SUMMER BASEBALL
Compete, Develop, Build Relationships, Create Memories
Link to Summer Baseball Schedule as of 2/23/24
Coach Kabza’s Summer Letter for 2024 11/11/23
As the head coach of Grant High School my goal is to provide our baseball community an outstanding and memorable baseball experience.
Summer baseball is a crucial part of our overall program’s success. Our player’s commitment to our summer program has been a big-time competitive advantage for Grant High School baseball over the past decade and I expect it to become even more significant as we continue to elevate the summer program.
Our program's mission is to develop young student athletes into proud community members and great teammates. We strive for each and every player to maximize their baseball potential. Players and families being committed members of the summer program allows us the opportunity to work towards this mission.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2024 GENERALS BASEBALL SUMMER PROGRAM 18U COLLEGE PREP PROGRAM and 16U SELECT PROGRAM
BEFORE YOU SIGN UP FOR AN OUTSIDE CLUB SUMMER PROGRAM…
Educate yourself on what the Generals Baseball Club summer program will offer in 2024 before making any final decisions. We are updating our program for 2024 to include more than we ever have. We are lucky to have the talent and skill level inside of the Grant program that when together, will compete on the diamond with top teams from around the area.
MORE GAMES- YES, WE PLAN TO PLAY 32 GAMES THIS NEXT SUMMER.
DEVELOPMENT- WE HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPMENT, BUT IN THE SUMMER OF 2024 WE ARE ADDING STRENGTH AND SPEED TRAINING SESSIONS 3 X WEEK SO PLAYERS CAN “BUILD THE ATHLETIC ENGINE”
COMMUNITY- THERE IS ONLY ONE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TO PLAY WITH; THE FRIENDS YOU GREW UP WITH, COACHES WHO HAVE PROVEN THEY ARE PERSONALLY INVESTED IN YOU, AND FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY. (IT’S ALSO GREAT FOR CARPOOLS, SHARING LODGING, ETC.)
TOURNAMENTS/TRAVEL- MORE TOURNAMENTS IN 2024. WE WILL PLAY 4-5 TOURNAMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF NEXT SUMMER. MOSTLY LOCAL AND SOME TRAVEL.
TOUGH COMPETITION- THE GENERALS SCHEDULE WILL BE TOUGH! YES, IT IS POSSIBLE WE MIGHT HAVE SOME VERY TOUGH MATCHUPS AND TAKE SOME LUMPS,, BUT WE WANT TO CREATE A SCHEDULE THAT WILL CHALLENGE AND PUSH PLAYERS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
ROSTER SIZE- WE WILL HAVE SMALLER ROSTERS IN THE SUMMER OF 2024. THIS WILL REQUIRE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMMITMENT FROM PLAYERS. PLAYERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 100% COMMITTED TO THE PROGRAM. THE COMMITMENT LEVEL SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THE SPRING. IT’S NOT “JUST SUMMER BALL”.
TEAM BUILDING- BBQ’S, BOWLING, PICKLES/HOPS GAMES AND MORE. WE WILL DO MORE THAN JUST PLAY BASEBALL. WE WILL HAVE FUN TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
TEAM PLAY “CHESS, NOT CHECKERS”- WE WON’T PLAY GAMES LIKE AN “ALL STAR GAME” WITH LITTLE TO NO STRATEGY, WITH A COMMITTED GROUP THAT SHOWS UP EVERYDAY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO INVEST TIME TO DEVELOP “ON-FIELD” TEAM CHEMISTRY SO THAT WE CAN PLAY THE GAME AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
DATA COLLECTION- WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OUR DATA COLLECTION CAPABILITIES, USING VIDEO, RADAR AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY TO GATHER OBJECTIVE DATA ON PERFORMANCE. WE PLAN TO DO A PRE SUMMER AND POST SUMMER DATA COLLECTION SO PLAYERS CAN SEE HOW THEY ARE DEVELOPING.
NEW- SUMMER MEDIA DAY- WE LIKE COOL PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS TO CELEBRATE OUR PLAYERS AND PROGRAM. WE WILL BE BRINGING IN A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO CAPTURE GREAT IMAGES OF OUR SUMMER PLAYERS.
PRACTICE?- YES PLEASE, AND MORE OF IT. WE WILL HAVE MANDATORY PRACTICES DURING THE SUMMER. PRACTICE IS A CRUCIAL PART OF DEVELOPMENT. MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN A GAME IS NOT A GREAT WAY TO DEVELOP.
SWAG- TEAM T-SHIRT PROVIDED. EVERYONE LOVES A NEW T-SHIRT, RIGHT
COST- HOW MUCH IS IT? approximate $1500 (financial assistance available as needed)
Thanks and looking forward to a great summer.
