What We Value as a Team…
-
Dedication to competitive and high quality baseball »
While the development of these boys into kind and honorable humans is at the forefront, we do not discount the pursuit of excellence on the field of play. Our deep desire for wins and championships, and some nice hardware along the way, will be ever present in our goals and work ethic.
From 11U thru to 14U, we will be aiming to develop a renowned Majors team that can compete on a national level.
-
Player skill and character development »
Coach Dame believes strongly that a teachable kid can excel at baseball. The skill development will follow tried and tested methodologies, and each player can expect to leave practice an incrementally better player. The team that shows up at the beginning of the season will be a vastly different team at the end of the season. That is a guarantee.
In parallel to baseball skill development, it is not lost on the coaching staff that parents are entrusting their child to the coaches and the team for a significant portion of their free time. In light of that, it is humbling to know just how much character development can naturally occur within the team atmosphere. We are committed to partnering with parents to encourage the development of future gentleman, who carry with them honor and class wherever they go. This character development will transcend any game and make these boys sought after leaders in years to come.
-
Create a brotherhood among players »
So much time is spent in baseball throughout the year. It is important (vital, actually) that the entire team of boys find mutual love and respect within the team atmosphere. We will have a zero tolerance policy for anything other than absolute kindness and encouragement from fellow teammates.
In short, we want a player to arrive at practice, games and events knowing they will have their cup filled.
-
No "parent-coach" favoritism »
All of us have been on teams where the “coach’s kid” never sits, and plays positions that they are not necessarily qualified for. This frustrates other kids (and parents!) and hinders quality play.
We are blessed to have a head coach who does not have a boy on the team, and is dedicaing their personal time out of a love of coaching. The team is his focus, without bias to one individual player.
Non-parent coach teams perform better. We welcome Coach Dame’s involvement as part of our winning formula.
-
Have fun and encourage a love of baseball »
While we as coaches will push our boys to excel at the game of baseball, and work our way to an outstanding, respected Majors team in the years to come, we understand that kids can very easily become burned out if pushed too hard.
We recognize first and foremost that we are working with 10-11 year old boys. These formative years need to be remembered as fun, joy-filled moments, potentially forming life-long friendships. Sure — trophies and wins are a core part of the fun, and we will be pursuing championships and hardware with a passion. But it is more than that. Getting better, feeling encouraged, feeling supported… this is equally important.
Never do we want the idea of “burn-out” to be part of a conversation.
-
Transparency and Communication with Parents »
Planning: Our team goal will be to over-communicate with our team family, ensuring that plans are known as far in advance as possible.
Finances: We will be completely transparent with costs, and how every dollar is being spent on behalf of the team. Your dollars will not fall into a blackhole of unknown expenses.
Player Development: Coaches will not wait until the end of the season to provide honest insight into your player’s development, and will offer encouragement throughout the year on what each player can work on, where they can expect to play, and how the player might be able to accelerate skill development where it is needed most.
Roster Status
UPCOMING DATES
*The team will be publishing a detailed practice, tournament and league schedule as far in advance as possible, likely by mid-Fall 2024. For now, highlights are published below.*
Recruiting and Tryouts
Our team is actively seeking the right mix of elite players to fill out our roster. If you have what it takes to be a AAA/Majors player, inquire below today!
Team Selection Complete
Anticipated completion of try-outs, and our full roster set. We expect to be fully set by mid to late July.
Family Meeting/Wiffle Ball/Cookout
Family meeting with the Coaches, first apparel hand out, grilled dogs and root beer floats. Wiffle ball for the boys. Location and timing to come.
Fall Ball/Tourneys
Coach Dame encourages multi-sport participation, which benefits overall athleticism. Given our team's diverse sports involvement in the fall, league fall ball participation seems too rigid. To scratch the itch of baseball, we will be looking into participating in a single fall tournament or local round-robine.
Coach Dame has in the past organized a 3-game round-robin mini-tournament. These can more easily be scheduled around our boys’ various fall activities.
Our ultimate goal will be to play a handful of games, along with sporadic practices during the fall season, closely matching any league fall ball playing time.
Winter Workouts
Our team has access to the Prospects facility starting August 1, and we encourage families to take advantage of the incredible perks of being a part of the Prospects organization. Starting in late October/early November, we will begin some informal weekly trainings as a team, with the pace picking up more through December and January.
Spring Practice Begins
Indoor team practice begins in January, with training aligned with the Prospects weekly program.
