Elevating the Experience at 2026 GSTC

MYAS Safety/De-escalation Initiative

MYAS is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Saint City Consulting, designed to further its commitment and goal of providing a safe, positive, and productive experience for Minnesota’s youth athletes.

Elevating the Experience at the 2026 GSTC

To: GSTC Participants

Record-Breaking Success at the Gopher State Tournament of Champions Showcases Power of MYAS–Saint City Partnership

Minnesota Youth Athletic Services (MYAS) is proud to highlight the tremendous success of the Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC), the crown jewel of community-based youth baseball in Minnesota and surrounding states. Hundreds of teams across AAA, AA, and A levels earned their way to this premier event through a summer-long qualification process, making it one of the largest and most competitive community-based baseball championships in the region.

A Safe, Positive, Incident-Free Championship Environment

Building on the successful safety and de-escalation initiative launched with Saint City Consulting at the 2026 MYAS Grade State Basketball Championships, MYAS extended this enhanced support model to the high-energy setting of the GSTC. With Saint City’s guidance, host directors, site staff, and volunteers will implement clear, consistent protocols and proactive communication strategies that foster a safe, welcoming, and incident-free environment across all GSTC weekends. This collaborative approach allows each role of the youth sports experience; coaches to teach, umpires to officiate, players to compete, and parents to support, while ensuring that behavior expectations for everyone at the field are understood and upheld.

Positive Feedback from Coaches, Parents, and Host Directors

Coaches, parents, and host site leaders shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about the overall experience at this year’s Grade State Championships. They highlighted the professional, calm presence at venues, the clear communication before and during the event, and the visible support for officials and site directors when challenging situations arose. Many noted that the partnership between MYAS and Saint City helped set a constructive tone from the first game of the day to the last, making the tournament feel both exciting and well-organized.

Key Elements of the Partnership

Key elements of this partnership at the GSTC will include:

Pre-tournament training for Tournament Directors, Host Group leads, game officials, and key volunteers on recognizing and responding to escalating behavior.
Clear, proactive communication of expectations and conduct standards to coaches and spectators, reinforcing the MYAS code of conduct and commitment to sportsmanship.
Game-day support strategies designed to help MYAS staff and Host Groups de-escalate tense situations quickly and safely, so the focus remains on the athletes and the game.

With thousands of participants and spectators converging across multiple sites for the GSTC each year, this partnership represents a significant investment in the safety, consistency, and overall experience of the event. MYAS and Saint City Consulting look forward to modeling what a safe, supportive youth baseball environment can look like and setting a new standard for conduct and care at major youth tournaments.

A Proactive Step Forward for MYAS Events

This partnership is rooted in MYAS’s belief that a well-prepared environment allows athletes and families to focus on what matters most — the joy of the game.

Through Phase I of this collaboration, focused on the 2026 GSTC, MYAS and Saint City Consulting will:

Provide specialized training and education for Tournament Directors and Host Group leaders
Establish a Safety Liaison structure at each playing location to improve communication and coordination
Develop a Safety Liaison Toolkit with best practices for event preparation
Enhance participant-facing communication around sportsmanship, expectations, and event support
Offer consultation and planning support to MYAS staff leading up to, and during tournament weekends

“This is about continuing to raise the bar,” said Dawson Blanck, Executive Director of MYAS. “Families trust MYAS events because of the environment we create. Partnering with Saint City Consulting allows us to be even more intentional, organized, and proactive in delivering a great experience for every athlete, coach, official, and spectator.”

Dave McCabe of Saint City Consulting added, “This initiative is aimed at normalizing safety in youth sports. Just as important as smiling kids, engaged coaches, and attentive officials, the need for conflict resolution and calm conversations exists.”

Focused on Experience — Now and in the Future