Forest Park Baseball

Word From the President
The 2009 season was a challenging yet rewarding season. On the challenging side we had a few obstacles that were not expected such as the city cutting back on grass cutting and diamond maintenance. The weather was a little wetter and rainouts were an issue. We had a few glitches with coaches and rules. On the rewarding side we were able to get some sponsors for the first time in a few years and made a few small improvements to the park. We had over 100 new participants and had a great turn out for workday. I am looking forward to the 2010 season. I think we will be able to further improve the organization as well as continue to try and make improvements to the park. We are currently planning to continue replacing the bleachers and to add more dirt to the Pony and Ranger diamonds. We are also hoping to raise the funds to replace the fencing on Ranger diamond and purchase a new backstop and fencing on Pony diamond. Work Day is scheduled for April 17th. Anybody interested in pitching in and helping can contact us for information. We will send out a list of things that need done via email prior to that date. Make sure to visit our website www.forestparkbaseball.org and look around. Please email us if you have any ideas regarding the website, work day or anything baseball related. I look forward to seeing everybody for another fun year of baseball.

Advertising We found out last year it is illegal to put up our signs in the public right of way. FP Baseball wants to be a good neighbor so please help us with our signs. If you live on a busy street or near a school please consider putting a sign in your yard. Eric can place the sign for you so that it is legal and once signups are over he can collect it from your yard. Call him at 841-1408 if you can help.

This year as an incentive to signup early we will be offering concession cash. Sign up by March, 10th and receive a concession cash coupon worth $10. This coupon can be used at the concession stand to purchase any item on the menu up to $10. The coupon is good for the entire month of May and can be used more then once until the $10 has been redeemed.

Umpires
Umpiring is one of the areas that we are dedicated to improving each year. This can not be done without the help of adults who are willing to give their time to insure that the kids have the best umpires possible. One of the biggest concerns of our parents in the past has dealt with the lack of adult umpires. Each year we try to recruit and train as many umpires as possible. We all want good umpires at every one of our games. These are paid positions. As always, any youth ages 12 and up are welcome and needed. All youth umpires are required, and all adult umpires are encouraged to attend the free umpire clinic we hold each year. Please mark your registration form, sign up on registration day or call Mark Miller at 337-8872. We really need your help!

Coaching
If we don't have coaches we can't have teams! We have a few coaches who won't be returning for the 2010 season. Some because they have moved on (kids to old, moved out of town etc...) and some because they didn't meet the expectations of FP Baseball and will not be allowed to return. These coaches will need replaced. If you are interested in coaching, we need to hear from you. Please contact us by visiting this link on our website http://www.forestparkbaseball.org/contactus.htm or circle the appropriate section on the registration form.

Team Parent

Volunteer to be a team parent. The team parent plays a very important role on every team. They help keep the parents informed of all league activities and can help the coach keep things straight such as the scheduling of the snacks for the team.

Sponsorship
Last year we were able to obtain some sponsors for the 1st time in a few years. We would like to increase that number this year. We need help from the board, coaches, assistants, and each parent to help obtain sponsors. Sponsors help keep the fees low and generate additional money for improvements. We have several levels of sponsorship available. Each coach will have information available regarding each level of sponsorship and will be providing that information to each player. For more information on sponsorship visit the following link on our website http://www.forestparkbaseball.org/sponsorform.htm

Special Note
The board at Forest Park Baseball is made up of volunteers. We need more help. There are many open positions on the board. Please consider filling one of these positions. Many of the positions are not as time consuming as you may think. Visit the Bylaws link on our website at http://www.forestparkbaseball.org/ByLaws.htm to get a description of each board position.

2010 Fall Baseball
The board would like to bring back fall ball in 2010 but we need somebody to volunteer for fall ball director and run the league. Visit the Bylaws link on our website to get a description of each board position. If you are interested in running fall ball let one of the board members know. Of course having fall ball again would only be possible if there is enough interest from players and coaches.

Baseball Instruction Clinics
Last year the Cincinnati Reds canceled their baseball clinic scheduled at Woodward Park. We also tried to get another organization to run a clinic but were not successful. We will try again this year to get a clinic and if we find an organization willing to run one we will make information available at that time.

Word from the Treasurer
As Treasurer this year I would like to remind everybody of our policy on unpaid fees and/or unpaid checks. No child will be assigned to a team unless all fees are paid in full or arrangements have been made to make full payment. THIS POLICY WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. Please remember there are no refunds after the evaluation date without board approval. For any special concerns or payment arrangements, please feel free to contact me at 841-1408. Melissa Seum, Treasurer