Our third commandment for a Christian Baseball parent is: Thou Shall Not coach from the Stands.
The one voice our children must be tuned into in playing the game of baseball is the coach. When we allow our children to play on a team, we must entrust them totally to the coach when they are between the white lines. It becomes mass confusion when we take it upon ourselves to coach from the stands. As parents we are not always in the know to what the coach is telling our players in the dugout. When we yell out to our child to play differently or to take a different position, we may indeed be telling them to do something the coach has told them not to do. Can you see how confusing that might be? Our children want to obey us and the coach! The authority during the game must be the coach.

It is so important that we allow the coach to do his job with our support and lack of coaching from the stands. We want to have the best possible experience for our children when they play the game. Positive supportive cheering for our team and yes the other team is what we are to do when we attend a game. Allow the coach to make corrections and to well… coach without our voice being heard from the stands doing the same thing.
Get to know your child’s coach. Take a few moments after a game to thank them for the time they spend teaching the game. Most coaches are not paid in youth leagues and coach because of a tremendous love for the game and kids. High School and Middle School coaches are compensated but not very much for the amount of time they put into their teams. During season a High School coach will spend more time with your children playing for him than his own children. Ask your child’s coach how you can support him and be there for him. A simple thank you goes a long way!

The words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount ring true, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” And everything includes the game of baseball and not coaching from the stands while showing appreciation for dedicated coaches!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Encouraging words will build up our children in every area of life but especially in the game of baseball. Baseball is a game that you can fail 7 out of 10 times to get a hit and be an All-Star Major League player. I have never known a player to hit 1.000 for the year or a pitcher to never give up a hit or walk during a season. Baseball is a game where we need to deal with failure.

When we take the time to examine not only our words but our tone and body language, sometimes it is not a pretty picture. Instead of building up our players we have had often times the opposite effect. It takes on average 13 positive statements to offset one negative statement. How many times have we said something to our child as they have played the game, we wish we could have taken back? How many times have we come across harsh and uncaring? Sometimes we get so focused on winning and losing we lose focus on what is the most important, our children. We want them to succeed, to enjoy the game and be happy playing baseball. Here is a word of warning to those of you who coach your children, we are often much harder on our own children and less encouraging to them because we expect more from them. It is even more important for the Dad who coaches to realize the most important relationship on the team is with his son or daughter! We are only coach for a season, but Dad for a lifetime!

Take a few moments and look up all the verses in the New Testament about Barnabas, whose name literally means “Son of Encouragement”. Barnabas had faith in Paul when no one else did in Jerusalem. He stood up for John Mark when Paul lost faith in him. Where would we be without Paul’s writings and the Gospel of Mark? God calls each of us as Christian Baseball Parents to be a Barnabas in the life of our players. We need to be encouraging, positive, and building up our players every opportunity we have to do so!

Here are our challenges. Let’s stop and think before we speak. How are our words? Are they encouraging and uplifting? How is our tone and body language? Will you commit to a Barnabas in the life of your player, to be encouraging, uplifting, positive ,and building them up as they play the game?

If we will take the time to meet these challenges I will guarantee you as parents will enjoy watching your player more and your player will enjoy playing more. When we master encouraging behavior as a parent, I am sure it brings a smile to the face of our Lord! Would not Jesus do the very same thing? Blessings!!

Thou Shall Make Baseball Fun

Baseball is a GAME. Games are meant to be fun and enjoyable. Too many parents put too much pressure on their players. Baseball which is meant to be fun often times turns into something that brings neither joy nor fun to the player or the parent. Baseball becomes almost like a job instead of a game.

Some of the best times I have ever enjoyed with my baseball playing son involves a simple game of catch in the backyard. It is amazing how much fun can be had by just talking and playing catch. We would play a simple little competitive game when playing catch. The thrower is awarded 2 points for any ball that would have struck the catcher in the head and one point if it would have struck the catcher from the waist to the shoulders, first to 20 wins. This simple game improves accuracy as well as enjoying time together talking. Spending time in a backyard game of catch talking about each other’s day is not only very relaxing but it is also FUN.

Watching games together in person or on TV helps to give teaching moments as you watch and enjoy the games. Often times John and I would even at a young age discuss the plays and what each of us saw. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time together learning about the game from watching others play. Special family trips to see a favorite team play in person is another way to bring the joy back into baseball.

As parents it is up to us to find ways to make sure that for our player and for us, baseball is fun. Enjoy the simple things around the game like playing catch or watching a game. The greatest gift we can give our children is our time and for a baseball player spending time on a regular basis with his Mom and/or Dad enjoying the game helps insure baseball will always be fun. The foundation you lay as a parent now will help insure a healthy relationship with your children even when they have become adults.

Just a little footnote, my now almost 24 year old Baseball Coaching son John just stopped by my office on his way to practice to show me some new gear he picked up. We still enjoy the game together because we have spent a lifetime working on making baseball fun. By the way my fantasy baseball team has won our family league the last two years. Just another way to connect and still make the game what it always should be…FUN.

