| build a web site| fundraising| community| collect fees online| blogz |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Sunday, June 11 Help Us Keep the Legacy Alive The lights on the Brunswick High School baseball field are scheduled to be taken down in 3 years. Brunswick Junior Baseball has committed to raising the $120,000 necessary to put up a new lighting system at that time. We currently have about $12,000 committed to the lighting fund. This is a good start, however, we are a long way from our goal. Donations can be made over a period of several years. Donors of at least $500 will have their names placed on a bronze plaque that will be mounted on the concession stand at the baseball field. Corporate donors are desperately needed. Donations of $1000 will qualify the donor to have a sign placed on the outfield fence of the baseball field. A $15,000 donation (again, donated over a period of several years) qualifies to have the donors name placed on one of the light poles for the life of the lighting system (25 years). If you are interested in contributing, please contact Mike Tome at 301-834-6709 or at BrunswickJRBB@yahoo.com. Help Us Replace The Baseball Field Lights Help keep baseball legacy alive: support new lights for BHS Baseball field Mike Tome lives in a home that stands where centerfield on the old BHS baseball field once stood. Many a fleet – footed Brunswick centerfielder loved and played the game on that one – time ball field on top of Fourth Avenue while wearing the good – old Garnet and Gold When Tome moved here in 1991 from Laurel, Md. his house was but one of three that had been built on the same ground where BHS baseball once was played. Before that old high school field was made the BHS players way – back when would walk out to Scheer Stadium carrying their baseball bats and gloves in order to play their games. With two young sons it didn’t take long for Tome to get interested in Brunswick youth baseball as a volunteer, only he never once suspected he’d one day not only be President of the Brunswick Junior Baseball organization but also leading an effort to acquire a new lighting system at the present high school baseball park. The Tome connection with baseball here is one only a Hollywood script writer would think of, living where once an old hard ball field stood while spearheading a movement to acquire new lights on the present ball field site, but in this case - no script writer needed. Tome and his Brunswick Junior Baseball (Babe Ruth) group are kicking off efforts to secure lights before the present standing lights are taken down; that coming demolition already assured to be only a few short years away. The lights at the BHS ball field were put in place with the help of a Program Open Space Grant and a 25 – year agreement between Frederick County, the Frederick County Board of Education and the State of Maryland. The field and the use of the lighting system has been utilized by the BHS team, by the Brunswick Orioles’ men’s team, by MARVA Babe Ruth and PONY youth teams, and now Frederick Babe Ruth of the Brunswick Junior Baseball Organization; all successful programs. When that 25 – year agreement ended in 2004 the Board of Education soon made it known that they intended to take down the present lights due to safety concerns. After a structural engineer determined the lights were safe for another five years, the Board revised the take – down date to be four or five years away. That means it is time to begin doing something to assure a lighting system will be in place down the road. Tome heads the Brunswick Junior Baseball group as the President and had this to say of the situation with the coming losing of the lighting system at the BHS field: “Brunswick Junior Baseball is an important feeder group for the Brunswick High School baseball team. We currently have four teams in the 13 – 15 age group and one team in the 16 – 18 age group. Our teams in the past consistently finish high in the standings of the Mid – Maryland PONY League and are excited to play in Frederick Babe Ruth this coming spring of 2007. We added a new team in the spring of 2005 in the recreational division of PONY that finished second in their first year of play and in the spring of 2006 finsihed second in the select division.” “Many of the star players on the high school team played their youth baseball for our organization. Brunswick Junior Baseball has the most at stake with losing these lights, because without the lights there is not enough daylight time to have practices and games. Because of our dedication to providing a quality youth baseball program to the Brunswick area, Brunswick Junior Baseball has taken on the task of raising funding to replace the lights. We are undertaking a four – year effort to raise about one – hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Brunswick Junior Baseball is a Not – For – Profit Charity Organization and donations to the lighting fund are tax deductible. We are soliciting private donations and will be making visits to local businesses and organizations to discuss how they can help out. For donations of five – hundred or more, we will have the individual’s or business’s name on a plaque to be placed at the concession stand / press box at the ball field.” Tome’s youth baseball group is putting out a folded one page brochure that reads in part: ‘help us keep our legacy ALIVE’! Above that request for help is a group of Brunswick High baseball players, who in uniform are holding above the gathered group’s head a just won championship plaque; the photo requires no description. Inside the brochure touches on the many successes with baseball by the youth programs here in Brunswick over the years, and tells the reader: ‘Brunswick Junior Baseball’ is campaigning to raise $120.00 for the High School Baseball Field Lighting Project. That brochure described above is the kick – off to raise the money needed to replace the lights that presently stand over the Brunswick High School baseball field; those lights have for sometime now been slated to be taken down due to the deterioration of the poles over the many years they have been in place. Those in – place lights were put up with a Program Open Space grant and a 25 – year agreement between Frederick County, the Frederick County Board of Education and the State of Maryland. That agreement stated