2011 Opening Day Ceremonies

Saturday, April 23, 2011 @ 11 a.m.

South Mercer Play Fields

We would like to make your Opening Day of Baseball / Softball a great experience for your athlete and family.  Following are some guidelines to make it run smoothly. 

WHEN:                     

Opening Day starts at 11a.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2011.

WHERE:                   

Opening Day takes place at the South Mercer Playing Fields – Field #2These are the fields between the Islander Middle School and Lakeridge. 

UNIFORMS:             

Players are to be in full uniform.  Tennis shoes should be worn if it is raining so the cleats do not tear up the gym, otherwise players can wear cleats.

DROP-OFF TIME    

Players are to be dropped off by 10:20 a.m. at the South parking lot of Islander Middle School.  We will be staging the kids in the order they will enter the parade, so it is very important that all kids are on time and find their team.  If it is not raining the kids will be lining up in order around the track.  Team names will be on the inside of the track.  If it is raining, then we will have the kids line up in the IMS gym.  Volunteers will be helping to direct them to their team section.  Parental assistance would be appreciated for the younger kids to get to their team.  Once parents have dropped-off their kids with their coach, please proceed to the field.  Hot Chocolate and Coffee will be for sale for $1.00 a cup.

PARKING    

Parking is extremely limited as most of you know.  The South Mercer Fields parking lot will be reserved for the field festivities.  You may drop your family members and grandparents at the Lakeridge drive thru and then go park in the neighborhoods.  You may also park behind Lakeridge School.  Parking along 84^th is also permitted.

RESTROOMS    

There are restrooms in the IMS Gym as well as at the South Mercer Play Fields. 

OPENING DAYHOME RUN MEAL 

We will be offering a $5 Home Run Lunch which includes a hot dog, chips, fruit and water.  All proceeds go to MI Little League.  Tables will be set-up for you to enjoy a lunch with all the Little League families.

MILL TEAM STORE           

Kids and Adult baseball / softball shirts and sweatshirts will be for sale.

RAFFLE TICKETS  

It is best to assign a team raffle coordinator.  This person can collect the tickets and money and take them over to Field #2 on Opening Day.  There will be a raffle table by Field #2 and by the track to deposit your tickets.  All tickets and money need to be collected by 10:45 am.  Raffle tables will also be set-up at the track.  All proceeds benefit Mercer Island Little League, so we all come out ahead.  Make sure to write your name and phone number on your tickets.  You do need to be present to win.

PARENTS    

If you are not a coach or asst. coach, please proceed to the play fields.  Your child will be under supervision of their coaches until the end of the ceremonies.  Make sure to stay off the actual playing field since only players and coaches are allowed in this area.

COACHES   

Please show up by 10:15 am at the track if it’s not raining, in which case we will be gathering in the IMS gym.  Please be on time so parents can get over to the fields.  Coaches will stay with their team along the parade route and at the baseball field for the ceremonies.

VOLUNTEERS

If you would like to get involved in Opening Day we would love to have your assistance with set-up at 8am and/or clean-up 2 p.m.  Please contact Anne Marie Pickles at Apickles@comcast.net.             

THANK YOU!   2011 Opening Day Committee

Anne Marie Pickles, Jenny Butson, Steve Mattox, Leanne Gallagher, Andra Pillsbury, Jane Rosenstein,  Mary Kay Woolston, Traci Aaron, Tonya Miller and Boys and Girls Club Staff.

Join us for some serious fun on April 23rd as MILL will be hosting a CARDS for CASH Poker Night, 6-11pm at the Shoreclub.  A $50 donation (buy-in) will get you a seat at the table for a Texas Hold'em tournament.  The funds will go towards capital improvements which in the past have helped fund the turf fields, batting cages, scoreboards and dugout covers. 

Advanced purchase tickets only (no tickets available at the door).  Contact Dana Melick or MIBGC at (206) 232-4548 to purchase your tickets.

 There will be a make-up session on Saturday, Feb. 5^th , from 3:00-5:00pm for all ages.  We strongly encourage all players, however, to attend on the 30^th, if possible. In order to verify each child’s eligibility to play, parents must bring proof of their child’s age (copy of birth certificate) and MI residency when you bring your child to check in.  Proof of residency can be a parent’s driver’s license, voter registration card, phone or utility bill, school record, mortgage, property tax or homeowner’s statement, etc. that shows your child’s permanent address on Mercer Island.  If you have any questions, please contact the League Player Agent, Keenan Condor. The purpose of “Show Your Stuff” Day is two-fold:  1) to evaluate each player in three skill areas – hitting, fielding, and pitching – in order to place each child in the appropriate LL division (Majors, Coast, AAA or AA) with other kids of similar skill level; and 2) to enable us to distribute talent in order to make the teams within each division as evenly matched as possible and ensure that each team has an adequate number of pitchers and catchers.  The evaluations will be conducted by Mercer Island LL coaches and volunteers according to an objective set of criteria.  Little League teams will be formed at the end of February and players will be contacted by their coaches soon thereafter.   Show Your Stuff Day also serves as a preliminary screening for the MIBGC’s Islander Select Baseball Teams, so all players who indicated an interest in being the Select Baseball team need to come to Show Your Stuff Day to be considered.  Based on this initial screening, qualified players will be invited back to an in-depth Select Baseball tryout in early February.

Parents should park in the rear of the building and bring their kids to the games room at the MI B&C Club for check-in anytime within the designated time slot for their child’s age – alphabetical groups are suggested to help avoid overcrowding.  Parents will not be allowed in the gym or at the batting cages to watch while the evaluations are in progress.  It is expected that each child will be finished within 20-40 minutes after check-in, so parents should plan to return after approximately 30 minutes to pick up their child.  Parking space is limited, so please avoid blocking other cars when returning to pick up your child. Each child should bring a baseball glove, and if they have them, a bat and batting helmet (bats and helmets will be available for players who don’t bring their own).  All players should wear tennis shoes.  Protective cups are recommended for all players. Please do not bring any balls into the gym, as hardballs may damage the floor.  Please note that our space is extremely limited, and there likely won’t be much room for kids to warm up once they arrive, so it would be best for players to warm up their arms and stretch immediately before arriving. We are still looking for additional volunteers to coach Little League baseball and softball at all levels.  We are preparing a number of clinics and a comprehensive coaching manual to make it easy for both new and experienced coaches, so please sign up now. 

All adults who plan to help coach on the field at practice or games must complete the online registration form.  If you have any questions, please contact Becky or Matt, at the B&G Club, 232-4548.