MP Leaf Days 2014

The leaves have fallen. It's time to pitch in and help keep our park beautiful. Saturdays, December 6th and 13th are our annual MPTLL Leaf Cleanup Days at the fields at Randolph Park. The fun will begin each day at 9:00 a.m. and continue into the afternoon. This event calls for any and all Myers Park Trinity supporters - moms, dads, coaches, players, siblings, board members - anyone who can work a rake, gas blower, tarp, etc. The more the merrier. We encourage anyone who has enjoyed our great park to give some time back to help maintain it. This will be a great opportunity for students or service clubs wanting to log volunteer hours, or parents and kids who just want to show their appreciation for all that our hard-working volunteer grounds crew does throughout the year.

The work we accomplish on these Saturdays will pay dividends down the road and free up time for other projects. Please plan to attend and bring the whole family. Don't forget to bring any rakes or other tools that may be helpful. We will especially need as many gas powered blowers as possible. Make sure to mark your name on anything you bring.

If you would like to volunteer to help clean up the park on the 6th and/or 13th, please CLICK HERE and select the times that work for you. Thanks!

Mike Hennessey To Serve As Director of MP Academy

Myers Park Trinity is excited to announce that Mike Hennessey has accepted the position of Program Director for MP Academy (MPA), the league's new instructional group and competitive division for age 13-and-over baseball.

Hennessey is the current Head Varsity Baseball Coach and Program Director at Charlotte Country Day School, where he has served for 10 years. He was named the 2006 and 2011 South Charlotte Weekly Coach of the Year.

Mike began his coaching career at the Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. He has served as an evaluator and coach for the Mid Atlantic region's USA Baseball National Team Identification Series, and has coached at the United States Naval Academy in their summer leadership camp. He is an executive board member of Baseball For Life, a Charlotte service organization dedicated to helping young men develop important life skills through baseball.

In addition to his position as Program Director of MP Academy, Mike will also serve as Head Coach for MPA's 14U team. Mike is an excellent instructor and passionate teacher of the game. He is well respected in the Charlotte baseball community. We are fortunate to have Mike on board to lead us into the next phase of the continued improvement our league.

MPA is now preparing for its Winter Academy, to be led by Hennessey and our own certified strength and conditioning coach, Josh Thomas. This will be an offseason skills development program with a strength, speed and agility component. 

Tryouts for the 13U, 14U and 15U teams will take place on Saturday, November 15th, at Covenant Day School. The teams will be led by Covenant Day Varsity Coach David Houseton (13U), Hennessey (14U) and Scott Ahlum (15U). Interested families should contact MP Academy at mpacademy@mptll.org.

Stay tuned for more information in the near future regarding both the team tryouts and the Winter Academy.

Wednesday Softball Pitching Instruction

Queens University Softball Head Coach Melanie Helterbran is offering group pitching instruction at Myers Park Trinity on Wednesday nights this fall season. The series begins tonight, September 10th, and runs through October 8th.

Each session will cost $5.00 per player. They will be conducted at both 5:30-6:00 and 6:00-6:30. Parents are encouraged to attend and catch their pitcher, as well as listen in on the instruction being given. Players should arrive a few minutes early and meet in the grassy area next to Kiser-Chapman Field. The group may move down to the area beyond Founders Field if additional space is needed.

The sessions are for all age groups and skill levels. Girls with any interest in pitching are encouraged to attend. No experience is necessary.

Thanks to Coach Helterbran. MP Softball is grateful for its partnership with Queens University.

Fall Coaches Clinics at MPTLL

Myers Park Trinity Little League has partnered with area high school and middle school coaches and private instructors to offer clinics specifically designed for our youth baseball coaches.  These experienced coaches will discuss practice plans, proper throwing, pitching, fielding and hitting techniques, and most importantly, effective ways to instruct the kids in our age groups.  These clinics are free, and will be offered several times over the next couple of weeks.  The League is strongly encouraging its fall baseball coaches to attend at least one clinic, hopefully more.  The impact our coaches can have on the players of MPTLL will be dramatically improved if our fall coaches can learn and implement a few tips from these coaches.

