CYBS Mustang Level Play

Mustang is the 10 and under format played under the rules for the use of a pitching machine. The focus of Mustang is to expose players to the basic skill sets of baseball, teach them how to be part of a competitive team, how to handle success and failure, to display good sportsmanship, to mao0ke new friends, and most importantly to have fun! COMPETITION: Mustang baseball is a clear step up in competitiveness from what most players will have experienced. There are wins and losses, a Post season playoffs Tournament, and All-Star teams are selected. Please see the Mustang Rules document for a complete understanding of the game format. PRACTICE: Practice's begin after the teams are selected, weather permitting. There are scheduled practices each week plus Games. CYBS require a parent to attend all practices and games to aid in their skill development, but we understand that other sports and life are going on at the same time, so attendance is NOT mandatory. GAMES: there is a 20 game regular season schedule followed by a End of season "Closing Ceremony". 4. Weeknight games typically start by 6:00pm and last no more than 2 hours. Weekend games are played on Saturdays thru out the entire day. 5. Teams will play 2 games per week through the season. 6. The season concludes beginning the first week of June. Play should conclude by school summer dismissal. FAMILY COMMITMENT: Parents of players will be asked to contribute to the operation of their team by the Team Manager. This includes: helping at practice & games (if eligible), scorekeeping, field preparation, concession stand operation and cleanup. Now that you understand our mission; how can you help us execute? ▪ You can be your child's biggest fan. Just show up, sit back and enjoy watching your son or daughter continue to learn the great game of baseball. Cheer for them, their teammates and their opponents. Continue to help us teach them the value of hard work and good sportsmanship. If this is all you do - then it is still more than enough. ▪ Volunteer to be a Team Manager, Coach, Team Mom, helper, etc. There are still plenty of needs and opportunities to assist at this age group. You don't need to be an expert - just be willing to help out and get your Act 33/34 clearances (without them, you can't be anywhere near the field or dugouts). ▪ Do your homework! We will do our best to teach your child the fundamentals of the game, but we will never be able to spend the kind of time with them that it takes to refine the skills of throwing, catching, fielding and hitting. You don't have to be a professional athlete to play catch with your son or daughter; you may want a glove though, as the baseball is hard now. However, playing catch and doing drills with a soft or tennis ball is perfectly acceptable at ANY level of play. Continue to Roll them grounders (forehand and backhand), throw them pop-ups, run fly ball "pass-patterns" make it easy at first so they have success, then gradually make it more challenging as they progress. Check out the video library for ideas! ▪ MUSTANG has some unique rules that are in place for good reason. Whether you're a parent, player or coach; take the time to learn the rules of the league so you know why someone gets sent back to 2nd base when you thought they should have scored, etc. ▪ Be positive at all times. If your child makes mistakes (and they will), don't drag them down.. pick them up! Hopefully they won't be playing in the dirt & picking grass in the outfield anymore (that can be dangerous), but mistakes will happen at every level - help them learn to flush it & move on. ▪ Get involved! We are striving to make the Calimesa Youth Baseball and Softball Program the best sports organization in the area, and the best sports experience for our players. We can't do this without an active and involved membership base. Contact us if you want to learn about ways to get more involved. If you have additional questions about the league, the expectations, the requirements, etc. Please contact us thru the contact page or via email at: contact@playcybs.com. If you need help with how to work on fundamental skills; please check out the videos and resources on training page on this site. These are instructional videos from the very basic fundamental - to more advanced skill development. In Mustang, we are learning new, important aspects of the game, so there is a lot of work to do.. but let's keep it fun! Now that you understand our mission; how can you help us execute? ▪ Volunteer to be a Team Manager, Coach, Team Mom, helper, etc. There are still plenty of needs and opportunities to assist at this age group. Remember to get your Act 33/34 clearances (without them, you can't be anywhere near the field or dugouts). ▪ More homework to do! Coaches will never have enough time with their teams to get in the amount of repetitions needed to master pitching, fielding and catching fundamentals. We need your help at home - work with the kids on the techniques they are learning at practice. Not getting enough reps at the plate? Take them to the batting cages, do some tee work or soft toss drills. Check out the video library for ideas! ▪ Mustang has unique rules as well - especially around leading and stealing. Whether you're a parent, player or coach; take the time to learn the rules of the league so you know why your kid gets held up at 3rd base on a steal when there's an overthrow from the catcher! Be positive at all times. If your child, your coach and/or the umpire makes mistakes (and they will), don't drag them down.. pick them up! The game is in the kids' hands now - which can be extremely rewarding, but also daunting. We need to be positive and continue to make it a fun experience if we want to keep them in the game - and we absolutely do!