All-Star selections

One of the few things that I have to do as a coach every year is name 3 players for the all-star team. There are 2 teams that play all-star weekend against our BYSP counterparts and for the most part we own them, queue the huge sense of pride thing. I'm glad that YAO is the best, I'm glad that we produce better ball-players. It gives credibility to our organization.

This year's all-star selections are a bit more clear cut than it has been in previous seasons. We have 3 players on our team that have done a lot to help us remain in the chase for the championship, 3 players who have established themselves as leaders and will be excellent ball-players in the years to come.

Our three all-stars for this year are:

Adam Hall - Offense, defense, Adam is the next "charlie-hustle".  Adam is the single biggest weapon in the league and will re-write the history books for our rookie league. 5 home runs so far, and commands respect with every at bat. Oh and have you noticed how hard he works on defense?  His dedication to the game is a credit to him, and his dad Tyler who has done so much for our team this year. If I could only get Adam to smile a bit more....

William Way - The quiet leader. Our anchor at first base, he brings us a huge pop with his bat, and has been unlucky not to get a home run so far this season. Not that he minds, Will ... or "Big Poppa Will" as I like to call him would easily be the best player on any other team. I can't tell you how much I have depended on him this year, and he has consistently produced to be one of the best players in the league.

Bryce Gonsalves - The third part of my triple-play. It hasn't come easy for Bryce. He has played in the shadow of the big 2 all year long (in reality for the past 3 years) and no one has worked harder at being such a good ball-player. Bryce doesn't have the big numbers of Adam or William, and doesn't dominate, but still comes up with clutch hits and solid defense when needed. My most emotional player, he takes everything personally, every little missed step. I spend so much time trying to lift him up, and keep him going, but at the end of the day when I see his smile, I know that it's all worth it. 

The good thing with these players is that they all bring something different to the table, all have great game knowledge, and all are great team mates.

For my other players, the selection of these 3 should give them all something to shoot for.  We have some great kids coming through the ranks. Liam, Mateo, Rachel, Taj, Riley, Tristan, Aidan, Sherwin, Jason, Riniko, Taylor and Syriah all should continue to improve... if they work at it, and I'll look forward to seeing how they develop in the years to come.

The last person on my list is Thomas. If only I could I'd have Thomas on every team I coach. He knows how much he means to us, and he is finally finding his place, and his confidence is growing. It is with a very heavy heart that I have just found out this week that Thomas and his family will be leaving Bermuda soon. I'm sure he'll find a great team and a great coach in the future, but what he takes with him is, I hope, a love for the game and a desire to be a better ball-player. Thomas epitomizes everything our team is about. Heart, work-ethic and an incurable fun-ability.  

What a better going away present than to give him his second championship in 3 seasons???

Let's do it!!!

Playoff Game 1 - D-backs 1 - Mets 0

I'm pretty sure that we will have to scratch and claw our way to the end of the season. Nothing comes easy, and we should expect nothing less. No one can say we've dominated, no one can't say that we have earned our way to where we are now. It makes us appreciate the work. It makes us work harder, and keep focused. While I wouldn't mind having a relaxing walk in the park win, lets say by more than 1 run, I'll take what I can get!

To be honest, I'm more proud of having had the defense show up week in and week out, big play after big play. It is equally frustrating that we haven't been able to score more than 5 runs in any game other than our very first practice game of the year.  Im baffled by our inability to hit consistently. We have tried so very hard to get the bats going, and we still will. For their part, I know that the kids are trying and in the closing weeks, we will keep trying, we will keep fighting to get it right.

Up next - a semi-final matchup against the Orioles, who beat us 5-4 a few weeks ago. A loss that still smarts. Our advantage this time is that we will be the home team. Let's hope we can put enough pressure on them to get some revenge from the first game against them. We know what they bring to the table and that we will have to be at our best to beat them. Having umpired their game yesterday and having watched them play a few times, we know that their strength is hitting and the excellent Ruck/Dickinson (Pitcher/1b) combo. If not for Adam Hall's amazing year for us, Tommy Ruck would easily be the best player in the league. We need to force the rest of their team to make plays, that is their achillies heel.

