Girls! Want to play for the Stars?

The Voorhees Stars Girl’s Fastpitch Softball program will start their indoor winter workouts on Sunday January 29 at Woodglen Middle School in Lebanon Township from 12pm to 2pm. These sessions serve as winter practice as well as tryouts.

Sessions will continue indoors through March. The Stars sponsor teams at: 10 and under, 12 and under and 14 and under and participate in both league and tournament play.

The Stars have been around since 1996 and are the feeder team to Voorhees High School. If you are interested please email Paul Borsetti at paul.borsetti@gmail.com or call at 610-704-0656 (mobile) or 908-236-8000 (home.

http://www.voorhees-stars.org/

Registration for the spring season is now open on the TAA Web site. Baseball registration will close by mid-February in order to allow us to finalize logistics for the season, including player evaluations scheduled for Sunday, February 26th. Softball registration will extend into March.

Winter baseball clinics will begin in mid-February in the OTS gym. The softball program will again have their own set of clinics at TES in March.

Contact Little League Baseball Program Director Keith Snyder,
snyderk28@comcast.net or Softball Program Director Mike Ricciardulli,
ricciardulli@embarqmail.com if you have any questions.

Registration is open for the spring lacrosse season at www.taa.sportsoffice.com. Visit the individual program sections for additional information and equipment requirements.

The girls program begins with indoor practices on February 1st. Once the fields are open, outdoor practices and games will be held on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons at Christie Hoffman. Register before February 15 to avoid a late fee. We are seeking volunteers for the program this year. Please contact Program Director Darcy Harp on 980-581-8764 if you are interested in volunteering or have additional questions.

The boys program begin its 17th season this year. Practices begin on March 4th at Rutgers Prep School in Somerset. Once the fields are open in April, practices will be held week nights depending on the age group at both Christie Hoffman and the Old Turnpike School. Register before March 1 to avoid a late fee. Contact Program Director David Klipstein at dcklip@aol.com if you have additional questions.

The next PCA Double Goal Coach 2 workshop will be held on Sunday, February 12, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM at the Pottersville Firehouse.

The Double Goal Coach 2 workshop is different from the Double Goal Coach 1 workshop and covers all new topics and challenges for coaches on the field today. Our partnership with PCA is important to not just our program but to our athletes. The goal is to create a culture where kids love to play the game; they look forward to practices and games as times when they will have fun while learning and competing. With the help of our coaches and parents, we can attain our goal and provide a positive sports enviornment for the children.

Please note that all TAA coaches must attend one of the Double Goal Coach 2 sessions. If you are a new coach and have not attended Double Goal Coach 1, you may attend the Double Goal Coach 2 workshop.

Please send a message to Tom Uzzo, PCA Coordinator, to register for a session or if you have additional questions. tuzzo@whitestoneassoc.com.

Like computers? Have a knack for the Web?

Consider volunteering to help manage our program Web site. Responsibilities include keeping the site current, assisting Program Directors and Coaches with their team sections and interfacing with Sportsoffce, the site management firm. If interested please contact Brett Lewis, blewis@wmblanchard.com.

Join the TAA and help shape the future of athletics in Tewksbury. Opportunities exist at all levels. If interested, contact President, Brett Lewis, blewis@wmblanchard.com.

If you participated in the original TAA Background Check initiative, your status expires this year. Background checks are valid for THREE YEARS. If you are still coaching within the TAA or would like to, you need to submit your information and be fingerprinted.

Please click on the "Fingerprint Form" link in the right hand column, print it, and fill it out. Once complete, go to https://www.bioapplicant.com/NJ and follow the instructions to make an appointment. Call 877-503-5981 with questions. REMEMBER TO BRING THE PAPER FORM TO YOUR APPOINTMENT.

Create your very own place in Tewksbury history by helping us build a brick patio and walkway for the Snack Shack. This is your opportunity to purchase a personalized family brick that will be forever displayed at beautiful Oldwick Fields.

Bricks are available in two sizes: 4" x 4" and 4" x 8". Download an order form today at

http://taa.sportsoffice.com/files/tewksbury/files/95410_TAA%20Brick%20Order%20FormR1.pdf.

Note: Donations are tax deductible.

The TAA operates a “if you bring it, take it with you” policy regarding trash and water bottles at the township fields. Please help pitch-in and take any stray items with you as well.

Please adhere to the township’s parking rules while visiting the fields.

At Tewksbury Elementary School, please park in the lower lot. The upper lot is reserved for handicap and emergency parking only.

At Christie Hoffman Farm, park vehicles on the grass to the left of the road only. The grass to the right of the road as you drive up to the fields is used by a local farmer and parking cars there will ruin his hay crop.

At Oldwick Fields, please adhere to the "No Parking Signs" and park on the orchard side of the road.

What is the Positive Coaching Alliance or PCA?

The TAA has partnered with the PCA to develop Double Goal Coaches, Second Goal Parents, and Triple Impact Competitors.

First and foremost, PCA stresses the importance of coaching and playing to win, however, looks to replace the “win at all cost” mentality with the more important ambition of teaching life lessons through youth sport experiences. Our actions as coaches, parents and TAA Board Members impact the environment of Tewksbury’s youth sports programs, and we all bear the responsibility of ensuring that our actions support the positive experience that we all want to provide for our kids.

Bottom line: We want to create a culture where kids love to play the game; they look forward to practices and games as times when they will have fun while learning and competing.

Through a series of upcoming mandatory seminars for coaches and parents, PCA and TAA will be presenting real life opportunities to bring this ambitious agenda to fruition in order to strengthen the already solid cultural foundation that has been established by past and present TAA volunteers. Our alliance with PCA and the mandatory seminars will reinforce, develop and sustain the culture of TAA in order to create the best overall competitive sports experience for our children.

For additional information regarding PCA, visit www.positivecoach.org.

The information and weather TAA Hotline number is 877-866-0800. Check it often for updates throughout the season.

Effective November 1, 2007, The Tewksbury Athletic Association (TAA) has implemented 2 new policies to enhance the quality of our coaching program.

Coach Rosters

All Program Directors will now be responsible for submitting a list of their Head and Assistant Coaches to Susan Twill (taa.stwill@gmail.com), TAA Coaches Coordinator, prior to the start of each season. Coaching staffs will be reviewed for Rutgers Certification and prior evaluation results. If a coach is not in our Rutgers Certified database, the Program Director will need to get a copy of the coach’s Rutgers Card and forward to Susan for verification and inclusion in our database.


Background Checks

Beginning with the winter 2008 sports season, the TAA will implement a finger printing and background check program for all Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Trainers who coach in our Rec and Traveling Programs. There will be no exceptions!

Program Directors should contact Susan Twill (taa.stwill@gmail.com) to coordinate the necessary information.

There will be no cost to the coaches for the training course or background checks. Coaches who do not complete the Rutgers Certification course and submit to the background check will not be permitted to coach for any TAA team.

Thanks for your cooperation,

Brett Lewis, TAA President
Susan Twill, Coaches Coordinator