Coach Kabza
SUMMER INFORMATION
Our mission is to use baseball as a vehicle to develop young student athletes into outstanding people.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING LETTER.
The summer program will be demanding and require full participation by players. We have a loaded schedule and players will be asked to be fully committed to baseball during the summer.
We will play about 5 games a week and a tournament on most weekends.
Our summer program plays in the Northwest Prep Baseball Association, the NWPBA. Historically we have had 2 highly competitive teams made up of players from Grant High School. The older/higher level team plays in the PREMIER Division of the NWPBA. The younger/lower level team plays in the CLASSIC division of the NWPBA. We plan to continue to field 2 teams this upcoming summer. We do need early confirmations to help build out the best schedule possible. By winning NWPBA league games, teams can earn a playoff berth in the end of the summer tournament, held the third weekend of July.
Commitment and Communication are CRUCIAL to a successful and fun summer baseball season for everyone involved, and are two pillars of our program's culture. #TOGETHER
Transportation: Players and families are 100% responsible for player transportation to and from games. Coaches will not drive players or organize player transportation. Families should work together to manage transportation.
Lodging: If a tournament requires an overnight stay (ie. Bend Tournament), players and families will need to arrange and coordinate their own lodging. I encourage families and players to coordinate with each other to make these experiences fun for everyone.
Schedule: The schedule is subject to change, due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.
Coach Communication: Coaches will use GameChanger as the main way to communicate updates to families and players about games and practices. The Remind Text Messaging app may also be utilized for quick updates and reminders.
Finances:
NO PLAYER WILL BE TURNED AWAY DUE TO FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS. CONTACT COACH KABZA DIRECTLY IF THERE ARE PAYMENT CONCERNS AND WE CAN DEVELOP PLAN.
Summer Program Cost $TBD for 2024 (approximately $1500)
Playing Time and Team Placement: Coaches will do their best to get all players in game opportunities while remaining as competitive as possible. Players doing their best to execute the role designated by the coaching staff is an important learning experience. Family members supporting whatever role a player is given is even more important. Players do not need to “accept” their current role and should work towards reaching their desired role, if it is different from what is currently established. Players can move up and down levels/teams if the coaching staff decides.
Role of the Parent:
Set an example of mature, positive, and supportive behavior.
Encourage students to speak to coaches about ALL concerns, scheduling conflicts, etc.
Encourage students to care for baseball related responsibilities. (This is an opportunity for your child to grow as a person)
Make sure to give your student athlete space to be part of the team (dugout, locker room and practice field/Gym is for players and coaches, not for parents)
Concerns? Schedule a meeting if needed. (Not right before or after the game) Always Respectful, Always Team First
FAQs
When is the summer season?
Summer baseball officially starts the Tuesday after the OSAA State Championship and concludes the last week of the summer OSAA calendar (Third weekend in July). We may have some optional training opportunities before the official start. Example: 2022 Summer June 6th to July 23rd
Where are games played?
We work to play the best possible local schedule. We may travel for one or two tournaments outside of the Portland Metro area.
Who are the coaches?
The Grant High School coaching staff runs the summer program.
Can I play multiple sports?
Yes! It is the player's responsibility to communicate with the different coaches, ahead of time, to determine how to resolve scheduling conflicts.
Can I play for a second team?
We ask that players make a full commitment to the Generals Baseball program. The program is built on our core value of commitment and all participants being fully invested in the team and to their teammates. We do support players who have opportunities to play in special events, showcases, etc.
What about summer conflicts, what happens if I need to miss a game or two?
The expectation is for players and families to do all they can to avoid conflicts. If there is an unavoidable conflict, coaches must be made aware LONG before to ensure roster adjustments and preparations can be made to cover for the missing athlete. The schedule is delivered to families for planning the first week of November.
What are the levels of play for the teams?
Premier (19U)
Classic (17U)
How many players are on the team/s?
The number of teams and team size are determined after getting player commitments and schedules. The more committed the group of players, the lower the roster size can potentially be. We will determine roster sizes after getting commitments from players. We typically shoot for a roster size of 16-17.
Are there any scheduled breaks?
This year we will be busy from the start to the end of the season with games and practices every week.
What if I get invited to a national or regional event?
If a player has an opportunity to play in a prestigious event, we obviously would support and encourage the player to take advantage of that opportunity.
How will I get recruited?
The coaching staff will actively support your recruiting process. Players are responsible for taking the initiative to communicate with the coaching staff their goals. The players in our program with the GRADES, the PHYSICAL TOOLS, and the DESIRE to play at the next level have historically had a great deal of success in finding a place to play at the next level.
What to expect.
Competition
Our summer program requires the highest level of commitment from players. We build a program that will develop the team as well as the individual.
Memories
Great memories and relationships are created over the course of the summer.
Development
Each year the summer provides and opportunity for players to take that next step forward.