Our game will be at 11:00 a.m. next week, so I know that will bring some relief to those sleepy-heads who moaned over our early start this week!

Rooting for the Yankees... it's a dirty job, but we did it!!!

After our game yesterday, we had to wait for the result of the 3:00 p.m. game between the Orioles and Yankees to know our final positioning for the playoffs. We needed a Yankee win or at least a tie to secure first place. As we had lost to the Orioles last week, an O's win would have given them first place. Nerves were at an all time high. I would have accepted 2nd place, but having worked so hard and come so far, we deserved 1st place, although I'm sure the Orioles and Yankees would have said the exact same thing.

My son plays for the Blue Jays in Little League, and his game was scheduled for 2:00, and somehow I got roped into manning the scoreboard. I saw coach Eugene (Yankees) and coach Fred (Orioles) and wished them well, and told Fred I'd see him after Brandon's game and I'd be wearing my Yankees hat (I don't have a Yankees hat... and never would), but he laughed and understood my meaning.

So after Brandon had won his game (14-10), we went back to the Rookie league field and was pleasantly surprised to see coach Smokey and Liam there watching the game! On the other hand I looked at the score and my high hopes were quickly deflated when I saw it was 2-0 to the Orioles and they were still batting in the bottom of the 2nd inning (1 out). So with my D-backs shirt and hat I set out to inspire the Yankees in my own loud and boisterous way.

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not sure if screaming "LET'S GO YANKEES!!" with everything I have actually did anything, but it did manage to get on the nerves of a few parents and coaches on the Orioles. My apologies to them all. Maybe it did do something, maybe not, but the Yankees responded scoring 5 big runs in the top of the 3rd inning to take a 5-2 lead!!!! Now all we needed was some defense.

Much credit to the Orioles, who also found some fire and fought back all the way to tie the game 5-5. The final score. 5-5.

5-5 doesn't settle anything other than who get's first place, and that goes to....

the D-backs.

Who gets second and third... that's no matter to us. We are the regular season champs!!!!

Congrats to all. Now we have to finish off what we've started.

Practice on Thursday 6:00 p.m.. We may have additional practices later. I'll let you know.

Righting the ship - D-backs 4 - Blue Jays 2

Take last weeks game and draw a carbon copy for 2 1/2 innings. We do well and score 4 runs in the first inning, and give up 1 in the first and second and sit with a 4-2 lead with the Blue Jays (a twisted form of Oriole?) up in the bottom of the 3rd. I'm a bit nervous, you know I am. It's hard not being nervous. Still, we do things right and walk away 4-2 winners. A good performance, and we showed that when we do the fundamentals right, we will always be in with a shot.

Finishing the regular season with one loss is a pretty good achievement. The fact we finished the season having to fight for every win will make the experience that more impressive. While we can't get too arrogant, we know that we are still a work in progress, still a team of many pieces, a team that can't begin to rest on it's laurels. We have to keep working, and we have to keep focused. Our chalenge is clear and teams will be gunning for us.

I am so pleased to have been able to work with such a great group of kids this year. If we take anything away from our season, it is that we can be great, all we have to do is believe in oursselves and work hard.

Winning, losing and life lessons

"There are three things you can do in a baseball game, you can win, you can lose, or it can rain." Casey Stengel

Character building. Yeah right. Tell me about it. I can make all the rah-rah speeches, I can talk about how well we played, and how we will be a better team because we lost today, but at the end of the day I can't hide how bad I feel for the team. I hate losing, I know most people do. I can tell you that it hurts  to have a 1 in the loss column, and I can tell you that losing sucks!!! I'm sure you will agree with me.

Ok, now that I have moaned and groaned, whined and pouted, it's time to get over it.  In fact I like rah-rah speeches, and I like to see us facing a bit of adversity. It will test our mettle, our heart, our dedication. Losing does suck, but it does something more important, it bursts our bubble. We have walked a tightrope the past few weeks, and if anyone was under the illusion that we were invincible, we should have found the cure for that problem.

