Jr. Raiders Baseball
Read the info below and then make sure you check the age chart for your child's age group
Jr. Raiders is a "club" program, so you need to choose the registration program that fits your child's "club" age group
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 their 9U Little League season through 12U. Most teams will compete in a local Friday night league to limit travel times and fit within the existing WYBS spring season schedule, but other options may be explored on a team by team basis to find the best competitive fit.
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, most teams will participate in the Rt. 2 League, with 1 game per week on Friday nights
- Some teams may opt to participate in the Select Baseball League which would have games on weekends from late March – early June.
Focus: The spring program will allow for the team(s) to go out and compete together against other local teams in the Rt. 2 League or Select Baseball League, putting the off-season training to the test. 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.
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 bpercia@gmail.com or 617-851-9884.
Sample Annual Calendar of Events
July
- Evaluations take place throughout the month to help determine number of players and team selections for the upcoming season.
August
- Teams are selected and communicated to participants, along with a fall schedule
September - October
- Fall practices begin
- Mondays & Thursdays from 1st week of September (post Labor Day) through end of October (~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 (1 at Sluggers Infield focused on defense, 1 at Frozen Ropes focused on offense & chalk talk strategy sessions)
- Two week break for Christmas/New Year
January – March
- Sunday practices at Sluggers or Strength & Conditioning @ PrimeTime Lacrosse
- Each team gets at least 4 S&C sessions & 4 Indoor Practices
- Thursday Nights @ Frozen Ropes
- Each team gets at least 7 practices and 4 Chalk Talk Sessions
April – June
- Spring Season includes at least 6 or 7 regular season games, plus 2 “playoff” weeks for a total of 8 – 9 games
