Moms and Baseball

Tons of fundraising ideas in this episode--the good and the bad! Today we welcomed Shannon Robinson who was the Team Manager/Administrator for the new Prairie Ironmen Travel Baseball Organization and Tournament Scheduler for the South Bend Cubs Organization, and was a very successful fundraiser manager.

DISCLAIMER: We are not accountants or experts in tax law so please consult your organization's consultants to make sure any and all fundraisers are in compliance with 501(c)3s or your particular tax-exempt organization.

Fundraising ideas discussed in this episode:

• Sponsorships
• Parties
  • Trivia Night
  • Euchre Party
  • Cornhole Tournament (not mentioned)
  • Comedy show (not mentioned)
• Silent Auction
• Piggie Raffle
• 50/50
• Wheel barrow / Barrel of Fun
• Superbowl Boards
• March Madness Boards
• Flipgive
• Amazon Smile
• Raffles:
  • Gun raffle
  • Purse raffle
  • Yeti cooler raffle
  • Lottery raffle
  • Cow/meat raffle
  • Baseball bat raffle
• Bottle / Can Drive
• Tag Day
• Restaurant Kickback Night
• Restaurant Tip Night (not mentioned)
• Apparel order profit share
• Sales
  • Mums
  • Wreaths
  • Candy/Popcorn
  • Pizza kits
  • Coupons/coupon books/coupon cards
  • Candles (not mentioned)
  • Laundry detergent (not mentioned)
  • Sheets (not mentioned)
• Bake sale (not mentioned)
• Direct Sales (DSA/MLM) party/hostess profit sharing
• Home-run derby
• Hit-a-thon
• Penny Auction
• Car washes
• Port-a-Pit

We use the term "profitable" in this episode several times when we should actually say "lucrative." Our apologies as several of these fundraisers were mentioned as not being profitable when actually they could have had a 100% profit since no money was invested--but we did not make much money; therefore, the fundraiser was not very lucrative.

On Deck: From 10u to the Big Ten:-Michigan Select Coach on 2020 College Commits for Entire Team

https://momsandbaseball.weebly.com

Join our Parents and Baseball Facebook group!

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

In this episode, guests Amber and Brenda return to continue our discussion of the New Year’s Baseball Fest tournament in Panama City Beach, Florida, and our experiences playing with Baseball Youth Elite & GameDay USA Prospect Teams, as well as independent teams that participated in the tournament.

Check out our brand new "Parents and Baseball" Facebook group!

Amber's son Gunner played for a Baseball Youth Elite team at the NYBF in the 12u division in 2020 and played for a GameDay Prospect team at the ESPN Sports Complex in the 11u division in 2019.

Brenda has a current 13u son who played in several GameDay USA All Star events, starting at 10u, and also previously played in the GameDay USA Junior All-American games in West Palm Beach, Florida. The same son participated with his current travel team in Panama City Beach's New Year's Baseball Fest in 2020.

Stephanie and Diana both have 13u sons who played in the Mason, Ohio All Star event for GameDay USA in 2020 (as 12u) and then played for different GameDay USA Prospect Teams at the Panama City Beach's New Year's Baseball Fest in 2020.

https://momsandbaseball.weebly.com/podcast/moms-discuss-new-years-baseball-fest

After recording this episode, we did hear back from GameDay USA regarding their response to how teams are created at the NYBF (and how those players are chosen) as well as how much weight is put into buddy requests. The response is included here:

"Our teams are selected from our pool of All-Star players, who are MVP recipients that showcase their skills at one of our All-Star weekends. From these events, we handpick our top players to be invited to our PROSPECT team.

In terms of how the teams are divided up, we break them up based on their positions and pitching ability primarily. Of course, we want all of our teams to succeed, so giving each team as much pitching as possible in an extensive tournament like the New Year's BaseballFest is essential. Buddy requests come into effect as we are making the rosters, but do not take a priority over making sure each team is filled with enough players for each position. We would love to fulfill every buddy request if it was possible, but sometimes it is simply not possible.

