League Overview

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EBA League Details

Vision Statement
Mission Statement
Values
Developement Guidelines for Coaching
Facilities
Facilities Development Camps
Scheduling For Games
League Improvements (from fees)
Elkhorn Recreational League
Select and Power Try Out Process
Select and Power - Coaches
Select and Power - Acceptance
Se l ect and Power - Season
Select and Power - Costs
Tryout Evaluation
2010 Accomplishments
So What's New...
Our Ultimate Vision

Vision– what we aspire to be...
A community baseball organization which develops the child in all aspects of the game and personal development.

Mission Statement – delivering on our vision...
Mission Statement: To provide every Elkhorn Baseball family with an enjoyable learning experience in all aspects of the game. We are coaches, players, parents and staff working together to provide program opportunities from early childhood through early adolescence for all skill levels. We encourage and support the development of not only the baseball player, but also every young person as a whole, emphasizing sportsmanship, personal development and community loyalty. We achieve our mission with parental involvement, age-appropriate training, and access to professional staff and excellent baseball facilities within a friendly, safe environment.

Values – what we believe in...
Teamwork – recognize the value and strength of team unity
Honesty – understanding the value of playing/representing Elkhorn Baseball with integrity
Leadership – know the way, go the way and show others the way
Passion – develop a driving conviction for the game of baseball
Tenacity – play with courage – regardless of winning or losing
Excellence (on and off the field)
Courage – make the tough calls and face adversity with confidence
Respect – for teammates, coaches, players, parents, and umpires
Knowledge of the game – understanding the rules
Technical Skills Development – Age specific development in the technical aspects of the game

Our Development Guidelines for Coaching
Elkhorn Baseball Association uses volunteer coaches who have:
An understanding of the game
A passion for coaching kids baseball
Patience for teaching
Coaches who are willing to become a leader in:
“Competing with character”
Past experience in coaching at appropriate levels development /team
Who represent our Elkhorn community positively at all times.

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Coaching – at Select (Storm) Power (Lightening & Thunder) and Recreational Levels
Qualities of an Effective Coach
Possess the “it” factor
Knows the sport
Seeks out new information
Is a motivator
Knows the athletes
Is an effective communicator
Be a good listener
Is disciplined
Leads by Example

Facilities
Ta-He-Zouka field – games
Antler Field – games
Westridge south field – game
Westridge north field – games
North north field – practice
Hillrise north field – game
Hillrise south field – game
Fire ridge east field – game
Spring ridge field – practice
Elkhorn Ridge Middle school field – game
Manchester #1 – practice
Manchester #@ practice
White Hawk 1,2,3,4, fields – game

Facilities Development Camps
It is the passion of the board that players and coaches will be offered multiple opportunities through the Elkhorn Baseball Association for development.

These would include:
Skills camps
Player positioning camps
High school supported camps
Coaching development camps
Rules and guidelines clinics
The coaching the compassion development camps and certification
Coaching “how to –Instructional camps” – at each age level
EBA camps
Ties to camps available through out the region – universities, etc.
How to “keep books” clinic

Scheduling For Games
Elkhorn Baseball Association will post all games and scheduling on our website: www.elkhornbaseball.org
We provide a rain-out information on-line during the season for weather postponement provided to coaches – website updated for parents
Umpires are paid and will be available at all games for 9 yr. old and above.
Each season will be dependent upon the level and age group, but as a rule of thumb for the Slugger league
6-8 yr old tee-ball coaches and kid pitch will play approx. 15 regular season games per year
9-10 yr old will play approx. 15-20 + all stars regular season games plus tournaments
11-12 yr. old will play approx. 20+ all stars regular season games plus tournaments.
13-14 yr olds will play approx. 20 plus all-star regular season games plus tournaments per year.
Depending on the team we will conclude the season with between 15-30 games play total
(Select/power add 5-15 more games per year depending on the team/league

Improvements made with Player and Sponsorship fees over the last couple of years by the Elkhorn Baseball Association
Lights at Antler Field - $75,000
New Field Top Surfaces - $40,000
John Deere Tractor for Field Maintenance - $10,000
Batting Cages - $12,000
Field Dragging System - $4,000
Fences at Westridge - $2,000
2 Pitching Machines - $3,000
WhiteHawk Investment - $50,000

Elkhorn Recreational League-Sluggers
This is the heart and sole of our Elkhorn Baseball Program. Without this main component of our Baseball Program – the kids in Elkhorn loose more than 85% of the opportunities to play baseball with other kids whom are from the same community. We do not have a tryout process for the Sluggers League. During the registration process you are able to enter a preferred coach and a friend request. We will do our best to accommodate your request.

