Playing this great sport is not for everyone. To be able to compete at the high school level and beyond takes a lot of hard work and dedication. If it was an easy task, a lot more boys would be playing. The bottom line is that baseball, unlike most sports, takes an enormous amount of time in refining major and minor muscle groups, great eyesight, emotional and physical control and a whole lot of courage. Let's face it. Trying to hit a round object with another round object "square" is a really hard thing to do. Quite frankly, it is unique from all other high school sports.

Your sons play in a very successful program and many of them are among the best in this geographical area. Given that they are part of a very successful program, we both support their need to compete at the highest level possible and push them to reach their full potential.

What we, as a staff, need from the parents is a clear understanding that the game of baseball is a very humbling activity. No other sport rewards players for being successful 30% of the time. If you hit .333, you are a star!! Do that at the Major League level, and you are a multi-millionairre.

When your sons come home, re-hashing the game over dinner may not be the most productive activity, especially if they are unhappy with their performance. We'd ask that you not critique or put down other players in front of your sons. We don't allow it on the field or in the clubhouse for a good reason. This only aids in breaking down the vital "chemistry" we try to foster each year.

In addition, we would ask that you not ask "why is Johnny playing in front on Jimmy?" Your son will not know the answer to this question because he is not the coach and does not have the depth of understanding nor the experience as to why we make the decisions that we do.

Remember that it is never about "him". It is always about "us" and what is best for the team. We preach this simple fact each and every day and would appreciate your support in maintaining this understanding with your sons. It is this belief that has made our program strong year after year even when our talent wasn't the best in the league. "Together" we will always compete!