Coaches participating:

·         Mike Hennessey – Varsity Head Coach – Charlotte Country Day School

·         David Houseton – Varsity Head Coach – Covenant Day School

·         Mark Mensheha – Head Coach – A.G. Middle School

·         Josh Thomas – Head Coach – Charlotte Country Day Middle School (and MPTLL Major League Coach – Trinity)

·         Brandon Merchant – Youth Hitting and Pitching Instructor (and MPTLL Major League Head Coach – Al Browne)

·         Scott Ahlum – Head Coach Charlotte Stampede 15U (former MPTLL coach)

Dates:

·         Saturday, September 6^th – 8:30am to 9:30am

·         Monday, September 8^th – 7:00pm to 8:00pm

·         Tuesday, September 9^th – 7:00pm to 8:00pm

·         Saturday, September 20^th  - 8:30am to 9:30am

Don't miss this opportunity to improve your coaching knowledge, skills and practice plans. See you at the fields.

Fall Baseball, Softball and T-Ball Registration

T-Ball / Machine Pitch / Player Pitch / Softball
Online registration remains open until August 23rd for the 2014 Fall Season at Myers Park Trinity. This season we will have T-Ball for 5-6 year old boys and girls, Machine Pitch baseball for 7-8 year old boys, Player Pitch baseball for 9-10 year old and 11-12 year old boys, and Softball for 8U, 10U, 12U and 16U girls. Click to register for the Fall Season or to learn more out the program.  We are seeking coaches in our T-Ball and player pitch leagues.  Please send an email to admin@mptll.org if you have interest in coaching a team.

MP Challenge Registration (8-12 Year old Baseball / Softball)
The Myers Park Trinity Challenge Baseball and Softball Program is designed for players who want to experience extra baseball or softball in a competitive “tournament” environment. The Challenge Program addresses the needs of those athletes who possess above average baseball or softball skills, and provides an opportunity for them to play at the highest level for their age group.  If you are interested in having your child considered for one of the Myers Park Trinity baseball or softball challenge teams, please send an email to challenge@mptll.org. Challenge tryout dates and times have not been set at this time, but they will be communicated as soon as they become available.  Parents that express an interest will receive an email approximately one week before tryouts with date, time, and field information for their specific age group’s tryout.  Click here to learn more about the Myers Park Trinity Baseball and Softball Challenge Program.

Click here to learn about our 13 & over baseball programs.

MP Academy

Myers Park Trinity is proud to announce the launch of MP Academy, which will serve as an umbrella program for a combination of player and coaches clinics, private lesson opportunities, strength and conditioning programs, and the overall instructional foundation for our baseball and softball players.  The League is partnering with area high school and middle school coaches to provide additional instruction and coaching being offered by the Academy.  

As part of this launch, we are announcing tryout dates for our inaugural 13U and 14U teams.  Parents of players that have an interest in playing for one of these teams should contact the appropriate coach listed below for specific details:

14U – Players aged 14 as of April 30, 2015
Head Coach:  Josh Thomas - Middle School Head Coach at Charlotte Country Day School.
Tryouts will be held this weekend - August 9-10 – email joshthomas@me.com for additional details.
Location: Independence Park (Elizabeth Traditional School)

13U – Players age 13 as of April 30, 2015
Head Coach:  David Houseton - Varsity Head Coach at Covenant Day School.
Assistant Coach:  Mark Mensheha - Head Coach at AG Middle School.
Tryouts will be held August 23-24 - email mmensheha@yahoo.com for additional details.
Location: Independence Park (Elizabeth Traditional School)

In addition to the two tournament focused teams listed above, MP Academy also hopes to field a combined 13/14 Babe Ruth team.  Our coaches listed above will be able to provide all the details about each of these teams so please reach out and we hope to see you at the fields.

Myers Park 10's Head to Regionals

The Myers Park Trinity Little League 10-year-old All-Star Team has won the North Carolina State Tournament and is heading to the Southeast Regional Tournament of State Champs (TOSC) in Greenville, NC. The 10's, managed by Mark Crowther, won both the NC District 3 and State Tournaments with an undefeated record, going 8-0 overall.

They will travel to the TOSC in Greenville and play at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park, one of the finest youth baseball venues in the country. The MP 12's played this year's State Tournament and last year's 11-year-old TOSC at the same site.

The regional tournament format is pool play, beginning on Saturday, July 26, with the top teams advancing to the medal round, beginning, Tuesday, July 29. Myers Park's pool play schedule and opponents are:

Saturday, July 26, 10:00:  NC vs. Tennessee / Goodlettsville National.
Sunday, July 27, 6:15:  NC  vs Virginia / Vienna American LL.
Monday, July 28, 12:45:  NC vs South Carolina / Northwood LL.

