PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The mission of Jr. Raiders baseball is to positively develop the youth of Wellesley through the game of baseball. The program is aimed at those individuals seeking to learn the game and compete at a higher level, while maintaining a focus on developing the concepts of teamwork, accountability, the value of hard work & discipline, attention to detail and mental toughness.
The program is designed to compliment the existing WYBS baseball offerings and provide year-round development opportunities, while providing ample rest and time away from the game to pursue other interests and avoid burnout.
Jr. Raiders is designed to provide similar rigor and training as one would find in a private club/travel baseball program, but all players must be affiliated with WYBS. In addition, our focus is 100% on development over game results.
Coaches will largely be volunteer, with the exception of hiring professionals to help with strength & conditioning and/or specific skill building as desired, and/or hiring paid coaches when necessary to fill gaps.
We will conduct evaluations at the end of the WYBS Spring Baseball season for the following year, and a full Fall and Winter program will commence to help prepare players for their next Spring season.
The program is first offered for players entering 2nd grade. There are two tracks provided for players to choose from. One track will compete in a local Club league for those seeking the highest level of competition offered, and one will compete in a local travel league (See below for more information). All schedules will be designed to fit within the existing WYBS spring season schedule. Spring league placement will be determined on a team-by-team basis to find the best competitive fit. The Jr. Raiders program is open to all incoming 2nd – 6th graders who plan to participate in the WLL Spring Season. Any player who wished to participate in the Jr. Raiders program MUST also register for the upcoming WLL Spring season.
FALL PROGRAM
- September through October
- 1 - 2 Outdoor Practices per week x ~8 Weeks
- 2 – 3 scrimmages as desired, potential to enter teams into fall tournaments as desired
Focus: The focus of the fall program is to have fun, get the players familiar with one another as teammates, and set the tone for the season. We will take advantage of the outdoor time to work on basic fielding, hitting, pitching, baserunning and situational fundamentals. In addition to general live reps in the field and at the plate, we will give the kids and opportunity to scrimmage in an instructional format where we can stop the action and provide teaching moments as they are happening in a live game situation. We will limit the number of pitches thrown by the athletes and may opt for coach pitch at times to keep things moving and limit the impact on arms.
WINTER PROGRAM
- December through March
- 2 Indoor practices per week, with built in breaks for Christmas and February vacation week.
Focus: We will use the winter program to provide more in-depth and detailed instruction. We will begin to focus on developing positive, age-appropriate strength and conditioning habits, including agility work and nutritional educational. Physical development will focus on deeper swing mechanics, fielding and pitching mechanics and provide ample repetitions to help develop good muscle memory and habits that we hope will carry over to the spring season when we can get back outside for live hitting and fielding.
SPRING PROGRAM
• April – June
~ Minimal practices, Perfect Game track teams will participate in a league which would have games on weekends from late March – early June.
~ Local Travel track teams will participate in the Rt. 2 League, with 1 game per week on Friday nights
Focus: The spring program will allow for the team(s) to go out and compete together against other local travel teams putting the off-season training to the test. The competition in Perfect Game will be the highest level offered through the program, and Local Travel will be similar to local summer programs, with the team(s) playing against other little league programs that have a similar “travel team” option within their leagues.
PROGRAM TRACKS
The Jr. Raiders program provides two possible competition tracks for our 3rd – 6th grade groups (See below), as well as an introductory 2nd Grade Development Program. Please register for the track you wish to participate in. Depending on the number of registrations, we will look to develop one or two teams within each track. Please note that if someone registers for a particular track, but there are not enough players to form a team or room on a roster, they may be offered the opportunity to participate in the other track.
For example, if you register for the Club Track, but a roster spot is not offered, you may opt to participate on a Local Travel Track team. All team assignments will look to be communicated in mid-June, and no later than July 15th to allow for families to make a decision on alternative programs if they wish.
Club Track
The Club track provides a Club baseball schedule in the Spring. Teams currently participate in the Perfect Game Massachusetts League and play games typically on Saturdays and/or Sundays from late March through early June. These teams will also typically participate in one or two tournaments per year. Players on this track must NOT participate in other PG League club teams. This track is for players seeking the highest level of competition within the program.
Local Travel Track
The Local Travel track provides a local travel league schedule in the Spring. Teams participate in the Rt. 2 League and play games on Friday nights from early April through mid-June. The competition will be similar to local summer programs, with the team(s) playing against other little league programs that have a similar “travel team” option within their leagues. While this program will still provide the same ample training and competitive game play opportunities similar to other club baseball programs, this track does not preclude any player from participating in another club program simultaneously if they wish.
2nd Grade Developmental Program – For players entering 2nd grade and seeking higher level instruction and preparation. The program is the introduction to the Jr. Raiders program. It is developmental in nature and focuses on pre-season development work throughout the fall and winter as players enter their Little League 8 or 9 seasons. If deemed appropriate, teams may play a competitive game schedule during the Spring. If teams are not prepared for live game play, teams will look to schedule intersquad scrimmages & practices to be held on Friday nights throughout the Spring.
