Coach's Corner

Practice Scheduler 

This will bring up another window to log-on as a team manager to schedule a practice.

Refer to Pioneer League Practice Scheduler Instructions below for more information.

• Go to the leagues website:   www.thenewburyportpioneerleague.com
• Click on Practice Scheduler on the right side of the home page
• Enter the following:
• Username: Your manager username 
• Password: Your manager password

USERNAME and PASSWORD are the same pass codes you use to access your team manager
page on the Pioneer League website.

To schedule a practice:
1) Select a date
2) Select a “Service” – i.e. Practice / 60 minutes.  Must select practice and desired time slot (60 or 90 minutes).
3) Select a opening  “field”  and available timeslot displayed in the chart
4) Update contact info.  Please add your email and phone number.
5) Press “Confirm” button.
6) An email will be sent to you confirming scheduled practice. 
 
Practices do not get added automatically to your teams’ PL calendar/ schedule.  You must notify your team of a scheduled practice.  You may, also, add the practice time and place information to your team's calendar on your team page on the web site. Parents will be able to view games and practices on that calendar.  And if the parent with multiple kids in our League selects the multi-schedule option from the selection menu, ALL childrens games and practices will be displayed - in either list view or calendar view.  Please encourage your players'parents to use this feature.

It is a privilege, an honor, a personal commitment, a major responsibility, and a
personally rewarding and fun experience to be appointed a Manager in the Pioneer
League. The job comes with many expectations and duties. You will be expected to focus
on the task at hand – that of being held responsible for the leadership of a sports team
comprised of adult coaches and youth-aged players.  It requires a huge time commitment
not just on the field, but off the field as well. As a Manager you will need organizational
and communication skills, knowledge of the game of baseball/softball, the ability to teach
youngsters, and most of all - patience. This last attribute is most important, not only in
leading your players, but also for performing the administrative duties of being a
Manager. Listed below are the expectations of the Executive Board for Pioneer League
Managers.
 
 On the field:
 
Your first teaching priority is the practice of good sportsmanship; second is playing
skills; and third is teamwork. If you succeed you will field a competitive team.
Remember that we are here to instruct the players. Winning is great, but it is not our
primary goal.
 
As Manager, you are expected to run practices that teach your players the skills that will
help them play the game more confidently and in turn, more successfully. This means
running effective practices at least twice a week. Speak with your League VP if you’d
like help in designing practices. The key to a good practice is keeping everyone involved,
active in varied skills drills, and not just standing or sitting around. Before the regular
season begins, a minimum of 2 to 3 practices a week helps the team get going and used to
the discipline of attendance at practices. During the season a minimum of one practice
and two games a week are suggested. Many coaches get together and schedule
scrimmages. Remember more is better.
 
The addition of open substitution is to promote fair playing time for all. This means that a
son and/or daughter, or your team’s higher skilled players should not play every inning of
every game With a little effort you can ensure that no player sits more than one defensive
inning at a time during games.  
 
Not every player can be a pitcher or a catcher, but every player should be given the
proper instruction to allow him/her to safely play positions in both the infield and
outfield. Do not have players play only one position. Remember we are here to teach.
 
Managers and their coaches are expected to attend coaching clinics sponsored by the
League and led/taught by experienced personnel.  These are mandatory for Managers and
are highly recommended for all Coaches.  A coach's attendance at these clinics will be a
“plus” when new managers selections are held.  Attendance will be taken at applicable
clinics.
 
Off the field:
 
A Manager is expected to be at all scheduled League Board of Directors (League
Officers, Managers, and Coaches) meetings. The Board usually meets weekly beginning
in mid-March, continues in April, and reverts back to every other week during the season
after Opening Day issues are resolved. It is mandatory that each team be represented. If
you are unable to attend, a coach or parent must sit in.  Attendance will be taken.
 
A Manager is expected to coordinate parental duties, such as trash duty, spring clean up,
or other work parties as needed, etc. Remember the Pioneer League is an all-volunteer
effort and if all parents help out we will have a safe and clean environment for the
children. 
 
The calendar raffle is an important part of each year’s budget. Without the raffle there
would not have been new lights on Hawkes Field.   Other field improvements are funded
through the raffle also. As a Manager, it is important that your team’s parents understand
the importance of fund raising. And they need to participate to the best of their ability.
 
Each Manager will be given a copy of their players’ registration form. It includes parents’
names, addresses, phone numbers, cell/work phones and email addresses. It also includes
the player’s medical problems/allergies info if applicable and emergency contact
information. These copies should be secured and brought to each and every game and
practice.  Team rosters will be provided to applicable League VPs. 
 
Email is an effective means of communicating with your team’s players and their parents. 
It is not the only means, however.  Personal communication, team newsletters, and use of
the League Web Site should all be utilized.  You cannot rely on only one means of
communication. 
 
