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• We grew over 30% this past fall and our spring season registrations have increased every year for the past five seasons.  Softball is one of the “hot” sports now for girls and for those of us involved, we know why.  It’s simply one of the best ways for our girls and young women to learn to compete in a team sport that at times has elements of an individual sport.  We firmly believe this prepares them for their future in school and life. It’s a bonus that they have a blast while doing it and make lifelong friends along the way.

• Our returning player registration rates are enormously high.  Getting girls to return to play is our stated measuring stick for success and something we’re very proud of.  While it is great for the program it is better for the girls because it guarantees that friendships that they make with kids outside their school or neighborhood continue to grow.  You literally can’t play on a team in one year without knowing several kids playing the next.

• The start of our adoption of social media with our very own Facebook page.  This is a great way to share stories, ask questions and get advice.

• Our approval ratings in the post 2011 season survey were superb:  97%+ voted “satisfied” or better for overall experience at Murphey Candler and a 95% “satisfied” or better rating for our coaches with nobody voting as being dissatisfied.

• Our fields have never looked better.  A few years back the county had to stop maintaining the fields due to budget constraints which put the onus on us.  We hired a grounds keeper, Doug Baldwin, who quickly put in place a plan to get our grass back in shape.  He told us it was going to take a couple years to get to where we wanted to be and we began to reap the awards this past fall.

• With help from our Auxiliary we designed and implemented a fundraising strategy that would help us fund major improvements around the park.  The “I Heart MC” campaign was a great success and provided the extra funds needed for us to finally undertake the most significant project in our recent MCGSA history.   The rehabilitation of Field 5 is in the final phase of permitting.  The contract has been negotiated and plans have been approved.  Work is scheduled to be complete for the 2012 season and we had enough money left over to replace the scoreboard!

• In June of 2011 Murphey Candler made a return to the tournament calendar by hosting the Allstar Showdown that was attended by over 20+ teams from around Georgia.  Feedback on the tournament was great and proceeds will help offset costs to run our program.  We plan to host another tournament this Summer and hopefully two!

With 2011 behind us it is time to look to 2012.  We’re not sitting on our laurels.  Plans include:

• Plans got underway last spring to revamp our league designations.  We are committed to making sure that our leagues for the younger girls remain fun with a focus on being instructional.  We believe the changes we’re making will allow for a greater increase of player’s skills across the board which will also naturally increase the level of play and competition levels as they get older.  T-Ball is being replaced with a 6U league for our youngest players and will include coach pitch with Tee rescue.  8U will remain as a coach pitch league for our seven and 8 year olds with some rule revisions that should address issues we’ve had in the past.  10U+ will remain largely as is.

• A desire to help our volunteer coaches in 6U and 8U to develop quickly with mentoring from our more veteran coaches and through coach clinics.

• We’re not leaving you parents out either.  Who wants to sit out in the hot Georgia sun all day?  From our survey results, it isn’t you.  Me either.  A lot more on this topic to come but let’s just say for now that MCGSA’s Future is So Bright, We’ve Got to Have Shade.

The Board of Directors, Parent Auxiliary and I all think you for your continued support. Please see our 2012 Spring registration link above this post and be sure to tell all your friends to sign up soon.  Space is limited.
Cullen McClure
MCGSA President

Thurs 2/18 – Champions clinic

• 8U/10U – 5:30 to 6:30
• 12U/14U/16U – 6:30 to 7:30

Sat. 2/20 – Champions Clinic

• 8U/10U  -  2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• 12U/14U/16U -  3:30 to 5 p.m.

Sat 2/20

• Coaches Clinic – 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – at Murphy Candler

We will do our best to reschedule events.  The schedule may change at the last minute, please be flexible.  We might have to practice if the temperature is a little below 40 degrees, so be prepared with an extra layer of warm clothes.

Thank you for your patience.

Spirit Wear Order Form

Register now at http://pcasecure.com/mcgsa/register.html

Spring Training: Spring practices will begin on February 6th. These spring practices are for all players above Tee Ball. The spring practices will be led by professional softball coaches and former college softball players. It is absolutely the best program for helping your daughter learn how to play softball and to get ready for the upcoming season. The cost of spring training is included in your registration fee.  Player evaluations are done over the course of spring training, so you must attend at least three of the six sessions.

14U/16U Inter Park League: The 14U/16U recreational league will be available again this year. Teams will play games against OCEE Park and Morgan Falls Park as well as other MCGSA teams.