We've worked hard this year, really hard. Our development has come hand in hand with each hard fought win. We've taken nothing for granted. We've been tested, we'd bent but hadn't been broken. It was going to take a good challenger to knock us off our pedestal and today we got that test, today we took that shot. Now comes the most important part of all, how we deal with this adversity, how we finish this wonderful season.

I'm not going to get into details. We did well, and we will do well again. We will get it right. Our future, is now.

Practice Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Testament to what works... Unsung heroes do their part

Sometimes it's in the excitement of it all that we focus on the impact plays of a game that make an impression, but are supported by the dedication and hard work of  those who allowed us to be in a position to win the game in the first place. It's a struggle to give out player of the game awards, and for the most part, I don't and won't do that. It's a team effort and all of our players should be proud to have contributed to that. Our strength is having players who do it all, and it's the sum of all the parts that make the machine work.

It was my intention when I started this blog to try and give you an insight as to how I think and what I do, and more importantly why I do what I do. I'm really lucky. I have been able to keep a core nucleus of players together and  add to them with a spunky group of  second year players and rookies who should do them proud going into the future. I have always said that I expect my older guys to lead by example, and I still do have a lot of work to do, even with them. That said, they know that they are my rocks and I wouldn't be anywhere without them.

I can sing the praises of Adam. We know what he brings to the table. He's an important piece in our wheel. But at the end of the day he is just a piece.... he can not and will not do it all for us.  Without the proper support system around him we have seen what happens. William, Bryce, and Thomas all have key, important roles on the team. William is a silent leader and an awesome first baseman. His inside the park 3 run home-run was a huge hit for us and if we didn't have it, we would not have won. There is no doubt that he is an anchor that allows us a huge advantage, and on on any given day he is a game  winner. Bryce is enthusiastic and wants to do it all. His hits have come at key times for us, and his two run double against the Dodgers is yet another key hit to our season. Thomas is my spiritual leader. I laugh and cry with him, and he has no idea how important he is to me. I want so much for him to succeed, I want for him to do well, because I know deep down, he wants it too. 

I could go on. Mateo, Liam, Taj and Syriah, all second year players have yet to find their mettle. There is still a long way to go with these guys. So it goes with the rookies. They are silly and smiling, temperamental yet strong. To have them perform at the level they do is a bonus to us all.

All key cogs in our wheel of fortune, all unsung heroes who each bring a little something different to the table. We are many and we are one.... one dream, one hope, one strong.... one team!

The fat lady, singing and dealing with adversity - D-backs 5, Red Sox 4

If you believe in such things as fate or destiny and the like, these are things that forge the way you approach life. Doing things right, and developing a thought or idea to it's fruition, are keys to forging destiny. Yesterday during warmups, I took the time to do a little individual batting practice with Thomas, Rachel and Jason. If time had allowed I would have worked with others as well. My intention was to try and get them into a more confident position with the bat.

Needless to say, it worked. Bigtime!

Yesterday we saw some things happen that challenged us as a team and as individuals. Our opponents, the Red Sox, going into the game, hadn't won a game all season. They did a great job in trying to change that yesterday. We could point the finger at a lot of different things, but the first inning wa a case of Murphy's Law gone wild on us. Whatever could go wrong... did. I was mildly surprised it was only 4-0 at the end of it all. Disappointed, yes, but not completely unexpected. What we take as simple, becomes a much more complex and menacing beast.

Tristan said to me during the inning, "They hit the ball really hard."  Yes, they did do that. Add to that a couple of botched plays, and, as I said, I was surprised it was only four nothing. To top it off, again we squandered our first inning, and if we had only one of our first three on base, Adam's home-run would have lifted our spirits. A better second inning defensively allowed us to get out unscathed, but you could almost sense it wasn't going to be our day, when Adam hit a double and then was caught running between 2nd and 3rd. 

