Wilshire Little League
Tee – Ball policies and procedures
Welcome
Welcome to Wilshire Little League Tee Ball! Thank you very, very much for volunteering to coachyour child'stee ball team. Wilshire Little League is entirely volunteer run, and there is no kidding that it is a lot of work! The rewards of coachingare boundless. All you need are some organizational skills, the desire tohave fun withyour team, and to be able to make some time in your busy schedule for the team. Our goal in the league is to have fun and to expose the kids to the game of baseball. The best part of coaching tee ball is seeing each childachieve success at some point in the season.
Most of the work for the coach is up front. Once you get in to the seasonand establish a routine, most of the work is done.
Jeff Langfeldt
President, Wilshire Riverside Little League
503-701-1218
Steve Terry
Tee Ball coordinator
(503) 284-3447
About Wilshire Riverside Little League
Wilshire Riverside Little League was formed in 1953. The League is run entirely by volunteers, and is guided by its Board of Directors. The Board meets on the first Sunday of each month, currently at A&L Tavern at 6:00 pm. Board positions open up each year and your participation is very welcome and encouraged.
The league is funded by player dues and sponsors. Please be sure to make a point of seeking out your sponsors and thanking them for sponsoring your team. Also, encourage your fellow parents to use the services of all of our sponsors.
Beginning of the Season: Steps. The beginning of each season involves a number of organizational steps. Sign ups are in mid-January. Building the teams and recruiting the coaches happens in February. Building the schedules, contacting the players, and distributing the equipment is in early March. And turning it over to the coaches to practice (March), and begin the season with opening day the first Saturday of April!
Getting started
Parent Meetings
All managers are required to hold parent meetings prior to the start of the regular season. This is an opportunity to discuss safety, find volunteers (i.e. Team parent, additional coaching help), concession stand duties, and important dates like opening and closing ceremonies. It is also your opportunity to discuss your coaching philosophy and expectations. It is also an opportunity for the players’ families to get acquainted with you and your coaching staff.
Recruiting Help/Team Parent
Make contact with your team and look for as many helpers as possible. It is best to find at least one other committed parent to co-coach or assist with the on field needs, if one has not already been established by the League. A Team Parent is also essential to help organize for the season, including concession stand duties, a basket for closing ceremonies and to disseminate information.
Practice: fields/permits
It is important to have a few practices before the season begins. Start contacting your team and arrange practices a few weeks before the season starts (don't forget about Spring Break). You can get a practice in just about anywhere there is a patch of grass. The big kids use the infields at most of the area schools and parks. However, there are usually additional permits for fields if you prefer. The season begins just after day light savings, so in March it still is getting dark early, and 5:00 – 6:00 is about all you can get in during the week.
Equipment
You will receive a bag of equipment. The bag should contain:
1 tee (a little WD 40 may help connect the screw and bolt)
One bat (many players will bring their own bat). The League provides only one to reinforce the rule to have only one player holding a bat at a time (see “Rules”).
Helmets
Bases (orange practice bases, not used in games)
Practice balls (“soft” hardballs)
Game balls (they get muddy and dirty quickly, so save some clean ones for use later in the season)
Catcher’s gear (many kids love to put on the equipment, yet always need assistance: designate a parent to help put the equipment on/take the equipment off each inning change)
First Aid kit (basic kit, take a look so you know what you have)
Uniforms
Uniforms are typically available about a week before the season. Each player is issued a Wilshire Riverside tee shirt and baseball cap with the sponsor’s name on it. Each team is a different color.
Schedules
Schedules are available in either hard copy or electronic Excel file. The season runs from the beginning of April into June. There are nine weeks of games. Typically, there is one game during the week at 6:00 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday OR Thursday) and then one game on Saturday (9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 1:30, OR 3:00). When there are an odd number of teams, or more than 8 you will have a periodic “bye” week or weekend.
Concession Stand Duty
Throughout the season, each team is responsible to provide a representative to operate the concession stand at Beaumont for one week. Give the sign up and follow up responsibility to a parent or the team parent for your team. The way it works is that there is a parent from the big leagues and a parent from T-Ball. The T-Ball parent can follow the lead of the big league parent. There are 10 slots to fill in your assigned week: one each on Mon - Friday 5:30 - 8:00. Then five more on Saturday throughout the course of the day (8:30 - 6:00ish). Each child on your team should have a parent fill in one of the time slots in your designated week. So, even though your team has a game on one weekday and one on Saturday, you still need to have a representative in the concession stand every night of the week and all day Saturday.
Background Checks
Background checks are required of all volunteer coaches, assistant coaches, board members, umpires and anyone else actively helping with the team. Please be sure to fill out the 2015 Volunteer Application or Returning Volunteer Application and Consent Form for Volunteers and return it to the league.
Practice during the season
We encourage practice, especially early in the season, so that players get plenty of guidance and coaching. Field permits are available, or you may use any open patch of public grass that you find in the neighborhood.
Events during the season
Pancake Breakfast/Opening Day: first Saturday of April
A pancake breakfast is served from 7:30 – 9:00 with the Opening Day ceremony to follow around 9:30. The ceremony involves introductions and recognition of sponsors,the reading of the Little League pledge, national anthem, first pitch,etc.and the introduction of players. Every team at every level lines up in the outfield around the infield arc. Team by team, each is introduced and they take a lap in front of the adoring fans. Following, there is then an exhibition four inning game between two of the Major League teams (11 and 12 year olds), or League games. Make sure your players are in uniform on this day.