Coaches: We always need more coaches to help with the teams. We will have a coaching clinic before the season begins. The coaches from Champions will help you during the spring training practices. We share the player evaluations, so the teams will be divided evenly. We will try to pair up the new coaches with the experienced coaches to help learn the ropes. Our goal is to have a head coach, one experienced assistant coach, and at least one more assistant coach for each team.

Booster Donations: Please consider making a Booster donation to the softball program this year. $100 Booster donations will receive a ceremonial engraved brick that will be permanently placed at the park. The Booster donation is part of the registration process, just select your donation level on the registration form and it will be included in your registration fee. We are a nonprofit organization so your donation is likely to be tax deductible. The booster donations are used to help fund our extra programs like Spring Training and Opening Day events. Booster donations will also be used to purchase better equipment and improve practice facilities like batting cages and warm up areas.

Scholarships: If you need help paying the registration fee, you may apply for a scholarship. Contact any board member and ask for a registration scholarship. We want every girl to be able to play softball, regardless of their financial situation. The registration fee should not be the reason anyone does not play softball this year.

Thank you.

8U Schedule

• Saturday, February 6 – 1:00 – 3:00
• Tuesday, February 9 – 5:30 – 7:00
• Thursday, February 11 – 5:30 – 7:00
• Saturday, February 13 – 1:00 – 3:00
• Tuesday, February 16 – 5:30 – 7:00
• Thursday, February 18 – 5:30 – 7:00

10U Schedule

• Saturday, February 6 – 2:30 – 4:30
• Tuesday, February 9 – 6:30 – 8:00
• Thursday, February 11 – 6:30 – 8:00
• Saturday, February 13 – 2:30 – 4:30
• Tuesday, February 16 – 6:30 – 8:00
• Thursday, February 18 – 6:30 – 8:00

12U /14U/16U Schedule

• Saturday, February 6 – 4:00 – 6:00
• Tuesday, February 9 – 7:30 – 9:00
• Thursday, February 11 – 7:30 – 9:00
• Saturday, February 13 – 4:00 – 6:00
• Tuesday, February 16 – 7:30 – 9:00
• Thursday, February 18 – 7:30 – 9:00

All coaches should attend Spring Training. Coaches should arrive 10 minutes early to help get organized.  Please pay close attention to the Champions instructors and be prepared to help with practice drills.

Softball is probably the fairest sport when you compare the level of effort to the level of achievement.  You don’t have to be tall, or fast, or particularly strong to be a good softball player.  Of course it would help to be the best athlete, but there are a lot of very good softball players who are not the most gifted athletes in the world.

If we line up a youth softball team in order of who has played the most softball, and then we line them up again ranked by who is the better softball player, the two lineups would be nearly identical.  The girls improve every time they practice or play, and they don’t stop getting better, in fact, they seem to accelerate their improvement after they master the basics.  To be a better softball player, they need to practice and play more softball.  Of course, you need to have some good coaching thrown in once in a while to make sure the girls are doing things appropriately.

If you want your kid to be a ‘natural ballplayer’, you should throw the ball back and forth with her.  If you want her to have ‘good hand eye coordination’, you should pitch her balls every week.  If you want her to have ‘instinct’ for the game, you should play softball games in the yard with neighborhood kids.  Watch the other girls in your league, I promise that all of the ‘naturally good’ players have spent a lot of time in the yard with their parents, siblings or neighborhood kids.  No one is ‘naturally good’ without playing a lot.

MCGSA wants to help players improve and become better softball players.  This includes 5 year olds to High School girls, this includes Tee Ball teams up to our 16U Travel team that plays year round.  Some of the programs we have put in place to help with this goal are:

• Two week Spring Training with professional softball coaches.
• Three hour coaching clinic for all coaches.
• Weekly group clinics for hitting and pitching from January through May.
• Select teams in 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U.  The Select teams practice and play on Sundays during the spring season, then continue to play tournaments into the summer.
• Inter-Park softball games with Sandy Springs SSYS and OCEE Park in Alpharetta for 12U and 16U leagues.
• Summer softball camp at Murphey Candler.
• Atlanta Flames Travel teams in 10U, 12U, 14U, and 16U.  We partner with other parks to build these teams.
• Fall softball for 8U, 10U and 12U.  Games with Norcross, Decatur, Duluth, and Wesleyan.

Here are some easy tips for you to get in some more practice time:

• Play catch in the yard on a regular basis.  Kids need to play catch with an adult to really improve.
• Get a bucket of whiffle balls or foam balls.  Hit balls in the yard once or twice a week.
• Organize the neighborhood kids for some street ball.
• If your daughter is a pitcher, you need to get your own bucket of balls to practice.
• Check out some web articles.  There is a lot of free advice out there on coaching and playing youth sports.
• There are books and videos available for every aspect of softball.  Pitching, hitting, fielding, throwing, etc…
• Attend as many camps and clinics as you can.  These hours add up, and the coaches are usually pretty good.