The tournament website is HERE. Games will be shown live on UStream HERE. Or follow the action on MP Twitter @mplittleleague.

And finally - the MP 10's are having a Bake Sale Fundraiser this Wednesday, July 23, from 6pm-8pm at the MPTLL main parking lot to raise funds to help offset travel expenses. Please support the 10's on Wednesday. Donations of any amount will be accepted.

State Tournament Schedules

Myers Park Trinity has earned trips to three 2014 NC State Tournaments. The action begins this Saturday.  The MP 10's, 11's and 12's are all representing District 3 in state double-elimination tournaments, with Southeast Regional Tournament births on the line. Here are the schedules and locations:

9-10-year-old State Tournament:  July 12-18.  Catawba Meadows Park, Morganton Little League, 220 Catawba Meadows Dr., Morganton, NC.

10-11-year-old State Tournament:  July 12-18.  Swaim Complex, Kernersville Little League, 9217 County Line Rd., Kernersville, NC.

11-12-year-old State Tournament:  July 17-23.  Elm Street Park, Greenville Little Leagues, 1055 S. Elm St., Greenville, NC.  Games will be shown live on UStream.

Hit the road and support our boys, or follow along on Twitter: @mplittleleague. Good luck to our tournament teams.

MP Wins Three District Titles

Myers Park Trinity's All-Star baseball teams have won three 2014 NC District 3 Little League Tournament Championships. Building on the success of our two state titles in 2013, this is the first time the league has won 3 championship banners at the district level in the same year.

The 9-10-year-old, 10-11-year-old and 11-12-year-old All-Star teams all won District 3 Tournaments and have earned a spot in the NC State Tournament for each age group. The winner of each State Tournament will advance to its respective Southeast Regional Tournament. Last year MP sent teams to both the 10-11-year-old Regional Tournament in Greenville, NC, and the 11-12-year-old Major League Tournament in Warner Robins, GA. The winner of the tournament in Warner Robins goes to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

The NC State Tournaments are scheduled as follows. Stay tuned for game schedules to be posted in the coming days.

9-10-year-old State Tournament:  July 12-18.  Morganton, NC.
10-11-year-old State Tournament:  July 12-18.  Kernersville, NC.
11-12-year-old State Tournament:  July 17-23.  Greenville, NC.

Congrats to our MP teams on their District success and good luck at States. As usual, fans back home can follow all the action on Twitter at @mplittleleague.

Tournament of Champions All-Star Schedules

The first round of All-Star tournaments begin this weekend with the Tournament of Champions (TOC) in five different age groups throughout District 3. In most groups these games will serve as a warm-up to the official District 3 Tournaments, which will begin June 21 and each send a winner to the NC State Tournament.

Here are the TOC schedules. Games start this Saturday, June 7. Follow the action on Twitter @mplittleleague.

12-year-old TOC at Dilworth
11-year-old TOC at Myers Park Trinity
10-year-old TOC at Coul Oak
9-year-old TOC at Mint Hill
8-year-old TOC at Weddington

With MPTLL hosting the 11's tournament, the league will need several volunteers to make it all happen. Responsibilities for each game of the tournament include: concessions, field prep, scorebook, pitch count, PA announcer and scoreboard. Please visit our SignUp Genius page and consider volunteering for a few time slots. Thanks!

The Loss of Demonta Gaither

You may have seen the sad story in the news this week about the young man from Grier Heights who drowned in the pond behind Randolph Park. This is a particularly sad event for MPTLL because the young man, Demonta Gaither, was a popular player during the years he spent playing baseball in our league. Demonta played in the AL, NL, Majors (Carolina Pad) and in our Senior League. In his final season with Carolina Pad in 2007, he was selected by the Major League coaches as the recipient of the Billy Rice Award, which is given to the player whose enthusiasm and love of the game exemplify the best in Little League baseball. Demonta’s nomination for the Rice Award included the following excerpt, as written by his coach, Robert Griffin, who served as a mentor to him both during and after his time with MPTLL:

 

“Demonta loves the league and loves our team. He is a happy boy who likes to compete, who doesn't like to lose, but who bounces back and is eager for the next game or practice. He is interested in his teammates -- he cares about them. He is enthusiastic at all practices -- giving as much effort as he gives to games, and enjoying the competition. He pays remarkably close attention to everything going on around him. He notices the flaws in the technique of his teammates and offers encouraging suggestions to "keep your eye on the ball" or "use two hands" and stuff like that -- in a way that is positive and helpful. He notices players on the other teams, too. He may know more about the players on the other teams than anyone on our team. He's just been a wonderful part of our team for these two years. He's only a pretty good player, but the MPTLL experience has been a good one for him, and he's made the experience better for me and for his teammates.  He's already looking forward to playing at Independence Park next year. All of this comes from a boy who doesn't have a great home environment in the Grier Heights apartment where he lives.”

 

Demonta’s death is a tragedy. His story can be a reminder to us of the needs of so many young people in some of our nearby neighborhoods, and of the opportunities that we have to try to help them, with guidance, encouragement, friendship and love. The relationships we build with these young people are greatly important, and there is much that we can do to influence their lives in a positive way.

 

Picture Day - Saturday (4/5)

MPTLL Picture Day is this Saturday, April 5th. The schedule for when each team is to have their pictures taken is HERE. It is based on the revised game schedule, which has changed because of Opening Ceremonies (10:15 Sat). The updated game schedule is posted HERE. Teams are asked to arrive early for their picture time. We have over 50 teams that will be trying to have their pictures taken, so teams must be ready at their scheduled time.

Several teams are scheduled to have their pictures taken before Opening Ceremonies. This is necessary because we will have 17 MP teams preparing to play 12:00 games. So please come early before Opening Ceremonies if you are scheduled to do so. You will not have time after the ceremonies. Here are some important details to know:

Location:  The photographers will have a sign-in table and 3 stations set up on the hill above the main batting cage area at the upper fields. The soft toss nets will be closed for safety reasons.

Purchasing:  The league will provide each player an 8x10 team picture at no additional charge. The photographers will provide each coach that is in the picture an 8x10 team picture at no additional charge (up to 4 coaches). There is no need for parents to purchase those team pictures unless they want an extra one. If parents choose to purchase a package of individual pictures of their child, they will need to bring the order envelope that was distributed with uniforms and a check or credit card. Parents can also fill out and print an order form online HERE. Those players will have their individual picture taken while their team is gathered for its team picture.

Make-up Pictures: If your team will be unable to have its picture taken during its scheduled time on Saturday, you may choose to schedule a make-up time prior to your weekday game next Monday through Thursday, April 7-10. Teams are encouraged to make every effort to have their picture taken on Saturday, April 5th. Please consider that if you will be missing a player or coach during your scheduled time on Saturday, you might be missing a different player or coach next week. There could also be rainouts next week, in which case it would be difficult to find a time to have your picture taken. If your team needs to schedule a make-up picture time, please contact me at brandon.merchant@yahoo.com.

Time Frame:  The photographers have been contracted to be on site at MPTLL only on Saturday, April 5th and Monday through Thursday, April 7-10. After that, they will be working on other jobs.

Receiving Pictures:  8x10 team pictures that are provided at no additional charge will be shipped to me and distributed at the park in a few weeks. Individual pictures or products ordered by the parents will be shipped directly to their homes in a few weeks.

Photography Company:  Classic Photography will once again be handling our team and individual pictures. We have a long-standing, solid relationship with them. If you have any issues or questions regarding an individual picture order, please contact their office at 704-423-5745. Questions regarding 8x10 team pictures should be directed to me at Brandon.merchant@yahoo.com.

 

We look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.

 

Junior League Baseball Registration

Junior League registration is now open for 13- and 14-year-old baseball players (age as of April 30th of this year). Teams play at Independence Park on 90 ft. base paths. Tryouts are held in mid-April.  The season operates during May and June. If you are interested in learning more about our Junior League program or would like to register, please contact Mark Mensheha for more information.

MP Softball Tryout Information

Myers Park Trinity is holding Skills Assessments (tryouts) for 8U and 10U Softball this weekend. There are no make-up tryouts or any tryouts for 12U and 16U Softball.

Registered players should arrive at least 20 minutes early for their tryout time. All Softball tryouts will take place on Kiser-Chapman Field at Randolph Park.

Any changes to field location or tryout times will be posted on social media. Follow MPTLL on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mplittleleague and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MPTLL to receive the latest league news now and throughout the year.
Below are the tryout times for MP Softball:

8U  Softball  -  10:00 am, Saturday (2/22)  -  Kiser-Chapman Field.
10U Softball  -  1:00 pm, Saturday (2/22)  -  Kiser-Chapman Field.
10U Challenge Softball  -  3:00 pm, Saturday (2/22)  -  Kiser-Chapman Field.