The coaches that we hire are all high school/college coaches or former coaches with extensive experience in the baseball world. These coaches have the hardest job in the world because they are expected to coach a group of about 12 players that they have never met and get an idea of everyone's playing level and abilities. These coaches find out their teams at the same time everyone else does, but even then they have never seen these players play. We truly appreciate all that they do, and we believe they did a phenomenal job this past weekend with the situation that was presented."

On Deck for next week: Moms and Baseball Fundraising

-
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

In this episode, guests Amber and Brenda join Stephanie and Diana to discuss personal experiences with GameDay USA and Baseball Youth individual events. We talk about those GameDay MVP tags and golden tickets,  plus lots more!

Check out our brand new "Parents and Baseball" Facebook group!

Welcome Amber and Brenda. Amber has a son that played in a few GameDay USA All Star events as well as for the GameDay USA Prospect Team in Disney in 2019 as an 11-year old, then played in a Baseball Youth All American event and for the BY Elite team at the New Year's Baseball Fest in Panama City Beach as a 12u player in 2020.

Brenda has a current 13u son who played in several GameDay USA All Star events, starting at 10u, and also previously played in the GameDay USA Junior All-American games in West Palm Beach, Florida. The same son participated with his current travel team in Panama City Beach's New Year's Baseball Fest in 2020.

Stephanie and Diana both have 13u sons who played in the Mason, Ohio All Star event for GameDay USA in 2020 (as 12u) and then played for different GameDay USA Prospect Teams at the Panama City Beach's New Year's Baseball Fest in 2020.

After recording this episode, we did hear back from GameDay USA regarding their response to how teams are created at the NYBF (and how those players are chosen) as well as how much weight is put into buddy requests. The response is included here:

"Our teams are selected from our pool of All-Star players, who are MVP recipients that showcase their skills at one of our All-Star weekends. From these events, we handpick our top players to be invited to our PROSPECT team.

In terms of how the teams are divided up, we break them up based on their positions and pitching ability primarily. Of course, we want all of our teams to succeed, so giving each team as much pitching as possible in an extensive tournament like the New Year's BaseballFest is essential. Buddy requests come into effect as we are making the rosters, but do not take a priority over making sure each team is filled with enough players for each position. We would love to fulfill every buddy request if it was possible, but sometimes it is simply not possible.

The coaches that we hire are all high school/college coaches or former coaches with extensive experience in the baseball world. These coaches have the hardest job in the world because they are expected to coach a group of about 12 players that they have never met and get an idea of everyone's playing level and abilities. These coaches find out their teams at the same time everyone else does, but even then they have never seen these players play. We truly appreciate all that they do, and we believe they did a phenomenal job this past weekend with the situation that was presented."

On Deck for next week: We continue our discussion of the New Year’s Baseball Fest tournament and our experiences playing with Baseball Youth Elite & GameDay USA Prospect Teams, and participating with an independent team.

Please note that while we attempted to record this episode and post it uncut, we did have to cut a few small sections for various reasons--especially due to the occasional poor quality connection/audio.

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets!

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL"

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

This special episode # 16 we are discussing the GameChanger app and the new app GameChanger Team Manager.

Guest host Patrick Malley, from Dads takeover episode

Special Guests:

Ken Strnad, VP Marketing of GameChanger

David Kennedy, Head of Consumer Experience at GameChanger

A few things we love about GameChanger:

      -Scorebook 

      -Stats auto-generated

      -Fan/viewer experience

      -Audio- use in the car

 We discuss concerns about the new app- GameChanger Team Manager and our wish list items.

New updates from the Gamechanger HQ:

There is so much new news coming to GC Team Manager in 2021 and we are grateful for the opportunity to come on the show and share.  

