2nd Message of 2019

Evergreen H.S. (EHS) Cougar Baseball

Evergreen Cougar Baseball Club (ECBC)

This is our second message of 2019. Our first message of 2019 was dated 1/9/2019. These

messages are meant to update and inform interested student-athletes and their parents for

both programs EHS Cougar Baseball (Spring H.S.) program and the Evergreen Cougar Baseball

Club (ECBC) program. The ECBC includes Club Team activity Summer, Fall and into Winter (early

Spring). Please make sure you have read previously posted to our website messages and that if

you are a student-athlete, that you have read the posted in the cages messages.

We had our annual interested parents meeting at EHS 1/15/2019. That meeting was open to all

interested parties. I would like to recap a few items that were discussed and that are worth

documenting so there is no confusion.

We encourage all interested EHS student-athletes to visit with members of the coaching staff or

Athletic Director (AD) so that all of your questions or concerns are addressed in a timely

manner.

- Winter and into early Spring workouts are all voluntary and open to all interested EHS

student-athletes. They are focused on strength/conditioning and skill development and

are organized and “controlled” to ensure a safe and productive environment.

- Spring 2019 EHS Baseball try-outs or player evaluations conform to CHSAA and JeffCo

School District rules and best practices. Try-outs are scheduled for 2/25 and 2/26.

Coach evaluators have made clear our evaluation metrics and includes evaluation tools

such as radar guns, digital stop watches, drills and exercises. At conclusion of the

evaluations, coaches will work as a group to objectively and fairly roster our Varsity (V)

and Junior Varsity (JV) Teams. Then scheduled practices continue followed by

scrimmages then games. Student-athletes that tried-out but who were not assigned to

the V or JV rosters will be “referred” to the Evergreen Cougar Baseball Club (ECBC)

“Club” team or L3 Team.

- The ECBC is not administered under the EHS Baseball program but under the umbrella of

the ECBC and their player evaluations will be held 3/1 and 3/2. At the aforementioned

annual meeting, it was discussed and “approved” by those in attendance (parents and

current Booster Club Board members) that the Club Team try-outs will be open to those

H.S. players “referred” and also “rising 9th graders.” Rising 9th graders were defined as JeffCo students currently in 8th grade and attending a feeder Middle School (Public, Private or Chartered) to include Home Schooled students. We did this last Spring (2018)

and will do this into Spring 2023 as a pilot.

- Spring Break 2019 like in previous years will include travel to AZ for practice and

scheduled games. The V and JV will play in the Greenway Festival games are 3/26

through 3/29.

- Spring Break 2019 for the ECBC Club Team will coincide date/time wise with Spring Break

and will also include practice and games in AZ in a different setting/tournament. As of

right now, games are being scheduled in the Mesa area at the Red Mtn. Baseball

Complex. The Club Team will not ride in the chartered bus with the EHS V and JV. The

ECBC is working on their logistics. Club coaches are not EHS H.S. coaches.

- I would like to remind us all of a few rules. Under the CHSAA Constitution and applicable

By-Laws CHSAA certified coaches have certain restrictions on Sundays. One is No

Contact hence no practices or games. We are not being rude but please recognize this

restriction. The other is our JeffCo defined relationship with the aforementioned Club

Team under the umbrella of our ECBC. Once the Spring season starts, there is a

separation. This does not mean that that program is not competive. The opposite is

true - it is competitive and will play against other JeffCo L3 competitive teams. Players

rostered to that Club Team will be afforded a high level of practice time, access to quality

facilities and coaches so that they develop into outstanding young people and baseball

players. The Club team can practice, play on Sundays and on Cougar Field (with the

proper User Agreement executed and approved by the District). Another restriction is

our contact with 8th graders. H.S. coaches do not recruit student-athletes and our

contact with 8th graders is limited (restricted) until May 1st of each year (sons, daughters excluded).

-To answer a few questions, yes I have a son who is in 8th grade at EMS. He (and my 8th

grade daughter) will be attending EHS next year and they are excited about the

opportunity. He plays baseball and is working hard to hopefully be a value-add baseball

player for the Cougars one day in the future. I as the EHS Head Baseball Coach am

aware of any perceptions since he is a “baseball rat” as I was too growing up. I work

hard to be fair, transparent and objective while at the same time dedicated to EHS and

Cougar Baseball and all of our student-athletes. We are fortunate to have a few other

volunteer coaches in our program that have sons participating in our baseball program

and they too recognize the importance of being objective and fair. We as coaches put in

a lot of time and strive to “pay back” to the game and our community. We look forward

to working with your student-athlete as they grow and mature. Hard work, honesty,

commitment and dedication are values that we expose participating players to. To that

end, none of our coach’s sons receive special treatment – quite the opposite.

-I remind all student-athletes, parents and friends of Cougar Baseball that our brand

includes respect for not only the game of Baseball, the Cougar Baseball program and

most importantly respect of others. As we march towards a successful year, hard work

and discipline in the classroom and on the field is important along with open, respectful

behavior and communication. This includes our fans and our interaction with members

of opposing teams and the umpires. Thank You all.

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