The ABSH Commission and baseball committee are excited about another wild and exciting baseball season. After a long winter, we're sure all the players, parents, and coaches are anticipating another spring filled with the crack of the bat and the pop of the glove.

This season is going to be a great one because of several factors including great kids and parents. But one of the most important factors are you, the coaches. We need your help to not only coach teams, but as ambassadors for ABSH Ball Park.

You will encounter various situations all season that will test your coaching ability as well as your people skills but remember that your dedication and professionalism will be rewarded in the smiles and accomplishments of the children that you will coach and coaches you will coach against. So thank you for your commitment.

This manual will include information that will help you through-out the season, so please keep it on hand use it often. Make sure that it is read in its entirety as many of your questions may be answered here first.

Tonya Waddell - Baseball Commissioner

Do's and Don'ts for Youth Sports Parents & Spectators Do... Cheer for you Team Show interest, enthusiasm, and support for your child Control your emotions Help when asked by coaches and officials Thank coaches, officials, and other volunteers who conducted the event. Don't... Leave the spectator area during competitions Advise the coaches on how to coach Try to coach your child during the contest Make derogatory comments to players, parents, coaches, or officials of either teams Drink alcohol at contests or come to watch intoxicated

ABSH Baseball Contacts Commissioner of Baseball (Tonya Waddell)687-6541 ABSH Phone 523-3882 Cancellations 215-INFO Updated Daily @ 4pm

Important Dates March 1, 2007 Youth Baseball 14&U Practice Begins April 9, 2007 Youth Baseball 12&U Season Begins April 16, 2007 Boys 14&U Baseball League Begins May 18, 2007 Roster Frozen Until Tournament Pick-Ups 12&U May 25, 2007 Youth Baseball 12&U Season Ends May 29, 2007 Pre-Tournament Coaches Meeting May 29-June 1, 2007 Make Up Week 12&U June 1, 2007 Roster Frozen Until Tournament Pick-Ups 14&U June 9, 2007 Boys 14&U Baseball League Ends June 8-17, 2007 Youth 12&U City Baseball Tournament June 11-15, 2007 Make Up Week 14&U June 18-24, 2007 Boys 14&U City Baseball Tournament

Tournament / Event Dates & Information ABSH Spring Blast April 20-22, 2007 Open ABSH Summer Classic May 18-20, 2007 Rec Teams Only ABSH Day @The Park June 1-3, 2007 Open ABSH K-Town Rumble June 29-July 1, 2007 Open ABSH will be sponsoring 4 tournaments this season that will be sanctioned by the ABSH baseball committee. Three of these tournaments will be open to all teams with one being rec. teams only and are major fundraisers for our programs. The success of these events depends on the participation of our ABSH teams as well as outside teams and we need your help to publicize our events. We need you as coaches to help ensure that our tournament fields are full with the best competition that the region has to offer. To be Knoxville's best you need to compete against the best. An added benefit to entering our events is the price break that all ABSH teams will receive when they register for our events. So mark you calendar and make sure that you and your team are entered into our tournaments. Help us make these tournaments premier youth baseball events.

ABSH Picture Day Please Tell Your Parents Picture Day will be held on Saturday May 12th no make up day. All teams must show up for pictures. Pictures will be taken by Legends Event Photo. All teams will be given order forms. All children must fill out an order form in order to receive their free 5x7 team photo. Teams must show up 30 minutes before their scheduled time slot. In the event of rain we will have pictures on May 26th.

Age Cutoff Date USSSA Baseball age cut off is May 1st. This means whatever age a player is on April 30th will be their age group for the season. USSSA allows all players to play "up" in a higher age bracket.

Umpires Umpires are hired by the city of Knoxville. They are very hard to come by, and get paid very little. Most do it because they love the game and the children. I do not want any ABSH coach giving the umpires a hard time. If you do you will be asked to leave and be suspended for 4 games as per the City of Knoxville Physical & Verbal Policy. Please treat them as you would want to be treated.