that the Board of Ed would maintain and pay electric utility costs of the lights and that the field would be made available for public use as long as it did not interfere with the high school activities. MARVA, the Brunswick Orioles men’s team, and now Brunswick Junior Baseball (PONY) have utilized the fine baseball field over the years and all have had successful programs. That 25 – year agreement ended in 2004 and at the time the Board of Education informed the school and Brunswick Junior Baseball that they intended to take down the lights at the ball field; citing safety concerns as the reason. However, a structural engineer was then consulted and it was later determined that the lights were safe for another five years. The Board of Education then relented and notified those running the Brunswick Junior Baseball organization that they intended to remove the light in four or five years. Brunswick Junior Baseball; Babe Ruth baseball is an important feeder program for the Railroader High School team as was MARVA Babe Ruth during its time of life around the Brunswick area. Currently there are four Brunswick Babe Ruth baseball teams playing hard ball each spring and summer season; and one team playing a fall program. While the Brunswick High School team gains much from the youth feeder program it is the Brunswick youth group that has the most at stake when the lights are removed. With the field used by the high school team, the Brunswick Orioles and the three PONY teams, there is not enough daylight hours for all the teams involved, and the youth teams are the teams that when things get pressed with rain – outs and such, And because of the Brunswick Junior Baseball groups dedication to providing a quality youth baseball program here for the Brunswick area, it has taken on the task of raising the needed money to replace the current lights. We are undertaking a four year effort to raise about $120,000. Our League Philosophy ***Coaching Select Baseball*** As the manager who has coached this age group for 12 years, I have developed my own opinion of what players this age should be able to do and what is too much to ask of a player and team. We will go over (in detail) every aspect of the game of baseball that the players will incur at this level. We will break down and go over step by step the Mechanics of Throwing, Hitting, Catching, Pitching, Base Running, Fielding and The Rules Of Baseball. We start by practicing these things at a slowed down pace and speed things up as the group grasps what we're doing, however we must progress so that when the first game approaches the team is ready. If one or two players cannot improve as we go that player will not have playing time freely thrown their way. This is Select Baseball and this league DOES NOT have MUST PLAY RULES! Playing time is "EARNED" by progressing in practice and by being a team player. It is the desire of the coaches to play all players, I do not have a son or relatives on the team and we will look at the big picture (the team) not the individual. Son's will never get any playing time because their dad is a coach on this team!! One example of asking too much for this age is when a runner is on first base and the infield is instructed to get a double play, these players need to do the basics(get the sure out) not try to hurry and turn two. Our spring team finished with a 16-5 record (second place) and turned about 7 double plays in those 21 games, most toward the end of the season (in 2001). If the team can make the routine plays and get the sure out and the pitchers can pitch without giving up many walks we should be competitive. The batters are asked to try to make good contact and put the ball in play not to hit it over the outfielder's heads, when on base they are taught to read the play and react not to take unnecessary chances and run the team out of the inning. We strive to keep it simple and teach the fundamentals. As manager, when I make a mistake I explain it to the team and try to explain that you have to own up to your mistakes and "never" blame the umpire or another player for your mistake! We all are going to make mistakes and errors!! When a player is given the steal sign and he is thrown out it is part of the game, the catcher had to receive the ball and make a good throw in order to get the out! Our runner had to get a good jump and if anything goes wrong the runner will be safe! We have to take some smart chances to get into a situation to win. The key is to not take chances with low rates of success!! There is some risk where there is some reward!!! Here is something from Ripken Baseball that I think we teach and is part of our way of teaching! **Keep it simple** Youth baseball players must crawl before they can walk and walk before they run. Teaching that is too complicated is difficult to remember and can result in frustration! **Make it fun** Learning doesn't have to be tedious. Drills and instruction can be structured so players enjoy themselves while learning. Games also promote fun and are an important part of Ripken Baseball programs. **Celebrate the Individual** No two players are alike, so why should they be treated as if they are? Each player has his own comfort zones, strengths and style. Individualism is promoted as long as certain fundamental approaches are followed. "Second Chance Drawing for Help Save the Lights"
"Second Chance Drawing for Help Save the Lights"
The first place winner of the ATV raffle was:
Ken Hawes of Ranson, West Virginia.
The $100 raffle winners included:
1- Angie Armstrong
2- Brandon Boyer
3- James Castle
4- Michael Darling
5- Anna Eury
Michael Darling, who purchased 200+ raffle tickets to ensure the profitability of this 2nd chance raffle, won multiple $100 prizes.
Special thanks for their hard work during the past year for the ATV raffles goes to Mike Tome, amd Gary Wigfield for handling the ATV site delivery and storage, and to Mike and Vikki Darling for their overall tireless effort. Thanks also to all the player and parent volunteers that sold tickets and to all those throughout the community that purchased tickets for this worthy cause.
BALL FIELD DIRECTIONS |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
BRUNSWICK JUNIOR BASEBALL View Our Guestbook | Sign Our Guestbook 3 visitors have signed our guestbook. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
