From the President
Welcome to improved sybs.org. Yes, this is the customary President's Letter. For the first time you are reading this letter not on a piece of paper, but on your computer screen. Check out the rest of the newsletter for more details on how this exciting site will work for you.
Puncxsatony Phil says six more weeks of winter but you wouldn't know that from some of the weather we have had recently. The Red Sox reported for spring training on February 20. That means the start of the 2001 Sachem Youth Baseball/Softball year is closing in as well.
Your board of directors has kept out of the local newspapers for the winter. That is a good thing. We have been working diligently behind the scenes to insure a successful season. There are several new members on the board and some others have shifted roles. We are always looking for volunteers. SYBS has become a large program and, therefore, the number of volunteers needed has grown as well. If there is anything that you would like to do or can find the time to do, give me a call directly or send me an email and I will make sure that you get to the proper people.
Please remember the March 15 deadline for a guaranteed spot in the program. This is a necessity in order to run our program efficiently. Please refer to the article in this publication regarding the registration policy. Don't put yourself or son or daughter in a tough situation. As much as I try to help, there just may be nothing for me to do.
We will be running a coaches' clinic in March or early April. ALL people wishing to coach must attend. Even if you don't want to coach and would like to learn about the game and the program to which you belong, feel free to come down and participate. The format is still up in the air and the dates have not been solidified as yet. Consult our web site and local media for times and dates.
This season will mark the first time that we schedule games at night. As always, we will be using Fridays as our make-up night. However, this time we will add a game slot for the night game. We may also be utilizing some early Sunday evenings as well. There will be no night games on Monday through Thursday during the school year other than perhaps championship week.
I look forward to seeing you all this spring. Please feel free to make any comments or suggestions through our web site or to me directly. If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to call. I will always listen and do my best to help.
Bob
How to Register for the Spring 2001 Season
Registration for the spring baseball and softball season is well underway. If you have not yet registered, please do so as soon as possible.
The quickest and easiest way to register is to do so right on the sybs.org web site. You can also download a registration form from the web site or obtain one at the Winchester Recreation Department and then send it in the old fashion way, by mail. Please mail the completed form and payment as specified at the top of the form. Make a photocopy if necessary for multiple children or acquaintances; we require a separate form for each child.
For those who prefer to register in person, the one opportunity to do so this year will be on Saturday March 3, 2001 in the Community Room at the Police Station from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.
Parents, if you are unsure whether your children are already registered, please check the web site. After joining mySYBS, you can easily see which, if any, of your kids were already registered in the fall.
Also, this is a perfect opportunity for parents to volunteer to help our organization by checking off one or more boxes on the registration form. A description of the duties of each volunteer position is shown on the reverse side of the form along with a description of the available leagues.
Nutile Elected District Commissioner
Bob Nutile of Winchester has been elected to be the District 1 Commissioner on behalf of the Cal Ripken Division of Babe Ruth Baseball. District 1 is currently comprised of the communities of Warrendale, North Waltham, Marblehead, Revere, Bedford, Burlington, South Medford, Everett and Winchester. The election was competitive and Bob won unanimously. As a District Commission, Bob earns an automatic seat on the State Board of Directors. Congratulations, Bob.
The role of the District Commissioner, in part, is to ensure that the various leagues run smoothly, that new member communities are welcomed into organization, and that all programs are properly chartered and insured. But the biggest job is to be sure that the early summer tournaments each have a home and are well run. The summer district tournaments are the first step in the international championship tournament that results in a World Series winner at ages 10, 11 and 12. For those of you familiar with our program, you know that we typically enter teams in these tournaments each year and sometimes even host them. It's the District Commissioner's job to be sure that all the details of these very visible tournaments are taken care of.
Bob Nutile also serves as the President of Sachem Youth Baseball/Softball Association, a position he has held for the past five years. He has been part of youth baseball and softball in Winchester for nearly the past 34 years in various organizational capacities and as a youth participant for almost a dozen years, before that starting at age 8.
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Registration Deadline is March 15
All registrations for the spring season must be received by SYBS no later than March 15 in order to be assured a roster spot.
