BASEBALL & SOFTBALL
MONDAY December 12, 2016
BASEBALL DIRECTOR: Chris Benjes… ASSISTANT BASEBALL DIRECTOR: Perry Martinelli
SOFTBALL DIRECTOR: Eric Lippert…. ASSISTANT SOFTBALL DIRECTOR:
I. Welcome
A. Introductions and Thanks
II. Announcements
A. 2017 Meeting Schedule: Jan 9, Feb 13, Mar 13, Apr 10? Maybe… probably not.
B. Registration – On-line and mail-in starts January 1.
a. Times for Walk-in Registrations for 2017 - only on Sat Jan 14 from 11 AM to 2 PM.
b. Fee schedule unchanged from last year:
· If received before Feb 1st: 5-6 & 7-8 Age Groups: $60… 9-10 age group and up: $90
· If received before Mar 1st: 5-6 & 7-8 Age Groups: $70… 9-10 age group and up: $100
· If received before Apr 1st: 5-6 & 7-8 Age Groups: $80… 9-10 age group and up: $110
· If received on/after Apr 1st: 5-6 & 7-8 Age Groups: $100...9-10 age group and up: $150
c. Sign-ups for umpires, scoreboard operators, OD volunteers at the walk-in registration or via e-mail.
d. Interviews for the new Concession Stand jobs will be held during the walk-in registration on January 14th in the FLES Activity Room. – Application on-line.
e. 5-6 Baseball Age Group Director help is always needed. Last year, set-up was very well-coordinated by the coaches.
C. Season Schedule
a. 5-6 BB/SB begins April 8 on Field 1. Ends June 10 with picnic
b. Spring Classic April 1 and 2. No Baseball practices will be scheduled on Tournament Fields.
c. 7 and up practice April 1 – April 20.
d. Opening Day is April 22: Deb Norcross. Pictures: No pictures this year.
i. Discussion about volunteers – OD could be dying unless we get new blood.
e. Opening Day Program Book and Sponsor Ads: JP Gill
f. Ads and Info for Program Book must be in by March 31. Ad flyer on-line.
g. BB in-house Tournament: June 12 – 23
h. All-star Baseball & Softball games Saturday June 17.
i. Summer Classic June 24-25
D. Facilities
a. Field Boxes – will be a new combo for 2017. Problems with closing and locking boxes.
b. Security bollards and new gates may be installed this winter.
III. Old/New Business related to Baseball and Softball
a. No more restroom or concession duty.
b. One-on-one rule. Don’t be alone 1-1 with kids. Protect yourself and them.
c. Do not drive/park on fields!!!
d. Concussion info and Coaches Background checks.
IV. Break into SB and BB Meetings – Next meeting January 9..
BASEBALL ONLY
BASEBALL MEETING AGENDA - MONDAY December 12, 2016
I. Announcements
a. Manager/Coach selection process. We are currently taking applications for Age Group Directors, managers, coaches, other volunteers.
b. Rec Baseball In-house-Baseball AGD’s:
5-6 - Open
7-8 - John Connelly
9-10 - Perry Martinelli
11-12 – Marty Strunkstein
13-15 - Glenn Weaver
15-20 - Joe Conn
c. Baseball Registration
i. Spring Baseball registration starts January 1. Fall Baseball registration is in May and June. The earlier you sign up, the less the chance of being placed on a waiting list waiting for additional players to form an additional team. Players that register in January or May save $ as an early-bird incentive. Huge $ penalty for late sign-ups.
Once a player is placed on a team – Rec or Travel - there are no refunds. Period. We develop tight team budgets and refunding someone means the team’s budget will be short or the other parents will have to pay additional to make ends meet..
II. Travel Baseball:
.
§ 8U: George Sobieralski/John Caslin, 9U: Al Dooling, 10U: Mark Worden, 11U: JR Leed, 12U: Bill Hart, 13U: Perry Martinelli, 14U: Open for someone to start a team, 15U Storm: Scott Kalista, 16U Storm: Kris King, 16U Express, Todd Celuch, 17U Storm: Tim Norcross, 15-20 Express: Joe Conn
§ Restriction for 13-15 Rec Players - may not play full time travel, varsity, Club. No playups. Tournament will be invitational based on performance during regular season.
§ Travel players need to sign up before Jan 31st. Little interest means no tryout.
§ Indoor practices will be scheduled by the Travel managers. Schedule indoor time NOW! Fees for indoor time now come out of the team budget.
§ Tryouts scheduled to begin Feb 4. Schedule will be on web site.
§ Need to make sure we don’t over-extend ourselves and sign up for too many tournaments which get costly and could potentially burn out our players.
§ Tryouts for 2018 will be held in September for all age groups.
III. 2017 use for Field 4 and Field 9:
§ Tues and/or Thurs on Field 4 will is reserved for the 16-19 teams
§ Field 9 can be used by 13U and possibly 14U teams.
§ 14U and older teams will share Field 4 for all days except Tue/Thu.
IV. Fundraising events:
Spring Training Camp, raffles, Bull Roast, Golf
Tournaments – Spring, Summer Classic, All-Star.
All fundraisers must be approved through the Board of Directors.
V. New/Old Business related to Baseball
a. Discussion about trial practices on first 2 Tuesdays of the 11-12 regular schedule.
b. Umpire training –Mar 3, March 10, March 17 and March 24 – all Fridays in March. Must be 14 and can sign up at registration or send Chris e-mail. Veteran umpires need not attend but are encouraged to come and learn as much as you can. All umpires will be filling out a contractor-form again this year.
c. Mandatory clinics again in early March this year for new managers/coaches, especially at the 5-6 and 7-8 level. Many coaches simply have no clue how to teach baseball, how to run a practice, or how to play a game. We want to make sure the players are all taught the same things and more importantly, the CORRECT things.
d. We will be having age group break-out sessions hosted by the Age Group Directors for managers and coaches after the January, February and March meetings. Age Group Directors should be prepared to speak about rules, policies, practices, attendance, etc.
VI. Questions/discussion
a. Conduct – Parents, players and coaches. Zero tolerance continues again this year, because it works! 2 ejections and gone for the season. No public umpire comments! Parents/spouses need to let the coaches coach the team.
Players/coaches only in bench area and on the field.
b. Please stress to all parents that if they have a problem, please get it resolved BEFORE baseball is over. We can’t fix a problem that occurs in May if we don’t hear about it until September.
c. Adherence to FH policies – drafts, play-up policies, manager selection, try-outs, playing time, evals, deadlines, travel vs. in-house, program bashing, hot-heads, Code of Conduct. 2017 discussion….
d. Last but not least, remember that this program is for kids to have fun, to learn baseball, sportsmanship, responsibility and above all, how to become a decent young adult.
Teaching by example is the best way. If you demonstrate sportsmanship, you are teaching sportsmanship. But if you act like a butthead trying to win at all costs, bending the rules, being a sore loser, you are teaching your kids that this behavior is acceptable. It is not. Do you want your future grandchildren to have decent coaches, or coaches that cheat and scream and yell like idiots? The mentality starts NOW. Your children are a direct reflection of you.
"The only purpose for adults in this game is to be role models for the children. If you cease to be a role model, your presence will no longer be required!"