COVENTRY RIVER CATS 2014-15
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who are the Coventry River Cats?
The River Cats is a brand new independent baseball and softball organization that will operate with the cooperation of Coventry Little League. The purpose of the organization is to provide additional development and game opportunities for youth baseball and softball players who are participants in Coventry Little League (CLL). The River Cats has a three member Board of Directors consisting of Mark Cerimele, Mike Bowker, and Kellie DiBattista.
2. What are “Additional development and game opportunities?”
Each team will have the opportunity to play in tournaments throughout the year, play individual games against other similar teams, and participate in winter workout sessions.
3. What age must players be?
The goal will be to assemble baseball and softball tournament (or travel) teams at every age level from 9u (current 8u players) through 12u (current 11u players) for baseball and 9u through 12u for softball.
4. Would my child still play in Coventry Little League?
Yes, absolutely! The mission of the River Cats is to support CLL. River Cats activities will not interfere with CLL in any way.
5. What about Fall Ball?
River Cats players will be required to register for CLL fall ball, however, teams will be free to schedule their own games, tournaments and scrimmages against equally competitive teams. CLL provides fields for use by the River Cats from July through October for practices, games, and scrimmages. Registering for CLL fall ball is a method to ensure that the River Cats are paying their fair share of field maintenance and facility costs.
6. My son/daughter plays other sports in the fall and winter. Will this disqualify them from playing for the River Cats?
No. The manager of the team will be responsible for determining his/her team’s schedule during the year. We realize that some players will have commitments to other sports and other activities, and we will accommodate that as much as possible.
7. Who will coach these teams?
Managers and coaches were invited to apply, they will be chosen during the first week of July.
8. What are the responsibilities of the managers?
The manager is the person most responsible for the activities and administration of the team, including:
a. Direct communication with parents of players on the team.
b. Deciding which tournaments the team will play in and registering for those tournaments.
c. Scheduling indoor and outdoor practices.
d. Scheduling individual games with other teams.
e. Building a season budget for the team and distributing to parents.
f. Fundraising for the team, either by direct parent subsidy, other fundraising activities, or a combination of both.
g. Purchase of equipment.
h. Inform the River Cats board which tournaments to register his/her team for
i. Prepping the field for a game or practice, dragging the infield afterwards, and securing the complex if last one to leave
j. All direct coaching activities including directing assistant coaches and player instruction
9. Where will the teams practice and play?
We expect that CLL will offer practice times at the Wampler Complex for River Cats teams, but only at times when not being used by CLL. Managers may also secure their own practice facilities. The Manager is responsible for finding a winter indoor facility and coordinate practice times. The River Cats Board can assist, if needed.
10. Will parents have obligations such as fund raising or concession stand duty?
Fund raising will be at the discretion of each team. At this time we have no plans to operate the concession stand at the Wampler complex.
11. How can my child participate in River Cats?
The program is designed for higher performing players that wish to further develop their skills in a competitive year-round environment. Players will be invited to participate in the program based on their rankings for CLL All‐Star selections. The intention of the River Cats program is to field as many teams at each age level as there are players wishing to participate and parents willing to volunteer.
12. How do I register my child?
The player registration form can be found on our website at. CoventryRiverCatsRegistration.There is no registration fee to participate in the River Cats. The program is run at-cost. An initial $200 will be collected and will cover start-up costs such as team insurance, uniforms, and equipment. The initial payment will not be collected until we can confirm that we’ll have a coach and enough players for each team.
13. How do I determine what team my child should be on?
This can be a bit confusing; because we will refer to teams by the age the players will be in the spring of 2015.
For baseball the cutoff is April 30th, and for softball the cutoff is January 1st. For instance, the 12u baseball team will be made up of boys who are 12 or less on April 30, 2015. The 12u softball team will be made up of girls who will turn 12 during the 2015 calendar year.
So, if you have a baseball player he’ll be on the team corresponding to his age on April 30, 2015. If you have a softball player she’ll be on the team corresponding to the age she turns in 2015.
14. When will play begin?
Teams will be formed again in July 2014 and play could begin before the end of summer. The teams will play until the 2015 CLL All‐Star teams are selected, and will re‐form following the CLL All‐Star tournaments.
15. How will these teams be funded?
This is an independent organization with no financial support from CLL. Each team will be responsible for its own costs, either by parent subsidy, team fundraising, or a combination of both.
16. How much will it cost to participate?
The schedule of activities will be determined by each coach with input from parents, so the costs will depend on how many tournaments the team plays in, how many times they practice in the winter, etc. The approximate annual cost for a team that plays in 3-4 tournaments and practices once per week indoors during the winter would be about $600-$750. The actual cost could be less or more. Parents on each team will obviously have some say in what the annual participation fee is. All players are required to make an initial $200 payment upon confirmation that they have been placed on a team. Additional payments will becollected throughout the season based on the activities scheduled for each team. Typically, an additional payments are collected in September/October to cover fall tournaments; November/December to cover winter workouts; and February/March to cover any spring activities.
17. Will the River Cats seek sponsorships?
The River Cats has a tax‐exempt status, so any donations and sponsorships may be tax deductible. Sponsors can be solicited by individual teams, and there will also be opportunities to sponsor the organization.
18. Where can I get more information?
Information is posted
- On our website CoventryRiverCats
- On our Facebook page
- You can also email questions to us at .