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Welcome to Hickory Fountain Green Baseball. This is my 19th year
involved with Hickory-Fountain Green Baseball and 14th as your Chairman.
I believe that HFG Baseball has the best group of guys and gals involved
and our volunteers are truly All-Stars. Each year our volunteers spends
hundreds of hours of time planning and coaching so we can provide the
best experience possible for our 600 kids.
We make it
fun for all of our kids at HFG. We like to keep it simple for our
players but we also build their knowledge of the game as they grow. We
believe that SAFETY is the most important word in our
program with FUN being a very close second. We have set
high standards for those that are involved in HFG Baseball and we are
committed to play an important role in promoting the physical and
emotional development of children in a positive way. To emphasize this
we will continue the Codes of Conduct this year for both our Parents and
Coaches. Introduced in 2009, this commitment to excellence among our
players, coaches and parents helped produce our best season to date.
Details are available on this website.
In 2011 we fielded almost 50 in-house teams comprised of
over 600 kids in age groups from our 5-6 tee ball group
to our hard hitting 13-15 year olds. The season kicked
off a day late back in April with a soggy but enjoyable
Opening Day and kept going thru the last out sometime
after Father’s Day. Over those two plus months of play
we learned a lot about the great game of baseball, we
made new friends, and had a great time playing America’s
pastime. Season ending championship tournaments for the
older age groups and the All-Star games under the lights
and lightning at Thomas Run Park were a fitting cap to
another tremendous in house season.
In
2011, HFG baseball travel teams had their best year
ever. Our 9U Travel
team won the MD Ripken State Championship
and was a semifinalist in the Ripken Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament.
Our 10U Travel
team
won the MD Ripken
State Championship and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship and
represented the State of Maryland at the 10U Ripken World Series. Our
10U team completed a successful week at the Ripken experience in Myrtle
Beach and our 12U team had a great week at Cooperstown Dreams Park. This
year the 12U travel team will make another appearance in Cooperstown and
the 10U team will return to Myrtle Beach. HFG has had 2 teams compete in
the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland. If you have an
interest in 2012 travel baseball, please contact the coach directly for
details. Their information can be found under
http://www.hfg-baseball.com/travel.htm.
One thing we are really
looking forward to in 2012 is the opening of our new 90' diamond at
Prospect Mill Park. Rich Seijack has put in a tremendous amount of time
and energy in getting this beautiful field built and we are looking
forward to him throwing out the first pitch prior to the first ever game
at this welcome addition to our program. Hope the arm's in shape
Rich, we don't want you bouncing a fastball in the dirt to kick things
off.
We know
that there are a lot of recreation councils you could play in. We thank
you for choosing Hickory Fountain Green Baseball. We are very proud
members of Babe Ruth / Cal Ripken Baseball. Many HFG players contribute
successfully to the local high school programs. Nine
players on the 2010 State AAA High School Champion C. Milton Wright
Baseball team played baseball in the Hickory Fountain Green program.
If you have
any comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Joe
McIlhenney (Director) or myself. Our contact information is on the
website. Play HARD and ...Have FUN. With that said I hope you
have a great 2012 Season...Let's PLAY BALL.
Joe Stetka
Hickory-Fountain
Green Baseball Chairman |
