Player Expectations & Rules
PLAYTIME
Players earn their right to play. Playtime is determined by: Skill, attitude, hustle, focus, IQ, attendance, punctuality, and hard work. While our program is different and we do try to get everyone playtime, be aware it may vary from game to game.
***24 HOUR RULE***
Any questions about playtime, team, coaches, etc must be done 24hours after the tournament. Reaching out before that will be ignored.
Safety issues are the exception and need to be reported immediately.
PLAYER ATTITUDES
There are only 2 things a player can control: Preparation and Attitude.
A positive attitude and the ability to move on from errors, bad plays, and adversity is key to being a good ball player.
Attitude and effort reflect leadership regardless of a player’s ability. All the players will make errors or strike out, but how they respond to those situations is much more important.
BEHAVIOUR
All players are expected to behave well on and off the field. Bad behavior will be dealt with by benching or suspension for the game. Some examples of bad behavior are horseplay (during and between games), throwing equipment, poor sportsmanship, bullying, cursing, etc.
BULLYING is not tolerated and can lead to being removed from the program.
***REMEMBER TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS ARE ALWAYS AROUND AND WATCHING***
—–PARENTS ——
UMPIRES: Tournament Officials will not tolerate parents berating umpires. Yes, they will make bad calls, you will get angry, but remember, what they are doing is difficult. If you think you can do better, the Umpire Association is always looking for help, I’ll be more than happy to put you touch with them.
Also not tolerated by Tournament Officials: Chirping at your athlete, other athletes, umpires, or opponents is unacceptable.
CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IS NOT ALLOWED AT GAMES.
BE POSITIVE and DON’T COACH FROM THE STANDS: When a player makes a mistake on the field, they feel bad about it. Yelling at them doesn’t help or change the outcome. Keep the cheering positive, the faster a player can reset and shake it off the better. The last thing they want to hear is their parents yelling at them they should have caught the ball.
Please leave the coaching to the coaching staff. Hearing parents yell commands can get confusing especially if the parents don’t know what the play was.
Parents keep note this is a small community and someone is always watching, from umpires to other teams to officials to parents, and we do hear about things.
DUGOUT: Parents are not allowed in the dugout. This includes talking to the kids from behind the dugout (or the side). Simple rule: if it’s game time, leave the kids alone.
BOUNDARIES
DO NOT TALK TO COACHES AND STAFF about playing time, positions, or game strategy during tournaments or games. Make an appointment, and we will be more than happy to talk to you during the week.
**If you see Staff at games, odds are they are at the game to watch the boys play and not there to talk to you about playtime. Friendly chit-chat is always welcome, but please respect boundaries.**
WINNING AND LOSING
Winning is always fun, but this is baseball, and everyones going to lose. This is a very difficult game and takes time, patience, and hard work to get good at it.
KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE.
For a lot of the boys this is the first year playing select ball and the competition is tough. Almost every team they play would mercy almost any Little League team out there. This is the competition we want to face. Remember teams and players will struggle, but I promise over time, and with hard work, they will improve.
Finally, This is a very emotional game, but at the end of the day, it is just that a game. Time goes by fast so have fun watching your kids play.