Photo Day
Photo day is generally very early in the season. You will be provided with a packet of order forms to distribute to your team parent. We get through every team from every level on the same day, rain or shine. Your team will be assigned a time. Be sure that your team arrives early and that their forms are filled out completely. Even if a member of the team does not want to buy photos, it is important that they be included in the team photo. Once your team is ready, the team photo and individual photos only take about 15 minutes. Photos will then be delivered to the Coach later in the season to distribute to the team.
Closing Ceremonies / Fund Raiser
Closing ceremonies are typically held at Beaumont Middle School on the second Saturday in June, which coincides with the final day of the season at most levels. Activities typically include BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs. There is also a raffle of the team baskets. Each team is expected to donate a basket. Again, coaches, delegate these tasks (basket building) to another parent on the team.
The Field
The tee ball field is our responsibility to maintain. In the past, each tee ball team has shared the responsibility of watering of the field. This is another great task to delegate to another parent on the team. Each team is responsible for monitoring it for one week during the season.Watering the field involves dragging the hose out to the field, turning on a sprinkler for an hour to two, depending on how hot and dry it is, every other day. Best to water it after the evening game; this will give it ample time to dry for the game the following day.
The hoses are behind the cage to the left of the concession stand. All the hoses that you need are in one pile (there are additional hoses that you do not need). The spigot is on the western mostend of the schoolin the middle of the wall, facing the basketball court/parking lot off of Fremont. This will be coordinated as we get in to the season.
Game Day
What goes on during a game
We play for three innings or one hour and 15 minutes.It is important to play full innings so that everyone gets equal opportunity. Keep this in mind as you "pace" the game. It is especially important to keep on schedule on Saturdays as there is a day full of games. Each inning, all players bat, and all players play in the field.
At each game, the coach always can use extra help.Many coaches will be in the field when their team is on defense helping direct where the ball should go, or just chatting up his or her team. On offense, the coach is generally helping the batter. Meanwhile, it is good to have a first base coachand even a third base coach to keep the kids moving around the bases.
During the season, many kids will want a soft toss pitch (see Pitching, below). When that happens, the coach becomes pitcher (you pitch to your own team) and simultaneously the batter’s assistant. Also a dugout assistant is great to keep the kids in some semblance of order and preparation for their at bat. Being ready to bat is important for keeping the game moving. Consider having the kids sit in their batting order.
“Rules”
About the only rule that exists from the League standpoint is that only one child should have a bat at a time. This rule applies at all levels of Little League, so they can get used to it first in tee ball. At this age, kids are not quite as aware of their surroundings, and in the dugout, there is a lot going on.
Rosters
To assure fair playing time and opportunity, build a roster before the game. Rotate the kids through the batting order and in the field. There is an example below. You will find on offense, kids like to bat first because there is no one on base ahead of them, or last because the last batter gets to clear the bases. In the name of good sportsmanship, you want to hold your players from running all the way around the bases while the fielders track the ball down. As the season progresses, perhaps add advancing from first to third, or taking extra bases if they hit the ball past the outfield. When your last batter is up, alert the other team, then after the batter hits it everyone on base circles the bases.
On defense, also rotate each inning. Pitcher, 1st base and 2nd base are popular because that is where most of the balls are hit. Catcher is also popular because of all the gear. Many coaches like to be in the outfield on defense to assist the kids.
Example of roster:
Each player has at least one of the more “popular” positions. In this example, Lily would bat first in the first inning, Nicholas would bat 1st in the second inning, with Lily batting last, Luke would lead off the third. Then next game Owen would lead off the first. The inning/position matrix stays the same as the players rotate through. Be prepared to make adjustments at the beginning of the game after you see which players show up.
Player / 1st inning / 2nd inning / 3rd inningLily / P / RC / 3B
Nicholas / 1B / SS / LC
Luke / 2B / LF / RC
Owen / 2 (on top of 2nd base) / LC / 1B
Paul / SS / P / LF
Aaron / 3B / RF / C
Alec / RF / 3B / 2B
Aiden / RC / C / SS
Benjamin / CF / 2B / RF
Eli / LC / 1B / 2
Nick / LF / 2 / CF
Kyle / C / CF / P
P-pitcher; C- catcher; 1B – first base; 2B – second base; 2 – standing on second base; SS – short stop; 3B – third base; RF – right field; RC – right center; CF – center field; LC – left center; LF – left field
In the Field
When the ball is in play, one strategy is to have the appropriate fielder retrieve the ball and make the play to first base, then have the first baseman throw it in to the catcher. This plants the seed for good play later on. There are no outs in tee ball, so even if a throw beats a runner out at first, the runner stays on first and continues their journey around the bases.
Game day set up and break down
One team’s coach or their designee should go over to the left side of the concession stand to pick up the bases and fence to set up the field before the 6:00 start time. On Saturdays, a coach from the 9:00 game sets up and a coach from the last game breaks down the field.There is a cart for hauling the materials. Touch base with the other coach before the game. Have your players arrive 15 minutes before game time to assure that they are organized, ready and warmed up. It is a good practice to have the kids toss the ball before the game – make sure that they are throwing parallel to each other so the balls are not flying all over the place!
Please have your teams ready at the appropriate start time so you can maximize your play time."Visiting" team bats first.