Baseball For Life Coaches Clinic - Sunday, Feb. 10

Baseball For Life, a new non-profit organization co-chaired by Ed Walton and Mike Shildt, will be having a coaches clinic this Sunday from 1:00-4:00 at Weddington High School specifically geared toward youth coaches. This is a great opportunity to learn from many of the best coaches around Charlotte. It's free but you must register online. There is more info here and in the video below.

Best of MPTLL #6: Fields and Facilities

Myers Park Trinity Little League is blessed to call Randolph Park its home. The Marshall-Caudle Little League Complex is the result of a little luck and a lot of hard work. It began to take shape after three decades of play on borrowed land across Randolph Road.

Here is what the area looked like in 1961. In that satellite image, E.C. Griffith Field is at the top left section of the photo. Caudle Field would be built just to its north many years later. What we now use and call "Grier Heights #1" is top right, directly across Randolph Road. At the bottom left is the old Culp Field, our Pony League / Babe Ruth field, before it became overgrown with ivy-covered outfield fences. And at the bottom right portion of the photo is the farmland that would become Randolph Park. Wade Field now sits directly across the street from where Culp Field once was.

When Lloyd Caudle, Tom Marshall and other volunteers secured the use of the Mecklenburg County land that is now Randolph Park in the early 1980's, it was originally constructed with two Little League fields and a Babe Ruth field. The Little League fields had dirt infields, no mounds and no outfield fences. Their were no bleachers - only a long concrete slab on each side of the backstop for fans to sit on. The dugouts had no roofs. There was a two-sided wooden scoreboard between the fields along a dirt walking path, which led to a small cinder-block concession stand (now "Billy's Building"). The fields were called Randolph East and West (later Kiser-Chapman) Fields, and they are still in use today.

Sponsorship Opportunities at MPTLL

Myers Park Trinity Little League is currently seeking team and sign sponsors for the 2013 spring season and beyond. There are various levels of sponsorship opportunities throughout the league. For more details, read MPTLL's sponsorship letter and contact Rex Brietz if you are interested.

Thanks to the organizations that have already signed on to sponsor Myers Park Trinity this year. The list is growing each day. We look forward to seeing your company's name on a jersey or sign this season.

Equipment Donations - Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013

The league will be collecting gently used or new equipment this weekend from families wanting to donate to those in need. Collection bins will be set up at walk-up registration at the Randolph Park concession stand from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm this Saturday, February 2, 2013.

Baseball and softball equipment can be very expensive. Some families simply cannot afford the cost of a brand new bat or glove. But we want all of our players to be outfitted with the gear they need to play ball.

A new season is just around the corner, and many families are purchasing new equipment. But what happens to the old stuff? Rather than letting it sit in the garage or on the porch collecting dust, stop by the park on Saturday and donate it. There are plenty of kids right there at MPTLL who would be thrilled to have it.

We will be collecting gently used or new items such as: bats, gloves, baseballs, softballs, gear bags, helmets, catcher's gear, cleats in good condition, etc. Please take a look around the house - if you have any of these or related items to spare - even if you are not coming to sign up - bring it out to the park on Saturday. Thanks.

2013 Walk-up Registration

Online registration for the Myers Park Trinity Little League spring baseball, softball and tee ball season continues through February 17, 2013. Sign up today at MPTLL.org.

For those who prefer to sign up in person, walk-up registration begins this weekend. Here are the dates, times and locations:

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013  10:00-2:00  Randolph Park Concession Stand (Equipment Donations*)
Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013  12:00-4:00  Family Dollar  -  917 Wendover Rd., 28211
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013  12:00-4:00 Grier Heights Community Park - Sam Drenan Rd at Skyland Ave.
Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013  1:00-5:00  Family Dollar  -  917 Wendover Rd., 28211
Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013  12:00-4:00  Family Dollar  -  917 Wendover Rd., 28211
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013  1:00-5:00 Grier Heights Community Park - Sam Drenan Rd at Skyland Ave.

*On Feb. 2 at the concession stand, the league will be collecting any gently used or new baseball and softball equipment that our families would like to donate to those in need. More information.