MPTLL Baseball Tryout Information

Myers Park Trinity Skills Assessments (tryouts) for Little League Baseball are Saturday and Sunday (2/22-2/23). Make-up tryouts are Monday (2/24) at 5:30. Here are a few things to know about tryouts:
 

Please arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled time in order to register and warm up. All players will be selected for a team in one of the league's divisions of play. Players must attend tryouts to be eligible to be selected by a Major League team. Returning Major Leaguers and T-Ball players are not required to try out.

9-12-year-old tryouts will take place on new field. 6-8-year-old tryouts will be on Randolph East Field. Ages are as of April 30, 2014. Any changes to field location or tryout times will be posted on social media. Follow MPTLL on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mplittleleague and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MPTLL to receive the latest league news now and throughout the year.

Parents should have received an email reminding them of their child's tryout time. If you have a need to change your child's tryout time, please send an email today to tryouts@mptll.org requesting a new time.  Please specify which alternate time you would prefer to attend.  Please do NOT change your scheduled time unless it is absolutely necessary, as late changes require manual changes by league officials to the master tryout lists. 

 

No request for tryout time slot changes will be processed after Friday, February 21st at 3:00 PM. If something arises in your family's schedule after 3:00 PM your child will either need to attend the makeup tryout session on Monday, February 24th at 5:30 p.m. or show up at an alternate time and the league's coaches and graders will write in your son's information on their grading sheet (not the preference of the league as that process results in inefficiencies of grading and reporting grades to the league). 

Below are the tryout times for Little League Baseball.

Baseball Tryout Times:

6 Year Olds			7 Year Olds			8 Year Olds
22-Feb	4:00 PM	East Field	22-Feb	9:00 AM	East Field	22-Feb	10:30 AM	East Field
23-Feb	4:00 PM	East Field	22-Feb	12:30 PM	East Field	22-Feb	2:00 PM	East Field
			23-Feb	12:30 PM	East Field	23-Feb	2:15 PM	East Field
9 Year Olds			10 Year Olds			11/12 Year Olds
22-Feb	9:00 AM	New Field	22-Feb	10:30 AM	New Field	22-Feb	12:30 PM	New Field
22-Feb	3:30 PM	New Field	22-Feb	2:00 PM	New Field	23-Feb	4:00 PM	New Field
23-Feb	12:30 PM	New Field	23-Feb	2:15 PM	New Field

DSG Registration and Coupons for MPTLL Families

In addition to online sign-ups, the league is hosting a walk-up registration event this Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods at SouthPark from 10:00-1:00.  Before you shop, print the this coupon for baseball and this coupon for softball to receive 20% off on your entire purchase (only valid this Saturday).  In addition, Dick's is offering additional discounts by printing this coupon (valid anytime throughout 2014).

Baseball For Life Coaches Clinic - Sunday (2/9)

Baseball For Life is now taking registrations for its annual free Coaches Clinic that will take place at Weddington High School on Sunday, February 9th from 1:00-5:00 pm. Several MPTLL coaches attended this event last year and responded positively.

Baseball For Life is a group of some of the finest baseball coaches and men the Charlotte area has to offer. Everything they do is free - hosting clinics, rebuilding fields, giving away equipment and mentoring young players - everything. They ask nothing in return. They are not an academy or a for-profit business. They only wish to enhance the lives of young people through baseball.

As coaches, we should strive to learn as much as we can, so that we can teach as much as we can to our players. Register today.

Royals Softball Teams Up With Myers Park Trinity

Queens University has recently adopted Myers Park Trinity Softball as its “community project” and will be providing a free 2-hour skills clinic on Saturday, January 25th.

This clinic will feature the Lady Royals team plus head coach, Melanie Helterbran, at Randolph Park on Kiser-Chapman Field from 1:00-3:00 pm.  The clinic will focus on hitting, fielding, throwing and base running for all age groups. Although the event is free, we will be accepting voluntary donations for the Myers Park Trinity Softball program.

Please RSVP by email to softball@mptll.org if you plan to attend this clinic. Stay tuned to MP Twitter and Facebook, or the MP Blog for any future announcements or weather-related changes.