Communicating With Parents

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One of our recommendations is to send out an email as soon as you get your roster. We recommend something like this:

Greetings Parents,

My name is [NAME] and I am the manager of your son/daughter's baseball team this spring. I am very excited about the upcoming season and I am sure we will have a lot of fun.  This year the name of our team will be the [NAME].

This will be my [NUMBER] season as a coach in the Instructional League.  So far we have one other coach, [NAME], who has [NUMBER] years of experience as a coach in our league.  We are looking for any other parents who are interested in helping, so please contact me [NUMBER] if you are interested in coaching.

Practices
We will have two practices a week (weather permitting), and the first will be [DATE].

Our [DAY] practices will be from [TIME} [LOCATION] [ADDRESS].

When working with [NUMBER] boys and girls it seems you can never have enough parents helping out.   Whether it is actually helping us coach practices and games, or just helping out at first or third base during games, I hope each parent will be able to help out this season.  I know from experience that we can use all the parental assistance we can get, so thanks in advance for your participation.

Visit our webpage at [URL]. This will be where we keep team information, like our schedule or makeup information for rainouts. It is not ready yet but will be soon.

Games
[ANY INFORMATION ABOUT LEAGUE AND RULES GO HERE]
I think it is important that all parents know that in the Instructional League, the focus is not on winning.  That does not mean we will not take the games seriously (we will), but what it does mean is that no matter what the score I will be asking our players to do three things:  1) listen to the coaches (and the parents who are helping out), 2) try their hardest at all times (including baserunning), and 3) have fun.  Players will rotate their position in the field every inning, giving everyone a chance to play infield and outfield.  There will be a 5-run limit per half inning.  Pitching will be done by the coaches, and if any child is struggling to hit the pitches thrown by the coach we will switch and use a tee.  Every player will hit the ball every time they are up to bat.

Equipment
Glove - We recommend your players glove be 10 inches or smaller so they can control it. Try not to purchase a cheap synthetic mitt. A used mitt from Play It Again is a good option as they are cheaper than new mitts and will likely be well broken in.  It is very important to break in your child's glove prior to the beginning of practice.  There were many occasions last year where a player was able to get their glove on a fly ball, but unable to make the catch because the glove was too stiff.  The best way to break in a glove is to use it, but there are also lots of other suggestions you can find online.

Bat - Bats will be provided by the league but if you want to purchase a bat, we recommend it be 26 inches or shorter and under 16 ounces. Most teams have several pretty good bats that are fairly light, and you will see over the season that the most important thing for these young players is to be able to generate good bat speed.  A slow swing with a too-heavy bat is very ineffective compared to a fast swing with a light bat.

Helmet - I also recommend that, if possible, every player get their own helmet with a face mask. Your player will be able to use it for years to come and you won't need to worry about health issues like the teams that had lice outbreaks in previous years.  The helmets provided by the league are invariably too big, and its difficult for the kids to hit and run the bases with a giant helmet bouncing around on their head.

Cup - Boys will need to wear a protective cup. Sport stores have an item called Super Sport Shorts for under $20. They size them by pant size.

Important Dates
Our first practice is scheduled for [DATE].

Our first game is scheduled for [DATE].

Pictures will be on [DATE] at [LOCATION]. Time is TBA.

[ANY INFORMATION ABOUT LEAGUE OR TEAM OUTINGS GO HERE]

Please reply to this email so I know you have received it. I send out most information by email so let me know if this is not a good way to reach you. Also, let me know if you would like me to add a work or spouse email to my list.

We are looking forward to a fun summer! Please email me or call one of us if you have questions.

Thanks,
Da Coach