Last updated April 1, 2026

Head Coach: Matt Cleaver - 972-754-7353 (if possible, use a private message on GroupMe to communicate with me, but text if you have problems with the app)

Urgent & Upcoming #

1. Wednesday, April 1, 6:00 p.m., Cain Park Field 5 - Scrimmage against the Lady Bandits. Arrive at 6:00 so we can warm-up and go over our pregame routine. The scrimmage will start at 6:30 p.m. (no other practice this week).

2. Pay coach Lauren for belts & socks. Thank you to coach Lauren for taking care of getting the team belts & socks. The total is $17.52 per player. You can send her payment via Venmo or PayPal, or bring cash to practice.

   • Venmo: @laurenmeeker1026
   • Paypal: Lcbateman2009@gmail.com

Game Schedule #

6U Emeralds Game Schedule - This is the official schedule for us on the league website. This is not set in stone and is subject to change! I have also reproduced the schedule as a Google Calendar, below, that should automatically update anytime the league calendar changes.

Other #

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help coach.

• I have completed volunteer waivers and background checks for:

  • Bowie, Desmond
  • Carter, Kolby
  • Coffman, Makayla
  • George, Shaun
  • Maltos, Imelda
  • Meeker, Lauren
  • Meeker Daniel
  • Trinidad, Jason

• I have only volunteer waivers for (but no background checks):

  • George, William
  • Carter, Samantha

• Volunteer waiver (we are 6U Cleaver) - All volunteer coaches/dugout help need to fill this out.

• Background Check Form ($15, you are responsible for paying for your own background check).

Coming soon... After we get everyone's uniform and our coach and volunteer forms squared away, we will worry about some less time-sensitive things:

• Parent & family shirts. These will be completely optional, and if we do them, we have to make one order as a team.
• Snack sign ups.
• Team photos.

Season Schedule #

• Practice days after April 1 will change since games will start.
• Monday, April 6 - "Opening Day."
• Game nights will usually be be Mondays and Thursdays (and maybe Tuesdays if we play in Mabank) and possibly Tuesdays and Fridays towards the end of the season. Plan on two nights a week. Before games start, we will try to practice twice a week. If there is only one game during a week, we will practice once. If there are two games during a week, we usually will not practice.
• The end-of season tournament will crown the season champion on May 18-21.
• Season ends by the first week of June.
• The league will form a 6U All-Star team after the season to play a single tournament June 19-21. Your player may be invited to play, and participation is optional.

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: #

• Fielding 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). These are only required for games.
• Fielding face mask (technically optional, but 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. All girls will have the opportunity to play pitcher, and they must have a face mask to play pitcher.
  • 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, Walmart, or Academy.

Suggested or Optional Equipment: #

• 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

Coaching Philosophy #

I really like the way the HCGSA has organized their league. The only thing that matters as far as trophies and awards go is the end-of-season tournament. All of the regular season games mean nothing in the final standings. So, during the regular season, here is how I coach:

1. I want to teach them how to play the game. This means we will throw the ball on defense. Especially early in the season, this will be the most frustrating part. We will lose games to other teams who let their fastest player make all the defensive plays and chase people down. We aren't playing that way. I would rather lose playing the game the right way rather than win playing the wrong way.
2. Every player will play at least one inning in the infield every game.
3. Over the course of the season, every player will play every position (unless there is a position they do not want to play). The one exception to this is first base. It is a high stress position, and many girls don't like being thrown at. If your player wants to try playing first base, let me know, and I will be happy to give them an inning at first.
4. As the season progresses and we learn the strengths and weaknesses of each player, players will start to be assigned one or two positions to really learn that they will play most innings.
5. Every player will take turns sitting out on defense.
6. On offense, I try to get every girl the same number of at-bats throughout the season. When a game ends, we will pick up the batting order where we left off at the following game.

The goal here is to keep the entire team engaged and to help all players improve their skills, not to win at all costs. That can't happen when a few girls are riding the bench or batting last every game.

Last season, this meant that we lost the vast majority of our regular season games. But every game, every girl got to play in the infield and see some action on defense. And everyone got their chance to bat at the top of the lineup. And as the season progressed, the girls started to learn how to play "their" position. When it came time for the end-of-season tournament, we played everyone at their position and batted the strongest lineups we could. We finished the tournament in second place. I'm not promising similar results this season, but the scores during the regular season don't matter. What matters is keeping every player engaged and teaching them how to play the game. I hope you'll trust the process.

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, like a Nerf 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 Roster #

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.

Cain Park Field Map #

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

Link to Cain Park Google Map