by
posted 06/17/2009 President’s Message
June 2009
I am writing to update you on the Spring 2009 CCYB season.
We are coming off successful Spring 2009 Baseball and Softball seasons. We fielded leagues for children from six years old to seventeen years old and had over 800 players in these leagues. Our program was driven by over 100 coaches and CCYB participants. The amount of time some of these volunteers have put in is truly amazing.
I am proud to say that in the last six months we’ve made significant improvements to the foundation of our program:
- A new CCYB web site, which among other things allows parents to easily access and download their children’s schedules.
- Improvements to all fields, including new safety fencing, permanent bases and having all fields lined for games. New equipment was purchased for the dragging of fields, making the game safer for our players.
- In baseball, we changed the rules in all leagues to help our children develop and make the game more competitive.
- In Single A baseball we introduced formal drills and practices which help players with the fundamentals of the game. In addition to this, we introduced kid pitch mid-way through the season to foster the development of players at this age.
- To help strengthen the CCYB brand, we moved the older teams to CC Colors for uniforms. I’m very proud when I see CC Baseball kids wearing their jerseys to schools and we plan to make this change across more of our leagues in the coming year.
- In the hope of making CC High School baseball more competitive we’ve fostered a closer relationship with John Kelly, the CC High School baseball coach. This started with the clinics run by John and his players this winter at the high school.
- We introduced a program where CCHS Baseball players participate and mentor at CCYB baseball practices in exchange for community service hours.
- We are about to embark on our first year of summer baseball clinics with the high-school baseball coach and his players. These clinics are focused on the fundamentals of the game and will prepare our children for the higher-level of play we are all working towards.
- Going into the summer we are formally introducing a new Sandlot league for our younger players.
- An all new baseball field, with fencing, was installed at the Alcott school. I thank all the Alcott parents that drove this effort.
- Although not as fast as anyone would like we’re making progress on the development of a premier baseball field in Concord. We need all the backing we can get to make this happen.
- We provided scholarships to two CC High baseball and softball players who excelled both on the field and at academics.
- To help develop our softball players we ran general skills and pitching clinics on Sundays from January through mid-March for no fee. The feedback on these clinics was extremely positive.
- A softball coach's clinic was run prior to the start of the season; and a comprehensive coaching guide titled "Coaches' Packet - Skills, Drills, and Tips" was prepared and distributed to the coaches and posted on the website. We truly believe this effort aided in the coaching of our young softball players.
- Summer pick-up softball games will be available for girls entering 3rd and 4th grades; and there will be one U10 team, two U12 team, and one U14 team competing in the Middle Essex Softball League.
- We trained 4 new entry level umpires. To advance umpire training we also awarded 4 scholarships to returning CCYB umpires for The Mass Baseball Umpires Association (MBUA) Patching Clinic. Our umpire program continues to be one of the strongest in the region and our games benefit from our long list of dedicated, competent and well-trained umpires.
Although we’ve made significant progress we have further to go to make CCYB the program what we all want it to be. As I go around town there is no lack of ideas on how to improve the CCYB program. For example:
- A concession stand at Rideout
- A Fall baseball program for younger players
- Improvements to fields for both cosmetic and safety reasons
In addition to these, a goal of the CCYB Executive Committee is to make the select teams within CCYB more competive. This is not a small chore as many of the towns which surround us have been at this for years.
All of this takes time and volunteers. As we go into the summer the CCYB Executive Committee and Board members will be working on plans for improvements to the program. As these plans are established we’ll be asking for your help.
Thank you for participating in a successful spring season. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer.
Ralph Verrilli
p.s. CCYB would also like to congratulate Jeff Nolet of Concord, on the preseason watch list for the Johnny Bench Catcher of the Year Award.
See
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/baseball/articles/2009/0531/sorenson_heads_to_umass_lowell/?page=2
