YOUTH T-BALL AND BASEBALL PARENT HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 YOUTH T-BALL AND BASEBALL PARENT HANDBOOK SANTA BARBARA FAMILY YMCA a branch of the Channel Islands YMCA 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PARENT INTRODUCTION LETTER... 3 YOUTH T-BALL AND BASEBALL LEAGUE DETAILS:... 4 Season Dates... 4 First Practice... 4 First Weekend of Games... 4 Picture Day... 4 Who is my coach?... 5 Team Practice and Game Schedules... 5 GENERAL INFORMATION... 5 Team Groupings/Assignments... 5 Access Cards and Parking... 5 Uniforms... 5 Equipment... 5 Volunteerism... 6 Length of Game... 6 We are looking forward to another great season of Youth T-Ball and Baseball!... 6 CONCUSSION INFO SHEET

3 PARENT INTRODUCTION LETTER Parents & Guardians, I would like to welcome you to the Santa Barbara Family YMCA s 2015 Youth t-ball and baseball league. Our main goal is to ensure that all participants, the children playing, the coaches teaching fundamentals and the parents watching the games HAVE FUN and enjoy themselves. This is a league that stresses character values in a nurturing and positive environment. YMCA youth sports is not just another sports program, we have a mission, and that mission is stated in our Seven Pillars of YMCA YOUTH SPORTS: Pillar One - Everyone Plays. We do not use tryouts to select the best players, nor do we cut kids from YMCA Youth Super Sports. Everyone who registers is assigned a team. During the season everyone receives equal practice time and plays at least half of every game. Pillar Two - Safety First. Although some children may get hurt playing sports, we do all we can to prevent injuries. We ve modified each sport to make it safer and more enjoyable to play. Our staff make sure the equipment and facilities are safe and supervise all practices and games. Coaches teach skills appropriate for children s developmental levels. Pillar Three - Fair Play. Fair play is about playing by the rules and more. It s about coaches and your players showing respect for all involved in YMCA Youth Super Sports. We re more interested in developing children s character through sport than in developing a few highly skilled players. Pillar Four - Positive Competition. We believe competition is a positive process when the pursuit of victory is kept in the right perspective. The right perspective is when adults make decisions that put the best interests of all the children before winning the contest. Learning to compete is important for children, and learning to cooperate in a competitive world is an essential life lesson. Through YMCA Youth Sports we want to help kids learn these lessons. Pillar Five - Family Involvement. YMCA Youth Sports encourages parents to be involved appropriately along with their child s participation in our sports programs. In addition to parents being helpful as a volunteer coach, officials, and timekeepers, we encourage them to be at practices and games to support their child s participation. Pillar Six - Sports for All. YMCA Youth Sports is an inclusive sports program. That means that children who differ in various characteristics are to be included rather than excluded from participation. We offer programs to all children regardless of their race, gender, religious creed, or ability. We ask our adult leaders to encourage and appreciate the diversity of children in our society and to encourage the children and their parents to do the same. Pillar Seven - Sports for Fun. Sports are naturally fun for most children. They love the challenge of mastering the skills of the game, of playing with their friends, and of competing with their peers. Sometimes when adults become overly involved in children s sport they over organize and dominate the activities to the point that it destroys kid s enjoyment of them. If we take the fun out of sports, we are in 3

4 danger of our children taking themselves out of sports. Remember these sports are for the kids; let them have fun! The YMCA believes that character development, focusing on the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, is an essential element of its sports program. Remember, only a fraction of young people will play sports beyond high school, but the majority will become parents, employees, and citizens. By building their character, you ll give them and the rest of society a permanent gift. Caring: To appreciate others and be sensitive to the well-being of others involved in the sports program Honesty: Respect: Responsibility: To have integrity, making sure that one s actions match one s values through participation in sports To value the worth of every person, including oneself, teammates, opponents, and officials. To be accountable for one s behavior and obligations. Thank you for being a part of our youth sports program, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us either by phone or at: Tina Vincent, Sports and Wellness Director Steve Stokes, Sports Coordinator Santa Barbara Family YMCA Santa Barbara Family YMCA tina.vincent@ciymca.org steven.stokes@ciymca.org x x 226 YOUTH T-BALL AND BASEBALL LEAGUE DETAILS: Season Dates: April 6 June 6 First Practice: Starts the week of April 6 First Weekend of Games: April 11 Picture Day: TBD All children who purchase picture will receive their photo on their trophy otherwise the trophy will include a baseball mylar. All trophies are complementary. 4

5 Who is my coach? You will be contacted by your coach during the fourth week of March. If by March 30, you have not been contacted, please contact Steve Stokes at x 226 or Steven.Stokes@ciymca.org. Team Practice and Game Schedules Practices will be held once a week at the Santa Barbara Family YMCA. Practices will each last minutes depending on grade level between 3:45 6:30 pm. A game schedule will be released the week of April 6. GENERAL INFORMATION Team Groupings/Assignments The YMCA will try its best to accommodate requests, however these requests are not guarantees. The Youth Sports staff takes into careful consideration: age, experience, school attending, as well as availability for practice. We will do our best to create teams that are well-balanced. Access Cards and Parking Facility Members, 12 years and older, will be given a membership access card. For security, upon entry, you will be asked to show your membership access card to staff. Lost or damaged cards are replaced for $5 per card. T-ball and baseball participants may park on Hope St and enter the side gate by the sports field for practices and games. The schedule for Hope St Gate Hours will be released the week before practices begin. Uniforms Team uniforms and caps will be provided by the YMCA. Uniforms and caps will be distributed to teams prior to the opening weekend of games. Please do not lose your team jersey or cap; replacement jerseys will not be provided by the YMCA. Equipment Bats and helmets are provided. Your player will need their own glove. 5

6 Volunteerism The youth sports leagues at the Santa Barbara Family YMCA are built by our volunteers. We have a great need for coaches, assistant coaches, and team parents. We are also in need of volunteer help with setting up the fields and putting away equipment on game days. We appreciate any and all support and involvement. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Tina Vincent at ext. 261 or Tina.Vincent@ciymca.org. Length of Game Games are approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour in length. We are looking forward to another great season of Youth T-Ball and Baseball! 6

7 CONCUSSION INFO SHEET 7

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