Every year uniforms are a problem -- either in distribution in the spring or collection at
the end of the season. A Manager should have a list of players and the shirt given to each
player. At the conclusion of the season, each Manager needs to collect the shirts and
return them to the equipment manager. The easiest method is to collect the shirt at the
conclusion of the last game.
 
As Manager you are responsible for your team’s game equipment and its return at the
conclusion of the season. Please clean helmets and the catcher’s gear as well as the bag.
 
Organizational:
 
Keep parents informed of games, practice times, and places. Email is the best method,
telling the player is the worst. Parents need advance notice of practices and games in
writing. Please try to provide a schedule at least a week or two in advance.
 
Keep the parents involved. Having everybody involved in the League gives everyone a
sense of ownership. This helps keep the place clean and safe for all.
 
It is expected, and necessary, that managers, both returning and those giving up a team,
will notify their returning players of the registration dates. A good way to do this is with
email a week before registration begins. Phone calls are also necessary.  Follow-ups are
expected and may be needed also to forgetful parents.  A mail-in registration session is
generally held in August and a walk-in registration session is held in mid-September.
 
General Decorum:
 
You are the role model for your team and the parents. Your actions and demeanor will set
the example for all. Good sportsmanship is the key. Remember we are a teaching League,
a bad call or decision is part of the game (a learning experience), not a life or death issue. 
There will be times you will have to “bite your tongue.”
 
The majority of our umpires are former Pioneer A and B League players and are current
PL Senior Baseball Division members. The ages range from 13 to adult. Most are 13-16.
That said, we are also teaching these young people to be umpires. Be respectful of them.
Do not argue judgment calls.  If you wish the ruling umpire to ask his partner for his
opinion, do so respectfully.  Do not question an umpire’s strike zone; you are not
standing behind the plate.
 
Keeping parents involved means that you may need to police them on occasion by
reminding them that they too, are role models for the players.
 
Conclusion:
 
While there are a number of duties as Manager, a good Manager knows how to delegate.
Most people are willing to help and only need to be asked. 
 
All Managers and Coaches are expected to live up to the expectations and guidelines set
forth above. These are part of the criteria that the Executive Board Screening Committee
will use in evaluating Managerial applications when Managers are approved for the
following season.  Manager titles are awarded on a yearly basis and are subject to review. 

The following applies to all three 90’ diamonds: NHS, Bresnahan and Salisbury.

Failure to follow the procedures may result in the loss of privileges on these fields.
 
Before each game remove the tarps and put them in one of the dugouts along with the
spikes/ties used to hold them.
 
After each game or practice the following needs to be done even if teams are following
you on the field:
 
Rake the pitcher’s mound;
Rake the home plate area, batters box and catcher’s box;
Rake the base paths;
Drag the infield.
 
At the end of the day, last team(s) is to cover mound and batter’s box with tarps and
secure them. Clean out dugouts and fields of trash.
 
At the field in Salisbury, put away rakes, mats and bases, and  lock up the storage areas.
 
At the Bresnahan, put away rakes and lock the shed. Bases are left on the field. Drag mats
are left behind the backstop.
 
At NHS, put rakes and small drag mats in the 3rd base dugout. Bases are left on the field.
 
After games both teams should do the above as it will take only a few minutes with all
pitching in.  Players are expectd to pitch in!

Managers, you are responsible for your coaches, assistant coaches, and any adult volunteers.  ALL must  be CORIed and approved before being on a field (game or practice) or in a dugout area on which youngsters are present.  This is a City of Newburyport mandate since we are using city property for games and practices.

The only divisions where scores and results are posted are:  Eaton Senior, BA, BB, GA, and GB. 

Access web site home page.

Sign in with your name and TEAM password.

You will see a notice page of web site New Features.

Across the top, find and click the TEAM Tab.

The screen you now see will be your Team page.

You may now click on the tab of your choice on the left edge (Contacts, Schedule, Calendar, Roster, Results, Standings, or Multi-Schedule).

Click on Results to enter scores and pitching innings of the players.

You will now see your completed games and season results page.

To enter the score and innings, click on the little note pad and pencil just to the left of the red “X” on the right side of the game to be edited.  Please do not click on the “X” or if you do, you will be subject to 10,000 volts of pure electrical shock...smile.

You will now see the screen on which to enter runs and innings.  Type in BOTH teams runs.  In the comments section, type your team name and under it, type the players and their innings pitched.  If you know the opponent’s pitchers and their innings, type them in also. 

Feel free to enter any other special notes about the game...strike outs, home runs, great fielding plays, etc.  Click on Submit.   These game notes are viewable on the web site home page under the game results section on the right side.

BOTH teams’ managers or responsible coaches need to access the results page and ensure the results and innings are entered and are correct.

While at the season results page,please note the little note pad and magnifying glass on the very left edge of a game line.  You may click on it to see previous notes/comments/pitchers innings.

A supplemental note:  When viewing the game results on the home page, if you click on the pencil to the left of the winning team, you will be able to see ALL comments that were entered by the applicable manager or coach for that game.