This Friday Mister-Baseball was so fortunate to publish an interview with Jan Esselman, who is candidating to become the next CEB President at the Congress in Bled, Slovenia on February 16. Shortly after, Mister-Baseball received a statement of him and 10 candidates, which hope to lead the CEB Executive Committee for the next four years. The letter is addressed to all federations in European Baseball and we would like to share it with our readers.
To all Representatives of the National Federations present in the C.E.B. Congress on 16th February 2013 in Bled, Slovenia.
I am proud to be the Leader of, and have the privilege to present to you, a group of Candidates for the next C.E.B. Executive Board.
This group of 11 candidates for the new Executive is composed as follows:
President Jan Esselman Netherlands 1st Vice President Massimo Fochi Italy 2nd Vice President Juergen Elsishans Germany 3rd Vice President Petr Ditrich Czech Republic Secretary General Xavier Mateu Spain Treasurer Rene Laforce Belgium Member at large Mats Fransson Sweden Member at large Mick Manning Ireland Member at large Rainer Krankl Austria Member at large Bjorn Thode Norway Member at large Frantisek Bunta Slovakia
After a long period of time, the Baseball Federations of Italy and the Netherlands undertake their responsibility again to join the C.E.B. Executive, and to add their support, power and influence, and to work together with all other National Federations for the benefit and improvement of European Baseball.
In the past three years, many of the proposals on the changes to the statues were not accepted by the Congress which caused a standstill. This forced a continuation of the structure of C.E.B. where in actual fact, real changes were needed.
The number of Executive members and commissions were a heavy burden on the budget. Our group of Candidates wants to make changes to the current structure, and intends to take the necessary steps during 2013 to correct this situation, and these measures will be presented for approval by the Congress in 2014. The number of members of the Executive Committee will be reduced. The Chairman of the commission will be an Executive member. Only needed commissions will be installed. The C.E.B. organization and structure will be improved in efficiency, and we need to have our hands free along with a strong mandate to work on these changes during this first year, before the Congress is asked to approve them in 2014. We ask for your trust and confidence during this period for the sake of baseball, and for our C.E.B.
The new Executive intends to concentrate on the core C.E.B. activities, our Competitions, and the training of Competition Officials, Umpires, Scorers, Technical Commissioners and Coaches. In 2013 a program for licenses of C.E.B. Umpires will be implemented. For meetings the video possibilities will be used more extensively.
The proposed new Executive believes that our first priority should be to conduct a comprehensive strategy exercise as a matter of urgency. We propose to agree and develop a medium-term (4 Year) plan which will be used as a road-map for the further development of all aspects of European Baseball. By creating such a plan, our organization will become a better focused, more efficient, and more professional Federation, which will set itself achievable targets and goals to be reached over the full 4 years of the life of the Executive.
It is envisaged that each member/or small groups of members, of the new EC, will be given a particular project or development area to drive, manage, and report on progress as and when necessary.
The costs for Organizers and participants of all C.E.B. events will be scrutinized. The National team C-level tournament will be treated as a development event. Participation fees at this level have still to be decided upon and will be at a lower rate. The Umpiring and Scoring Commissions will use these events for clinics and educational programs.
For the past three years, the development funding from the IBAF have been zero due to the financial circumstances the new IBAF leaders found itself in at the end of 2009. Despite the reduction in administration costs which were achieved during 2012, it is impossible for C.E.B. to continue to spend funds for maintaining the Office in Frankfurt. This will be discussed very carefully with all parties and persons involved.
I.B.A.F.
The new C.E.B. Executive will work closely with the IBAF, and will do everything to encourage all our members to cooperate and support the IBAF on the program for the inclusion of men’s baseball and women’s softball to come back into the 2020 Olympic Games.
The IBAF can and will be an important partner to the C.E.B. Marketing, Sponsorship (Events, Balls & Bats), Media and Development activities. The C.E.B. competitions and championships remain the independent responsibility of C.E.B.
IBAF and C.E.B. should agree on a calendar of competitions for the coming years where both organizations schedule their tournaments without interference and overlaps, and which will complement each other.
For the value of our competitions the C.E.B. will request the IBAF to organize their world level IBAF Championships and tournaments only based upon continental qualifications and obeying the rules on Nationalities.
The transition of C.E.B. into IBAF Europa will be a goal for the new Executive. We take it for granted that the funding of the development program will start again as soon as IBAF is in a position to do so.
E.S.F.
The co-operation with the European Softball Federation, E.S.F. will continue, and wherever possible, be further developed. We are very happy that here in Bled, both congresses are held together in one place and at the same time. The “Bee-Ball” joint initiative project will be further developed in cooperation with the E.S.F. and the K.N.B.S.B.
M.L.B.
Further investigation of how C.E.B. can extend and strengthen its cooperation with M.L.B. will be examined, and in particular with M.L.B’s London office, with special focus on the various European academies and their competitions.
C.E.B. Website
The website will be changed and upgraded. It will be made more interactive for Federations and Officials, and should become an invaluable tool for all member federations.
C.E.B. will improve its communication with the National Federations with full transparency. Together we form the C.E.B. and each of us must be fully aware of what is going on inside.
Finally, the coming four years will be very important for the future of European Baseball. Hopefully the economic situation will not be a burden, but rather a challenge to overcome, for our future development.
The most important matters at world level which will be decided upon in the near future are the return of Baseball and Softball to the Olympics, the merging of IBAF and ISF into the WBSC, the transition of the IBAF World Cup into the World Baseball Classic, and the future of the Classic and the continental qualification for this event.
With your vote and your support for each and every one of our group members, we promise to do everything possible to develop and defend the interests of European Baseball.
On behalf of myself and all of my fellow Candidates I thank you on beforehand for your support and we are sure that we will not disappoint you.
Thanks and best regards,
Jan Esselman