Although this year is drastically different than any we've previously experienced, one thing certain is that the seasons continue to change. Autumn represents the preservation of life and its basic necessities. Whether you have been able to return to play or are still waiting for the moment you can step foot on the field, we encourage you to take this time to focus on the things you may have put off when life was too busy. Learn that new skill, update your website, get reacquainted with the simple tasks that made your business what it was at the start of it.
No matter what you do, keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay connected so that we can be prepared for whatever is in store.
In this month's newsletter, we will provide updates on the SSIA's continued response to the COVID-19 crisis, the 2021 Conference, and the virtual EC Retreat. We will also highlight several sponsors and partners.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Krissy Greenleaf at krissy@ssia.us.
~ Your SSIA Team
Continued Response to COVID-19
The SSIA staff and Executive Committee continue to strive to support our industry, members, sponsors and partners during this unprecedented time by:
Extending our lobbying contract with Terri Lakowski and Active Policy Solutions for another two months. Earlier this month, the EC took into consideration that 76% of responses from the second Industry Impact Survey agreed that the SSIA should continue lobbying efforts. With federal relief efforts currently on hold due to the Congressional stalemate, the focus will now shift to educating our members on how to lobby for their own organizations on the local and state level.
Helping members financially by:
Deferring member dues by 6 months at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
Organizing the Save Social Sports GoFundMe campaign.
Reducing upcoming member dues by $250 to make up for the fact that there will not be an in-person conference in 2021
Soliciting the help of our sponsors and partnersto answer questions and solve problems for members related to:
Insurance premiums
Qualifying questionnaires and waivers
Affordable PPE
Financial best practices
Safety guidelines for returning to play
Hosting members-only Zoom conference calls covering topics listed below. Note that all Zoom calls are now being recorded and saved in the Locker Room.
Surviving the Winter Season
Staffing and finances
Virtual events
Safety Guidelines and working with facilities
Marketing social sports post-pandemic
Creating a members-only Coronavirus Resource Library with helpful information on:
Financial relief and planning, assisting staff, business toolkits, etc.
Example email communications for refund policies, keeping players, staff and sponsors informed, etc.
Safety Guidelines
Virtual events and e-sports
Lobbying how-to and legislative education
Thank you everyone in our industry who took the time to complete the second SSIA Industry Impact Survey! It has been a helpful resource to reference in our public relations and lobbying efforts. Thank you also to Robert Kinsler with United Fray for its easy-to-read design!
Please note that the individual results were aggregated, and that the SSIA Staff are the only ones with access to individual results.
2021 Conference Update
With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and member feedback from the second Industry Impact Survey in August (see graph below), the 2021 SSIA Conference is going virtual.
This was a difficult decision to make; however, it was made with the health and safety of our attendees and staff as our top priority.
We remain committed to delivering high-quality knowledge sharing and education in a safe environment, and would love to hear from you on what you want to learn! Please email krissy@ssia.us with suggestions for speakers and topics by October 15th.
Stay tuned for more information on the virtual conference soon!
The Annual EC Retreat Goes Virtual
Due to the effects of COVID-19, the annual EC Retreat planned for June 8-10, 2020 in Burlington, VT was rescheduled to a series of video conferences occurring over the next several months. The purpose of the EC Retreat is to set goals and determine the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Topics discussed thus far include Governance, the 2021 Conference, and Membership. The remaining topics to be covered include Committee Goals and Initiatives, the Purchasing Program and a quarterly budget review.
Updated minutes are available in the Locker Room. Email ec@ssia.us with any questions or comments.
A Message from Our Sponsors & Partners
Ace Apparel is offering neck gators! They are more breathable and easier to use than masks when on the field, and Marc is able to add your league's full color logo to your order!
Light Brothers is open and operating at full capacity! Contact Russ at 412-886-0300 or lightbrothers@comcast.net to place your shirt order. Visit the members-only Locker Room for special SSIA pricing.
Wilson Sporting Goods is pleased to offer to all SSIA member clubs a fully online discounted equipment buying program, with deep discounts on products across all sports categories. Discounts range from 20-50% off depending on product, with custom logo options available and an easy online ordering system with free shipping.
A percentage of each sale is donated back to the SSIA for future programming. Sports covered are Volleyball, Basketball, Football, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, Baseball, Golf and Dodgeball. Wilson is the largest and oldest sports equipment manufacturer in the world, in business for over 100 years.
Join the 40 SSIA members who have already opened an account! Learn more about the program by emailing Blake.Rus@Wilson.com.
We'd like to say a BIG THANK YOU to our long-time sponsor, LeagueApps, for including the SSIA in their virtual Town Hall meetings since the start of the pandemic, and for partnering with us back in June on a webinar series related specifically to adult sports!
We will be partnering with them again towards the end of October / beginning of November on another Town Hall series to cover the following topics:
Planning for Cool Weather
Securing Play Spaces
Creative Revenue Solutions
Building Community Outside of In-person Sports
Invitations will be sent out soon! In the meantime, check out the recordings from the June series:
Join us for the second DEI Knowledge Share call on Friday, October 16th at 2pm EST, "Commitment to Diversity and LGBTQI2S+ Inclusion: Case Study". This virtual event is open to SSIA members only.
Earlier this month, the EC voted to make all official EC votes accessible to the general membership for increased transparency in association governance. An updated log will be added to the Locker Room under the Executive Committee Section. It is important to note that the voting record should not be taken alone on face value. These vote tallies do not reflect any discussion points, debated items or alternative motions that may have been presented surrounding the individual vote/topic. If you have questions or concerns regarding someone's individual vote or voting record, please reach out to them directly or to the Executive Director to gain more context.