2013 Spring Registration Flyer

The Myers Park Trinity spring registration flyer is here. Please help us spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, email, word of mouth, etc. This flyer can also be printed and posted in public places that grant permission.

Online registration continues through February 17, 2013. It is quick and convenient. You can pay by credit card or check. Walk-up registration at the Randolph Park concession stand is Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 10:00-2:00. The park is located at Randolph and Billingsley Roads. Walk-up registration at Grier Heights Community Monumental Park and at the Food Lion on Wendover Rd. is coming soon. Stay tuned here for more details on that.

Follow MPTLL on Twitter in 2013

Myers Park Trinity jumped into the world of social media in the summer of 2012. In the beginning, Twitter was used primarily for sharing updates from various All Star tournament sites. Since that time, its use has been expanded each month. The trend will continue in 2013 because Twitter keeps our families informed.

Want to know the absolute latest information about the league? Join up and follow us on Twitter. He are some examples of the types of announcements that will be delivered instantly to your smartphone, tablet or computer if you follow MPTLL on Twitter:

• Schedule changes due to bad weather.
• Announcements about league events.
• News about youth baseball or softball.
• Information about clinics, sign-ups, sales or volunteering.
• League news about who's doing what on or off the field.

The list is endless, really. Whatever is happening at MPTLL, it'll be on Twitter. So sign up on www.Twitter.com. It's quick and easy to do. Then go to www.Twitter.com/mplittleleague, or just type "mplittleleague" into the Twitter search box, and click "Follow" on our page. You will then have all the info you could possibly want about Myers Park Trinity delivered instantly. You can also follow any other people or groups that may interest you. That's the great thing about Twitter - you only get what you want. Try it out today.

Best of MPTLL #5: Volunteers

Myers Park Trinity is one of the largest youth sports leagues in Charlotte. It fields over 50 teams each spring regular season, plus about another 30 throughout the Fall Ball, Challenge and All-Star programs.

It takes a large group of dedicated people to fill the diverse roles necessary to run such a large, growing and improving organization. There are obviously the coaches. There are division coordinators. There is the grounds crew and concessions staff. There are league officers and a board of directors. There are people to manage things like sponsorships, registration, marketing, websites, tryouts, tournaments, fundraising, construction and - being in a county park - government relations.

All of these people are volunteers. Many of them do not have children in the league. Some of them put in a handful of hours nearly every day for the benefit of Myers Park Trinity. Why do they do it? Because they know a good thing when they see it. They are passionate about it. They know it's good for the kids and they want it to last. They also know it's refreshing and energizing to be around baseball and softball, and to spend time good people.

So get involved. As they say, the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. That's certainly true at Myers Park. I can't think of a better organization to be a part of.

In case you missed it.....

Best of MPTLL #1: Community Atmosphere.

Best of MPTLL #2: Dedicated Coaches.

Best of MPTLL #3: Versatility.

Best of MPTLL #4: History and Tradition.

2013 Spring Sponsors

Myers Park Trinity would like to recognize the following organizations for being the first to sign on as sponsors for the Spring 2013 season. THANKS for helping to make MPTLL great. We look forward to adding to this list very soon.

Al Browne
A.G. Zoutewelle Surveyors
B Whittington Construction
Baird Private Wealth Management
Blythe Development Company
Bond Network
Bray & Long
BryanCave
Bryant Supply
Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates
Charlotte Martial Arts Academy
Christ Episcopal Church
Contemporary Benefits Design
Defease with Ease
Empowered Benefits
Glandon Capital
Hankins & Whittington
Hendrick Honda
JE Dunn Construction
Keith Corporation
KPB Corporation
MedChex
Rayburn Cooper and Durham
Raymond James
R.B. Pharr & Associates
Supersod
Sunset Slush
Tavern on the Tracks
T.R. Lawing Realty
Trinity Presbyterian Church

Junior League Information for 2013

The Myers Park Trinity 13-14-year-old baseball program provides two levels of competition, aiming to let as many boys play baseball as possible. Tryouts are required for both levels of play. Boys who are selected for Challenge play are not required to play in the regular-season program, but regular season play is required for boys wanting the traditional end-of-year all-star experience. See below for more information: