New England Diamond Gems Softball Signal November 2012

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1 Message From Coach Jim Rines and the Board of Trustees: Greetings Players and Parents, Jim Rines, Director of Operations New England Diamond Gems New England Diamond Gems Board of Trustees Jim Rines-Director of Operations Dave Johnson-Treasurer Michael P. Wallace- Marketing, Legal, Secretary Ron Jackson-Sponsorship, Website Steve Kraytenberg-College Recruiting, Sales, Business Development It is hard to believe it is November already. It just seemed like yesterday that we were finishing up our fall workouts, scrimmages and tournaments. The organization would like to congratulate all our student athletes who just completed their fall school seasons. It is impressive to see that our players give the same effort, respect and dedication to other sports as they do to our organization and the game of softball. For those who move on and play a winter sport good luck and remember it is just as important to be a star in the classroom as it is on the field.. Saturday November 10, 2012 the start their pitcher/catcher and positional player works at the Bedford Sportsplex. The 16 U and 18 U pitchers/catchers are from 9 am to 10:20 am and the 10 U, 12 U and 14 U pitchers/catchers go from 10:20 am to 11:40 am. All positional players are to practice from 11:40 am to 1 pm. The work that we put in now will pay off on the softball fields in the summer. The will continue to conduct a model business self assessment process in everything we do. To continue with this successful business foundation the organization has developed and implemented three new business assessment ventures. The first business assessment venture is built around the concept of corporate sponsorships and donations. To build and conduct a quality softball player development program such as the New England Diamond Gems have over the years, it takes lots of money. The first priority for the is to provide the highest quality of softball training and competition at a reasonable cost. Currently, it costs the organization $1, per player to take part and participate in all our organization activities, player skills development activities, tournaments

2 and practices. This $1, is the true actual cost to participate in our program. A program that is focused on player development. To help stabilize our organizational costs this business venture will look at new ways to raise revenue through corporate sponsorships and donations. Some of the financial offsets this committee and group could address is funding for financial hardship scholarships, future capital equipment purchases, etc. The second business self assessment venture that the look to embark on is the concept of business development. Things that this group or committee will consider and strive to achieve in the future is broken down as follows: 1. Centrally located out door facility. This facility would allow us to host world class tournaments, have our own centrally located out door practice facility that everyone could use without space limitations. 2. Summer week night softball leagues 3. Hold tryouts at different locations throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. 4. College recruitment nights 5. College recruitment camps 6. Student athlete coaching and leadership academies The third and final business self assessment venture that the plan on embarking on is the important business concept of total quality assurance and management. This business model will ensure that every activity and business venture meets the highest ethical, moral, quality and legal standards available. The reason why our organization is successful and continues to grow is the major documented fact that we offer quality services to our players and their families. This committee and group will continue to ensure this success will be the key foundation of the organization. Areas that the committee will review on a constant basis is our coaches, clinics, camps, lessons, organizational legal issues, apparel and equipment and any other related issues or equipment. One of the major new business charges for our Board of Trustees this year is for our board members to get out and have personal contact with all our families and athletes to listen and address their concerns on the organization, our programs or other important issues. This self assessment process will allow us to continue to grow in the right directions over time. If you see any Board of Trustee stop them and say hi!

3 As we ramp up our organizational activities for the upcoming softball season, we would like to have all our student athletes, players and their families read the below newspaper article that was published in the Lawrence Eagle Tribune Newspaper on August 14, The article was written and is published on a yearly basis by sports writer Michael Muldon to remind us want sports really are. Please take this oath and remember the lessons from the article as our daughters play softball throughout the year. Oath for our athletes, parents and coaches Teachers, coaches, parents, classmates and entire towns do a tremendous disservice by giving a star athlete special treatment. True story. After playing big-time college football, the most popular, best looking kid in my high school class turned into a drug addict who robbed the unsuspecting, aging parents of his friends and lived under a bridge. I always wondered if his receiving kid-glove treatment due to his athletic prowess was the reason. If the kid deserves to be failed, fail him. If he deserves to be suspended, suspend him. If he deserves to be arrested, arrest him. Here is some advice for athletes, coaches and administrators worth keeping in mind this school year: From the ages of 12-18, there is nothing more important than being popular. From the ages of there is nothing less important than having been popular from If all your friends are athletes, you are shallow. A lot of middle-aged guys who can t play ball with their kids today thought they were doing the right thing playing with pain. Listen to your body. A real athlete never misses a game or a practice for a dance, a concert or Senior Skip Day. Coaches Award winners tend to be more successful in life than team MVPs. Humility is a virtue. False humility makes you a bore.

4 Your coach doesn t have it in for you. Repeat, your coach doesn t have it in for you. Always give a kid a second chance. Be a three-sport athlete. You think that 155th AAU game of the year is making you a better player? The number of athletes who do one sport year-round who blow out their knees or quit from burnout is frightening. Ask any college coach, they prefer three-sport athletes. It is easier to get into an Ivy League school than to earn a full boat. And that s a fact. Go out of your way to befriend the fat kid, the kid with acne problems or the kid with the troubled home life. Ted Williams was dead wrong. The toughest thing in sports isn t hitting a baseball. It s being a parent of an athlete. Good parents shut their mouths, stay glued to their seats and let the players play, the coaches coach and the officials officiate. You won t always be successful, but give it your best shot to spare your child a heap of embarrassment. Forget everything your AAU or travel team coach taught you. No matter how unsatisfying the season may have been for you, never skip the team banquet, it s the ultimate slap in the face to your teammates and coaches. Play for the love of the game and only the love of the game. You re not going to make the pros. Our 23-school region has sent a total of three players to the NHL and sends about one baseball player and one football player to the pros every 20 years. We ve never produced an NBA player. You have a far better chance of becoming a brain surgeon. Any coach who swears too much is a lousy coach and an even worse role model. The undersized benchwarmer who doesn t miss practice in four years should be more admired than the all-scholastic quarterback who can barely fit his head in his helmet.

