Welcome Letter

DC Parent,

You have an important role to play in Dierker’s Champs. We want all the spectators at our games to look at the DC on our hats and know we’re the real deal. We want them to see a bunch of kids and their families and friends having a great time at the ballpark. We want them to sense that there is something going on in our program that is essentially good, even if they can’t see it.

This is not a life or death struggle, but it is organized competition. Our kids will have to compete in one way or another throughout their lives. We want them to win. And that means we want them to be prepared. We expect our coaches to teach values, such as teamwork and discipline. That starts with every player being on time for practices and games. We also want our players to practice on their own, or with mom or dad or a friend or sibling.

We are equipping our coaches with all the tools they need to teach baseball properly. And we will be giving every player suggestions for practicing at home. So when spectators see the DC hats, we want them to be impressed with what they do see – energetic, organized ballplayers who hustle all the time and understand their responsibilities. We are demanding a lot from our coaches. And we want all of you to be on board too.

So please,

• Do not yell at the coach or umpire.

• Provide positive feedback only.

• Do not second-guess the coach in front of your children while watching the game, or even when riding home from the game or at home.

• Support the coach and umpire, even when you think they are wrong.

Think about discipline in your own home. Let’s say you tell your child not to do something and he or she goes directly to your spouse for a second opinion. How do you feel if your spouse contradicts you? What message does that send to your children? Don’t give the kids mixed messages. We’re all in this together.

Sincerely,

Larry Dierker