10.19.2020 Coach’s Message
In advance of our Booster Club’s message detailing our upcoming field work weekend, I would like to set the tone. Our program is stronger with volunteer help and support. This past year has been challenging with the risk from COVID-19, large number of interested players and compliance with COVID-19 countermeasures. We have met the challenge and hosted competitive Summer and Fall player development teams. Our student-athletes have put in a lot of time working on their skill-sets, on strength/conditioning and on our Spring 2021 strategies, offensive and defensive plays. What they have also been exposed to is our brand, commitment and style of play.
Each year we prioritize a limited number of facility maintenance and improvement projects. These projects invest in our high school, our students and the greater Evergreen baseball development community. Baseball continues to evolve and we have introduced technology (video collection and analytical student internships) and worked hard to minimize field wear and tear but with three teams each Spring, Summer and Fall it is not easy.
I ask that you consider helping us this Fall during our annual field day which will be the first full weekend in November. We will be releasing a detailed message this week. There are a number of ways to help us: volunteer labor; accept and be responsible for a specific project as the Project Manager (PM); leverage your professional experiences (Engineer, Construction, access to needed equipment or material; or friends with an entity that may be interested in donating to our program).
Our projects include:
new outfield warning track (we do not have one);
regulation foul poles;
removal of old foul poles;
taking down and rolling up the wind screen;
demo of our injury prone batting cage and development of an engineer stamped plan to re-build (roof only);
removal of our two old scoreboards and if possible, install two flood lights on each pole;
locking in a few sponsors for our RF fence advertisement/fund raising program;
acquiring and installing three video cameras and a recorder on the backstop to record our pitchers and hitters for passage to college recruiters and for analysis; and
completion of our concession stand renovation (new cabinets, etc.).
I hope that you will consider helping out since we are a community based high school program that operates and works with our student-athletes 11 months of the year.
Thank you all.
John F. Lipka
Evergreen H.S. (EHS) Cougar Baseball