2018 Letter from the Commissioner of ISPS

 

Dear ISPS Family.

 

Greetings.

 

First and foremost I want to thank God for another year.  Without God nothing is possible and we are eternally grateful for that blessing.

 

With this year coming to and end and the new year fast approaching I wanted to send out this communication to all who have participated and supported our sanction throughout the years.

 

The year 2017 has been an eye-opening experience for all of us.  I want to begin by thanking each and every one of you for your continued patronage and dedication to your sport of slow-pitch softball.

 

This being said, we know that this has also been a trying year for everyone here at ISPS as well as the slow-pitch community.

 

We all remember what took place in South Florida the weekend of November 3rd 2017 during our World Championships.  And I want to take this moment to personally apologize to all of you for all of the misrepresentations and shenanigans that took place during our World Event.

 

We have faced much adversity and criticism due to bad decision making, poor judgment, and setting expectations on personnel whom we trusted to do their job but could not.

 

At the end of the day, as Commissioner I will take full responsibility for these actions and shortcomings.  However, rest assured that through it all, we have and will continue to rise above the rubble.

 

Our promise to you moving forward is to make ISPS your sanction.  To listen to you with an active ear.  To embrace and be open to changes that benefit our community.  To offer better tournaments with better packages.  And to bring you Directors that represent the players, the sponsors, the coaches, and the slow-pitch community and not themselves or their personal agendas and personal gains.

 

Our actions will prove louder than words and that is our mission and our promise to you.

 

In the coming months, you will notice some changes.  Some may be received well by some in the community, others may not.  But have no doubt that these changes will be made and enforced for the benefit of all and future of the sport.

 

So, at this moment I would like to deliver our first proactive change for 2018.

 

The following players & teams will be pardoned and no longer be suspended:*

 

RAUL QUESADA

 

RAYMOND TUCKER

 

ALFRED TOSTE

 

EDDIE PIMENTEL

 

JULIO AMAYA

 

TERRY WOODS

 

JOEY SCHULTE

 

ROBERT STEWART

 

DARIO SANCHEZ

 

TEAM RIP N DIP

 

ERNESTO ROSALES

 

DERRICK ELLDRED

 

BRIAN RINALDI

 

COREY IZZO

 

TEAM NO RAGRETS

 

PURPLE REIGN

 

TEAM SDA - SHIRT DOCTORS

 

MIKE ROSEN

 

SCOTT DEVLIN

 

RON OVERMAN

 

As we are starting a new era we will do so with a clean slate.  All previous actions will be pardoned, teams and players will be allowed to play in all sanctioned ISPS events as per the rules and regulations that will be in place for each event.

 

In addition, we will NOT be bumping any teams or players based on any standings at the end of 2017.  What this means for you is that you will be allowed to continue to play in the division that you are currently playing without having to conform to other association classifications.  As ISPS is its own governing body we reserve the right to determine our player classifications.  Therefore we have the ability to make this happen.  There will not be any bumping of any teams or players throughout the year.  Any bumps will be done at the end of 2018 and will be effective in January 2019.

 

Next, ISPS will begin implementing player cards in 2018 with an individual based classification system that will classify individual players based on their individual classifications, experience, and skill, instead of based on the classification of the team(s) they have played with.

 

And last, along with the individual player classification system, ISPS will launch our new website loaded with new features that will enhance your team sites and allow more control by the end users.

 

Join us as we head into the new era of ISPS with new rules, new directors, and a forward-thinking positive approach to our sport of slow-pitch softball.  We are looking towards the future with much anticipation and excitement.

 

And before I forget, I would like to thank all of our PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE Directors, Umpires, Coaches, Sponsors, Partners, Fans & Players.  ISPS exists because of you.  Directly or Indirectly, it has been shaped and molded because of you.  This is your association.  When we started this organization back in June 2008 as FAS (Florida Adult Softball) with 6 Men’s Teams at old Chapman Field in Coral Gables, FL to honor my younger brother who had just past away in Iraq in 2007 we would have never imagined we would be here today.  It is all because of you.  Thank you for continuing to honor my brother and keeping his legacy alive.

 

I am forever grateful to each and every one of you and will gladly continue to be your humble servant.

 

God bless and we’ll see you on the field.

 

Sincerely,

 

Commissioner Manuel T. Ferrero III

 

* These players and teams will be on a 3-month probation period starting Jan 1st, 2018.  If there are any further incidents during this probation period they will incur whatever discipline is decided plus the original suspension gets re-accessed.