Palma Ceia Little League: PCLL News

We are wrapping up a tremendously successful fall baseball and softball program and spring is looking more promising than ever.  The past year featured 4 district championships, 3 section championships, and our Junior softball team advanced to the World Series for the second year in a row finishing 3^rd in the world.  For more about last season, please check out our Annual Report.  The board of directors is prepared to roll out a new season that will prove memorable for both youngsters and adults alike. 

This email has been developed to introduce you to the coming season and set a few expectations for what the league has in store, and some expectations we should have of parents, players, managers, coaches, and volunteers.  A preliminary 2010 schedule has been posted and all dates and times are subject to change – click on the schedule link to view schedule.

Player Registration

Online player registration will begin on November 22^nd and we are encouraging parents to sign up their children early so that we can make division-specific plans for number of teams and managers.  We are anticipating expansion in several divisions and early sign-up allows us to plan for it.  If you have previously registered your child, you will get an email from the league – please follow the instructions in this email to register for the coming season; if you do not get an email, or you’re new to the league, please follow the instructions here.

We will close spring registration on January 9, 2010 and have big plans for this day.  Please make plans to attend PCLL’s Spring Jamboree on Saturday, January 9^th from 9am – 4 pm.  This new, free event will kick –off the Spring season and include the following:

·         A pitch, run and throw contest for all ages

·         Instructional clinics on baseball fundamentals by the USF Bulls and UT Spartans

·         Advanced Sessions on topics like ‘The Science of Hitting’ and ‘Pitching: Mastering the Mental Game’

·         Bounce houses

·         Disc Jockey

Please do not wait until 1/9/10 to register – do it before 12/1/09, please.

Palma Ceia Little League is a tremendous value compared with the cost of other recreational and sports activities in which PCLL families also participate.  We conducted a survey of the other activities as evidence of PCLL’s value and invite you to look at it here.  While we are very sensitive to the economic situation, there will be some slight adjustments in our registration rates due to the increasing cost of virtually every operating expense item; noting that no child is turned away for economic reasons and scholarships will continued to be offered.  Click here for more information on confidential scholarship requests.   PCLL will continue to provide value in the community through its ongoing commitment to serving and developing our young athletes.

Senior League note – It’s been years since PCLL fielded a Senior League baseball team (league ages 15 & 16).  We are encouraging parents with children in this age group to register if they want to play spring baseball because we will make best efforts to field a team.  In the event we can’t field a team, parents will be refunded; in the event there are a handful of 15 year olds who want to play, we will waiver Little League to allow them to play in our Junior program.  The bottom line here is that the league wants to field a Senior team and if your child is interested then please register.

Volunteers

PCLL is an all-volunteer organization and we need you to consider helping in a volunteer role.  During the registration process, you can signify your interest in the operation of the league by selecting to help with league administration (board and committees), to manage or coach a team, or to serve as a team coordinator (aka ‘team mom’).  Concurrent with registration, we have developed a list of committees for which we need some help with.  Please signify your interest during registration; outside registration, please consider helping with a committee – click here for more info on our committees.

All league volunteers are required to provide an updated volunteer application each year – this is a requirement of Little League.  If you’re interested in serving as a manager, coach, team coordinator, umpire, or committee, please download the 2010 Volunteer Application and submit it to the league.  The league runs background checks on all volunteer applicants, per Little League rules.  Although the application does not require a social security number, we encourage you to include it as it allows us to more effectively run the background check.  Based on your level of comfort in delivering the completed application, you have the following options for returning it (remember, it must include a copy of a government-issued picture ID card):

1.       Return it in PDF format to volunteer-form@pcll.org (this is routed to the Laura Estes, league secretary),

2.       Fax it to 813.434.2296 (this is routed via email to the league secretary),

3.       Send it to PCLL, 4501 S Himes Blvd, Tampa, FL 33611 or drop it in league mailbox at clubhouse (accessed by league treasurer), or

4.       Hand-deliver it to Laura Estes (most secure method) – contact Laura at laurae@pcll.org .

Managing and Coaching

We have developed a coaches’ certification program that is consistent with the league’s mission and provides coaches with the tools needed to lead our young athletes.  PCLL managers and coaches will be expected to have:

1.       Active Safety & First Aid credentials (training offered at PCLL starting this month – if you have a 2-year certificate that’s valid through the season, you will not be required to renew),

2.       Attend a coaches clinic on player development (12/5 Big Al clinic qualifies),

3.       Attend the Positive Coaching Alliance training (1/16/10 – even if you attended the 2009 session), and

4.       Attend a field orientation session hosted by our Grounds Committee (scheduled for 1/23/10). 

Alternate opportunities are available and more information will be provided by our program vice presidents – Chuck Hollowell, VP Baseball – Minor A, Majors, Junior/Senior; Mark Danzi, VP Baseball – T-Ball, Coach Pitch, Minor B; and Rip Weachter, VP Softball. 

Parents

We are heading in to our second year as an Impact League of the Positive Coaching Alliance.  This commitment requires buy-in from league leadership, managers and coaches, and parents.  To educate parents on their role in this commitment, we will be holding a league-wide parent meeting on the evening of Friday, January 15^th at 6:00 where a PCA trainer will present the Second-Goal Parent program.  At least one parent or guardian from each PCLL family is expected to attend this meeting.  It will be a fun and informative session designed to help you help our coaches help your kids reach their potential as athletes and ballplayers.  We are expecting that this will set the stage for a tremendous season where all player-stakeholders are working from the same sheet of music.

Park Improvements and Fundraising

During registration, you will be offered the opportunity to contribute to our Park Improvement Fund.  Funds from this account have enabled us to make significant field improvements over the past several years.  This year, we plan to continue to make irrigation system improvements, landscape improvements, invest in a lightning detection system and allow us to replace/augment our field preparation equipment.  Please consider a contribution to this fund during registration.

The league is committed to building a player pavilion that will give our kids and coaches the opportunity to practice under cover from the sun and elements.  It is an aggressive project that will provide benefits to our kids and future generations of ball players.  Last season the league committed the proceeds from our annual fundraiser with Krispy Kreme and the tremendously successful Grand Slam party.  For the coming season, we are going to repeat both events, giving the kids and parents the opportunity to contribute to the league’s fundraising efforts.  More information on the Krispy Kreme fundraiser and the party will be provided as the season approaches.

Opening Day is set for February 20, 2010 and a great season is sure to follow.  If you can, please consider helping us in a volunteer role – our all-volunteer league and our kids need your help.  Let’s make it the best season ever at Palma Ceia Little League.

Thanks -

Steve Stanford

President

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