Key the important point of our season. Destiny is being forged. With some resilient hitting, including a hit by Thomas, we managed to put up 3 runs to pull within 1 run at the end of 2. Wow. Still a lot of work to be done. I'm not afraid of losing. As I said in my previous blog, we'll never truly know how good we are until we lose a game. Losing 4 -3 would have been telltale, simply because we would have lost to a team that hadn't won yet. First losing to worst does many things, not least gives confidence to other teams that they can do the same thing. It also puts doubt in our own minds, whether or not we are as good as we really are.

Put those doubts to rest. We are a good team. The hitting display shown by the five batters at the bottom of the order, Rachel, Sherwin, Aidan, Jason and Taylor, found us with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the third. 

Key... Riley.

Riley wants a lot of things. Riley doesn't want to play outfield, Riley wants to play first base. Riley wants a lot of things. I get looks from other players. Adam hasn't got the connection with him, like he does with William, and at first base, Riley will need a lot more chances. If he's our future at first, he needs to, and will get the playing time, but he knows it will only be after we get the other teams 3 outs. He's paying his dues. A trooper. Yes he's a persistent little one, but I can not deny his hunger for the game.

I have others hungry as well. Tristan, Rachel, Aidan, Sherwin, and even Taylor from my juniors, all want opportunities to play infield, and they will get them too. That said it will be a test for each of them to make the most of their chances when they happen. 

Oh yes, back to Riley, back to the game, back to bases loaded 2 outs, bottom of the 3rd Red Sox 4, D-backs 3. Last chance saloon. Riley struck out his first at bat, got a hit the second time.... and the third. Score 2 runs and a win for the D-backs!!!

Queue the fat lady. Oh how I love the song she sings.

Finding ways to get it right...

Coaching is an interesting pastime. I say "pastime" because for those of us who do it, we do it because of our love for the game and with the hopes that we can give back to a game that has given us so much already. As most of you know, I coach, manage, and even umpire in baseball and softball, because I simply have a huge hunger for the game and want to see all aspects of it blossom here in Bermuda. There is no doubt that we have some great kids coming up, and it is a great thing when you see kids who want to get better, trying so hard to get it right... even at this age level.

There are keys to success. As in everything, it requires, time, practice and a lot of patience. For some of us, it comes naturally. For some others, it requires extra. Motivation, dedication and a love for the game has to spur us on. When we look at what we have to accomplish, and the time we have to do it, it's a lot of work in a small window. Opportunities have to be maximised, and practices have to be effective so that what happens there is translated into game situations.

I am constantly working on ideas to get my points across, trying to get our kids to do the fundamentals, to enjoy themselves, to love and respect the game. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it. It's an evolving thing. Kids who want to play, try very hard, and those who don't want to play, won't try as hard. Thus comes the other part of being a coach, finding the spark to keep them interested, and keep them going, when they really don't want to. I'm pretty lucky. After a few weeks I can tell who these players are, and while I still want them involved, I know that they are probably just content being out there. If they do something good, they know they get rewarded, and I always work with positive re-inforcement, trying to encourage focus and making good decisions, irregardless of how bad the play turns out.

Winning games is fun. It is also a difficult measuring stick because we are never too sure how good we are, or how bad we are. While we are winning, no one would be honest enough to admit that it has been easy, and as we do have the largest squad in Rookie league, our window of opportunity is that much smaller, simply because we don't have the amount of quality chances other teams are getting. We have been really lucky.

So we forge on. practice, practice, practice. Then we'll practice some more. Our success is a wonderful thing, but I am not about to rest on my laurels. Time to turn up the heat!

A little luck and a lot of hard work... Dbacks 1 - Mets 0

First things first. Sometimes it's better to just not tinker too much with things. Our struggles in scoring runs has left me wondering what should we do to get it right. We must lead the league in unofficial runs scored. Too often I find us needing hits and we're not getting them. Yes it's tough, We continue to rely too much on our defense, and even though our good hitters are spread throughout the lineup, we are not getting key hits at key times. I'm at the point where I'm seriously considering putting all the best hitters at the top of the order, and hope to score 4 or 5 runs in the first inning and try and shut the other team down for 3 innings. There has to be a better way... and I will find it!!!!

