Resources for Baseball Coaches
LSYS Baseball Coaches Meeting & Equipment Pick-up
The 2024 coaches meeting will be held May 8 at 6:00 P.M. at LHS Baseball Field
LSYS Baseball Divisions:
- T-Ball: A fun place to learn to swing a bat, throw a ball and run bases! Ages 4 and 5
- Coach Pitch: Start learning the rules of baseball, develop batting skills and position placement. Ages 6 and 7
- Player Pitch 2: This intro to competitive play allows players to experiment with taking on a position, including pitcher. Ages 8 and 9
- Player Pitch 2: Offering more structured play. Ages 10-12 (through 6th grade)
Equipment Provided:
Each team is provided with baseballs, a few bats, at least 5 batting helmets, catcher’s gear (coach pitch and player pitch teams) and a tee (T-ball). All players will need a baseball mitt; optional personal gear includes batting helmet, baseballs and bats. The registration fee includes a baseball hat, shirt/jersey and pair of pants for your players to keep. Players must wear non-metal cleats, but athletic shoes are fine for younger ages.
2024 Practices:
The LSYS 2024 baseball season begins Monday, May 13 (one week later on May 20th for Tee-Ball) and ends June 28th. Coaching staff of each team can work with their team's parents to decide the best time to start and end practices. Typically, practices should be about an hour ,sometime between 5-8 p.m., during the week (Monday-Friday). The fields have been reserved for the 3-hour increments of time; you decide how much time is needed for your team to practice. The league has set up more frequent practices in the beginning of the season leading up to fewer practices and more games at the end of the season. Most teams will practice twice a week at the start and then play two games a week without practice the rest of the season.
Team Communication:
There is a Team Central tab (must login to view) on this website for registered families to access schedules and team information. Also, specific practice and game times are made available on the GameChanger app. The app has proven to be a terrific way for coaches and families to communicate with one another!
Field Locations:
The Nine Mile School District has given permission for the league to use their fields for practices and games. There is a FIELD MAP on the Team Central tab of this website.
- Nine Mile Falls Elementary -baseball field located on southwest side of school: 10102 W Charles Rd, Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026
- Lakeside High School -baseball fields located on south side of school: 5909 WA-291, Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026
- Lake Spokane Elementary -baseball field located on southeast side of school: 6015 WA-291, Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026
- Lakeside Middle School -baseball fields located on north side of school: 6169 WA-291, Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026
Coaching FAQ:
How can I become a coach and/or get involved?
Lake Spokane Youth Sports (LSYS) is fully founded by volunteers. Sign up to coach or volunteer on our Volunteer Opportunities page! Reach out to us via email at [email protected] for information or questions. Coaches and Assistant Coaches are subject to a Washington State Patrol WATCH background check.
If you are new to coaching, we are happy to help with any questions you may have. There are some great YouTube channels to get drill ideas from- Little League, Baseball Boom and Pro Speed Baseball are good examples for videos. Lakeside HS Baseball Coach Tim Smith will put on a coaches meeting before the season starts. This will be a great opportunity to meet other LSYS coaches and get ideas for your season.
What happens if we will be gone during the season or there is bad weather?
The GameChanger app is a great way to reach out to the parents and stay in contact about changes or cancellations. Use your own judgment to determine if the weather is bad enough to cancel. Definitely cancel if there is thunder or lightening. There are parents on each team who will gladly step in to the role of coach if the head coach and assistant coach are going to miss the same practice or game date.
Risk Assessment Policies and Procedures
Lake Spokane Youth Sports (LSYS) wants all coaches to feel prepared for any situation that may arise. We have created a guide to help you avoid and handle risk. Please review our Risk Assessment Policies and Procedures guide. Also, please review the CDC Concussion Information guide.
We will continue to monitor COVID guidelines and keep in communication with the Nine Mile Falls School District for their current requirements for the use of their fields.