Specific advice:

• 4 and 5 year olds:  Play Tee Ball.  Parents should stay for practice and help chase balls.  Don’t worry about anything, there are no rules in Tee Ball.  Just play and have fun.
• 6 year olds:  Play catch with her regularly in the yard.  Toss her some balls for hitting practice whenever you can.  Don’t worry about anything. Most 6 year olds lack the motor skills to be really coordinated, but they are developing these skills.  Use a 26 inch bat.
• 7 year olds:  Arrive at practice ten minutes early and play catch with her while the other players arrive.  Playing catch with another 7 year old is a complete waste of time, she needs to play catch with an adult or older player.  Arrive at games 30 minutes early and play catch with her. Attend a couple hitting clinics, pay attention to the hitting coach because you are now her instructor.  Hit 40 – 50 balls before each game.  Use a 26-28 inch light weight bat.  Attend the summer camp.  Play Fall Ball.
• 8 year olds:  Play catch at home a couple weeks before the season starts.  Join the 8U Select team.  Make sure she regularly plays catch with an adult throughout the season.  Attend more hitting clinics.  Keep hitting a lot from a Tee, this is still the best hitting practice.  If she has a strong interest and aptitude for pitching, consider playing 10U to get her started pitching a year early.  Use a 27-28 inch bat.
• 9 year olds:  Play Fall Ball to get started with kid pitch softball.  Don’t worry, the girls get used to kid pitch quickly, it is better than dad pitching.  Attend the weekly pitching clinics throughout the spring season.  Buy your own bucket of balls for pitching practice, you will be her full time catcher.  Arrive at practice and games early to give her plenty of pitching practice time with you.  If she is not a pitcher, keep working on hitting drills from the Tee, coach pitch, and the machine.  Use a 28-30 inch bat.
• 10 year olds:  Join the 10U Select team.  Attend as many clinics and camps as you can.  Keep playing catch and/or pitching at home.  If she is a serious pitcher, consider individual or small group lessons.  Get some good hitting instruction, pay attention to the mechanics so that you can keep her swinging properly.  Use a 29-31 inch bat.
• 11 year olds:  Good news for hitters, the pitchers are getting better.  There are more strikes to hit, so you want to be ready.  Attend the hitting clinics to make sure she has good hitting mechanics.  Hit as much as you can, front toss from 25 feet is great, but don’t forget to keep hitting from the Tee.  Use the pitching machine occasionally to help her work up to hitting full speed pitches.  Pitchers should start practicing in early January.  Pitchers should have some lessons from a good coach.  Play 12U Select.  Use a 30/18 or 30/20 bat.
• 12 year olds:  Same as 11 year olds, except you will be much bigger and stronger than them.  Good pitchers should take weekly lessons throughout the winter. Introduce yourself to your High School coach.  Consider the college summer camps.  Use a 30 – 32 inch bat, from 18 – 21 ounces depending on her size and strength.
• 13 – 16 year olds:  Play school softball in the fall.  High school coaches like their serious players to play on a competitive team in the spring. There are a wide range of 14U and 16U travel teams available.  Our 16U rec league is a good choice for a lot of JV players.  We have a 14U Select team that will play some tournaments during the spring and in the early summer..
• Everyone:  Only you know how serious you want to be about softball.  We always need more coaches, get out on the field and help coach if you can.
• Less serious players:.  If you just want to play for fun with friends, then just come out on practice and game days.  We offer a lot of extra programs for more serious players, but most girls just want to get some exercise and have some fun with friends.
• Fairly Serious Players:  You should take advantage of the clinics, camps, and Select teams, these are designed to help you improve.  If you want to boost your performance for next spring, take some lessons and practice at home this fall and winter.
• Most Serious Players:  If you want to play at the highest level, you should consider a travel team and/or private hitting, fielding and pitching lessons.

Private lessons are a topic unto itself.  Whether or not you agree with private lessons for sports, the evidence is overwhelming that these lessons work.  The reason it works is that the player gets individual attention from a professional coach.  Every minute is focused on exactly what your player needs at that time, no time is wasted at too high or too low a level, no time is wasted on topics that don’t apply to the athlete in training.  We have tutors for music, voice, acting, and academics.  Sports are just another area where a tutor can help a child improve and/or excel.