Team Newsletters
Welcome to the Bears!
We’re excited to welcome 14 girls to the seventh season of the Montclair Bears. Congratulations to all the players who earned a spot. Now we start the process of making all 14 players better. Having 14 players on the team and playing each one at least two innings in every game will mean that many players will not play a full game in our games this summer. That will be a new experience for many of the girls, but the coaches will try to give every player the playing time she deserves, while balancing what we feel is best for the team.
Many of you have asked questions about the team—about the schedule, the practices, the level of play, and other things. We’ll try to answer those questions as best we can here.
Your Coaches
Ann and Peter King have coached in the Montclair softball program since 1992. Our daughters, Laura and Mary Beth, played for us in the junior league. Then Peter coached Mary Beth on the 12-and-under and 14-and-under teams. Both girls played high school softball, Mary Beth pitching for four seasons at Montclair High before graduating in 2005, and went on to college. We continue to coach because we like teaching the game to eager players.
Jack Bowers has also coached in the Montclair softball program for more than a decade and has developed several players for the Montclair High varsity team, including daughter Amanda, now a junior at the University of Virginia. Karin Nelson, Jack’s wife, will act as scorekeeper and bench manager during games, and as another coach during practices. During games, Peter and Jack will be the primary bench coaches. When we’re at bat, Ann will coach first and Peter will coach third, while Jack and Karin will run the team on the bench All the coaches have only one thing in mind: making our players better every day.
The Dues
We are not supported by the town’s softball program. We are totally independent. It’s going to cost each player $150 this year for a spot on the team. A breakdown of the costs associated with the team this year:
• League fees: $360. The UGALS Association of Bergen County, which we have joined, costs $200 per year, plus a $160 bond, which we get back as long as we don’t get into any fistfights with umpires.
• Umpires: $650. We pay a local umpire $200 to acquire and assign umps to our home games, and $50 per game for one umpire. If you wonder why we have to pay $200 to an ump to simply get us one umpire per game, I urge you to watch The Sopranos and learn about our way of life in New Jersey.
• Balls: $250. Four dozen practice balls, two dozen optic yellow game balls.
• Insurance: $100 for a team policy, though parents should be advised that may not cover all costs associated with an injury to a player.
• Uniforms/Hats: A muddled cost here. Not sure yet. We got new uniforms last year, and three are MIA. So we’re in the process of doing some intelligence work on how to fix that problem. Players will get new practice shirts next week, then the uniforms, which cost $1,600 new last year, will be distributed in early June,
• Awards: $150. Post-season stuff.
• Montclair State game fee: $100. We’re going to try to schedule a game at the Montclair State softball stadium. We’ve done it for three straight years.
• Team Slush Fund: $150. During the year, things happen. I have to buy a catcher’s mask, or knee-savers, or a new bat, or a couple of pitching rubbers.
If anyone has a problem with any of these costs, or if you feel you may not be able to meet them, please see one of the Kings to discuss. We are currently in the market for some minor sponsorship money, and I will keep you apprised how that goes.
The Commitment
This is an obvious step up from Montclair town league ball. Players need to treat it that way. Players and families have already been told that the girls cannot be missing from the team for longer than a week during the season. Players will need to honor that commitment. If there is going to be a problem, a player or her parents should see one of the coaches immediately. I urge you to be up-front with us now about your schedule, to save aggravation later.
This is a new world that players and families are headed into. When we coached in the town league, we routinely had players miss for soccer games or birthday parties or other personal events. As coaches, we’ll try to accommodate your schedules as best we can. But players and families need also to understand that players who miss practices and games may have their playing time reduced. If we as coaches are going to put in time to practice and play these games, we expect the players to put in their time as well. We know that some families of players have made camp and vacation commitments before trying out for the team. We will be as understanding as we can, but players should not expect to be gone for a week, return, and have the same spot in the batting order or the field as they had before they left.
The Level of Play
We’ll be in the UGALS Minor League, a 15-team league of towns mostly in Bergen County. We expect most teams to have some sort of windmill or fast pitcher. For those who don’t know, windmill pitching is the way fast-pitch softball is played; the pitcher winds up and turns her arm in a fast windmill-type of motion. In high school, pitchers can throw as fast as 62 miles an hour. At this level, we won’t find many who will be able to get the ball over the plate consistently. We’ll work to get better at everything we do, including pitching. We have a choice in our league for all players, even those who are not playing in the field at the time, to bat in continuous order—just like we do in the Montclair league. We may do it some games, and some games not. We’ll see.
Our Philosophy
We enjoy winning. Everyone does. But we are not playing at this level to have a great record. We’re playing to get our girls to be good softball players. If our players have gotten markedly better than they were at the beginning of the year, then the season will have been a success. Some players will play the whole game. Some will play a couple of innings. We will put you in the position we think can best help the team. As players, do not beg to play certain positions. Play where we tell you to play, and do the best you can. Don’t complain. Ever. Complainers do not get rewarded. They get penalized. If we think it’s best for the team that you play left field, run to left field and play it eagerly. Your attitude, as well as your ability, will determine how much you play.
We won’t yell at players. We will try to teach them. Yelling isn’t teaching. Errors will happen; the best shortstop of our lifetime, Cal Ripken, once made three in a game. Strikeouts will happen; Barry Bonds once struck out five times in a game. Players: If you make an error, figure out why you made it and become determined to fix that mistake the next time. Same thing with a strikeout. Don’t sulk. Remember: The best batters fail seven times out of every 10 times up As a team, our hallmark will be class. Players will hustle to and from positions at all times. Players will play with neat, tucked-in jerseys, clean uniforms and hats. We will never argue with an umpire. We will never throw equipment. And I mean never. If you throw equipment, you sit for a full game, and maybe more. We will be the most sportsmanlike team of any we meet. We will never direct negative cheers against the other team, no matter what the other team is saying about us. (And sometimes, they might be saying negative things about us. You just accept it, not bark back at them, and be classy.)
