As the Gamers summer season winds down, a lot of attention is turning to "next year" baseball.  Every year, this seems to happen earlier and earlier. 

 

Our policy is to focus on the next year, immediately AFTER the current year is completed and not BEFORE.  In the St. Louis baseball community, it was once a rule that you did not hold tryouts until the current baseball season was over.

 

That principle has gone down the tubes, as we have had other teams actively recruiting Gamers kids for months.  The other programs wait for us to schedule our tryouts, then rush to schedule their tryouts before ours.  Rawlings Tigers even cut their high school season short, so they can hold tryouts while we are still playing.  Short-sighted leadership.

With that said, I do need to explain the Gamers process for 2014 for our 10u-14u teams.

 

First, >67% of our players will be invited back as returning players to our teams.   We are interested in developing players, not recruiting players.

 

When your season is finished --- AFTER YOUR LAST GAME --- you will receive a call from either Matt Whiteside, me or your coach about the 2014 season.    This will happen 1-3 days after your last game, but BEFORE tryouts which are scheduled for July 30-31.

 

Here is the process:

 

1. You will receive a phone call within a couple of days of your last game to discuss next year.

 

If you have decided not to return to the program, please let us know at that point.   

We think the Gamers program is the right place for kids who are passionate about baseball and are willing to work hard.   But, we understand that it is not for everyone.

 

2. If you want to retain your roster spot for 2014, you will be asked to make an immediate deposit of $500 to hold your roster spot.  We will request this deposit before the tryouts on 7/30 to hold your roster spot.  Please be prepared to make this deposit, by credit card or check immediately.

 

If you do not make the deposit (or make other arrangements with me), then we will fill your roster spot during tryouts being held on July 30 and 31st.

After the rosters are finalized, an email will be sent and you can select your payment plan for the year.

 

3. In mid-August, you will get together with your 2014 team and start planning for the 2014 season and fall baseball.  Fall baseball usually starts around Labor Day weekend.

 

As a group, the Gamers coaching staff is the best in the region.  Comparisons to other programs are not even close.  Besides Matt, Scott and Dave's 30 years of professional baseball, our core coaching staff has over 100 years of youth baseball coaching experience.  We have a solid, successful player development program that has a proven track record in taking kids through middle school and high school baseball into college. 

 

The Gamers system works.  Players are challenged, they improve, develop skills, mature as young men, have fun and return to the program.  It is not easy.  Good things rarely are.  But, we have a system of teaching baseball and coaching that works.  

Thanks again for being part of the 2013 Gamers and we look forward to talking with you soon.