Last updated May 25, 2025

Head Coach: Matt Cleaver - 972-754-7353 (I prefer GroupMe, but text if necessary)

Upcoming Schedule #

• Tuesday, May 27, 6:00 pm: Emeralds (visitor) vs. Lady Hornets, Athens Cain Park Field 4. Be ready to warm up at 5:30 p.m. If we lose this game, our season is over, and we finish in third place. If we win, we play a doubleheader:
• Tuesday, May 27, 7:30 pm: Emeralds (visitor) vs. Raptors, Athens Cain Park Field 4. If we lose, our season is over, and we finish in second place. If we win, we will play another game at a to-be-determined date & time.

All-Stars #

• Saturday & Sunday, June 21-22, Forney, TX: REC World Series. The league would like to send an All-Star team to this tournament in Forney. If your player is one of the better players in the league, she may be asked to play on the all-star team. Consider whether or not you may be interested in this. More details TBA.

Equipment Needed #

Please label all of your equipment with your player's name! Almost everyone buys from the same places and most girls want pink.

Required Equipment: #

• Glove
• Cleats
• Helmet (with face guard)
  • Rawlings T-Ball Batting Helmet, 6 1/4" - 6 7/8" - This is the smallest helmet I could find for my girls. Sometimes Academy or Walmart have them in stock, but often they are picked over. If these are still too big for your player, try wearing a baseball cap underneath.
  • Rawlings T-Ball Batting Helmet Facemask - This is the facemask that matches the above linked helmet.
• Bat (honestly, I'm sure we could share bats if necessary)
  • Academy has a great article on Tee Ball Bats and a handy Tee Ball Bat Size Chart.
  • Dick's also has a great SOFTBALL BATS BUYING GUIDE.
• Black uniform pants (we will bulk order belts and socks)

Suggested or Optional Equipment: #

• Fielding face mask (highly encouraged). Of course, they provide safety, but they also provide confidence so that the girls are not overly scared of being hit in the face.
  • SKLZ Field Shield - This is the face mask we bought for our girls last year, and these fit their tiny faces pretty good. You can also find face masks at Hibbett or Walmart.
• Balls (suggested for practicing at home).
  • Official game balls will be 11" softballs.
  • Smaller or softer balls, even tennis balls, are fine for practicing and building confidence.
• Tee (completely optional, mostly for practice at home). You can find regular tees at Walmart, Hibbett, or Academy. If you want a durable, high-quality tee, Tanner Tees are the industry-standard:
  • Youth Tee (20"-32") - This is the tee that I have for my girls. Eventually, they will outgrow it.
  • Standard Tee (26"-43") - This tee has a taller minimum height but will last your players for a long time.

Bring to Practice #

• Water bottle
• Cleats
• Bat & helmet
• Fielding glove
• Comfortable clothes your player can run around in. Uniforms and softball pants are not necessary for practice.
• Fielding mask if you have one

Roster #

Teaching your Player #

• Hand-eye coordination. Anything you can do to get your player to practice and develop hand-eye coordination is good. Some ideas:
  • Playing "keep the ball (or even balloon) in the air" games. Hit the ball or balloon up into the air and don't let it touch the ground.
  • Bare-handed catch with a very soft ball.
  • Bouncing a tennis ball against a wall and trying to catch it bare handed (or with a glove)
  • Playing velcro toss
• "The Basics" by Little League. This YouTube video playist is a great introduction to the basics of baseball or softball. It includes very short videos on:
  • The Basics: Selecting a Bat for your Little Leaguer
  • The Basics: Picking the Right Glove for your Little Leaguer
  • The Basics: Choosing Cleats for your Little Leaguer
  • The Basics: Finding the Best Helmet for your Little Leaguer
  • The Basics: Apparel Guide for your Little Leaguer
  • The Basics: Throwing
  • The Basics: Hitting
  • The Basics: Fielding A Ground Ball
  • The Basics: Catching
  • The Basics: Baserunning

Team Information #

Message from Coach Matt:

Welcome to the team! We are looking forward to a great season watching these girls have fun and grow and develop as players. This page will be kept as up-to-date as possible. Most questions you have will be answered on this page. The link to this page is pinned permanently in the GroupMe chat. The URL to this page is tball.mattcleaver.com

Coaches & Helpers:

• Head Coach: Matt Cleaver - 972-754-7353 (I prefer GroupMe, but text if necessary)
• Assistant Coach: Tori Bates
• Assistant Coach: Lauren Meeker
• Scorekeeper: Tori Schultz (we need a backup in case Tori has to work)
• Others with background checks and waivers:
  • Molly & Cory Davis
  • Shelby Mayfield
  • Daniel Meeker
  • Ashley Rader

We can always use more helpers! Are you willing to help our coaches in the field or help manage the dugout? We need 6-8 adults, minimum, who are willing to help at practices and especially on game day (we need 4 background-checked coaches/volunteers, minimum, at every game). You cannot step foot onto a field or into a dugout without the following forms, which need to be completed immediately:

• Volunteer waiver (we are 6U Cleaver) - All volunteer coaches/dugout help need to fill this out.
• Background Check Form ($14, you are responsible for paying for your own background check).

HCGSA League Provision #

HCGSA registration fees include:

• Registration
• Uniform Shirt
• Insurance
• Game Balls
• Umpires
• Supplies (such as chalk and field maintenance)

Snack Schedule #

TBD. Please don't feel the need to go overboard. A small snack and cold drink is plenty.

Athens Cain Park Field Map #

• Home: 3rd base side
• Away: 1st base side

Link to Cain Park Google Map

Mabank Softball Fields #

Here is a link to the Mabank Softball Fields at George Watts Memorial Park.