LINK: https://home.gc.com/live-video-streaming/

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

In this episode you can hear stories about what youth baseball was like for retired, professional baseball players (including Boog Powell, Fergie Jenkins, Lou Whitaker, Willie Horton, Lou Pinniella, and more)!

Author Kelly Park talks about his experience interviewing 36 players from the MLB, MiLB, Negro Leagues, and All-American Girls Baseball League for his book, "Just Like Me: When the Pros Played on the Sandlot."

https://momsandbaseball.weebly.com

Episodes/Websites mentioned in this episode:

• justlikemethebook.com
• Moms and Travel Ball vs. Rec Ball - Part 1
• Interview with Div. 1 Catcher Who Was Cut From High School Teams (Chad)
• Moms and Politics in Youth Baseball (Joanne Ignatius)
• Book: A Glory of Their Times
• Your Story - Just Like Me The Book Website

Complete List of Players Interviewed in Book One and Book Two of Just Like Me: When the Pros Played on the Sandlot:

BOOK ONE

Boog Powell — MLB
Phil Roof — MLB
Hawk Taylor — MLB
Jim Hickman — MLB
Bill Greason — NLB
Lois Youngen — AAGPBL
Katie Horstman — AAGPBL
Jim Kaat — MLB
Lou Piniella — MLB
Jim Zapp — NLB
Lou Whitaker — MLB
Steve Blass — MLB
Whitey Herzog — MLB
Doug Flynn — MLB
Fergie Jenkins — MLB
Willie Blair — MLB
Willie Horton — MLB
Charlie Loyd — MiLB

BOOK TWO

Bobby Richardson — MLB
Jack Billingham — MLB
Erma Bergmann — AAGPBL
Kevin Seitzer — MLB
Dave LaPoint — MLB
Don Sutton — MLB
Al Oliver — MLB
Phil Niekro — MLB
Luis Tiant — MLB
Tony Oliva — MLB
Bert Campaneris — MLB
Dale Berra — MLB
Audrey Kissel-Lafser — AAGPBL
Mike Macfarlane — MLB
Jack Perconte — MLB
Damian Rolls — MLB
Harold Hair — NLB
Arthur Hamilton — NLB

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

Baseball dads took over the podcast this week to talk about how to choose a travel team/organization.

https://momsandbaseball.weebly.com

Article Mentioned in Episode:
https://travelballparents.com/2017/07/42-essential-questions-to-ask-before-joining-a-new-travel-team/

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

We discuss the top five things that we love and hate about travel baseball. What did we forget to mention?

Top things we Hate about travel ball

1. Cost
2. Not much 1:1 development of players
3. Drama

+ 2 more!

Top things we Love about travel baseball:

1. The Relationships
2. Competitiveness

+ 3 more!

http://momsandbaseball.weebly.com

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

1. Economics; subtle new racism making mlb in 2020 poorer, less diverse https://sports.yahoo.com/economics-subtle-racism-making-mlb-052410487.html?
2. How Michigan's Bushel Full of Draft Picks Developed, Put Baseball Back on Map  https://mgoblue.com/news/2020/6/17/how-michigans-bushel-full-of-draft-picks-developed-put-baseball-back-on-map.aspx
3. 2019 University of Michigan Baseball Roster. Jordan Nwogu full bio.  https://mgoblue.com/sports/baseball/roster/jordan-nwogu/20976
4. One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to do all their sports?" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-my-friends-asked-why-do-you-pay-so-much-money-your-chris-rohrer

This episode we interviewed Lale Esquivel, coach of the Texas Canes Elite. His 12u team went 101-0 for their 2020 season. They also:

Won 5 USSSA Super NITs, including 2 at 13u AAA level

Won the 2020 12u USSSA Wilson DeMarini Elite World Series

Won the 2020 12u Perfect Game National World Series

Ranked #1 Team in Nation by USSSA and TravelBall Select (and probably everyone else)

Here are a few questions we asked Lale:

