SPRING DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE
Fast Pace - Quality Coaching - Competitive Games
We believe our Developmental League provides the perfect blend of instruction and competition while limiting the amount of time spent traveling to different fields and the lack of activity that plagues youth baseball.
Our practices are a fast-paced balance of technical instruction and dozens of repetitions of hitting, throwing, defensive, and base-running drills. Ballplayers are encouraged to play a variety of positions with everyone being allowed multiple opportunities in the infield, outfield, on the mound, and behind the plate. We work on building arm strength and developing the accuracy needed to be an effective pitcher.
We keep the games fast paced and engaging by encouraging hustle, focusing on the mental aspects of the game, and ensuring that lots of strikes are thrown. There is always a senior coach in the middle of the field umpiring, teaching, and attending to the pace of play. Other coaches man each dugout where they work with their team to review previous plays, at bats, and to make sure that their team is aware of whose turn is coming up in the order and each ballplayer's upcoming defensive assignment.
In the Spring, as sunset creeps later into the evening, we are able to practice with each age group one evening a week. In practice, ballplayers are grouped with kids their own age as they go through a variety of stations designed to improve a variety of skills and techniques. We believe that by keeping the groups small and the rotations short ballplayers are able to learn a great deal, stay focused, and have fun. While the skills and drills are often repeated, coaches are able to modify their stations as the ballplayers learn or to match different abilities.
The Developmental Leagues focus on hitting and defense. As we get later into the season we hope our Double A and Triple A ballplayers will have the opportunity to get on the mound in game situations. If that ballplayer struggles to throw strikes, the senior coach will step in and pitch to ensure the pace of play does not decrease. When the next batter steps up, the coach steps back behind the mound for the young pitcher to try again. Our coaches are very mindful of their players' emotional states and work to ensure that these potentially upsetting situations are seen as part of their growth as ballplayers.
The D League has three divisions. A Ball for 1st-2nd graders, AA Ball for 3rd-4th graders, and AAA Ball for 5th-6th graders.
Most weeks we will play on Saturday afternoons, but due to scheduling conflicts at St Albans there will be a couple weekends where we'll play on Sundays
We'll start the weekend of April 8th and end the weekend of June 3rd with no games on Memorial Day weekend
The cost for the Spring Developmental League is $650 and includes a jersey and hat.