Welcome to the 2012 Cary Hot Rods

Welcome to the 2012 Cary Hot Rods Mite Baseball team. My name is Peter Thornton, more commonly known as Tad’s Dad. I have volunteered to coach the Hot Rods again.

I am writing you this note from a business trip in China. I will be calling you this Sunday after I get home. This will be my second year coaching Mite Baseball. I have, through three sons, been coaching baseball for the past eight years.

My coaching philosophy follows that stated by Cary Parks and Recreations. Everybody plays, everybody learns and everybody has fun.

I post updates on a blog, which can be found at http://caryhotrods.blogspot.com/. I will update the website as soon as I get home. Currently I can not access it from China because of it’s obviously subversive nature. But I encourage you to take a look at it to see what we did last year.

I will be putting all of you on a Google groups e-mail list serve for this team. The Google groups name is caryhotrods@googlegroups.com. Google Groups give you the option to add and remove e-mail addresses as you wish. Or you can just send me an e-mail address and I will add it myself. Moms, I have learned that Dads like to be included on that list. Please send me his address too. I will update that also when I get back.

At this point and this evening when I call you, I would like to cover three topics. Equipment, Volunteers and Practices.

EQUIPMENT
Shirts, hats, bats, balls, helmets and other baseball equipment are provided by Cary Parks and Rec.

Each player will need to bring to practice:

Baseball Glove
Sneakers or rubber cleats (no metal cleats allowed)
Water bottle (with water)
Baseball type hat until we get our very cool Hot Rods hats.

When the games start players are suggested to have:

White baseball pants
White baseball socks with black stripes
BUT - No batting gloves please

Please write your name on your personal equipment including your water bottle.

At the beginning of the year, I am going to ask for a “donation” of $20 per kid to cover expenses for the year. That money will cover names on shirts, trophies and the end of the year party. Doing it ahead of time avoids having to do it over and over again through the year

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer #1 – Assistant Coach. THANK YOU VANCE MOORE - I will still call on all parents to help out at practice, But I need one person to be the official assistant, to cover when I can’t be there and to be in charge when I have to be somewhere else on the field.

Volunteer #2 – Shirts. THANK YOU ELIZABETH DAVIS PEELER - Pick up shirts from Cary Parks and Rec. Take then to Logo Joes at 1375 SE Maynard Rd Cary, NC 27511. Have the players first names put on the back of the shirt. Collect money from parents for shirts.

Volunteer #3 – Trophies. – THANK YOU MAURINE MAUL - Order trophies to be given out at end of year party. Best deal last year was found on the internet.

Volunteer #4 - End of Year Party -  THANK YOU HEATHER MCALL - Organize a party after last game of the year.

Volunteer #5- Team Photographer - Take team and individual pictures and distribute to the team.

PRACTICES
Our spring training practice schedule is below. I will post it on the website shortly.

Day	Date	Time	Field
Friday	6-Apr	5:30	Ritter #2
Saturday,	7-Apr	12:45	Ritter #2
Wednesday,	11-Apr	6:30	Ritter #2
Saturday,	14-Apr	3:15	Cary High SB
Wednesday,	18-Apr	6:30	Ritter #2
Saturday,	21-Apr	9:00	Cary High SB
Wednesday,	25-Apr	6:30	Ritter #2
Sunday,	29-Apr	4:45	Ritter #2

Games begin the first week of May. Game schedule will be posted as soon as we receive it.

The schedule is on our web page, which also has links for directions to the parks as well as a link on ball field status. You will want to bookmark the ball field status link to check if we have practice on rain days or days following a heavy rain.

Program for Practices - Here is how we conduct practices. We will need lots of help to do all this, so if you can, please wear sneakers!

1 - Group Discussion on one principal of baseball (e.g. running to 1st). Coaches explain, coaches show how to do it and then players do it.

2 - Break up into four groups for practice stations (Will need all parents available to help at stations). Will practice at each station for 5-7 minutes then rotate to the next station.

Station 1 - Batting
Station 2 - Catching
Station 3 - Throwing
Station 4 - Fielding

3 - End practice with fun activity or game such as kickball, musical baseballs, etc.


I look forward to meeting all of you. The best way to get in contact with me directly is by e-mail at pthornton4@yahoo.com.