MMBA Baseball Coaches Manual

MACDONALD MINOR BALL - BASEBALL COACHES MANUAL

GETTING STARTED

Thank you for coaching baseball this season! Please use this document as a guide to assist you and your coaching staff. Within the package, you will find helpful information regarding Macdonald Minor Ball procedures, baseball rules, coaching tips, and more. If you have any questions or need more assistance, please reach out to your age convenor or the Vice President of baseball.

CONTACTS:

Macdonald Minor Ball Executive: Macdonald Minor Ball Association : Website by RAMP InterActive

Umpire in Chief: Jared Carlberg 204-223-0072

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• All coaches and managers must have Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders and a current (within 5 years) Criminal Record Check.
• Coaching requirements vary for each age group and level. See ‘Coaches Certification Guidebook’ for details.
• All coaches are required to be registered on RAMP. If they are not registered, they may be asked to leave the bench at any time. Coaches will not be permitted on the bench for Provincials without a valid RAMP registration.

PARENT CONTACT:

It is recommended to hold a parent meeting (a detailed e-mail could also work) at the beginning of the season to go over plans for the year and meet the families.  Practices, playing time, tournaments, and playoff/provincial plans are all topics that you may want to discuss.  It is highly recommended to give families a clear idea of what to expect in terms of commitment and playing time (including playing time at specific positions). A sample agenda for parent meeting is available (can be adapted as you see fit and for your age group/level).

JERSEYS, EQUIPMENT AND DIAMONDS:

An equipment bag and team jerseys will be provided to each team. Coaches can pick them up on the Coaches Night held in April. Coaches are responsible for collecting jerseys and returning them to the Uniform Coordinator at the end of the season. They must also return the equipment to the Equipment Coordinator.

The following equipment will be provided by Macdonald Minor Ball:

• Catcher gear (usually a smaller set and a larger set)
• Scorebook (provided by the league)
• Basic first aid kit
• Extra jerseys
• Game & Practice Balls

Bases, and pitching machines for 9U, are kept at the diamonds. Please rake the diamond after use, especially the heavy traffic areas (pitching circle and batters boxes). You can ask that parents be responsible for doing so after each use.

Batting Cages - You do not need to book timeslots, but please be courteous when others are there to use them at the same time.

The batting cages in La Salle have recently undergone significant renovations, completed entirely by volunteers who contributed many hours of their time.

ABSOLUTLEY NO RUBBER OR METAL CLEATS - CLEAN RUNNING OR TURF SHOES ONLY!

Please discuss and remind your team regularly to take care of the batting cages so that we can keep the turf clean and lasting for years.

TEAM FORMATION:

The Macdonald Minor Ball Team Formation Policy can be found on this website under the ‘Policies’ section. Additional details are as follows:

9U:  The Age Convenor and baseball committee will seek to create teams that are balanced and, when numbers allow, community-based. For communities that have more than one team, balance is created by having a mix of younger and older players on each team.

11U/13U/15U/18U:  The Age Convenor and baseball committee conduct evaluations for players in these age groups. The scores from evaluations will be used to first make AA teams. The Age Convenor and baseball committee will then seek to create teams that are balanced at the beginning of the season with the remaining players. However, it should be recognized that teams will develop and improve at different rates throughout the season. Home communities, experience levels, defensive positions (e.g. pitchers or catchers), coaching staff and other factors may be considered.

Once coaches are in place and teams are formed, you are free to start practicing.

Note: AAA tryouts for the Winnipeg South Wolves are held prior to AA/A tryouts for 13U and up. Macdonald does not have its own AAA teams.

SEASON TIMELINE:

The regular season typically runs from the first week in May to the last week in June. Playoffs and provincials will be in June and/or July. For AA teams, playoffs and provincials typically take place later, taking the season to sometime near the end of July.

In general, all teams will compete in playoffs, unless a specific division decides to have a playdown prior to. The playoff weekend will serve as a qualifying weekend for provincials.

Key dates can be found on the Baseball Manitoba Website

PRACTICES:

Practices are essential for developing players’ skills.  Coaches should try to plan at least one practice per week during the season.

For 9U, it is recommended that coaches schedule a 1 hour practice before their 1 hour scheduled league game. You do not need to book these timeslots.

Subject to availability, practice diamonds will be available free of charge in La Salle, Oak Bluff and Sanford for Macdonald Minor Ball teams. Contact information for the community representative can be found under 'Contact' on this website. 

DIAMOND SET-UP:

Typically, the home team is responsible for setting up the diamond. At some diamonds you will need to set up the bases and pitching rubber (kept in boxes in the dugouts). Distances are measured from the back of the plate/base. See Baseball Manitoba website for diamond dimensions.

In 9U, the pitching machine will need to be calibrated and set up using the distance for this age group (40-42ft). Pitching machines can be found in the diamond boxes, unless you have been told otherwise. Please return all equipment following the end of the game and ensure that the rubber stoppers are back in the ground.

PLAYING TIME:

Macdonald Minor Baseball prioritizes a developmental approach, in which players have fun while developing baseball skills. Please see the Macdonald Baseball Fair Play Guide on the website for details.

PITCHING:

Developing pitchers is an essential part of the Macdonald Minor Baseball program. Pitchers should be encouraged to practice at home. Pitch count maximums for pitchers apply in most age categories. Further information regarding pitching rules and regulations can be found in Appendix VI of the Baseball Manitoba Handbook.

It is the expectation that coaches ensure that the Macdonald Baseball Fair Play Guide is followed in terms of pitcher development. This will help your team’s success in playoffs and provincials. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Coach Certification and Development Coordinator.

MAKE UP GAMES/PICK UP PLAYERS:

If a game needs to be cancelled due to weather, the home team should make the call before 5pm on game day. The opposing team, league, and umpire-in-chief must be notified. Teams may choose to schedule a make-up game by booking a diamond (see diamond contacts) and umpire (through the UIC). If a team needs to cancel a game due to other circumstances, they should do so as early as possible.

If your team does not have enough players to field a team for a league game, you may bring up players from a younger/lower-level age group. This will be easier than re-scheduling, so try to use this option when possible. If you need help finding players, contact the Age Convenor for the younger category, or the Vice President of Baseball.

BASEBALL RULES:

Baseball is a complex sport with many rules, some of which change as players move into older age categories. For full details on rules and regulations, please refer to the Baseball Manitoba Handbook for more information on all rules and regulations.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Many coaching resources, including practice plans, are available online.

Coaching Requirements:

https://www.baseballmanitoba.ca/content/coach-training-and-certification

Baseball Canada Resources:

https://baseball.ca/baseball-canada-instructional-videos-now-available