Late registrants can only hope that there is a need for additional players in order for them to be sure of playing.
See the article elsewhere in The Rundown on how to register for the 2001 season.
New Web Site sybs.org Unveiled
You are probably sitting at your computer reading this story, so this news is not so new to you. But if you haven't read the rest of the article or navigated the site, you don't yet know what great conveniences you will find.
"It's safe to say that sybs.org will satisfy all your youth baseball and softball needs in Winchester - and then some - except, of course, the practices and the games." That's what Publicity Director Ed Interess had to say about the site.
What will sybs.org do for you? It provides timely headlines and links to baseball and softball news stories from SYBS to Winchester High School to Major League Baseball.
It will allow you to register online including secure credit card payment.
It will be your source for game schedules at all levels of our program.
Here you can find information on postponements due to inclement weather, today's schedule for the entire program, links to other sites of interest, information on how to contact us for feedback or questions, maps to our fields, weather forecasts to help you plan for the game, and much more.
Interess said that the web site is the result of a several month collaboration between Paul Carroll, SYBS's Director-At-Large and last year's webmaster, and himself. Interess will serve as webmaster this year with much help from Carroll.
"We think that the bright new look featuring the Sachem colors is in keeping with the theme of youth athletics in Winchester," Interess said.
"But it is the conveniences that we can offer the community and the content that stimulates an interest in our sport that is the greatest achievement."
"We are especially pleased with the relationship that we have forged with the Daily Times/Chronicle for timely coverage of Winchester High School Baseball and Softball.
And Moreover.com will be providing Major League Baseball news to us on a real-time basis, complete with links to the major outlets, like ESPN.com, CBS.com, the SportingNews, USA Today and many more that provide each of the story feeds. This is very exciting for an all-volunteer organization to achieve this level of content for its constituency."
So please enjoy the site and take the time to let us know what you think. We especially want to know how it can work better for you so we can keep improving.
Clinics Planned for Coaches
All managers and coaches will once again have the opportunity to attend coaches' clinics this spring. The sessions are intended for SYBS volunteers and will break down the appropriate skills and strategies needed for a given age and/or level of play. This is an excellent chance to review the basics of teaching baseball and softball to kids and also to compare notes with more experienced coaches.
Coaches are required to attend sessions based on the minimum training they need for the level at which they will be coaching, except when they have already had comparable training under our program in the past. All other volunteers are welcome to attend, if they so choose, even if not coaching this year. Clinics will take place in on TBA and TBA at Winchester High School, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.
Please talk to your league commissioner about the exact details including which sessions you should attend. The sessions planned thus far as follows:
Friday March 9, 2001 - given by Pete Moscariello, current and long-time coach of Reading High School, who has achieved outstanding success in approximately 20 years of coaching in the Middlesex League. aimed primarily at experienced coaches of older players (10-15). Reading High School 7-9 P.M. Field House.
Tuesday March 20, 2001 - Aimed primarily at baseball players, age 9-12, level AA, AAA, and Majors. Winchester High School 7-9 P.M. Room B201.
Tuesday March 27, 2001 - Majors (10-12) ,Babe Ruth Prep (13), and Babe Ruth (14-15) levels. Winchester High School 7-9 P.M. Room B201.
Monday April 2, 2001 - aimed at coaches who are new relatively new to the organization and/or are coaching at the clinic through AA levels. Winchester High School 7-9 P.M. Room B201.
Contest winners announced
Congratulations to Beth LaDow (on behalf of Sam Alper), Andrew Parsons and Eric Parsons for their winning entries in the "Uniqueness of Baseball" contest. The contest ran in the last edition of The Rundown (fall 2000).
Their entries in the order received were as follows:
- Baseball has no penalties, just errors. Such a refined sport. - Beth LaDow
- In baseball, players try to hit the ball out of play (over the fence for a home run).- Andrew Parsons
- There is a mound in the middle of the field (so it's not flat). - Eric Parsons
Each winner earned a free registration for the 2001 season.
Thanks to all for participating and helping us ponder some of the unusual aspects of our unique sport.
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