The game itself wasn't overly impressive. The Mets were equally inept at scoring when it counted, and seemingly came alive when it didn't. The weather, and being short a couple of players didn't help at all. It was a tough day all around yesterday, but we fought through it and managed a win. Riley continues to show he's a good little hitter, and Tristan too.Taj and Rachel had tough AB's and Sherwin FINALLY connected, and even though it was a foul, I can see his confidence coming on. Taylor got a hit, but we will continue to work with her Jason and the rest of the young guns.

One little disappointment was the "stuff" in the dugout. I believe I addressed it during and after the game and I hope I don't have to address it again. I know it's tough having so many kids in a small place for an extended period, but we must show some restraint. 

Practice is on the inside diamond this week, and hopefully that should give us some serious batting practice off of the machine. We definitely need it!

See you all on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Small things done right... D-backs 4 - Dodgers 2

Another good game, and slowly but surely we are separating ourselves from the rest of the pack. It will be important to not let up over the coming weeks, we have done a lot of good things, small thin and Tristags, right the past few weeks and we will continue to beat the same drum. I know a lot of the younger ones are anxious to play on the infield, and theey will get their chances. I may even do more the coming weeks if we can build up comfortable leads on our opponents. We have yet to have a breakout offensive game, and I am not about to sacrifice what we've worked on this far to appeal to the young and hungry. At some point I will look to increase their playing time on the bases, but only to look forward to next year when we lose our senior guys.

We are getting some consistency in our hitting. I like what I see out of Riley, Rachel, Taj and Tristan. Sherwin seems to be swinging very well and just not making contact. Aidan is working hard too and got a good hit yesterday. I'm sure that more will come from those two. Syriah and Taylor will get more batting practice in the future. It will be important for their development and enjoyment if they begin to do these things well.

Our seniors are doing very well. William is beginning to find his stroke, Bryce had a huge 2 rbi double in the second inning, and Adam is easily the best player the rookie league has seen in many years. His playing is at a different level from anyone else, and we have not seen the best from him yet!!! T homas will get more reps at pitcher this week, we're playing the Mets and I want to be able to use both him and Mateo in that role as needed. I want Thomas, Liam and Mateo to move away from the big bats. They are not making consistent contact, and I think that they are just not physically ready for them. We'll discuss it at practice. Practice is on the outside pitch this week, so we'll be working primarily on defense.

See you all at practice on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Practice making perfect... and BABY NEWS!!!!

Another great turnout for practice last night. It's almost too bad that we only have 90 minutes to practice, and we have so much to do! Last night we set up a few hitting drill stations, and for the most part got through them with some good efforts. I'd like to thank Coaches Hall, Smokey and Desi for getting things done. It's a credit to each of them that we continue to develop at the rate we do.

The baserunning drills are important, and we'll do more of that in the coming weeks. There's a lot to consider when running the bases, and with the noise levels high and the concentration levels not at their best, it will take some work to make the most out of our hitters. It is still a HUGE issue. Even after demonstrations by Adam, we had runners not touching first base, while running through. Our runners need to do 2 things on the way to first, RUN FAST and hit the bag. If they do those two things well, we can move on to getting them to listen to the coaches. We can't turn singles into doubles if we don't get singles done properly!

No defense practice last night. We have worked a lot on defense the past few weeks, and we needed to work on the hitting. We may rotate our practices to coincide with our being inside or outside the diamond. We'll see.

Last but not least... we have exciting BABY NEWS!!!!! Sean and Laura Lee, Thomas' parents, are pleased as punch to welcome 9lb 8oz Larson Paul Lee to the family as of yesterday!!! As soon as I have a pic... I'll post it up on the blog! It is never too soon to start recruiting future D-backs!!! I'm sending them some flowers today on behalf of the team!

See you all on Saturday!

