From the President
I hope that you all had a joyous holiday season and will enjoy a happy and healthy new year.
Well, we have turned the corner on the new year and spring training is only a month away. Seems rather odd to be thinking of baseball with snow on the ground. This is the busiest time of year for your board of directors. The final planning and preparation for the 1998 season is under way. This should be a fun and exciting year for Sachem Youth Baseball/Softball. We have many new things happening.
The most exciting item is the new facility at West Side Field. The new field house, which is now under construction, will have bathrooms, a permanent concession stand, and a storage area. I wish to thank the selectmen for their support in this matter and also the town manager, DPW director and DPW supervisors for their help. I also wish to thank our board of directors without whom the project would never have happened, especially Fred DeSimone whose construction expertise and time commitment have been indispensable.
We are relying on donations from the public to fund the building. Please refer to pages 3 and 4 in this publication. We are also accepting gifts in kind. I urge you to consider how you may be able to help. We will announce a dedication ceremony to be held upon completion in the spring, and I hope you will plan to attend. We have long recognized the need for this building and are pleased that it is almost here.
This season we are introducing a more advanced coaching clinic, taking last year's improvements a few steps further. (See article in this edition).
We have made several field improvements over the fall including two improved infields at West Side. We have added dugouts and on deck areas to the "B" field. We will continue to improve our facilities. We are always in need of volunteers for this fieldwork. Come on down. Sometimes we even have fun!
Our Babe Ruth program enters it's third year as a part of Minuteman Babe Ruth. This has been so successful that we are having to turn towns away. The softball program is now embarking on the formation of a similar league with the same Minuteman communities (page 5).
If you have not registered yet, please refer to the front page for registration information. I remind you that league rules preclude players who do not participate in the spring program from participating in the summer program. There will be no exceptions.
Please feel free to communicate with us. We want you to have the best possible program. Only you know if it is all working for you. Please give us your comments by phone, letter or in person.
See you all real soon.
Bob
Coach Development Program Announced
Recognizing the importance of its coaches to the success of the program, SYBS is redoubling its efforts to provide the information and skills needed to become successful coaches.
"The volunteers who coach in our program bring a broad variety of backgrounds, capabilities and enthusiasm to us. We owe it to them and to our kids to give them the tools to make them as effective as they can be," comments Ed Interess, Executive Vice President who is spearheading this bold advance.
"Our premise is that players want first and foremost to have fun, fun rooted in quality baseball and softball, from fundamental skills to an understanding of the best strategy to employ in game situations. We have to give this to them through their coaches," continued Interess.
"We recognize that volunteers are well intentioned, but may not always have an adequate knowledge of the skills to impart. Also, many would-be volunteers may be reluctant to come forward because they do not know how to acquire the necessary background."
Even adults who are experienced players can benefit from some formalized training. Someone may understand the skills needed by an accomplished player, yet never have even thought about how to get a first grader to grasp the proper throwing techniques. Moreover, it is important for our program to coordinate its teaching philosophy so that, as children progress from year to year, they will develop based on a consistent set of reinforced principles, rather than isolated tidbits from different people each year.
SYBS is planning its 1998 agenda to include a combination of clinics, demonstrations, and videos. Some of them will be mandatory for managers (head coaches) and strongly urged for assistants. Initially, the greatest emphasis will be placed on the youngest age groups since they provide they best opportunity for long-lasting results. But all levels will notice a marked improvement over the more rudimentary efforts of past years.
Among the topics to be covered in the program will be: - principles and guidelines including league expectations of coaches and players
teaching techniques
<>practice organization - rules
- fundamental skills (throwing, fielding, catching, hitting, bunting, etc.)
- position play
- cutoffs
- strategies
- signs, and
- many more.
Of course, emphasis will vary by the needs of each age group and will build from year to year. Thus, it will proceed in parallel with the development of players' skills and ability.
Interess hopes that the committee's efforts will pay dividends to SYBS for years to come. But he realizes that, as successful as we may appear to be, there will always be room for improvement. And much of that improvement will come from the suggestions and ideas of coaches, parents and players. So don't be shy. Please participate and help us get better each year together.
Winchester Joins Minuteman Spring Softball League
SYBS is delighted to announce that in 1998, our Senior Softball league will combine forces with the Minuteman Spring Softball League. Harley Gates, SYBS Vice President of Softball described Minuteman as "a collaboration among Bedford, Burlington, Concord-Carlisle and Winchester to provides an opportunity for our 13-15 year old players to get the most from their softball experience. The same communities pioneered this concept two years ago on the baseball side, and it has proved its value in terms of both enjoyment and playing ability."
The advantages of the new concept include:- Greater conformance with the guidelines of our national affiliate, Babe Ruth Softball,
- Less informality leading to a greater appreciation of the game and how to play it,
- Real umpires and real rules,
- Greater sense of competition,
- More different teams to play,
- Opportunity to play a few games (about one third) in other towns,
- Opportunity to host visitors from other towns,
- Most games on weekends freeing up weeknights for school activities,
- Games scheduled to avoid conflicts with games times of other sports.
"We realize that the league will offer a somewhat different experience from the one Winchester kids and parents have become accustomed to," said Gates. "And some will resist the change - that's human nature. But recognizing the advantages of the new approach and the success we have had with Minuteman Baseball, this is an opportunity for our kids that we could not pass up."
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Field House Ground Broken, Construction in Full Swing
Sachem Youth Baseball/Softball Association has initiated construction at West Side Field of a new building to house a permanent refreshment stand, rest rooms, and a much needed storage room for the program's playing equipment and field maintenance tools.