1.  How did they manage not to lose a single game? 

       2.  How many players and pitchers on the 2020 team? 

•  Typical speed they pitch at? 
• Any protocol for pitching ? (# of pitches per game/day/week)

        3.  Where do your players come from? 

         4.  What is turnover like from year to year? Do kids continue at this pace or get burned out?

         5.  Talk about player size/early maturity as a factor?

         6.  What does their season look like? 

         7.  Are the kids being recruited yet?

         8.  How do the kids get to be so mentally tough?


On Deck: Things we love and hate about travel baseball

momsandbaseball.weebly.com/podcast

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. TravelBall Select Rankings: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=670275787206169
2. USSSA 12u Texas Canes Elite 2020: http://www.usssa.com/baseball/teamHome/?teamID=2788179
3. Perfect Game 12u Texas Canes Elite 2020: https://www.perfectgame.org/PGBA/Team/default.aspx?orgid=26168&orgteamid=68891&team=144009&Year=2020
4. Youth baseball gone wild: 'You're selling your son's soul for a six-dollar trophy': https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article159060549.html
5. Kobe Bryant interview (23 min 30 sec to 26 min 15 sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-vgyEbtPU&t=1606s 

 Who said girls can't play baseball?

This episode we interview two young ladies currently playing baseball, and another woman who played baseball all the way to high school.

Our first guest is Ashley Comer from Warwick, NY. Ashley is a 13 yo, who is a pitcher as well as plays infield for her 14u travel team. Ashley and her mom tell us her experience playing with the boys, against difficult coaches, and her future plans for middle school baseball.

Our second guest is Gina Korbein from Saginaw, Michigan. Gina grew up playing boys baseball for many years at pitcher, first base, and other positions. Gina also played high school baseball and will share her experiences, her difficulties in the sport, and her advice for young ladies playing baseball now.

Our last guest is Cassiana, who plays for the 12u Renegades team in Michigan. Cassiana is an 11 yo pitcher, and third baseman. Cassiana, and her mom, share her first experience of baseball, pitching against boys, and advice for girls just like her.


On Deck: Lale Esquivel - Coach of the Best 12u Team in the Nation


momsandbaseball.weebly.com/podcast

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13 

This episode we are discussing the Great Lakes Loons baseball team located in MIdland, MI.
Many people do not know this but the Great Lakes Loons baseball team is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Low- A Minor League baseball affiliate since the teams inception in 2006. The 2020 World Series Champions, the LA Dodgers, have 13 players that were once Loons players. The Great Lakes Loons were also the Midwest League Champions in 2016.

I’m just going to drop a few names:

Clayton Kershaw (2007)

Kenley Jansen (2007/2008)

Joc Pederson (20011)

Corey Seager (2013)- World Series MVP

Julio Urias (2014)

Walker Beuhler (2016)

Will Smith (2016)

Tony Gonsolin (2016)

E. Rios (2016)

G. Lux (2017)

Dustin May (2017)

We interviewed Chef Andrea Noonan, the Executive Chef and Director of Food Operations at the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond Stadium. Chef Andrea gives us the inside scoop of the Great Lakes Loons ball club, including special player diets, players favorite snacks, meal and game time planning, and fan favorite foods at Dow Diamond Stadium.

On Deck:
We interview several girls, who are playing or used to play baseball, and discuss their challenges.

momsandbaseball.weebly.com/podcast

----------
HELP SUPPORT MOMS AND BASEBALL by visiting our affiliate Mambe Blankets! 

Listeners will receive 10% off any Mambe product by using the discount code "MOMSANDBASEBALL" 

Mambe Hooded Waterproof Blankets:

• 100% waterproof/windproof
• Heat-reflective lining
• Include a fleece-lined hood and snaps so you can wear it like a poncho
• Wrap you from head to toe!
• Made in the USA
• Are the warmest, coziest blanket you will find, and were well-loved by Diana and Stephanie long before the podcast existed :)

AFFILIATE LINK: https://mambeblankets.com?aff=13