REACHING THE ELITE BASEBALL PLAYER THROUGH OFF SEASON CLINICS

Most elite baseball players find it difficult at best to attend an FCA Camp in the summer. These players are often times playing competitive travel baseball and do not have time to attend a summer camp. FCA Baseball has come up with a clinic model to help local staff develop a ministry to reach these elite players for Christ.

This clinic model is best done in the months of November and early December on a Saturday. This is a time when you can call upon local Major or Minor League players as well as local College and High School coaches to not only assist with the baseball stations, but more importantly to share their faith.

The unique part of this clinic model is at each break a testimony is shared by a clinician about their walk with Christ. The final testimony is usually reserved for your best known clinician whether he is a player or coach.

One of our core values is excellence and we want to make sure that the clinic is an excellent time of teaching the game. The key person is your Head Clinician who will set up the clinic and the stations as well as set the schedule in place for the teaching. Each clinician must be a Christian who is willing to share His walk with Christ as well as be able to teach an aspect of the game. Your Head Clinician should be a coach you have a relationship with that you are ministering to as a coach. He will be invaluable in helping organize the teaching ( many of these coaches do their own clinics and have formats they are comfortable using when teaching the game).

The time to begin to organize and plan a late fall clinic is early spring. You want to first set a time and place. The further north you live the more likely that the clinic must be held at an indoor facility. Always have a backup plan in case of rain if you plan to be outside, a local high school gym may be an alternative. As soon as this time and place is set be sure to get the word out to your local High School baseball teams and any travel teams in your area. Also decide what you will charge for the clinic. This should not be a major fundraiser but an opportunity to reach players for Christ. Pray!

Second secure your Head Clinician and begin to work on a schedule. Begin your recruiting of Christian players and coaches from your area to serve and share. This should be completed by early August. Pray!

Two months out begin your publicity in earnest with registration available. Set a deadline to preregister as well as clinic size for each age group. Pray!

Day of the clinic

• You will want to make sure lunch is provided
• Resources such as the FCA Baseball New Testament and baseball editions of “Sharing the Victory” magazine would be great to give to each person present
• Use the clinic time to have someone address the parents on how to be a Christian baseball parent
• Make sure at the conclusion of the last testimony to close the day with a Gospel presentation and time given for those who attend to make a decision for Christ.
• Follow up by directing the players present to their local school FCA Huddles
• Praise God for all He has done in the day!

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Be on the lookout for FCA Winter Camp in So. Cal. coming up in December. For more info on Called Up Camps please visit www.calledupbaseball.com

Cal Kern knew his team wasn't going to enter the summer season as the favorites to win the New York Collegiate Baseball League [NYCBL], but that didn't stop the Niagara Power from earning its first playoff appearance in its fifth-year of existence.

Kern, the founder, owner, general manager and even bus driver for the Power, watched as his team did the unthinkable this summer, not only reaching the playoffs, but doing it after a 2-9 start.

"We may not have been the most talented team," Kern said. "But we probably had the greatest team chemistry in the league. I've never seen a team like this in my 50 years of playing and coaching sports."

Much to Kern's disappointment, the ride came to an end on Wednesday as the Geneva Red Wings beat the Power, 6-4, in a first-round playoff game. The Power(24-21) ended the season with four straight losses, but still finished in third place of the West division.

Kern started the team in 2007 to help fill the void left by the Niagara Falls Rapids - the Class-A minor league team that moved to Jamestown in 1993 - and said that this year's playoff berth is a breakthrough his team has been waiting for.

"It kind of created a really neat baseball buzz in Niagara Falls," Kern said. "Some of us said it's like the old days again. It's like bringing minor-league baseball back to Niagara Falls."

After a slow start, a run to the playoffs appeared unlikely. The team had nine errors in a game, which wasn't going to cut it in the country's seventh-best collegiate summer league, according to Kern.

But manager Eric Ebers, who has guided the team the past two years, said that this team was different. Unlike the years before, the 2011 group was better prepared for a turbulent start.

"They are spiritually and physically more mature," said Ebers. "When your leaders represent what you are about, it makes things go easier. It's easier to put in place what we want to do."

After the tumultuous start, the faith-based team, which is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, posted the best record in the NYCBL. Ebers said most of that run was due to an improvement in fielding and dominant pitching.

One pitcher in particular was Lockport's Rohn Pierce, the 2011 Western New York Player of the Year selected by area coaches. The recent Newfane graduate joined the Power midway through the season.

Pierce will be a freshman at Canisius College and pitched in four games for the Power, going 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA.

"He was thrown right in against Division I and Division II athletes, but he stepped up and handled it well," Kern said. "He was focused, wasn't easily rattled, and did a tremendous job for us. He has a bright future."

Also contributing for the Power was fellow local talent Frank Polino. The catcher graduated from Canisius High School in 2009 and was one of a team-record six players from the Power to play in the NYCBL All-Star game. He was a member of the team at Canisius College, but recently got his release from the school and will transfer.

For the Power, Polino was fourth on the team in runs batted in with 12 and said that he learned a lot from his experiences this summer.

"The one thing about this team that is special is we come together for two months from all different parts of the country to Niagara Falls," Polino said. "It's easy to come in thinking well this is going to be about me. We have all really become like 33 brothers."

Read More about the Power at www.niagarapower.org