Winning tough... Diamondbacks 1 - Yankees 0

Our adventure continues...

Winning in baseball is usually done with a combination of good defense and timely hitting. I am going to include luck into that equation, because yes, a lot of luck is involved. The good thing is that good teams rarely need that much luck, and more often than not you win because you deserve to win. Such it is with our team. Yet I have to believe that you make your own luck as well. Case in point, leading 1-0 in the third inning on Saturday, with 1 out, it would have been an unlucky bounce to have had given up a double to a player who had not been expecting to get one. Luckily Rachel made a good throw to Adam who managed to hustle and tag the runner just as he reached second base. Lucky.

There's a lot to be proud of here. Our young ones are coming along in game situations. Riley is showing great hitting ability, and when called on the past 2 weeks, Tristan and Rachel have made good fielding plays. It's focus and support that keeps us doing the right things. It's important that we keep focused and keep making the right decisions on the field.

Once again, hitting seems to be an issue. 1 run is hardly a world beater, and although it was enough on Saturday, let's be honest, it won't win many games. Adam is an impact player, and we are lucky to have him. He's playing at a different level than anyone else in the league and it is important for us to be able to make his job that much easier by getting runners on base in front of him. I will be adjusting the batting order again as I need to take advantage of what he brings to the table. 2 weeks in a row we have not made the most of his power, and I promise that will change.

Batting practice is the order of things this week. I'd like our guys to work out the kinks in time for our next big game, this coming Saturday against the Dodgers.

See you all on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Week Two - The real season begins - D-backs 7 - Angels 4

The hard part about being a coach at the rookie league level is knowing whether or not your kids really understand what you are trying to tell them. It's a trust thing. As a coach, you trust that in order for your kids to enjoy the experience, for your kids to get the most out of the game, that they know what to do when called upon. I'm not always the best at projecting what I'd like to see out on the field. I guess that comes with experience. Reinforce the basics, re-assure the kids that even when they have made a tough play, that they will be ok, that they remember what to do and how to do it.

A lot of good things happened yesterday. Our hitting is exceptional. With that I am still trying to get our "best" batting order happening. Adam hit a huge home run, and if I had managed it properly, our score-line would have been a lot bigger. My fault there. It's a thing where adjustments will probably happen all year long. Still, saying that, we need to get a balanced lineup where our weaker hitters won't be a "black hole" to the team. A lot of teams are tempted to put their best hitters 1-6 and then leaving the back end very "light" I want us to have a chance to score runs every inning.

On defense, we need to continue our work on the infield. Too much pressure on Thomas is happening right now. He will improve and make better decisions... he's a gutsy kid and wants to succeed. I also want the throws to first to be better. William does a good job, and I will work this week on the throws to him and getting him to be aware of where the ball is. Also, Thomas will need to make himself available on every throw that goes to William so that the ball gets back to him ASAP!!! Whew.... it's a lot to do!

On the outfield, we didn't have a lot of things going on. Tristan and Aidan both had chances, and did well getting the ball back to the infield. Liam will  be a key here. As a middle "cut-off" I want everything hit up the middle to go through him. His voice and leadership will be key. In all we will be focused on our guys making good throws and good decisions with the ball.

7-4 Was the final score. I'm pleased with what we're doing going forward. We have 2 HUGE games coming up the next 2 weeks. The Yankees and Dodgers will be the critical points in our season. 

All hands on deck!!! See you all on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Week One - Practice game against the Red Sox

Well, the first game is in the bag. Even though it was a practice game, I learned a lot from what I saw out on the field. The hitting is ok. We should improve there with more machine time. I hope to get in more "BP" this week, but I will continue to work the infield and outfield practice in order to get our defense perfect. If necessary we may practice again next Sunday. There is a lot of work to be done. I'm hoping to work more on catching, fielding, and making a good decision with the ball, right away. Hesitation costs. When a fielder gets the ball he/she must understand what to do with it. That said, the primary option has to recognize it and must be available to them.  I know it's a lot of "technical stuff", but I promise, it will become clear the more we do things.

