Coaches Corner
Fall 2010 Season
If you want to coach please email Registration@mckinneyllb.com and let us know what team names (provide 3 minimum)(must be an existing MLB or Triple A team name) you want to be. Be sure you already have an account on McKinneyllb.com. If not, you will need to create one. You will be contacted to let you know if we have enough players for you to coach.
***Please note that ALL coaches and assistants are required to complete a background check for every spring season (or fall season if you did not coach in the spring).
Returning teams may stay together now, from league to league - see below for requirements.
NOTE: Returning teams/coaches must provide their new team Pin # to each player, BEFORE they register.
The following was voted on and approved by the Board:
A team can bring back their entire team (max of 13 players) from each spring season despite the players on their fall roster.
New teams not in MLLB the previous spring can only protect those players of the three coaches, or show documentation that they have played in MLLB as a team (or some other LL program) in previous years to bring their entire team into the league. This is a one time exception for the 2010 season.
Any player who played in the spring, but did not play in the fall, will be assigned to their previous spring team the following spring, unless the parents want to enter the draft. (E.g. player is on Team A in the spring 2008, but this player did not play in fall 2008. This player would be assigned to be on Team A in the spring 2009 unless his parents want to be on another team in which case the player would enter the draft).
Coaches will not be required to keep a player in the fall, as that player was placed on the team through the blind draft. Players assigned to a team in the fall can stay on that team for the spring if the coach wants the player and if there is room for the player. Example, If, a player does not play in the fall and wants to join the team in the spring he can do so and if this results in the player who was put on the team via the blind draft in the fall will then have to go through the draft for the spring. This only if the team is over the required number of players is on each of the team for the spring season. If a team was formed in the fall this team will not be able to stay together, as they would have to be together in the spring. Note, only the three coaches of the fall team would be able to form a new team and then go through the draft.
Players cannot play on any other team (select, MBA, etc.) while registered to play for a McKinney LL team during the spring season, but this is allowed during the fall season.
Entire teams can play in non-Little League tournaments during the weekends for both the spring and fall seasons. Note: the teams will need to supply separate uniforms for these tournaments along with a separate insurance policy since the Little League insurance policy will not provide coverage during these non-Little League activities.
Fall League:
All players who are not on a team will be placed on teams via the blind draft.
MKP info
Coaches,
Although it is not a requirement, MLLB encourages all players who are league age 8 to participate in the MKP Division. Below is some information that may help you decide if MKP is right for your players. If you have questions after reading the information below, please direct those to maito:mkp@mckinneyllb.com.
How is league age determined?
The league age is the age of the player on April 30. For example, a player who is 7 years old today and has a birthday in Feb. - is considered to be league age 8 since he will be 8 on April 30.
Can 9 year olds play MKP?
No - all league age 9 year olds must play in the Minors Division
How is MKP different from Coach Pitch (CP) ?
The kids get to pitch, and an umpire calls balls and strikes. The batter can strike out, but there are no walks. Instead, the batter's coach pitches to him in the event that 4 balls are called. The coach pitching inherits the strike count from the kid pitcher, so a batter may only get 1, 2 or 3 pitches from the coach. The pitching distance is 40 feet as opposed to 30 feet in CP, so the ball usually has a little more velocity when thrown by the coach. Standings are kept, and the level of play is a little bit better than in CP since most of the kids are 8 years old.
Why should a coach prefer MKP over CP?
Sooner or later all of the kids will move up to some form of kid pitch; it is just a matter of when. From a coaches perspective it makes sense to take a group of kids and move on with the inevitable. It is always a challenge to coach a group of kids when moving from one level to the next no matter when the time comes, and sometimes it is best to get started at the first opportunity.
Can a coach protect his entire CP team when moving to MKP?
Yes - a coach can protect all the players that were on his coach pitch team. This includes any 7 year old who might want to play up.
Can a coach add new players to his roster?
A coach can only add new players to his roster if he has less than 7 players on his roster. In other words, newly formed teams can only protect up to 7 players. New players will be added to the teams via a blind draft.
How do I know if a player is ready for MKP?
That is a hard one to answer, but here are two items to consider. 1) Safety: the balls are thrown and hit harder, so please consider the safety issues; 2) Fun: will my kid have more fun in CP or MKP next season? Below are some pros and cons that may help decide which is more fun for your players.
Pros:
The kids start to learn the basics about pitching.
The kids are introduced to batting against a kid pitcher.
Although there are no walks, the kids learn about balls & strikes.
Although there is no stealing, the catcher does become a little more involved in the game.
The kids are playing with other kids their age; there are less 7 year old compared to coach pitch, and there are no 6 year olds - so the level of play is better.
Cons:
The kids could be exposed to wild pitching and get hit; they then may end up being hesitant at the plate.
The games are much lower scoring since it is harder to hit the ball
The games may only have 3 or 4 innings, so there are less at-bat for the players
More practice time is involved since teams have to work on pitching.
Pro or Con: Standings are kept, so the games will be more competitive in nature
Here is the Background Check form for anyone who is coaching the Spring 2010 season.
It must be turned in to a Commissioner or Board member, and you must show valid identification.
The Player Protection Form can be downloaded Here.
Draft rules and procedures can be found Here.
All coaches should have a user account on Mckinneyllb.com before requesting a pin # you can sign up for an account here.
2009 Rule Changes (See links below)
Baseball - Rules and Regulations
Baseball - Tournament Rules and Guidelines
MLLB Rules can be found Here.
New this year the Little League International has created LittleLeagueCoach.org.
Expert advice from renowned players and coaches; video demonstrations; skills development drills and exercises. Little League managers and coaches can get all the tools they need to start their season right or build on what they already have in place. And it's free.
Coaches are encouraged to contact their league commissioner for the access code.Coaches, be sure to bring your checkbook to the draft/coaches meeting to put the deposit down on your equipment bags!!
Please contact your division commissioner with any questions. See the contact page to determine who your division contact is. Contact Page
References: