Bison Baseball: Whats happening: 1st Edition of The Bison Bull-Pen

BISON BASEBALL   

BULL-PEN UPDATE

WELCOME TO BISON BASEBALL!! – Welcome to all incoming Bison Baseball Team members.  We are excited to have the new freshmen team members and all returning and new Bison players! 

Bison Baseball is comprised of two teams:  Varsity and Junior Varsity.  The “Bison Baseball Dug Out Club” is the parent support group/non-profit organization established for the Station Camp Baseball Team.  The Club was established for assisting the Coaching Staff with the needs and successes of Station Camp Baseball.  Parents of all players are welcomed and encouraged to join the Bison Dug Out Club.  Parent involvement with Bison Baseball is crucial to the success of our team.  There are NO FEES to join.   

DUG OUT CLUB MEETINGS:  The “Bison Baseball Dug Out Club” meetings are held the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the SCHS cafeteria.  The club meetings are an opportunity to meet other parents, players and the Coaching Staff; and also to learn about the details and events of the baseball season and off-season.  It is a time when the parents and coaches and the participants present ideas and questions.  This club has been very active with promoting and growing the Bison Baseball Program.  All family members are encouraged to join us and participate.  Any student interested in being a part of Bison Baseball is welcomed to attend to learn more about the team and to meet the Coaching staff.

COACH NEWS:   

1. TEAM CONDITIONING/PRACTICE SCHEDULE:  Bison Baseball Team conditioning is now in progress, daily, immediately after school.  See Coach Ballard if you are interested in participating.  The FIRST PRACTICE for the 2008 season will be February 11^th, 2008.  Most players that commit to and complete the Bison Spring Training are welcomed as apart of the Bison Baseball Team.

1. REQUIRED TEAM MEETING:  Coach Ballard will be announcing a “REQUIRED” team meeting for those persons interested in playing in the 2008 season.  All players and a parent representative need to be present.  The date for this meeting is January 14, 2008.  

1. VARSITY TEAM - FLORIDA SPRINGBREAK TOURNAMENT:  Bison Baseball Varsity Players will be traveling to Florida during March 2008 to participate in a baseball tournament.  The Dug Out Club has begun making travel arrangements and details are in process.  Travel Arrangements and deposits must be made in early February, 2008.  The team will travel by chartered bus for this trip.  Coach Ballard will provide more details in the future. 

BISON HITTING LESSONS:         

The Dug Out Club has made arrangements with an outside local batting instructor, Harold Herman, for those players interested in batting lessons.  The lessons are NOT required, but instead are an opportunity in place for a player to develop with individualized training in batting skills.  The lessons are given at the Station Camp Field House and are scheduled by Mr. Herman.  Costs for the lessons are separate from the team player fees – as Mr. Herman is not associated with SCHS Baseball.

PLAYER FEES:        

The Bison Baseball program has many budgeting needs.  Baseball programs do not receive funding from the school system – they are essentially “self supporting.”  Funds needed for the cost of the team are raised from player fees, parent/player volunteers and from fundraising.  The 2008 Bison Baseball Team fees have been set at $500.00.  One-half of the payment is due by each player by the first practice on February 11, 2008.  The total amount is due by each player by March 10^th, 2008 – the first game day of the baseball season.  With the fees paid, each player will receive (and keep):  2 baseball hats, team t-shirts, hoodie, pullover/jacket, cleats, underarmour, and shorts.  The fees also cover uniform costs, field cost, equipment and supplies, and other items needed by the coaching staff.

FIELD HOUSE:  After lots of hard work, in 2007, the Bison Baseball Dub Out Club worked incredibly hard to build the Bison Baseball Team Fieldhouse!!  We are very excited and proud to have accomplished something that will be apart of many Bison Baseball teams in the future.  We are still working on some of the elements of the inside of the building.  The following are some of the items that are on the “wish list” or “needs” list to finish out the building and have it be complete. 

*Hitting Screens                                               *Heat & Air Conditioning Unit and Installer

*Baseballs                                                        *Plumbing Assistance

*Baseball Equipment – bats, tees, etc.              *Carpentry Workers

                                                                        *Lockers

*Conference Room Furnishings:  (table,     chairs, dry-erase  boards * markers)

Everyone is invited to stop in and see our new Bison Baseball Fieldhouse! 