5 You ll never regret having said no to alcohol, drugs and sex in high school. Tattoos make you look like a punk. Right, wrong or indifferent, colleges covet scholar-athletes. A star athlete with 1,250 on his SATs with a 3.6 GPA can go to the Ivy Leagues. A regular student with those grades would be laughed at. Any Coach or Athletic Director who drones on about kids nowadays should get out of the business. Same goes for those whining about being underpaid. If a coach positively affected your life, write him/her a thank you note. You ll have a friend for life. You have the rest of your life to get a job. If your coach instructs you to cheap shot an opponent, quit the team immediately. Treat the team manager with the same respect as the star of the team. A coach who makes fun of a boy s weight is an idiot. A coach who makes fun of a girl s weight is dangerous. Any Coach/Athletic Director who voluntarily hosts invitational events is a gem. Any Athletic Director who doesn t have rosters for the fans for state tourney games isn t doing his job. Administrators must stand up to meddlesome parents or it will be a slippery slide to chaos. Ask anybody in Londonderry. The size of your nose, biceps or breasts is inconsequential to anybody who truly cares about you. A good captain will lead his team to a Super Bowl title. A great one will take a stand against hazing. It s never too late to change.

6 A loss should hurt like hell. Getting thrown out of a game should hurt even more. Steroids make you a bigger athlete and a smaller person. Always feed the benchwarmer the ball at the end of a blowout. Don t listen to the coach who cut you. Work like the dickens and shock the world next year. Let the games begin.

7 The are pleased to announce that some of our players have been chosen for either State of New Hampshire Players of the year or as a member of the State of New Hampshire All-star team. In Division One we congratulate Nicole Gubellini from Salem High School as being chosen as the State of New Hampshire Division 1 Player of the Year. She plays for our 18 U Orange Team and Quinnipiac University. Congrats to Kate Tewell from Spaulding High School who was chosen to the State of New Hampshire Division 1 All-star teams. She played for our 18 U Gold team last year and will play for the 23 U team this summer. Kate currently plays for Keene State University.. Kate Tewell Nicole Gubelinni

8 In Division 2, Mariah Crisp who pitched Portsmouth to the State of New Hampshire Division 2 Softball Championships was chosen the State of New Hampshire Division 2 Player of the Year. Mariah played for our 18 U White Elite team last summer and this year she is playing for our 23 U team. She currently attends and pitches for Keene State University. Mariah Crisp In Division 3, Sidney Strout who is a pitcher and outfielder and is currently a senior at Gilford high school won the Division 3 Player of the Year. She currently plays on our 18 U White team. Erika Millett a pitcher who currently is a junior from White Mountain Regional High School. Erika pitched her high school team to the State of New Hampshire Division 3 high school softball championship and was selected on the State of New Hampshire Division 3 All-Star team. Erika currently plays for our 18 U Gold team. Congrats to all of our student athletes on their major high school team accomplishments.

9 Sidney Strout Erika Millett November Payment is Due This is a gentle reminder that our next tuition payment is due November 15, The checks can be made out to the. Please send payment to: Dave Johnson c/o 19 Adam Drive Hudson, NH

10 NEW ENGLAND DIAMOND GEMS ANNOUNCE FALL/WINTER WORKOUT AND INDOOR GAMES SCHEDULE (6 Weeks) DATE AGE GROUP EVENT TIME Saturday 11/10/12-12/15/12 16 U & 18 U Pitchers/catchers 9:00-10:20 a.m. Saturday 11/10/12-12/15/12 10U,12,14U Pitchers/catchers 10:20-11:40 A.M. Saturday 11/10/12-12/15/12 ALL Positional skills/drills 11:40-1:00 p.m. (10 Weeks) DATE AGE GROUP EVENT TIME Wednesday 1/9/13-3/13/13 18U Orange Hitting 6:00-7:00 p.m. Wednesday 1/9/13-3/13/13 18U Gold & Elite Hitting 7:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday 1/9/13-3/13/13 18 U White Hitting 8:00-9:00 p.m. (10 Weeks) DATE AGE GROUP EVENT TIME Thursdays 1/10/13-3/14/13 12U O,W &14 U Silver Fielding/Pitching/Hit 6:00-7:00 p.m. Thursdays 1/10/13-3/14/13 14 U, O,W,Blk Fielding/Pitching/Hit 7:00-8:00 p.m. Thursdays 1/10/13-3/14/13 16 U W & 16 U O Fielding/Pitching/Hit 8:00-9:00 p.m. (10 Weeks) DATE AGE GROUP EVENT TIME Saturdays 1/12/13-3/16/13 ALL Teams Organizational work out 12:00-2:00 p.m. Saturdays 1/12/13-3/16/13 12 U & 14 U teams Pitching/Hitting 2:00-3:00 p.m. Friday Indoor games (24 Weeks) AGE GROUP EVENT TIME 14U,16U(not limited) 6:00-7:00/7:00- Session 1. 11/2/12-12/21/12 Indoor games 8:00 Session 2. 12/28/12-2/15/13 High School /18 U Indoor games Session 3. 2/22/13-4/12/13 10U,12U,14U Indoor games 6:00-7:00/7:00-8:00 6:00-7:00/7:00-8:00

11 Athletes = Success on and off the Field!