Downey Letter

Parents

September, 2008

 

Parents of MVHS Baseball Players,

 

It's September and your thoughts are on the start of the new school year and fall sports, as it should be. 

 

For planning ahead purposes, below is some information about baseball next spring. 

 

An informational meeting will be scheduled for all parents and players in early March.  In the meantime, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions (612-716-1088, markdowney@charter.net).

 

 

 

Mark Downey

Mounds View Baseball (www.moundsviewbaseball.com)

markdowney@charter.net

612-716-1088

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Season

 

First, a reminder that I believe students should participate in multiple high school sports/activities if they have the interest and ability to do so.  Fall and winter activities should be their primary focus and priority.  That said, some students are interested in pre-season baseball training opportunities as well:

 

Captains practices will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (8:30 - 10:00) as in past years.  They will begin on Tuesday, January 6 and continue until the high school season begins.

 

Pitch 2 Pitch is a local baseball training company that is offering a more structured pre-season training program at MVHS on Sunday evenings for those interested; beginning Sunday, January 4.  Flyers on this program are available at the baseball bulletin board at school, posted on the baseball team website (http://moundsviewbaseball.com/Index.html), and in the attached document with this email.

 

Both of these opportunities are intended to provide preparation for the MSHSL season but are not required nor directed by MVHS coaches.

 

I get questions throughout the year about camps and clinics that are out there.  I try to keep a list of baseball camps and clinics throughout the calendar year posted on the Camps/Clinics page of the website for those interested: http://moundsviewbaseball.com/Campsclinics.html.

 

 

 

Start of Season / Spring Break

 

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) start date for Baseball is Monday, March 16, 2009.  

 

The MSHSL provides that practices can be held earlier than March 16 for ninth graders.  We will have practices for ninth graders the week of March 9, 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 16, seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen will all practice.  During this week, a combination of practice and tryout activities will be conducted.  We will have practices at MVHS and a local college fieldhouse.

 

The Mounds View School District Spring Break is also the week of March 16, 2009. 

 

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 inform me 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 also: http://www.moundsviewbaseball.com/attendance.html).

 

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 following Spring Break, the week of March 23.  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 23.

 

 

 

Practice and Game Schedule

 

With the new baseball field at Mounds View High School, we will no longer be utilizing Kohler Meadows in Vadnais Heights.  The varsity and JV will use MVHS as their home field; the Sophomore and Freshman teams will continue to use McCullough Park in Shoreview as their primary home field.  The schedule occasionally provides for the freshman and sophomore teams to use the MVHS field as well.

 

The Minnesota State High School League allows a 20 game schedule.  With 6 weeks to complete the games (more like 4-5 with Minnesota spring weather), it makes for a very short season.

 

I have recently completed the scheduling for the 4 teams.  With our Suburban East Conference schedule, we have the opportunity to schedule 4 non-conference opponents.  We are the only team in the Suburban East conference that competes in Section 5AAA for the playoffs, and as such, we want to play some Section opponents for Section seeding purposes.  We will again play Section and neighborhood rivals Irondale and Totino-Grace.  We also play Section team Spring Lake Park, and the 4^th non-conference opponent is Minnetonka. 

 

Note that the Minnetonka games are scheduled for the Saturday of Easter weekend.  Obviously not ideal, but with a very short season, it was the only date that reasonably worked for both schools and I know the varsity kids really enjoy the opportunity to play a high quality opponent on one of the nicest baseball fields in the state.

 

The game schedule for all 4 teams is available on the team website: http://moundsviewbaseball.com/Schedule.html.  It is also available on the Mounds View School calendar: http://www.suburbaneast.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=19&school_id=3.

 

 

 

 

 

Freshman Parents

 

I have included you on the distribution list for this mailing based upon information I received somewhere along the line (SAYB, 8^th Grade Information Night last winter) that your son may be interested in trying out for baseball this spring.  Undoubtedly, my information is not entirely accurate.  For those I have included in error, please email me to be removed from the distribution list.  I am also likely missing some people - please pass this email along to those you know who have interest, and have them contact me to be included on the distribution list for future communication.

 

If interested, the team website contains a great deal of information about the MVHS high school baseball program: www.moundsviewbaseball.com.

 

The Diamond Club is a parent run organization that provides tremendous support to insure that the MVHS baseball players have the opportunity for a quality high school baseball experience.  They are always looking for additional people to be involved.  Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM in the Forum at the High School.  The next meeting is Tuesday, October 7^th at 7:00PM in the Forum at MVHS.  Please feel free to just show up if you'd like to get involved or simply learn more about the baseball program at MVHS.  You can contact one of the Diamond Club officers if interested: http://www.moundsviewbaseball.com/diamondofficers.html.  More general information about the Diamond Club can also be found on the team website: http://moundsviewbaseball.com/Diamondclub.html.