Carlsbad and San Marcos) along with our local private schools have a varied Spring Break schedule that is a challenge. In baseball, for T-ball, Pinto and Mustang, which have each been divided into North and South divisions, we hope to be able to do a better job of scheduling games or taking breaks during the Spring Break time. For softball, games have continued through the school breaks in order to give girls who remain in the area an opportunity to continue to play. Teams are allowed to share players giving girls who love the game and want to improve their skills the opportunity to play more. In most softball divisions, standings are not kept during the season so sharing players does not affect a team’s standing when playoffs begin.
Website – LCYO is aware that our website needs improvement so we are currently involved in some major changes in functionality and content. We have already begun adding content such as pictures, all-star rosters and all-star results and will continue to add more information of value to parents. We are also working to make the website easier for you to access the information you seek. We’re grateful for the improvements already made by Information Director Jon Stern but we’re still looking for a volunteer webmaster so as not to overburden Jon, who doubles as the South T-ball Director.
Pinto and Mustang Rules – Regarding the unique rules in Pinto and Mustang, LCYO strives to develop all of the players in our league by enhancing the rules in these two divisions to 1) protect the safety of all players, and 2) ensure the gradual development of their skills from one division to the next. Once our players reach the Bronco division (11 and 12 years old), where true MLB rules are in order, all our players have had a chance to experience and develop at various positions and under a healthy yet competitive environment. Also, many of the top players compete on travel teams where they can play at a more competitive level and under tougher rules.
Pitching Machines in Softball – A frequently asked question is one that concerns pitching in softball’s Division 1A (8 years and under.) Often we are asked why they do not use pitching machines as they do in the boys’ Pinto Division. LCYO boys’ baseball is registered with PONY baseball, which has machine-pitch divisions with rules and regulations to govern it.
LCYO softball is registered with the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), the preeminent softball organization in America, as a Class B league. There are no divisions within ASA that use pitching machines and therefore no rules or guidelines to follow. Using a machine would put LCYO and its players at a disadvantage with all other leagues we compete against. Learning the fundamentals of fastpitch softball is not easy and requires a great deal of time and practice. . . and patience on the part of coaches and parents. Experience has show that the 8 and under division is the best place for the girls to begin to learn and develop their pitching skills.
Respectfully,
Phil Urbina
President, LCYO
In my June column I shared with you the stellar results of our parent survey. The survey is essentially the LCYO report card, letting us know how we did in providing a fun and safe environment for your children to learn the games of softball and baseball.
We received 865 responses representing every one of our teams in the league and 70 percent of our 1,600 players. More than 94 percent of respondents felt their child learned the fundaments of softball and baseball; gave a positive assessment of their coaches; felt good sportsmanship was practiced and that their child was treated fairly and had the opportunity to play a variety of positions.
The survey also provided an opportunity for you to comment on other areas of the LCYO program. This month I’d like to provide general responses to some of those comments. I would like to thank Team Parent Coordinator Leslie Sippel Saldana, Baseball Director Dean White and Softball Director Ed Mungovan for putting together the following responses:
Fences – Many of you commented on the poor condition of the fences at our various fields. We're pleased to report that 100 percent of the white portable fences have been repaired – as well as the carts that hold them. We are also exploring the idea of pouring concrete pads in the fence cages at certain field locations (i.e., La Costa Meadows) to improve the ease of moving the fence carts and also reduce the wear and tear on the carts (and the parents!).
Field Conditions – Regarding field conditions, like all other local youth and adult recreational sports, LCYO does not have its own ball fields, so we must share fields that belong to the City of Carlsbad and the Encinitas Union School District. It also means these fields get a lot of use not only during our Spring and Fall seasons but also year-round due to the needs of accommodating other sports and school programs. Even though the City of Carlsbad and EUSD dedicate some resources for the upkeep of these fields, LCYO reviews the conditions of all fields on a regular basis and, when in need, we allocate LCYO funds to maintain, repair, or enhance the conditions of these fields. With the consent of either the City or EUSD, providing quality and safe fields for LCYO players is often dependant on the after-hours volunteer work of board members and coaches in conjunction with our paid fields contractor, Clausen Fields.