The building will ultimately be gifted to the Town and operated by SYBS. Completion should coincide with the start of the spring baseball/softball season.
This project is the culmination of the forethought and toil of the SYBS board of directors that began over five years ago. A five year plan for the West Side Field was conceived and prepared by the board and ultimately approved by the Selectmen in 1993. The plan, which included many safety measures, improved field surfaces, dramatically improved parking and a support building, has been largely realized. Only the building and the addition of a few remaining parking spaces are left to complete.
As you may know if you follow the local goings on, we have made a number of public presentations and participated in hearings regarding this final phase of the plan. Despite some obstacles, we are pleased to report that we have experienced overwhelming support for our efforts from the public, the Selectmen, and Town Meeting. It is rewarding to know that you are behind us.
Being our most financially ambitious undertaking to date, the field house represents a special challenge to our pocketbook since we have no endowment to tap. We have to rely on our constituency to get us there. Accordingly, we encourage everyone who can donate any amount to do so. Each donor making a cash or in-kind contribution of $250 or more will be inscribed permanently on the building. If you would like to contribute, please use the remittance coupon included below. Thank you!
Become a "Legend" in Your Own Time
Participate in the single largest improvement for the parents and children of Sachem Youth Baseball/Softball. The West Side building includes ladies' and men's rooms and a real snack bar featuring beverages, grilled foods, French fries, sandwiches, popcorn, slush, ice cream and a whole lot more.
As you can imagine this will improve the quality of your visits to West Side Field tremendously!
To fund the building, we are asking the help of our constituency and the community. Any and all donations will be appreciated. Donations of $250 or more will be acknowledged by being prominently displayed on bronze plaques mounted adjacent to the concession stand windows. In this way, all future patrons of the building will be able to know who made the construction of their facility possible.
To date we have received several pledges for skilled labor and building materials. At this point we still need plumbing fixtures, commercial kitchen equipment (except refrigerators), counters, and picnic tables. In-kind donations of $250 or more will also be acknowledged on the "Wall of Fame."
Final Registration Set for Spring Season
Registration for the 1998 baseball and softball season is well underway with many families taking advantage of the early bird discounts that were available in the fall. For those who have not yet registered, parents are urged to do so by mail soon as possible.
Parents, if you are unsure whether your children are already registered, please check the address label on this newsletter. Each child that is registered for spring 1998 is so noted with the symbol Ò immediately after his/her name. Look for a separate symbol for each individual child.
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 Wednesday February 25, 1998 in the Mystic Valley Room at the Town Hall from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.
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.
We would like to remind all players and parents that in order to be eligible to play baseball or softball in the summer, the player must participate in the spring. This important restriction contributes to the quality of both the spring and summer leagues; exceptions cannot be granted.
Baseball 101 (Part 4)
Substitution in baseball, especially at the Major League level, is quite unlike that in other sports. This uniqueness introduces some very interesting strategic opportunities that baseball purists relish, but it also can affect the playing opportunities of youth league players who are in need of skill and confidence development. This article talks about the substitution rules employed at the various levels in baseball (and softball). Its emphasis is on helping parents and coaches understand the rules SYBS employs to provide playing opportunities while maintaining some semblance of the traditional game.
In the Major Leagues, only nine rostered players are permitted to be in the game at any time (notwithstanding the American League's designated hitter rule discussed below). This includes both offense (the batting order) and defense (the fielders); each fielder must be shown in the batting order. So when a substitute replaces a fielder, he also replaces him in the batting order and vice versa. The player removed from the lineup may not return to the game in any playing capacity.
The Official Baseball Rules permit a league to adopt a designated hitter rule as the American League has done. On a game-by-game basis, the manager may decide to use a designated hitter to bat for the pitcher, enabling a tenth player to be in the game. In general, if a team starts the game with this tenth player, it is permitted to continue with ten players unless the pitcher takes a different defensive position or he bats for the designated hitter.
In our youth leagues, there are various rules governing substitution and playing time. The most common in recreational leagues is free substitution in which all players present are placed in the batting order, but only nine are allowed to be in the field at any time. Each inning, the manager must divide the defensive duties among the eligible players by determining which players will play what positions.
In more competitive youth leagues, free substitution is not usually permitted and the manager must make a batting order of nine (sometimes ten) players. Any other players become reserves who can enter the game as substitutes. Starting players removed from the game may re-enter the game one time only, but substitutes may not re-enter once they are removed. Most - but not all - re-entry rules require that the re-entering player bat in the same spot in the batting order as he was as a starting player.
An exception to the re-entry rule allows a player who is no longer eligible to re-enter for an injured player if there are no eligible reserves on the bench. In this case, the opposing manager is granted the prerogative of selecting the substitute for the injured player.
Sometimes an "extra hitter" or tenth player is allowed in the batting order. This player is different from a designated hitter in that he is not batting for another player. But he remains on the bench when his team takes the field. At any time the extra hitter may take a defensive position and one of the other nine players becomes the extra hitter. This strategy allows the manager to employ free substitution among ten players, affording an opportunity for more players to be in the lineup at a time.
Youth leagues sometimes allow the use of a designated hitter who, unlike the American League, may bat for a player in any defensive position, not just the pitcher. So if both a designated hitter and extra hitter are used simultaneously, there can be as may as eleven players in the game.
Finally, some leagues, such as our spring and most summer leagues, require a minimum playing time for each player present. If so, the manager must be certain to get each player to bat at least once and play at least six or nine outs in the field. Since a substitute cannot re-enter the game, his defensive stint must occur in successive innings, while the same must not necessarily hold for a starter. Usually, the penalty for violating this rule is forfeiture of the game, so minimum play must be taken seriously.
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