Players, there will be times this year where someone else will be playing the position you want to play, or batting in the spot in the batting order where you really want to be. Never cheer against her, or root against her so your position on the team will be improved. We are a team here. We cheer for every teammate enthusiastically. When the team wins, we all win. Every time you step on the field with the Bear uniform on—whether you win or lose, whether you strike out or hit a home run—make your parents and friends and coaches proud of your behavior, attitude and approach to the game, no matter what the score is.
The Role of Parents
We want as many parents to come to as many games as possible. Your support is crucial to your daughter’s success. We mean that. I’m going to go over a few rules that we must insist on. Do not coach your child during the game. I can’t emphasize that enough. We have four coaches. We do not need five, or seven, or 10. I have had to speak to parents about this, and it is not a positive thing. We have found in the past that too many voices do not help players. You are entrusting your daughters to our coaching by allowing them to be members of the Bears. Let us coach them. You may think that these players need constant reminders. We’ll be the ones to determine that.
Do not coach your child during the game. I can’t emphasize that enough. We have four coaches. We do not need five, or seven, or 10. I have had to speak to parents about this, and it is not a positive thing. We have found …
Oh, I already mentioned that. Sorry. But you get the point. Cheer for your daughter. Do not instruct her while she is playing or practicing with the Bears.
Parents, leave players alone during games. The Bears’ bench is not a public area. It is a place for players and coaches only. Please ask siblings, unless they are invited by a coach, to stay in the bleachers or away from the bench area. Girls, if you need to see your parents during the game, it’s fine, but you must ask permission to do so first. We don’t want players sitting in the bleachers with their parents, or sitting on their laps during games.
The best parental rule of thumb: When you drop your daughter off for a practice or game, wish her well and say, “See you after the practice/game. Good luck.’’ You’ll be pleased at her independence. She’ll be in good hands if you don’t stay for practice. If there are concerns you have with our coaching, or with our approach, or with your daughter’s position or playing time, please see us privately, or call us. For many of the girls, this will be the first time playing competitive sports above the rec league level. It will be a new experience. Trust that the coaches will handle the players properly, and allow us to coach the way we think is best. Also, each family will be asked to bring drinks and a healthy snack once or twice this year. That’s listed on the enclosed schedule.
Did I Mention, “Be on Time?’’
This is a pet peeve of ours. If we ask players to be at the game site at 5 p.m., that means we start our pre-game work at 5 p.m. Do not arrive at 5:03, unless you want to get a lot of exercise running laps. If you have to be late for a practice or game, simply let us know, and it will not be a problem. It’s when you don’t tell us that it’s a problem. Also, we understand that many of you will have conflicts getting to games or practices, or getting there on time. Please call us, and we can arrange transportation. One of us will pick you up, or we will get another parent to help. Important note: If it rains, and we have to leave the field or game, and parents do not pick up their player promptly, she will be at the King house, 142 Bellevue Ave., Upper Montclair. That is a few houses down the street from Mount Hebron Field.
Practices
These are really, really important. We need to get to know the players and what they do well. We need to figure out where players should play in the field. Plus, this is a more complex game than the one some of you are used to playing. We’ll have six practices before we ever take the field for a practice game, and we can guarantee you that we’ll spend significant time at EVERY practice learning how to bunt properly. Bunting is very important in softball, and every player on our team will be called on to bunt at some point this year. Some batters will be called on to bunt 15 times. So we want to make sure that we can teach bunting properly to everyone. You may find that all the bunting could drive you mad, but take our word for it: In the vast majority of competitive high-school softball games, bunting plays a vital role in who wins and loses. We will have short practices before games, so promptness is important.
Websites
There are two you should know about. One is the creation of that mad web scientist, coach Bowers, who has the official Montclair Bears website afloat. Every time we have an announcement, it will be posted on the website, and it will be emailed to all players.
The site: http://www.oocities.org/montclairbears
The other is the official league website, which keeps our schedules and standings posted. You can follow our progress against the other teams at: www.eteamz.com/UGALS/
E-Mail ‘R Us
We use email all the time. I mean, all the time. As soon as a practice or game is called off, you’re more likely to get an email before a phone call. So please get into the habit of checking the email you’ve given me every time you have a weather-related question. If I haven’t sent you an email, you know practice or the game is still on. Please forward every email address you have, and we’ll put them on our list.
What Else We Need
1. As soon as possible, and no later than June 3, we need a readable photocopy of birth certificates for players. We must certify that each player has been 10 years or younger for at least one day in 2007.
2. We need your approval to post your daughter’s picture on our website. Some people might not like to have that done. If you don’t, no problem. Just let us know.
3. Each player must go to Murph’s or any sporting goods store and buy a pair of black or white sliding shorts. Players will be learning how to slide before our first game.
4. We could use four parents to help in different areas. One, a phone chain/email manager to assist the coaches in notifying players and families when schedules change. I will email notices about practice sites and rainouts immediately as I know them, but on rainouts we need to have someone who can make 14 phone calls in 20 minutes on short notice. Two, a person or two who can be free before home games to help groom and line the field. This job will require you to be around at 4 p.m. on the afternoons we have home games. Three, a person to help organize a possible July 4 game in Montclair. That will have some details apart from a usual game.
That’s it. Good luck as we start what we know will be a great season. Go Bears!
Your coaches, Peter, Ann, Jack, Karin.
P.S. Oh, and be on time for everything. Did we mention that already?