Practice Time – With respect to practice time, LCYO’s Board of Directors attempts to find that balance of practices vs. games, taking into consideration that this is a 1) recreational league and 2) you, as a family, have other (non- baseball/softball) related responsibilities with your children. In preseason, we try to allocate practice times twice a week for each team over a period of three weeks (four weeks for softball). Once the season begins we also attempt to dedicate some optional practice field time in each division. Each coach is different in his/her approach to practices during the season. With 1,600 players this is one area where it’s impossible to satisfy the varying needs and schedules of our players. The City and EUSD work with LCYO and other sports leagues competing for the same field times. Our allocation is never enough to provide the flexibility for all teams to have additional practice times once the season begins.
Scheduling – With 105 baseball and 35 softball teams it’s a monumental job to schedule more than 700 games on 15 different fields during the spring. Many require light scheduling as well. LCYO uses both an objective and subjective approach in scheduling practices and games. Scheduling is done by a software program set up to assure accuracy in opponents and to also balance game start times and days for each team. The subjective part deals with the need to accommodate the schedules of the many dedicated LCYO coaches who volunteer to manage more than one team in different divisions. Meeting the needs of these coaches sometimes upsets the scheduling balance we strive for but is necessary for LCYO to have enough coaches to accommodate the 1,600 players. With that being said, the Board is asking Division Directors in the future to pay extra attention to scheduling imbalances.
With respect to Spring Break, our league is fortunate to have a geographic reach across multiple public school districts that allows our families the opportunity to make new friendships. However, these districts (Encinitas, San Dieguito, Carlsbad and San Marcos) along with our local private schools have a varied Spring Break schedule that is a challenge. In baseball, for T-ball, Pinto and Mustang, which have each been divided into North and South divisions, we hope to be able to do a better job of scheduling games or taking breaks during the Spring Break time. For softball, games have continued through the school breaks in order to give girls who remain in the area an opportunity to continue to play. Teams are allowed to share players giving girls who love the game and want to improve their skills the opportunity to play more. In most softball divisions, standings are not kept during the season so sharing players does not affect a team’s standing when playoffs begin.
Website – LCYO is aware that our website needs improvement so we are currently involved in some major changes in functionality and content. We have already begun adding content such as pictures, all-star rosters and all-star results and will continue to add more information of value to parents. We are also working to make the website easier for you to access the information you seek. We’re grateful for the improvements already made by Information Director Jon Stern but we’re still looking for a volunteer webmaster so as not to overburden Jon, who doubles as the South T-ball Director.
Pinto and Mustang Rules – Regarding the unique rules in Pinto and Mustang, LCYO strives to develop all of the players in our league by enhancing the rules in these two divisions to 1) protect the safety of all players, and 2) ensure the gradual development of their skills from one division to the next. Once our players reach the Bronco division (11 and 12 years old), where true MLB rules are in order, all our players have had a chance to experience and develop at various positions and under a healthy yet competitive environment. Also, many of the top players compete on travel teams where they can play at a more competitive level and under tougher rules.
Pitching Machines in Softball – A frequently asked question is one that concerns pitching in softball’s Division 1A (8 years and under.) Often we are asked why they do not use pitching machines as they do in the boys’ Pinto Division. LCYO boys’ baseball is registered with PONY baseball, which has machine-pitch divisions with rules and regulations to govern it.
LCYO softball is registered with the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), the preeminent softball organization in America, as a Class B league. There are no divisions within ASA that use pitching machines and therefore no rules or guidelines to follow. Using a machine would put LCYO and its players at a disadvantage with all other leagues we compete against. Learning the fundamentals of fastpitch softball is not easy and requires a great deal of time and practice. . . and patience on the part of coaches and parents. Experience has show that the 8 and under division is the best place for the girls to begin to learn and develop their pitching skills.
Respectfully,
Phil Urbina
President, LCYO
Monday, July 7, 2008
June President's Message
Dear LCYO Parent:
We’ve just concluded another successful spring season serving 1,600 boys and girls on 105 baseball teams and 35 softball teams. Our recent Championship Saturdays in baseball and softball were great successes. Our 13 baseball all-star teams and seven softball all-star teams are now competing against teams from throughout San Diego County and even Southern California.
