3.21.2021 Cougar Baseball Update
Update for Cougar baseball players, parents and legal guardians dated 3/21/2021:
Early season - Coaches met with players individually yesterday and discussed a number of these issues. We are reiterating them with this message.
Early season schedule for the Navy Team is obviously changing with weather related challenges. Game and practice decisions are in flux and evaluated on a daily basis as we try to practice and play games this time of year. Game scheduling is also complicated since our field is not playable, we are trying to use All Star Park (ASP) and have to juggle a lot to include CCU’s scheduled use of ASP, umpires, transporting equipment, logistics, etc.
Gold Team please communicate with HC Dan Schmidt and C-Team with HC Matt Smith.
Our website is one of our main communication platforms. Contact a Booster Club Board member directly if you are not receiving blast messages and notifications of pertinent messages.
CHSAA Spring season begins 4/26/21. If you have questions visit the CHSAA website.
Upcoming important deadlines: Jeffco School District Spring (Season D 2021) Athletic Registration will open up after Spring Break on Monday 4/5/21. New this year, there is a Jeffco CV-19 waiver that has to completed by every student-athlete and hand delivered to your coach NLT 4/26/21. If a student-athlete has tested positive for CV-19 within the past year, they are required to contact our EHS RN Karen Holton Harriman at the school directly. There is a return-to-play protocol which we have to follow.
Players should have all their baseball gear and equipment by now. BBCOR bats are required. Also required are NOCSAE certified: batting helmets (consider adding a c-flap); catcher’s chest protector (or a NOCSAE certified protection undershirt has to be worn underneath); and catcher’s hockey-style face mask.
Early Spring Navy team is using GroupMe as a text messaging service. We once again tested it today. All Navy Team players have been invited to participate in this group along with coaches. They have to respond and accept this group’s invitation which is generated by GroupMe.
Early Spring players are to wear during games their Cougar Baseball Summer/Fall game tops (pull overs, no buttons). Wear the one they have if it fits. We asked players if they needed a new one, then ordered replacement tops as needed. These replacement or new to the program game tops have been handed out to players. If they requested a new game top, our Board will send out an invoice since players keep these tops and use them for Summer/Fall play too. If a navy or white hat is needed, please contact a member of the Baseball Booster club.
Spring Break this year we have explored a couple options. We listened to players and parents and we are trying to stay within certain requests i.e. – stay in state, limit/reduce cost to families, get as much time as possible out on a baseball field since we are snow covered and have been negatively impacted by the recent weather. So far, we have a game on Monday 3/29 against Boulder HS at ASP 5-7PM. We will hit on Cougar Field pregame or in our cages if our field is not useable. The plan is to drive to Trinidad State on Tuesday 3/30 and practice then play 2-3 games through Saturday 4/2. One player has asked if we can stop on the way to Trinidad and practice and play a game in Colorado Springs. I have calls into the coaches at UCCS, Cheyenne Mtn. HS and Discovery Canton HS to see if we can do that. The problem is field availability and costs related to field rental then umpires etc. If I can make that happen we would practice/play and lodge in Colorado Springs Tues-Wed then drive to TSJC for Thu-Sat (return Saturday late afternoon). I am completely overwhelmed with the administrative action items related to all of the above and then there is actually coaching and scheduling our Spring CHSAA games. Any volunteers wanting to help please contact a Booster Club Board member. Yes, I am trying to address CV-19 risks on a daily basis. I am looking for help or suggestions for transportation and lodging. Ideally, that will or should be the responsibility of each student-athlete and his parents.
We are still looking for Concessions and Scoreboard/Announcing volunteers for our Home games. Contact a Booster Club Board member if you want to help spear head this. I would like to see a parent mentor that would work with a few interested EHS students. Students interested in a sport management career?
Lastly, Cougar Field prep. As we sit today it is not usable. Once the snow melts we still have a number of tasks to do before we can host a Home game. These are: finish the warning track (JR’s Landscaping); crane placement of the RF foul pole (Loma Electric and Jeff Allen is handling); paint the navy knee wall behind home plate and re-hang the protective padding; hang the two bullpen nets over the top of the two bullpen swing screens; get the District to repair the outfield fence at the left field foul line (I have submitted multiple requests); drop and secure with metal hog clips the outfield wind curtain in left and center field; find sponsors then order, hang the new advertisement wind curtains on the right field chain-link fence; and complete the batting cage demo and renovation. Sleepless nights for a head Coach. If a parent or friend of Cougar Baseball can help with any of these please contact a Booster Club Board member directly.
The good news is that our baseball program is strong and getting stronger. Number of student-athletes participating is up. We have 3 early Spring teams and could have 4 if we were not facility constrained. Our new scoreboard, dugout lettering and foul poles look great. Thanks to Jeff Allen and Loma Electric we are getting new security low wattage lights in our storage room and in our Home dugout. John Bellatti continues to donate an incredible amount of his personal time and effort on field prep. He fertilized, filled-in the low spots and seeded before the last snow fall. We are all very excited about the upcoming seasons – early Spring, then CHSAA Spring, then Summer/Fall. All without a turf field like Conifer got from the District. It speaks to our community support that we have and continue to receive.
Thank you all.
John F. Lipka
Evergreen H.S. (EHS) Cougar Baseball
303.807.8974 cell/text
303.982.5136 office
Evergreen Baseball Boosters (EBB)
Mike Read cougarsbbpresident@gmail.com
Barb Schmidt cougarsbbtreasurer@gmail.com
Todd Schiro flyerbuff@hotmail.com
Michael Mardosz mardosz@sbcglobal.net