Federal Council Updates Deadlines, Discusses International Collaboration
The second session of the FIBS Federal Council for 2025-2028 was held via videoconference, with President Marco Mazzieri reporting on fruitful discussions during a recent trip to New York.
Mazzieri had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) during a gala dinner. The discussions centered around scholarship procedures, with a focus on implementing a dedicated commission and increasing selectivity to potentially enhance contributions.
Furthering international collaboration, Mazzieri also met with Jim Small from Major League Baseball’s international sector. They discussed the possibility of reinstating hospitality programs for Italian coaches during Spring Training and Fall League activities.
The meeting agenda also included key decisions regarding competitive activity. The council approved several important provisions, including a rule change for U-15 and U-18 Softball categories. This provision allows teams to utilize three athletes who are one year older than the category limit, excluding pitchers, catchers, and shortstops. If these older athletes are assigned to the aforementioned roles, the team will automatically forfeit the game.
The council also decided to maintain the AFI status even if there are membership discontinuation periods. Additionally, the “declared” intentional basis will not be applied to the U-12 Baseball and U-13 Softball championships.
Following a comprehensive discussion, the council approved modifications to the 2025 Competitive Activity Documentation, leading to several key deadline adjustments.
The updated deadlines are as follows:
- December 12: Meeting with Serie A Baseball clubs
- December 15: New deadline for championship registration
- December 18: New deadline for repechage requests
- December 19: Federal Council meeting
These changes will be communicated in detail to all affiliates.
The council also appointed Maurizio Condipodero as Extraordinary Commissioner for the South. A former FIBS Delegate for Calabria and President of the CONI Regional, Condipodero will support FIBS Regional Delegates in the southern regions, focusing on promotion and coordination efforts.
How does the Italian American Baseball Foundation plan to make its scholarships more selective?
## FIBS President Discusses International Collaborations and Scholarship Updates
**Today we’re joined by Marco Mazzieri, President of the FIBS Federal Council, following a successful second session for 2025-2028. Marco, welcome.**
**Marco:** It’s a pleasure to be here.
**Great to have you. Let’s talk about your recent trip to New York. You mentioned fruitful discussions there. Can you elaborate?**
**Marco:** Absolutely. I had the privilege of meeting with representatives from the Italian American Baseball Foundation [IABF] at a gala dinner. We had a productive conversation about their scholarship procedures, particularly focusing on establishing a dedicated commission for scholarships and increasing selectivity to maximize the impact of contributions.
**That sounds like a positive step towards strengthening support for young baseball players. Moving on, you also mentioned international collaborations. What can you share about that?**
**Marco:** Yes, I had the opportunity to connect with Jim Small from Major League Baseball during my trip. This meeting focused on exploring opportunities to strengthen the bond between FIBS and Major League Baseball, fostering greater collaboration and exchange of expertise. [This question relates to information not provided in the context and cannot be answered.]
**Fantastic! That’s exciting news for baseball enthusiasts both here and potentially internationally. Are there any other developments or updates from the FIBS Federal Council meeting you’d like to share with our audience?**
**Marco:** We also discussed and finalized some important deadlines for upcoming initiatives, but those details will be released publicly on the FIBS website soon. Stay tuned for official announcements.
**Thank you for your time, Marco. We appreciate your insights and look forward to seeing the outcomes of these discussions unfold. **
**Marco:** Thank you for having me.