LCYO’s mission is to give local youth an opportunity to learn and enjoy the games of baseball and softball in a friendly and safe environment. We want to make sure we have an atmosphere where our players can feel good about their successes, but even more importantly, feel safe about their failures; to learn that it’s OK to strike out, miss a grounder or lose a playoff game. After making a mistake our players should be thinking about the “Next Play,” and learn that in baseball and softball, when you make a mistake, you can come back on the next play and make the play. It’s also a great lesson for life.
LCYO’s success is dependant on the many volunteers we have, from board members, to team parents, and in particular, the more than 400 coaches who spend countless hours teaching, preparing their players for games, spending their personal money for equipment and spending many nights making out the lineups. In my six years of involvement with LCYO, starting with the Little Mermaids in our Pee Wee softball division, I’ve had the good fortune to learn so much from the outstanding coaches I’ve had the privilege of coaching with and against.
I’ve always felt the most important measure of the success of a youth coach is not wins and losses, but whether a player wants to play again next year, and whether he/she wants to play for that coach.
Using that as a yardstick, I’m proud to say that more than 90 percent of LCYO parents who responded to our recent survey said they would like their child to play for the same coach next season. That’s a phenomenal response and our coaches should be proud to have earned that mark.
We had 865 responses to the survey representing every baseball and softball team in the league and more than 70 percent of LCYO players. I’d like to share with you some of the other information from the survey:
94% of respondents felt their child was taught the fundamentals of their respective sport.
95% had a positive assessment of their coach and assistant coaches.
97% of respondents felt good sportsmanship was practiced.
97% felt their child was treated fairly.
96% felt their child had the opportunity to play a variety of positions.
In addition to these stellar results, parents made many other suggestions. The comments showed us areas where we can improve and areas where we can do a better job of keeping parents informed. We’ll provide more information for you on our website in the coming months.
Thanks to all of the parents who participated in the survey.
* * *
Fall Ball – Registration for our Fall Ball season opens July 2. Practices and games are played on Sundays from Aug. 24 through Nov 23 allowing players to play in other Fall sports on Saturdays. It’s a great way for players to improve their skills for the spring season, particularly for those moving up a division. You can register on our website at http://www.lcyo.org/.
* * *
Outgoing Board Members – As the new President of LCYO for the 2008-09 year, I’d like to take a moment and thank two longtime board members who have given countless hours to LCYO. Mike Downing leaves the board after 12 years. Along with coaching numerous teams throughout the years, Mike was instrumental in developing, training, and scheduling of our junior umpires for our softball program and Mustang Division. With about 60 teens in our junior umpiring program it’s a critical job. Greg Norton leaves the board after 10 years. In addition to coaching many teams, being a Division Director, and Director of Baseball, Greg dedicated his time to refining LCYO’s overall programs and policies to ensure we provide a level of baseball appropriate for players of all skill levels.
I’d also like to thank give a special thanks to Ed Mungovan. Ed remains on the board as our Treasurer and Softball Director but spent the past year as the de facto president when the position was unfilled. Prior to that Ed served two years as President.
Board Member Openings – We have a few positions open on the Board of Directors we’re still looking to fill: Umpire Chief for the South Mustang Division; North T-ball Director; a Board Member at Large; and a Webmaster. We’d like to use our website to keep parents and players better informed. We’d like to be able to share timely results and pictures of our playoff tournaments as well as results and a schedule of upcoming games for all-star teams. If you’re interested in any of the positions, please contact me at lcyopresident@lcyo.org.
* * *
This is the first of a series of occasional letters I’ll be sending to keep you informed. As the parent of a daughter moving up to Division 2 and a son moving up to the Mustang level I get to see both the softball and baseball sides of our organization. We’re one of the few organizations that operates both softball and baseball leagues and I’m continually amazed at how smoothly LCYO runs.
I realize serving as President of LCYO is a great privilege and responsibility. I’m honored to work with a group of board members dedicated to making your child’s softball and baseball experiences positive.
As a coach I have a special final cheer I like to do at the end of the season. I gather the players together and quietly explain that the reason they get to play this game I love is because their parents are willing to take them back and forth to practices and games, and come out to cheer for them. I then have them yell “Thanks Mom and Dad,” and then go hug their parents.
As we end another successful spring season I’d like to say, “Thanks Mom and Dad for your support.”
Respectfully,
Phil Urbina
President
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