Let's Play Ball!!!
Mt. Vernon Optimist Club is excited to provide Spring and Fall Baseball programs!!!
Spring season is a competitive format with games and a tournament, while Fall season is focused on skills development, practice and games. We also provide Winter Workouts focusing on fundamental development in the off-season. We focus on coaching the skills of baseball, but we also teach the skills of academics and life! We look forward to your family joining our Mt. Vernon Optimist Community!!!
BASEBALL COMMISSIONER: Dan Doherty
[email protected]
Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have at email listed above or on my cell phone.
317.414.4872
The information below is for the 2024 Spring Baseball Season:
REGISTRATION:
Registration IS OPEN NOW!! Registration ends at 11:59pm on Saturday March 23rd.
Any registration opened up after the 23rd will result in a $35 late fee.
No registrations will be taken after March 26th.
We will not guarantee/honor coach and teammate assignment requests, except where a coach has their child on the team.
PLAYER SKILL EVALUATIONS:
Player Skill Evaluations will take place March 24th to March 26th at McCordsville Elementary. All players are encouraged to participate in player evaluations. This prevents one-sided teams. Each player only needs to evaluate one time.
Player evaluations will take place on 3 different evenings. Please choose which is best for your player:
Sunday, March 24th 4pm-7pm
Monday, March 25th 6pm-8pm
Tuesday, March 26th 6pm-8pm
Evaluations are for Rookie ages and up. T-Ball and PeeWee does not evaluate.
HEAD/ASSISTANT COACH AND TEAM SELECTION MEETING:
The team selection meeting will take place Thursday, March 28th at 6:30pm. Location of meeting is McCordsville United Methodist Church ( 6247 W Broadway, McCordsville, IN 46055).
All coaches are encouraged to attend; however, a coach MUST be present to draft players for their team. In the coach meeting we will provide materials, practice plan ideas and drills if coaches would like some extra support and guidance. Children are not allowed at team selection meeting.
We will have a joint meeting with all coaches and commissioners from each league to discuss rules and expectations for the season, so everyone has an understanding of the rules of the inter-league. This will take place on a different night than the team selection meeting. The date and time of this meeting is TBD.
RATES:
Registration Price: TBall and PeeWee $95. All other age groups $130.
$10 discount for second and additional children
AGE DIVISIONS:
Tball (co-ed) (ages 3 - 4)
PeeWee ages 5 - 6 1/2
Rookies ages 6 1/2 - 8 1/2
Minors ages 8 1/2 - 10 1/2
Majors ages 10 1/2 - 12 1/2
NOTES:If your child is 3-4 years old, then sign up for T-Ball under the Baseball Category. T-ball is a Co-ed division.
If you desire your child to play in a division other than their designated division, your player must attend player evaluations and you must submit a formal request to [email protected] prior to March 20th.
LOCATIONS:
Practices and games are at the Mt. Comfort Elementary School fields. In addition, games will also be played at Greenfield (for some age groups).
UNIFORMS:
We provide all baseball players with a team jersey and a league hat.
Parents are responsible for providing pants, belts and socks for their player.
EQUIPMENT:
Your player will need their own:
(To see examples click on the links below)
Cleats - NO METAL SPIKES (until Babe Ruth Age). High top baseball cleats are best. Soccer cleats will not work.
Batting Helmet
Fielding Glove - Size to hand. Don't go crazy on a glove for younger players. They will grow out of it. 11.5 inch kids glove is a great starter for Pee Wee and smaller Rookie players. Nothing smaller than that!! Tee ball gloves will be no help to your player, unless they are in Tee Ball. It may be hard to use at first. Glove oil will soften it up. Even the smallest hands can use a well broken glove. I recommend 12.5 inch kids glove for bigger 8U players & 10U players. I recommend stepping up to a larger inch glove for Major and Babe Ruth players. Just a heads up, first base gloves and catchers gloves can only be used in that position.
Bat - Each player needs to have their own bat.
If equipment costs provides a financial hardship for you, please reach out to us for assistance.
PRACTICES:
Practice begins the week of April 1st. You should receive an email from your team coaching staff regarding the practice schedule. Practice schedules are not posted on the MVOC website. Practices before the game schedule begins are at least once, maybe twice per week at coach's discretion and once a week practices will continue through the season at Mt. Comfort Elementary.
TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS:
Times and dates are TBD for team photographs. Your coach will reach out to parents once the schedule is set.
GAME SCHEDULE:
Opening Day of Spring Season is April 20th.. Final regular season game is June 1st.
Tournament dates are TBD.
Game schedules will be provided to the coaches to distribute to their teams.
No games Memorial Day Weekend.
10-12 game schedule.
Make up games will be scheduled throughout the week.
IN SEASON PREGAME FIELD PREP:
The designated home team is responsible for lining the fields before the game, away team for raking after the game.
Mt. Vernon Optimist Club seeks new members to administer and operate our baseball, softball, and basketball programs as well as academic programs such as written essay/Oratorical contests and administrative positions. If Optimist membership is not possible, your assistance with operations such as field preparation and concessions is appreciated. Volunteering can occur during player website registration on mvoptimist.com if the person is a member of the parent/guardian's website account. Special website procedures for a volunteer to sign up after the player's registration is completed, or if the volunteer has a separate website user account than that used to register a player. Please contact us at [email protected] for special volunteer sign-up.
WEATHER LINE: Baseball Weather Line is 317-335-4123
The baseball weather line is used to communicate the cancellation of practice or games in the event of bad weather. We encourage every parent to use this weather line rather than texting, calling or emailing the head coach of your team.
HOLIDAYS:
Spring season: No activities Memorial Day weekend.
Fall season: No activities Labor Day weekend.
Questions or concerns? Please send an email to us at [email protected]