FIELD HOUSE WORK DAY:  The Dug Out Club will soon be scheduling a field house work day.  We would like to get some of the field house needed items complete before the 2008 season begins.  Be watching the website for the scheduled date.  We will need as many workers as possible.  Please contact one of the board members or Johnny Angell if you have a carpentry skill that could be used for the field house work.  We will need as many helpers as possible.  Thank You for all assistance!

By participating in the player fundraiser opportunities, a player can earn enough money to cover all of their player fees for that particular season.  In other words, a player may not have any out-of-pocket costs for that season.  The Dug Out Club has the following two opportunities in place for each player to earn the $500.00 fee amount:

A)  CENTRAL PARKING:      The team and Dug Out Club have signed up with Central Parking to work as parking attendants at the Titans Games, Predators Games and other Central Parking community events that take place in downtown Nashville.  A Player and a Parent can earn hourly wage amounts that will be applied to that particular “player’s account” for use with paying player fees and also other team purchases (after player fees have been met).  Money earned in excess of $500.00 can be used by that player for individual baseball equipment purchases or the Varsity Spring Break Trip or “roll-over” fees for the next year’s season.  For example, a player and a parent who work one Titans Football Game from 6:00 a.m. until noon could earn a combined total of approximately $98.00 towards that player’s team fees.  If this player works 8 events and earns more than $500 – the first $500 would cover the player’s fees and the remaining $300.00 could be used for:   1.) equipment purchases by the Bison Dug Out Club for that player to keep as their own; 2.) apply the additional $300 towards that player’s travel hotel costs for the Spring Break tournament; or 3.) have the $300 applied toward the player’s next year fees. 

B) Sponsorship Signs:  The Bison Baseball teams have sponsorships signs that are available at different price levels.  “Advertising” Signs are made to hang in the Bison Outfield or on a “Community Board” sign that is placed at the concession stand area.  Part of the money earned through Sponsorships Signs is applied toward each player’s team fees. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Bison Hit-A-Thon – The Bison Baseball Team will have its annual Bison Baseball Hit-A-Thon homerun hitting contest.  The tentative date is scheduled for March 8^th, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. to be held at the Bison Baseball Field complex.  There will be baseball contests (hit-a-thon, speed contests, round-robin contest) and rides and activities for kids and players.  The Board will be asking all parents/players to participate on at least one planning committee for this event.

A Silent Auction will also be held at the Hit a Thon.  Each player is asked to contribute one item or service for the auction.  We need at least 25 items to help make the auction successful.  Ideas for your donation:  golf certificate, spa certificate, free oil change, “bison wear”, etc.  Ideas for this event are still in the planning stages.  Silent Auction items will be due in February 2008, preferably at the February Bison Dug Out Club Meeting.  Money raised at the auction will be applied to the Bison Dug Out Club General Funds which helps to pay for costs of field maintenance, maintaining the Field House and other funds needed by the Coaching staff for the baseball program.

WE NEED YOU!! - Be sure and provide the Bison Baseball Dugout Club with your current contact information for future information about Bison Baseball and for fundraising opportunity updates.  We need player’s name, parent’s names, address, phone numbers and email. 

WEBSITE NEWS - Be sure and check out our Bison Baseball website at www.eteamz.active.com or you can go to Station Camp’s website at http://sch.sumnerschools.org/ and click on the “Athletics” tab at the top and then the “Baseball” link.  If you have any ideas or information that you would like to be considered for the website, please contact Melissa Clawson at emclawson@comcast.net or any of the Dug Out Club officers. 

2008 DUG OUT CLUB OFFICERS:

The Dug Out Club Officers have been elected for the 2008 season.  President:  Paul Raynor; Vice President:  Jere Cowan; Secretary:  Melissa Clawson and Treasure:  Laura Allen.  Thank you to the Board Members for their service to the team and the Dug-Out Club.  For anyone with ideas/suggestions/questions for the upcoming season, feel free to contact any of the board members with your ideas or questions.  The Board is excited about the continued growth of our team and Club and look forward to the upcoming season.

 Thank you to all of our sponsors of the Bison Baseball Team and our player parents for their continued support!