1.       Why chose The Batter’s Box?

 

Your son will receive the fundamental baseball training you desire. The coaching staff is made up of retired head high school coaches and former minor league players. Head Instructor Jeff Elder and Tom Emery have over 55 years combined high school coaching and evaluation skills. Our hitting and fielding instructor, Armando Polanco, has a background in minor league baseball and comes from a professional baseball family. William Shanks, our pitching instructor has pitched at the minor and pro levels.

 

2.       What are the goals and philosophy of the program?

GOALS: To teach the fundamentals of the game and develop the skill level of every player. Have the players compete at a higher level than they have experienced in the past.

PHILOSOPHY: Be prepared to practice with a purpose and work hard every practice and game. Promote the game of baseball thru disciplined play, dedication to the team, and desire to become a better person. Promote citizenship and character on-and-off the playing field.

3.       How many players are on a team?

The teams consist of 14 to 15 players. There is one head coach with one or two assistant coaches. The business manager works with the head coach to coordinate practices and games for the summer season. One person is needed to keep score and update the stats on the website.

4.       What is the cost per family?

Budget consists of three main parts; uniform and equipment costs, tournament costs, and training costs.

The 16U travel teams cost per family is $1,850

The 15U travel team cost per family is $1,650

The 12U thru 14U team cost per family is $1,200, different format for payments, practices, and games than indicated below.

There is a down payment of $300 per family for the first payment for 16U and $200 per family for 15U. Payments are made on a monthly basis thru out the winter. Most of the team cost is incurred before the team starts playing high school baseball.

Fundraising events are available for the teams and individuals to offset the cost per family. We will work with families that already have a financial burden. 

5.       How are payments made?

After the teams have been selected there will be a parent meeting for final questions with the payment of the down payment. The payments are made on a monthly basis thru January. The fundraisers are during the month of February making your monthly payment much lower and the March payment usually is covered. The last payment is the March payment. There will be no extra cost after the last payment.

6.       How much do we travel?

Most of the tournaments are located in the St. Louis metro area. There will be one or two out-of-town tournaments. The phrase “travel team” just means the team is not in a league and only plays in tournaments. We do not have to travel across the country to find good competitive baseball for our teams.

7.       What is the time commitment during the coming months?

After tryouts and teams have been chosen, the teams practice once a week starting after the Labor Day weekend for about six weeks. We play in two or three fall tournaments with the players that are able to commit for the fall season.

At the end of October thru December the teams have the option of entering the Hitting League on Thursday nights. Players hit once a week for eight weeks in a competitive indoor game.

 

Sunday night practices start in December and end in February. Two teams will practice together for an hour and a half. The Batter’s Box staff and team coaches will coordinate the practices.

 

Starting in January the team coaches will have another practice during the week with their team for a one hour practice.

 

During the spring high school baseball season we will not practice with the players. During this time period players are allowed to use the facility anytime at no cost.

 

8.       What is a typical week during the summer?

Monday               OFF

Tuesday               OFF

Wednesday        Hitting practice at The Batter’s Box

Thursday             Outdoor practice

Friday                    Tournament

Saturday              Tournament

Sunday                 Tournament

The summer baseball season consist of 35 to 40 games with practices. The practices are a big key in developing the team concept. There may be some extra games during the week with local teams. The season starts during the Memorial Day weekend and ends the third weekend in July. This is a nine week season for the players with typically one weekend off during the half-way point of the summer.

 

9.       Winning vs. losing teams?

Some teams will have more success than others. The Goal is to develop talent in a good learning environment. Teams and players develop at different rates; it all depends on the work habits the players retain during the practices. Remember the old saying “Practices are Hard, Games are Fun.”