3rd Grade Program
Club Track (9U Club Ages) – Team to participate in 9U Perfect Game club competition on Saturdays and/or Sundays during the Spring. Most games will not conflict with a WLL Minors schedule.
Local Travel Track (Little League 9U Ages) – Team to participate in Rt. 2 League competition on Friday nights during the Spring. Games will not conflict with a WLL Minors, Majors or AAA schedule.
4th Grade Program
Club Track (10U Club Ages) – Team(s) to participate in 10U Perfect Game club competition on Saturdays/Sundays during the Spring. Most games will not conflict with a WLL Minors or Majors schedule.
Local Travel Track (Little League 10U Ages) – Team(s) to participate in Rt. 2 League competition on Friday nights during the Spring. Games will not conflict with a WLL Minors, Majors or AAA schedule.
5th Grade Program
Club Track (11U Club Ages) – Team(s) to participate in 11U Perfect Game club competition on Saturdays/Sundays during the Spring. Most games will not conflict with a WLL Minors or Majors schedule. 11U PG League games are played on a 50/70 Intermediate Diamond
Local Travel Track (Little League 11U Ages) – Team(s) to participate in Rt. 2 League competition on Friday nights during the Spring. Games will not conflict with a WLL Minors, Majors or AAA schedule. Games are played on a 46/60 Little League Diamond
6th Grade Program
Club Track (12U Club Ages) – Team(s) to participate in 12U Perfect Game club competition on Saturdays/Sundays during the Spring. Most games will not conflict with a WLL Minors or Majors schedule. 12U PG League games are played on a 50/70 Intermediate Diamond
Local Travel Track (Little League 12U Ages) – Team(s) to participate in Rt. 2 League competition on Friday nights during the Spring. Games will not conflict with a WLL Minors, Majors or AAA schedule. Games are played on a 46/60 Little League Diamond
COST
The cost of the program is ~$1,500 - $2,000 per athlete, and includes the following:
• Full Home & Road Uniforms (Jersey, Pants, Belt, Socks & Hat)
• Custom Jr. Raiders Training Gear (Hoodie, Jacket, T-shirt, Equipment Bag & Helmet)
• All Fall Practices & Indoor Winter Practices
• Professional Strength & Conditioning sessions
• Spring Season Games (Approximately 8 - 10 games)
If you are interested in the program for your child, have any questions, or are interested in volunteering to coach or lead a team, please reach out to the Program Director, Ben Percia at [email protected] or 617-851-9884.
SAMPLE OF CALENDAR EVENTS
May/June: Evaluations take place to help determine number of players and team selections for the upcoming season. Teams are selected and communicated to participants, along with a fall schedule
September - October: Fall practices begin
• 1 - 2x per week from the first week of September (post Labor Day) through end of October (~6 - 12 practices)
• Periodic Intersquad Scrimmages
• Option to take part in a Fall Tournament if desired
November: Month of November is kept completely baseball activity free
December:
• Three weeks of indoor practices begin 2x/week (one at Sluggers Infield focused on defense, one at Frozen Ropes focused on offense & chalk talk strategy sessions)
• Two week break for Christmas/New Year
January – March
• Defense & Baserunning Practices at Sluggers
• Hitting & Pitching @ Frozen Ropes
• Weekly Professional Strength & Conditioning @ CompTrain New England (4th, 5th & 6th Grade Only)
April – June: Spring Season includes at least 6 or 7 regular season games, plus 2 “playoff” weeks for a total of 8 – 12 games depending on age group and league enrollment
PROGRAM OVERVIEW, PHILOSOPHY & TEAM SELECTION PROCESS
The Jr. Raiders program is intended to provide Wellesley Youth Baseball players with a developmental path to High School level baseball. The program is designed to provide players with an increased level of rigor and training aimed at developing the complete player. The program should allow players to start to learn and grow together as teammates from an early age, many of whom may one day compete on the big diamond together as High School teammates
The path of Jr. Raider to Raider is intended to foster the development of the top 24 – 30 players in the town of Wellesley from their 3rd Grade Season through their 8th Grade season. The program should develop the player with the skills and competitive experience to compete at the HS level following their 8th grade season, with the recognition that some players may rise and fall as they develop from a young age through their teenage years. The program will look to embrace and provide developmental opportunities to as many players as possible, wherever they are in their development journey. However, the program will look to identify the top players in each grade prior to each season via an evaluation process and stratify those groups to help foster development.
Following an evaluation, the top 24 players will be placed on grade appropriate teams (Red & Black) and participate in skill level appropriate off-season training programs and competitively appropriate Spring competition schedules. If there are enough additional players in a grade group beyond the top 24 that are interested in the program, a third developmentally focused team (White) may be formed and a plan developed for their participation.