2007 Baseball Fundraisers Coaches, it is imperative that we use this baseball season as an opportunity to raise funds for our ABSH programs. The baseball committee has decided to do at least two fundraisers this season plus our tournaments. More information about these fundraisers will be made available soon. Please encourage your team to participate in the fundraisers as well as the ABSH tournaments. If we make money this season it allows us to keep our fees low. Although, we are here for the children, we need money to operate this park and it is crucial to the maintenance and success of our programs and facilities. We need to be diligent in making these fundraisers a positive aspect of our park.

Team Organization Info The ABSH baseball committee suggests that each team be organized in the following manner. Head Coach - Responsible for overseeing all aspects of team coaching and management. Assistant Coaches - Responsible for assisting the head coach and base coaching. Bench Coach - Responsible for attention to all aspects of the dugout during games. Team Mom - Responsible for assisting head coach in regards to all paperwork, fundraising and team snacks.

Team Equipment Team equipment is available to all ABSH teams. Catchers equipment for all teams and batting tees for all t-ball teams are available. All equipment must be checked by the team head coach with the required forms and a deposit. This equipment must be returned by the head coach in a timely manner once the season is complete to the baseball commissioner. If the equipment is not returned or is damaged then an equipment fee of $75.00 will be assesssed to the head coach and your check will be deposited. If the equipment is never returned to the park in any capacity, then that coach and or his/her children will not be allowed to return to the park in any capacity. Please help us keep our costs down by taking care of any equipment that you have checked out and returning it in a timely manner.

ABSH Teams in Tournaments All ABSH teams are encouraged to participate in local tournaments. These tournaments are beneficial in the fact that they will provide increased competition for our teams. In addition, it will allow our teams and players an opportunity to compete against teams outside our region.. If you choose to play outside of Knox County you must have a travel permit from the City of Knoxville. This cannot happen overnight so please plan ahead and see Tonya ASAP.

ABSH Baseball Team Practice Schedule All ABSH baseball teams will have scheduled baseball practice times scheduled by the baseball committee. These times will be scheduled before the season. If you need to switch times, please contact the individual team and then inform the baseball chair of the change. Please be respectful of the teams that practice after your team by stopping practice on time and making sure that the field is in good shape for the next team to practice. If the weather is bad please use caution in regards to player safety and the condition of the field.

ABSH Baseball Team Game Schedule All schedules will be made by the baseball committee and posted at a later date. As you know, weather can play a large role in our season. Please either call the city gameline, the ABSH ball park phone number, or check abshballpark.com to check for cacellations and/or postponements. Games will be made up during the city scheduled make-up week after the season.

Alice Bell/ Spring Hill Baseball Safety & Conduct The following guidelines have been established to assist parents, players, coaches, spectators and league officials in assuring that baseball at Alice Bell Ball Park is conducted in a safe and effective manner. Thank you for your help in seeing that these guidelines are followed. Park only in designated spaces in the parking lots. No playing in the parking lots. No profanity at any time. Keep park CLEAN. Place all trash where it belongs, in the trash receptacles. Each team must clean all trash from their dugout after every game to avoid forfeit. No playing on maintenance equipment. No climbing on dugouts or fences. Keep all gates closed during games and practices. No throwing rocks, dirt or other matter. No throwing baseballs against the press box, dugouts, concession stands or fences. No "Soft Toss" or "Hitting Pracices" in the cages. Only one player at a time in the hitting cages while in use. Only coaches and adults to throw "Hitting Practices" in the cages. Only coaches and adults to operate pitching machines. Only umpires, players, coaches, and invited parents are permitted on the playing field during games and practices. Spectators are to be alert for foul balls and bad throws. Warming up prior to a game or practice is restricted to: on the field, in the hitting cages or in non-occupied areas. For both games and practices, helmets are to be worn by batters, on deck batters, base runners, and player base coaches. Catchers must wear helmet, mask and throat guard in games, practice, bull pen and for "between inning warm ups." Only one player on the "on deck area" when in use. No player should have any jewelry on during games or practices. City of Knoxville Conduct By-Laws