Program philosophy

·         PLAYING TIME PHILOSOPHY

As Varsity players, the competition between three classes can become quite intense. Seniors, juniors and sophomores (very rarely, freshmen) help us find the chemistry in a great variety of situations, for the betterment of the team. Some players do become bull pen catchers, pinch hitters, courtesy runners, or designated hitters. Their roles are very important, but their time on the field will be limited compared to those in starting roles.

With all this in mind, we will not have spur of the moment conversations with parents about playing time. We will do what we believe is best for the program and team. SUPPORT YOUR SON AND SUPPORT HIS TEAM. Your son should be very clear about what his role is within the team and program after speaking to all coaches once teams have been announced. If he isn’t, he needs to speak with his coaches so that his expectations are clear.

We will NOT speak to parents about such issues if we haven’t spoken to the player first. The parent obviously has his or her son’s best interests in mind, but is not always aware of the circumstances. When a parent calls without the player speaking to the coach first, both parent and coach become defensive, and such conversations are rarely constructive. Your sons should not hesitate to speak to any coach, and we will work hard to earn the players’ trust.

·         PROGRAM CHARACTER

We have all seen players, coaches, parents and officials involved in horrible displays of poor sportsmanship at the professional, college, and prep levels of competition. Such behavior should have no place in any community, let alone ours, and is a black mark on all that is good about the spirit of athletics and competition and what makes Batavia great. We expect CLASS and RESPECT within our program from the coaching staff, players, parents, and fans. Anything less is not acceptable.

We must all work hard to ensure our program is a class act. We must all refrain from yelling at umpires or opposing coaches and players. Do not reactively confront other parents, players, umpires or members of the coaching staff. If an issue arises that you feel must be addressed, contact Coach Carter so that we may calmly address the issue, and an administrator on site will handle it. Players in our program, like the parents and coaches, are expected to be good citizens on the bus, in the locker room, in the halls, in the classroom and in the community. In order to help players understand these expectations, and to help develop relationships within the program, we have a player pairing program that pairs players together, making them responsible for each other on the field, in the classroom, and outside of school. If one messes up, everyone will be accountable.

·         PRACTICES, ABSENCES, AND GAMES

Players will be on time to practice, and prepared to start when practice begins. A player may miss a practice if it is excused. Obviously, there are exceptions and those that must come during practice time are legitimate and are excused. Concerts, ball games, or other activities are not included in excused activities. If you miss practice, you will not start the next game.

Many freshmen and sophomores come into the spring with Spring Break trips already planned for them. They can do nothing about that, but we do have a schedule that includes 6-8 games during our Spring Break. We understand that families may have already made plans. Our Varsity players know that they don’t go on spring break as a baseball player. It is a spring sport. Such trips are also counterproductive to any success we have had in preparation for the season, especially with very important league games scheduled during that week. We encourage families to plan their trips as the school year ends.

·         ACADEMICS

Above all, remember why the word “student” comes before student-athlete. We believe a great deal of learning about becoming a responsible dedicated member of a team takes place in the program every day. An essential part of that learning is performing in the classroom. Every year we see a direct correlation between the number of wins and number of Honor Roll students we have. Students are held to a high academic standard in our building and we want to raise that bar even higher. Lastly, we demand the same level of respect in the classroom as we expect on the field. If a teacher approaches me about a player’s behavior in the classroom, I will speak plainly with the player about the impact on playing time. Further incidents will result in game suspension.

·         A PERSONAL NOTE

I want to thank you for letting your son be a part of what we do. I respect the efforts and demands that a young man faces every day. I know the demands it makes on life at home. We all have so many aspects of our lives that can distract us from the important things: building character, becoming responsible, making wise decisions, taking care of our families at home and here, and developing lasting bonds with people that give us fulfillment. These are all incredibly important. I think that is why this program is so important to me. It allows me to work with great men like your sons, and the wonderful men who make up our staff. I thank God, and my family, for supporting me in a part of my life that gives me energy every day. AND we get to play Baseball doing it!

I speak for our whole staff,

THANK YOU!

Coach Geoff Carter

Coach Brandon Huber

Coach Daulton Carson 

Coach Zach Blume