Fields and Facilities

Fields

All VMSA Field use needs to be approved/confirmed with the VMSA Scheduler before using any field/facility. Unauthorized use may result in privileges being revoked. Please contact scheduler@vmsa.ca for more information.

Note that VMSA are responsible for upkeep of dugouts, equipment boxes, and bases.

VMSA Field Permits - Vancouver Parks Board (#101289)

Tips for Reading Permits:

Parks Board permits are grouped by Field/Location
Within each Field/Location grouping they are then sorted by Date and then Time and show Start and End Times of the permit

What to do if there are two different user groups trying to use the same field:

Confirm details of permits to determine who has permits for that time and location
If no agreement can be reached:
1. Contact the Vancouver Parks Board (Dial 3-1-1 for Vancouver Park Ranger assistance)
2. Contact the VMSA Club President (president@vmsa.ca) of Vice President (vp@vmsa.ca) for assistance

Field Setup:

The following table provides ball sizes and distances.

2022 Age & Distance Chart (Source: Softball BC Handbook 2022)

Distances are measured from the tip of the plate closest to the umpire

VMSA has equipped fields with base anchors as follows:
Braemar, Trafalgar 1, Trafalgar 2 - 45', 55', 60'
Balaclava, Carnarvon - 55' and 60' only
McBride, Douglas - none

Field set up should include raking the field (or dragging the field where equipment is available, at Balaclava, Carnarvon and Trafalgar) to ensure a flat and safe surface on the infield at least after game is over.

Extra care should be taken to ensure that pitching rubber nails are removed after the games . Hammers with claws for nail removal are available in all equipment boxes.

Batting Cage

Only Registered VMSA coaches may book and use the Batting Cage and only for team practices. Use by individual members and/or non-VMSA members is NOT PERMITTED.
After use, put all the balls and equipment away, ensure the gravel is raked and smoothed, disconnect power plugs for the machines, and lock the cage. Any team not respecting these conditions may have their batting cage privileges revoked.
Click HERE to access the Batting Cage Booking Spreadsheet.

Benefits of having Batting Cage Practices

In a regular game, a batter may only get 2-3 turns at bat and may only face 10-15 pitches. Of these pitches, they may only make contact with the ball 3-4 times per game. Batting Cage Practices allow players and coaches to get quality time focusing on hitting and for coaches to work individually with players on their hitting techniques.

How to Use the Batting Cage

The VMSA Batting Cage is located at Trafalgar Park next to the Trafalgar #1 diamond.
Coaches are provided with keys to the Batting Cage at the start of the season.. Please make sure padlocks are locked on the side of the batting cage while you are using the batting cage as we have had many locks go missing in the past.
Only approved adults are permitted to operate the pitching machine equipment.
No children/players are allowed in the batting cage unless they are supervised by an approved adult.
There are two cages within the batting cage. The one on the left is the one most commonly used but both are available for use.
Only pitching machine balls are to be used with the pitching machines in the batting cage.
For safety and insurance purposes, players will need to come with full batting gear (helmet, cage/mouthguard, cleats, protector "jill").
Composite bats are not recommended in the batting cage as the pitching machine balls destroy the bats.
Please DO NOT leave the pitching machine running unattended at any time.
If teams are playing on Trafalgar #1, please make sure your players are not disrupting the game
Please notify the Fields Coordinator ASAP if you notice anything broken, missing or in need of repair.

Best Practices for Batting Cage Practices

Have players who aren’t actively facing the pitching machine(s) hitting off tees or hitting with coach soft toss. Avoid having them standing around too long waiting for their turn in the cage
Limit turns to 10-15 hits/contacts at a time per player. Allow players to rest a little in between turns.
Focus players on practicing their hitting technique. Stop and demonstrate if you need to.

How to Book Batting Cage Time

Go to the VMSA website to access the Booking Spreadsheet (shared document on Google Sheets)

NOTE: be careful when you go into the Spreadsheet not to delete anything else as everyone has Edit Access.

Using the spreadsheet to book your Time Slots

Start by finding the correct Weekly Tab (A) for the date you want
Find the day, date and time you want for that week (B)
Enter your team name in the time slots requested (C)
Exit the Spreadsheet (automatically saves)

Booking Etiquette

Delete any sessions YOU are not using so other teams can use those timeslots.
NEVER delete someone else’s booking.
Only book BOTH sides if you intend to fully use both sides. If you only intend to use one side, leave the other one blank for someone else to book.
House teams should limit their bookings to ONE per week and a max of 1.5 hrs. You should allow approx. 10-15 minutes in the cage per player. There are two separate cages inside the batting cage so you can run two players at a time also.
Wildcats teams take priority for Batting Cage time.

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