Select and Power Try Out Process
Tryout Process
We welcome all players living in the Elkhorn School District, who are interested in playing Select Level baseball to tryout. We limit the program to those living in the school district because we want to give as many Elkhorn Youth the opportunity as possible. This is our priority over recruiting all over Omaha for players. Age is based on how old you are on May 1, 2011.

We have put a tryout in place over the years that we believe is fair and accurate. Players will be rated at several stations (Batting, Infield, Outfield). Raters evaluate how they executed, as well as on their use of proper baseball mechanics, and athleticism. We have put a standard point system in place to insure ratings are as accurate as possible.

We use independent raters to provide an unbiased rating for all boys.

EBA has evaluated many different tryout processes, and implemented what we believe to be the best pieces of each of those processes to come up with what we feel is the best and most fair team selection system.

Teams are selected based on the ratings

Select and Power - Coaches

EBA works to assemble strong coaching staffs at each age group. We look for staffs that can provide a combination of strong teaching skills of good baseball fundamentals, and game strategy. As well as good interpersonal skills that allow them to be a positive role model for the players. Coaching candidates are evaluated prior to the tryouts, and final selection is not made until results from the tryouts are complete. EBA is always interested in evaluating coaches to join our Red Storm Staff! We are entering our 5th year of offering Select Baseball in Elkhorn, and our proud of the tradition of success we have started.

Select and Power - Acceptance

We attempt to select the team within 48 hours of the tryout whenever possible. We know boys are eager to hear the results. We will notify those who make the team, and ask for their commitment to the team. That will require a deposit check for $150 immediately. Once the entire team is selected and confirmed, we will post the team on the website. This will serve as notification for those who did not make the team.

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Select and Power - Season

Elkhorn Red Storm teams typically play a 45-50 game season. Indoor practices start in January, and are typically one to two times a week. We understand that in the winter boys might be committed to another sport, and in that season, that sport can be their priority. Meaning, coaches will work around conflicts with basketball, wrestling, etc, in January – March. The game season starts in early April. Typically, you will have 2 – 3 games per week. In addition to that, Red Storm teams play in 4-5 weekend tournaments throughout the season, concluding with State Tournament in early July.

Elkhorn Red Lightening teams typically play a 30-35 game season

Select and Power - Costs

$600.00 per player
Final costs to parents ultimately depend on fundraising activities of the team. Most teams only fundraisers are a team banner where each family is required to sell 1-2 sponsorships. And a tournament that the team hosts. With those fundraisers in mind, most families have about $300 out of pocket expense to the team. The money required pays for uniforms (Each player has a very nice home, and away uniform), tournament fee’s, umpire fee’s, and fee’s to EBA for field use and maintenance.

Select Try Out Evaluations
Catching Station
Infield Station
Outfield Station
Pitching Station
Hitting Station (Batting Cages)

Evaluations are point system ranked with overall scoring from multiple evaluations making final ranking for players during tryout.

Overall athletic ability and skill/ability at each station are part of the overall evaluation.

Some of our accomplishments for 2010...

Newly formatted in-house Sluggers All-stars experience
New Logo’s Storm/Sluggers/EBA
New upgraded uniforms and Hats
Hosted first annual Red-Blue HS Tailgate rivalry to promote our baseball community
Added bathroom hand sanitizer and 2 weekly cleaning to “porta-potty’s”
Coaches Social featuring a yearly special guest
An EBA first …”4 cornerstones training video with 17 tips and drills !
Tryouts improvements with new formats and coaches report cards
Formation of new leagues –Red lighting Red Thunder Leagues
Created new all inclusive Website – www.Elkhornbaseball.org
Provided new Online store for “spirit apparel”
No draft. Pick your team Sluggers program
Purchased EBA Team buckets –practice balls
Complete development of the (4) White Hawk fields
Purchased trailer for our tractor– softball
Purchased pitching machine
Purchased portable Mounds at white hawk
Purchased new equipment by age group
Added new Marketing coordinator for logo designs ,uniforms and events
Setup Microsoft Outlook for board positions
Added webmaster - Skyline Technologies

Couldn’t do it with out you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EBA Board of Directors

So what’s new – where does the Vision of EBA take our organization into the future?
Continue to improve on our current program offerings – Our focus is first on the area of quality within our programs
Player Development Programs
Coaching Development Programs
Improvement in Fields – current stresses on our assets
Listen to our community – what do they want from the Elkhorn Baseball Association
Add a workout facility with batting cages and clinic’s for kids!

Our Ultimate Vision – no Elkhorn Baseball Player would ever participate in an alternative program outside of Elkhorn – because we would meet the needs of all the players – regardless of talent or level of development.