Club News
Message from the Club Coach
30 August 2007
I was extremely pleased with the numbers who attended the recent players meeting. The following is a summary of what was addressed on that night. Without wishing to enter into a lengthy diatribe on my coaching experiences it seems I have always found myself in the midst of relatively young teams. As such I have become adept at developing players, not only from a skill perspective but also in making that most difficult transition from junior to senior player. It is this challenge that I am very much looking forward to in my role as club coach at Upwey.I do not expect to be respected by any of the club merely because the board has appointed me. Respect is something that has to be earned, and it is my responsibility to win your respect by the manner in which I conduct myself – in the way I prepare for practice; in the manner I instruct you in the various aspects of the game and finally by the way I conduct myself on game day.
Likewise you have to earn my respect and trust by the way you approach your game – by the way you approach the training sessions; by the manner in which you prepare yourself to play both physically and mentally and by the way you treat the opposition and your teammates.
My role is that of club coach and by definition that means I am responsible for the coaching direction throughout the entire club – both junior and senior. In many clubs the “club coach” is only interested in the firsts however the philosophy of the true club coach is one I have always embraced. All players in the club are equally deserving of my time.
Additionally I will be working with the rest of the coaches, both junior and senior, to ensure we are all on the same page in relation to our approach. We will be working towards continuity of plays; we will have continuity of signals throughout the club. In this way all players will progress through the ranks with a clear understanding of how we do things as a club.
Selection
From the senior playing groups perspective the great advantage when a new coach steps in is that you are all on the same footing – you each have the opportunity if impressing me through the pre season training period and being picked in the appropriate team for the first game.
Our selection policy throughout the season will be very simple. The best team plays in the firsts, the next best team in the seconds and so on down the line. Formal selection meetings will be held on a weekly basis and players promoted or demoted will be advised by the relevant coach of this movement and in the case of a demotion given the reason for this so they have a very clear understanding of what they need to do to regain their position. The key thing for you all to recognise is that ultimately it is what you do on Sundays during the games that will determine your fate as players.
Trainings
Pre season training sessions will be on Sundays at 2pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm commencing Sunday 2nd September.
All senior players, under 18’s and under 16’s intending to play seniors can attend these sessions.
Once the season commences Tuesday nights will be for the firsts squad that will comprise the 1sts, 2nds and other invited players. Thursday nights will be a full club training night.
I understand that our family and work commitments will always come before baseball and to that end I have never made training compulsory. Suffice to say I do believe that the harder you train the better you will be. I do however have an expectation that any player in the firsts squad unable to train will either phone or SMS me to advise me they won’t be at training.
I do have one rule in respect of training and that is that baseball pants and caps must be worn – no shorts. If it is that hot we can’t wear baseball pants then we probably shouldn’t be training.
Protocols
I have an expectation that the following protocols will be followed equally at practice and on game days and both at home or away.
- no drinking alchohol, smoking or eating (with the exception of fruit or lollies required to keep you going during the game) in the dugout or on the field
- only persons in uniform to be on in the dugout
- nobody actually not involved in that game to be in or around the dugout – let the players focus on what they are doing without distraction
- that no matter what the opposition chooses to do we will play by the un written rules
Goals for the season
It is imperative that we set lofty goals – if we strive for mediocrity then we will probably achieve just that.
As a club we should be hell bent on winning the respect of the broader baseball community by the manner in which we conduct ourselves both on and off the field.
We want to be known as a club that is never beaten, no matter how dire the situation looks and that we will fight every game right out.
Do I want to win promotion and the club championship, hell yes. Can we win promotion and the club championship, absolutely. Will we win promotion and the club championship? Well that very much depends on how much each of you want it, how much work you are prepared to put in and what small sacrifices you are prepared to make to achieve these goals.
Good luck to you all for the season and I look forward to seeing you during the pre season.
Regards,
Phil Bertrand
Club Coach