I have to say, I LOVE the new uniforms! I am ordering the coaches stuff this week! I thought we all looked fantastic on the field and you can bet that in a very short period our game will be as spiffy as the uniforms! 

I was impressed with everyone, but will make note of Taylor and Rachel who both did very well. Thomas got some key hits and I think if we keep a balanced batting order, we should be able to score runs every inning. This will be imperative as we do have a large team and the prime scoring opportunities will have to be utilized each inning. I had a good look at all of our opponents on the weekend, and I think there will be a few good tests for us, starting this Saturday against the Angels. Most teams have 3 or 4 decent hitters, and others who can get a hit if we aren't paying attention. The Yankees and Dodgers will be tough too.

That said, I'd like to thank Desi for the pics, which I've added to the blog in a slideshow. I'll add more as the weeks go on. Also, team pics and personal pics will be done soon!

See you on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.!

Phil

Tom Macneil - RIP 10/04/08

"Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route." - Albert Camus

Here we are on the eve of another wonderful baseball season. Our kids are due a lot of fun times this coming year, and yet it begins with a tragic loss, not only for me, but for the entire YAO and Bermuda Inline Hockey Association. Our fearless leader, Tom Macneil, died yesterday of a heart attack. Tom, who has tirelessly given of himself, both on the field as a coach, and off as Rookie League Commissioner, even this year with no connection to the rookie league - both his boys Tyler and Riley have moved up - stayed on because no one wanted the job. It is a big job, and it's a credit to his unspoken passion and devotion to the development of our kids in baseball that kept him there.

I don't have a lot of "I remember" Tom stories, I do know that we were good friends, and I truly respected all that he did for the YAO. His unwavering support of us as coaches, all volunteers, kept him at the ballpark much more than he should have been and we never really had a chance to thank him. For that I am honoured to have worked alongside him. Tom was a not only a buddy, but a mentor and led by example. He wanted his kids to succeed and in that process he has turned out some amazing kids. We should all do so well.

A few people wanted to delay the opening week this week, but upon reflection and the insistence of his wife Gail, we shall play on. It would be Tom's wish. It's the least we can do for him.

In fact I do have an "I remember" Tom story. When his boys would do something well, at the plate or on the field, there was always a huge " 'ATTA BOY " from him. It was his trademark. It was his stamp of approval.

Atta Boy Tom... Atta Boy....

Tomorrow will be a tough day. I only hope we continue to make him proud.

1st Practice - Thursday, April 3rd

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." - Dave Barry

Wow. It rained today. If that's the worst practice we have all year, then we can expect some amazing things. I was probably more excited than the kids were to be out there this afternoon, but to think we had 10 players out there today, all of them except the few who knew me, nervous, and probably a little scared. The move from T-ball to rookie league is a big jump for some, and I'm glad to have some experience to lend a hand. As I said in my first post, Adam, William and Thomas will be the "big brothers" on the squad.

So, we did some throwing and catching, and even a little hitting off the tee. It was good work, even in the drizzle. It's a credit to each of them that they seem to buy into the "practice, practice, practice" regime I will use this year. We have a great team, and there is a great chance that we will be one of the contenders for the title this year, but it will be hard work!

Our next practice will be Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. I'd like to get 2 hours in and utilize more basics and expand on things we have already begun working on. I hope to see you all then.

Coach's Welcome!!!!

Hi Gang:

I thought it might be nice to publish our team adventures on a blog, as we venture through our YAO Rookie League season. For the newcomers, I'll tell you a bit about me. This will be my 4th year involved with YAO, which is an amazing youth development league for baseball. Great things are happening with this organization and I think you will find that the commitment from the top down is great! I am also involved with the local softball association, and from that standpoint we hope to get the YSL (Youth Softball League) back up and running, directly following the baseball season!

