Mustangs Baseball 
September 25, 2007
Dear Mounds View Prospective Freshman Baseball Players and Parents,
The purpose of this letter is to provide some brief introductory information about Mounds View High School Baseball.
Approach/Philosophy
A good vehicle for general information about the program is the web site: www.moundsviewbaseball.com. I would encourage you to visit the website for some perspective on the approach and philosophy of the baseball program.
Upcoming 2008 Season
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) start date for Baseball is Monday, March 17, 2008.
The MSHSL provides that practices can be held earlier than March 17th for ninth graders. We will have practices for ninth graders the week of March 10, 2008 – thus providing the freshmen with an introduction to the program with the coaching staff totally dedicated to them. During this week, a combination of practice and tryout activities will be conducted. An initial cut of ninth grade players will likely be made this week.
The week of March 17th, seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen will all practice.
The Mounds View School District Spring Break is also the week of March 17, 2008. Interested seniors and juniors trying out for baseball will be going on a spring trip to Orlando the week of March 17th.
Some of the coaching staff will be traveling to Orlando, and some of the coaching staff will remain in Minnesota the week of Spring Break.
All freshmen and sophomores, and seniors and juniors not traveling to Florida, will practice at Mounds View High School that week of Spring Break; we will also pursue the use of the Bethel Fieldhouse (or equivalent elsewhere) as we did last year.
Obviously, the timing is unfortunate as it relates to the opportunity for family Spring Break vacations. A frequent question that arises is whether a family vacation over Spring Break is a valid excused absence. The coaching staff strongly desires the players to be in attendance to benefit from this critical week of practice to improve their baseball skills and build a physical and mental foundation for the season. As coaches, we recognize the dedication required to be in attendance at all practices and games. That said, family is always more important than baseball, and a family’s decision to have the player miss the week of Spring Break for a family vacation is respected as an excused absence. Parents should contact Coach Downey if they are planning to take their son on a family Spring Break trip causing them to miss practice that week.
(A copy of the general attendance expectations for the MVHS Baseball Team is on the web site)
Mounds View High School supports four baseball teams: Varsity, Junior Varsity, Sophomore, and Freshman. Approximately 15 players will be selected for each team, for a total of 60. With 80-90 players expected to tryout for baseball, cuts are necessary.
A series of cuts will be made the week of March 24th. While all students will be provided a fair tryout that week, students in attendance at the practices over Spring Break obviously have the opportunity to improve their baseball skills leading up to the necessary cuts the week of March 24th.
Player evaluation will occur at both the spring trip site and in Minnesota during Spring Break. Again, final team selections will be made the week of March 24th with all players back together where they can be evaluated together. No preferential treatment will be given to those players that participate in the Orlando trip. Thus, it is possible that a player making the trip could be cut, and players practicing in Minnesota will have every opportunity to make the Varsity / JV teams.
Off-season
If you are playing a fall and/or a winter sport, great! Get after it; that should be your focus. The coaching staff fully supports and encourages participating in multiple sports/activities.
The baseball captains will have some optional captain’s practices to provide an opportunity for interested prospective players to prepare for the upcoming start of the season. They will likely begin in January; specifics will be communicated by the captains.
Some people have asked me about other options for off-season baseball workouts. The website contains some information about off-season camps/clinics if interested.
Diamond Club
The Diamond Club is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting, encouraging and advancing the Mounds View High School Baseball Program. This is accomplished in part by providing financial assistance and volunteer support. The website contains additional information.
Randy Reichert is this year’s Diamond Club President: randall.reichert@wellsfargo.com.
The next Diamond Club Meeting is Tuesday, October 4th at 7:00PM at MVHS.
The Diamond Club would love to have you come to participate or just observe.
Communication
Working with last summer’s SAYB information for incoming freshmen, along with MVHS student directories, I have tried to send this letter to anyone who would potentially be interested in MVHS Baseball. If I missed anyone, I certainly apologize; please pass along to anyone you know who is interested in Mounds View High School Baseball.
In addition to the website, I periodically provide email updates to interested parents. If you’d like to be added to this distribution list, please provide me with your email address; send it to markdowney@charter.net.
In Closing
If you have any questions about the Mounds View High School Baseball program at his time, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
A meeting for all parents and players will be scheduled for early March.
Players - I look forward to getting to know you. I am in the school most days; I am usually in or around the cafeteria at lunch time. Stop by and introduce yourself!
Regards,
Mark Downey – Mounds View High School Baseball
612-716-1088