Much To Be Thankful for in 2013

2013 has been a big year for Myers Park Trinity. We are truly blessed to have so many great people supporting our kids. A big "thank you" goes out...

To Tony and Boyd for always being there, morning, noon or night, working hard to make our park so nice; and to Paxton, Harrison, Kip, Hank, Preston and our entire volunteer grounds crew for their help that often goes unseen;

To Kaaren and Ashley for ensuring the continued service of our concession stand, whether or not their kids are playing games at the time; and to Barbara for doing it for so many years;

To Rich, Steve and Kris for guiding our ship with a steady hand;

To Tom and Kip for representing MPTLL behind the scenes to ensure that we have a firm footing in our community for years to come - we wouldn't have our park without these guys;

To Jake, Robert, Barry, Barbara and others for holding us true to the traditions that have made our league work for over 60 years;

To Rex and Kevin for being our tech guides and creating so much convenience for us all;

To Lauro for placing a priority on taking the MP experience to our closest neighbors and the kids who need it so much;

To Steve for keeping us financially secure today, and to Ed, Rich and Joe for leading us into the future;

To our loyal sponsors for believing in MPTLL and providing for our players;

To the coaches for, whether they know what they're getting into or not, becoming dedicated and passionate teachers of the game and positive role models for our children;

And to the parents, for entrusting their kids with us, cheering them on and supporting us all in so many ways;

It takes a village... so that moments like these are possible....

Keep Battling, Adam

We have a parent and coach in our league who has taken a turn for the worse. He has been fighting cancer valiantly for two years. He is a great guy and has a nice family, like we all do. But he has been battling for two years, although holding his head high with a smile on his face. I tell my players, "Keep your head up." Adam Schmitz has done that.

I've spent time with Adam and his son at the batting cages. Adam watches closely as his son hits ball after ball, making an adjustment here and there. Adam's eyes are bright and wide. He soaks it all in, loving every minute of it - just as he does any time he's at the park, either watching Zeke play or just talking to friends. He has the perspective on life that allows him to take in and appreciate his experiences. He wants more knowledge, more friends, more swings, more time.

Adam loves to talk and he is a good listener too. We discuss hitting and pitching, Majors and Minors, McGwire and Sosa, the Mets and Yankees, dogs and cats, whatever. We want to talk for longer, but I can't match his enthusiasm. And it's getting dark and the lights aren't coming on.

It's hard to know that someone like Adam with so much goodness in his heart and so much enthusiasm for life is struggling. It doesn't seem fair. But he is battling. That's another thing I tell my players: "Keep battling. Battle to the very end. No matter the outcome, you'll be proud that you did." Adam Schmitz has done that. He will continue to do it. And we are all proud.

Adam's family needs our help. Myers Park Trinity is a larger family of sorts. We support our own when they need us. If you would like to help the Schmitz family, please go to the following link and show your support. Show them how much we all appreciate Adam. Please visit:

The Adam Schmitz Cancer Fund

Concessions Duty

Like prepping the fields and cheering at games, concession stand duty is another essential way we support our children and our league. It is a fun and gratifying community service for all. Team moms will be reaching out via email to fill spots for each team.  Teams are assigned a specific week and they will need one adult for each night during that week.  We need your help so please volunteer.  Below is a schedule of when teams are responsible for coverage. Thanks to Kaaren Schultz for her hard work and dedication at the concession stand.

Week 2 - April 20, 23, 24          BS, NL2

Week 3 - April 27, 30, May 1     CH, NL3, AL4, AL8

Week 4 - May 4, 7, 8                CC, NL4, AL5, AL9

Week 5 - May 11, 14, 15           T, NL5, AL6, AL10

Week 6 - May 18, 21, 22           CP, NL6, AL7, AL11

Week 7 - May 23, 24, 28           AB, NL7, NL9, AL12, AL14

Week 8 - May 25, 26, 27           TBD, TBD, TBD

Week 9 - May 29, 30, 31, 6/1     RB, NL8, NL10, AL1, AL13

Park Etiquette

MPTLL Families,

The league would like to provide the following reminders about a few park related issues. If we all follow these guidelines, our park will be a better place than it already is.

PARKING - Parking is allowed only in marked spaces. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police will ticket your car if it is parked outside of a marked space. They do come to our park often, sometimes driving through looking for cars to ticket. If it is deemed necessary, your car may also be towed. Our primary lot is by the main gate at the upper fields. Please do not park on the grass, by the gate or fence, in front of the dumpster, in the handicapped spaces without a pass or beyond the end of a row of spaces. If the marked spaces in the main lot are full, you may park in the Grier Heights lot down the hill or in the Department of Social Services lot next to the main lot on the park side of Billingsley Road. The DSS lot is huge. There are always plenty of available spaces, and there are pathways to New Field, Founders and GH2 from there. Do not park anywhere near the county gas pumps or across the street at the Chemical Dependency Center - they will tow your car.

DOGS - Dogs are allowed, but they must be on leashes. Some people are not comfortable around dogs, and especially those not on a leash. Also, as you would anywhere, please bring a bag and clean up after your pooch when he does his business.

SMOKING / TOBACCO - Randolph Park is a tobacco-free zone. Please refrain from smoking or using other tobacco products anywhere at the park.

TRASH - Myers Park Trinity does not have a cleaning service. Please use the trash and recycling bins located around the park. And if you see something on the ground, please take a second to pick it up and throw it away. Bleacher areas should be cleaned by the parents and fans and dugouts should be cleaned by the players after each game and practice. It's not hard to look at the schedule and see who left the mess.

CHEERING - Keep it positive. Remember that this is a youth activity. It is a game played by children. The children should be able to relax and have fun playing the game without being distracted by excessive noise, negative comments or coaching from outside the fences. The players, coaches and umpires are all doing their best. No one wants to do anything less. Just show that you support them and that you enjoy watching. This is rarely a problem at Myers Park. We have a great group of families. This is just a reminder.

Thank you for your help in these areas. And thank you for supporting MPTLL.

The Challenge of Being a Challenge Parent

In case you missed it in Sunday's Charlotte Observer, MPTLL parent Tracy Curtis weighs the joys and sorrows of being a challenge baseball parent. Very funny (and honest) stuff. And certainly the first ever reference to "GH1" in the Observer. Enjoy.

Coaching Your Own Kid

If you are planning to coach your own son or daughter's team this season, I highly recommend that you read this article by Janis Meredith:  6 Steps to Successfully Coaching Your Own Child. 

Meredith offers the following advice for the benefit of all involved - the child, the parent, the team and the league:

1. Get objective opinions about each child's abilities from your fellow coaches.
2. Give fair treatment to all. Don't treat your child better or worse than the other players.
3. Do not coach at home unless your child brings it up.
4. Prepare your kids for peer pressure they may encounter because you are the coach.
5. Remind your child that you are their coach on the field, not just their parent.
6. Be an unconditional coach. "If you are going to volunteer to help coach your child's team, commit yourself to doing what's best for the entire team, not just your child. If you can't do that, don't coach."

So many leagues have been negatively affected by "daddyball." The "what's in it for me and my kid" attitude