2024 Key dates you need to keep in mind:
>Mar 23 at noon: 5-6 uniform distribution and "meet the Coach".
>April 12 - First day of 5-6 Baseball
>April 20 - Opening Day Parade at 9am in the outfield of Field 4.
>June 15 - Last day of 5-6 baseball - Giant pizza party and trophy distribution
Prior to the uniform handout, managers and players have to be assigned to teams and given their color of the t-shirt they get. We try to form the teams by address or by school so the kids have a better chance of knowing other kids on their team.
5-6 baseball/softball is played on Friday evenings from April 12 through June 15, 2024 starting at 6pm on the Field 1. We usually have about 8 teams of boys. We like to keep the teams as small as possible, aiming for a maximum of 10 kids per team.
April 19 (ODay before Opening Day - April 20 this year) and June 14 are exceptions to the Friday evening 5-6 schedule when the 5-6 players have their practice at the main Complex.
The 5-6 baseball program provides a t-shirt and hat, but the kids do need baseball gloves, sneakers or spikes. Baseball pants are optional, and most kids wear shorts when it’s hot. All other equipment is supplied.
The Forest Hill 5-6 Baseball Program is a little different than most other “T-Ball” programs in the area. At this age, we stress the fun instruction of solid fundamentals as the backbone of a good baseball/softball program. Repetition of solid fundamentals taught in a fun way makes our program a success.
5-6 baseball consists of 6 different teams of about 9 kids each. Each team wears a unique colored t-shirt. We have 8 separate stations that the teams rotates through while learning fundamental skills and then they reinforce those skills through repetitive drills and plays. Stations last 15-20 minutes each. A horn blows to signal an immediate station change. We have a megaphone that we may use for signaling and announcements. The teams rotate clockwise around the field to the next station. Stations include pitching, catching, fielding, ground balls, fly balls, base-running, sliding, several stations of batting off the tee, fundamental baseball rules, etc. Later on in the season as the kids master some of the more fundamental skills, we convert those stations into game scenarios where the players use their new skills to play mini-games against other teams. The season ends with a pizza party and a trophy presentation in late June.
Let’s plan on doing fundamental stations through May 3, depending on rainouts, then we’ll start playing mini-games after that through June 15.
We try to select teams using requests from parents to "play with his friend", we also try to group kids with other kids that live on the same street or go to the same school. It's a lot more fun for kids when they have friends on their team.
With about 60 players, plus their parents, siblings, and other family members, Fridays will have the potential to be chaos, but through proper organization, the 5-6 Baseball Program is run with military precision.
Preparation for the Friday sessions actually begins with the 5-6 Age Group Director and Assistants marking the field with paint and maybe cutting mini-baseball diamonds in the outfield. Then, at 5:00 Friday, the 5-6 station coaches meet and set up the equipment for the stations and then wait for the groups 5 and 6 year-olds to descend upon them.
Obviously, a large program full of 5 and 6 year-olds needs many volunteers to keep the kids safe, attentive, and learning. We need team-managers and assistants that we call color-coaches.
We have found that both moms and dads make great “managers”. No slight against dads, but moms seem to have much more patience with the groups of small kids, and have a good ability to “herd cats.” Baseball knowledge and skill is not required to be a color coach, and while it is a desirable quality to have, it is definitely not necessary. The duties of the color-coaches are to assemble the team at a pre-determined meeting place, take roll, apply name tags, lead the kids through stretching exercises, make announcements, coordinate the team, lead the team to the various stations and assist the station coaches with the stations.
We also need all parents to help with the teams during the sessions. We need dads and moms to shag fly balls, roll grounders, help with batting tees, and generally keep the kids organized and safe. If you want your child to get the most out of 5-6 baseball, you need to set aside 90 minutes of your time to be there with him and play baseball.
It takes at least 60 volunteers each week to put on a successful program. When we don't have those volunteers, the program suffers, as a limited number of people can not teach baseball to a bunch of 5 year-olds, keep them interested, and safe at the same time. There is too much energy packed into these kids on a Friday evening.
We always need lots of coaches to help with the kids that sign up. We would like to have 48 coaches/parents helping out each week through the season:
1 manager for each color team -----------------8
1 assistant for each color team -----------------8
2-3 coaches that teach each station --------------24
Parents to help their kid with each station ------------8
For the first few weeks, members of our Travel Baseball teams, the Express, will be on-hand to help the players with their skills.
The typical 5-6 baseball duties for the weekend are:
Thursday or Friday - cut the grass and mark the field with lines for mini-diamonds, places to roll ground balls, etc. We have a tractor and paint. Let me know where you want the grass cut.
Friday:
4:30 to 5:30 - Managers arrive at the FHRC Complex and install the "Station Number" signs in the proper locations around the field. Equipment will be set out near the Concession stand/restrooms so when the station coaches arrive, they can grab their equipment and head toward their assigned station to set it up.
5:30 to 5:45 - the kids and coaches start arriving. Color coaches should have assigned meeting-places so their kids know where to meet each week. Color coaches take roll, put name tags on all the kids, do some team-specific announcements and get the kids ready for warm-ups.
6:00 - Welcome everyone to another fun day of baseball "Who wants to play baseball? I can't hear you!!!" Remember they are 5-6 and it's early and you have to get them motivated! Do some announcements and have the color coaches get the kids into a formation where they can do some stretching and warm-up exercises.
6:00 - Teams do stretching exercises and start their first station where they met that week.
6:20 - Whistle blows and kids rotate clockwise to next station
6:40 - Whistle blows and kids rotate clockwise to next station
7:00 - Whistle blows and kids rotate to final station for the day
7:20 - Whistle blows, Final announcements and dismissal
7:30 - Manages and parents return the equipment to the storage shed.
Final Day – Saturday June 15
Have normal games starting at 10:00 and ending at 11:30 sharp so the kids can eat pizza and get trophies. I will see if we can get teams on real diamonds on June 15.
Figure 2 pizzas per team plus more if siblings and parents want to have some. Pizza is for players and coaches. If parents and siblings want to participate, teams can purchase additional pizzas. Teams should bring team drinks, desserts, sides. plates and napkins and pizza provided by the league.
For 2024, 5-6 Baseball meets on Friday evenings from April 12 through June 15 except for April 19 and June 14.
(Opening Day Prep Day) and Friday June 14, where instead, we will meet on Saturday April 20 and Saturday
June 15 at 10am.