Back to baseball. As I said earlier, this is my 4th season at YAO, 3rd as a head coach. In my first year, I was extremely lucky to have a great squad, who actually won the championship!!!! That was a great year, and I am honored to still have 4 members remaining from that championship team. Adam, Bryce, Thomas and William will be counted on for their leadership and experience. They know that we can achieve great things if we all work together as a team. It's also exciting for me to have returning for their second season, Liam, Mateo, Syriah and Taj. Their continued development will be a pleasure to watch.

For my new team members, and parents, I should go on record now and forewarn all of you. I have a unique coaching style. I'll leave it at that for now. Also helping me will be Mr. Hall, Mr. Way and Mr. Perry, all of whom I hope you will give equal respect. I value each of their assistance, and their word is gold with me. I will support them 1000% and hope you do as well. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.

I have a pretty simple philosophy when it comes to baseball. I think it's my job as a coach to get kids at this age to love the game and have fun. Throwing, catching, hitting and running are all secondary. Yes, these are important parts of the game, but I think it's more important that kids develop a love for the game first. Victories are measured not in wins, but in smiles. Don't get me wrong. We will work hard, play hard, and maintain focus on what we're doing. We will win together and lose together, and along the way we will make quite a few amazing plays!

That, for the most part is the easy stuff. Now for my... rules.

1) Practices. I can't force you to come to practice, nor can I force you to be on time for practices or games. Practices will be Thursday evenings beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the rookie league field. Please try and make it. The only way your child will improve is if they practice, and I don't know how many will practice at home. Practice makes perfect. If the coaches are taking their time to be available for practice, please make every effort to be there.

2) Games. As with practices, my only demand here is that we be on time. I ask that ALL players be 30 minutes early for a game, so that they can warm up, and I can set the lineup. If you show up 2 minutes before the game, your child can not prepare properly. If you are running late, or for whatever reason can NOT make a game, please call me ASAP (737-2811).

NOTE: The league has just agreed on a rule that once the game begins any player that shows up late MUST sit out a FULL inning.

If you are having problems making practices or games, and your child still wants to play, please let me know and we will coordinate transport if needed.

3) General stuff. FULL uniforms must be worn in every game. All uniforms, including hats should be labelled once received. I don't know how many times we have kids show up with incomplete uniforms. Your child should have his or her own glove as well. If they have a bat, it must be a legal little league bat, not softball or any variation. Bats are aluminum, not wooden. Also, please make sure that proper shoes are worn. No flip-flops, sandals or the like (this means practice too!)

4) Safety. We will always preach SAFETY FIRST. A fun environment is a safe environment. A child that gets hurt most often gets hurt because they were unaware or did not take the proper instructions.

5) Coaching. Please leave it to the coaches. If you are on the other side of the fence, please stay there. Do not ask the child to do something during the game or practice. If you need to give them a kleenex or a bottle of water, wait until the inning is over. Please do not coach them in any way. This leads to confusion and the last thing anyone needs is a player who is trying to do too much. At this level, it's more important that they focus on the game at hand, not Nana who is holding a camera and wants junior to smile for the "birdie". Kids want nothing more than to please you, and believe me... they will.

6) Game stuff. Lineups will be set and positions will be earned. At this point I have a good idea as to who, from my returning players, can do what. For my new players, I ask you to be patient, practice hard and play hard. Your turn will come. For the most part my policy is that we play our strongest players in the strongest positions (infield) until 3 outs and then we change them out for the younger ones so that they get a chance. So, if a team has 14 players, and we get 3 outs right away, you will get ample playing time at the position of your choice - remember the whole team bats through the lineup in every inning.

7) Snacks. MY MOST IMPORTANT RULE! A snack rota will be given. Each parent will be asked to supply snacks for the WHOLE TEAM - 1 week of the season. Please make a note of the week and DO NOT FORGET! Our kids deserve a snack after a hard game, and it gives us a quiet moment to reflect after the game.

I know it seems like a lot to digest right now, but most of it is pretty important stuff. If you have any questions or comments, please ask! The only stupid question is the one you don't ask!

Thanx for listening. I hope you will find that this blog will be a source of good fun and information over the next few months.

Coach Phil