Spring Tournaments Begin
We will begin our tournament schedule in early March, potentially with an out of state tournament to get us out of the snow and cold. Note that we are contemplating a couple of options for our tournament schedule, and more information will be communicated this fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are putting together a list of the most common questions from parents and answering them here. We’ll continually add to this list over the remainder of 2024 as we get closer to fall tournament, and winter training.
What is the long term plan for the team?
Coach Dame and the team leadership are intent on building a solid team of exceptional players and families, with a shared desire to continue as a team through 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U, if so desired -- but our crystal ball can only see so far ahead.
Who are the coaches?
• Mike Dame, Head Coach (non-parent coach)
• Tyler Jorgensen, Asst. Coach
• Mike Dering, Asst. Coach
• Jeff Klusek, Asst. Coach
• Dave Farmer, Asst. Coach/GM
It is important to note that Coach Dame's style is to encourage parent involvement in practices, where it makes sense. In that regard, we view all dads (and moms) as extensions of our coaching staff.
Is this a new team or an existing team?
In short, this is an all-new team. The roster is being formed with intention and thoughtfulness, with championship aspirations and a desire to stick together through middle school.
For the majority of the boys and families on the team, they may be relatively known to each other from years of playing south Denver/Castle Rock/Parker/Highlands Ranch/Littleton. Overall, our roster will have played at a similar, high-quality level and will be exceptional at all facets of the game: hitting, fielding and pitching.
What league, if any, do we expect to play in?
We will not be participating in weekday league play with AYL in spring of 2025, opting instead to focus on higher quality, competitive tournament play. Our decision to not participate in AYL is multifaceted, including parent concerns over late night double-headers during the school year. We will focus our energy and preparation on the more fulfilling play that can be experienced at select quality tournaments.
Will we play tournaments?
The team has a goal of participating in 10-12 high quality tournaments (with 2 being out of state) beteween March and July of 2025. Our desire is to have a weekend off every month, and 2 weekends off in June (x3 in March, x3 in April, x3 in May, x2 in June, x1 in July). We anticipate that weather will hinder at least one, maybe two of those tournaments.
Out of state tournaments will potentially occur in March, in a warm weather climate. Also, in June. All other tournaments will be local or in-state.
What are the expected fees going to be for the 2025 spring season?
Our team is officially part of the Prospects family for 2025 as one of the three 11U AAA/Majors teams.
The cost for Prospects (paid to Prospects) is $3600 for the full year, paid as a $300/mo installment to Prospects starting August 1, 2024 through July of 2025. This includes 2 full uniform kits: Hats, belts, socks, pants, jerseys. Plus practice uniforms, as well -- all Prospects branded.
Additional fees will be assessed for the team covering tournaments, team equipment, and coach travel.
Please note that the team, along with the Prospects club, are working to bring on sponsors to bring the overall cost down for all families.
What is the criteria for selecting the roster?
There are 2 chief criteria we use to select our eventual roster.
First is the ability and experience of the player, and the role/position that player might fill on the team. Second is the family dynamic. We know that a positive experience for all is heavily dependent on supportive, encouraging families that appreciate excellent coaching and contribute their own time and dedication to the team.
In short, we know we are building a community of friends and a brotherhood of players -- and rest assured that team leadership is being intentional in that endeavor.
We will expect players on this team to exhibit mutual respect and kindness toward each other, at all times. The team will be held to a standard of conduct that all families can be proud of. There will be zero tolerance for any sort of behavior that alienates a teammate, creates an uncomfortable environment, or reflects poorly on the team as a whole. Coach Dame runs a tight ship and will expect the very best out of each of the players.
Will we consider special travel opportunities in the future, such as Cooperstown, Field of Dreams, etc.?
Our intent is to provide life-long memories for the boys and the families. Our goal for years to come is to enjoy nationally-renowned tournaments that afford us special travel opportunities.
Where are our practice locations?
Indoor practices will be held at Prospects Park in Centennial.
Outdoor practices will be held at a centrally-located field that offers the team plenty of room to practice. Given that we have players coming from Aurora, Parker, Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock, a central location will be key for the sanity of parents.
Right now, we are looking at the large Castle Pines baseball field at Coyote Ridge (5 min off of I-25, and just 2 miles south of Rock Canyon HS), with easy access from Parker (via Hess), Castle Rock (via I-25 or Daniels Park), Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree (via Quebec/Monarch) and elsewhere.
Join the Team
Contact the team for more information regarding tryouts, roster availability, and general questions about the team and schedule.
Your first step is to fill out the brief form on this page, providing parent contact information and basic player history.