What are you leaving behind?
We didn’t start M-Pact with the intention of having multiple teams. We never dreamed we would be where we are today.
One thing we quickly realized was the approach we were taking with our players was helping them develop, stay with the game, and stick together over multiple seasons.
“Leave it better than you found it” was a motto we started using to lay out a philosophy of being better every day in all aspects of our life.
Green Jerseys
Our Band of Brothers jerseys are shared with all our teams. It was built with the perspective of we have a legacy to leave behind no matter what our involvement with the team. No one is above anyone else. We all share the same uniform. We wear these in the fall to reinforce the Legacy we leave behind.
Image Caption: Wearing the green with the star means much more than a jersey, it's a brotherhood!
Anyone can start a baseball team. What does it take to leave a legacy?
As we grew in M-Pact we realized we weren’t just creating a team, we were creating a mindset to benefit our entire community. Leave it better than you found it isn’t just about trash in the dugout, it’s how you leave the game and the people around you better.
Seeing trophy chasing and how many tournament wins doesn’t always equal better players as kids grow.
It’s learning a mindset that helps your player on and off the field.
The Legacy Pyramid
Image Caption: The building blocks we have tried to use as the foundation for M-Pact.
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
We are here for one another. Being a part of M-Pact isn’t designed to be just a team you play on.
We are a community looking to make each other better.
Field Improvements!
We have come a long way with our pasture over the years. We have always worked to make our practice fields as nice as possible with the resources we have. It's a labor of love and takes countless hours of work just to keep it as it is.
This season we are pouring into making this place a real home. You probably have seen we are adding dugouts to the baseball field (We do plan on adding dugouts to softball too when possible).This is big because this spring, we will be hosting a few 10U league games here during the week!! We have a lot left to do and we always appreciate the kind people who come help and provide expertise.
Image Caption: One little field has turned into a place your player can never outgrow. We love our little complex and the best is yet to come.
Here is a list of things we are adding currently:
Walking Trail - The trail has been initially cut. We are wanting input if the path is good for now and we will find a way to get some gravel on it soon.
Dugouts - 10x20 with netting across the front.
New Dirt - We brought in 11 tons of dirt on the big baseball field to test. It has held up extremely well so we ordered 23 tons more to be delivered this week to put on the other fields! We need help spreading it out if you have a tractor or skid steer.
If you would like to donate to the improvements, here are some things that have been requested:
Picnic Tables
Park Benches
Gravel for the walking trail - We have a source but we need about $300 to cover it.
Metal for the dugout tops
Any little bit helps. Please let us know what you would like to help with.
What we wished we knew!
We have been around youth baseball now for many years. Me personally, I played the old school little league, at age 12 played in the OK Kids state tournament, 14 played in American Legion, and after my playing days ended, I did a little coaching of a 10U team and I was only 18 myself! A lot has changed but there are some things we wish we knew as parents and for our players.
Here’s a little list by level:
T-Ball – Coach Pitch – HAVE FUN! Of course, you want your kid to learn skills, win some games, get a trophy or two, but the most important thing is realizing this is a GAME and meant to be FUN! We have seen the same story play out repeatedly of the dominate 8U team winning every game by run rule and by the time the kids are 12 they are burnt out and hate the game. Enjoy this stage because it should be one of the most enjoyable and entertaining times of this game!
First year Kid Pitch – This will be the most painful season you have to watch as a parent. The game slows down and you will see a lot of walks! It is a fun stage too because it is the first glimpse of real baseball. We have seen kids who struggled in Coach Pitch blossom in Kid Pitch and look totally different. PATIENCE is the best word what for this phase.
10U-12U – This phase we wish we understood how much of the game is learned at this stage. It’s also the last couple of years before it turns into big boy baseball. ENJOY this phase because it will be one of the most rewarding phases. Your player will learn so much during this time that will carry over to big boy baseball. Look for those opportunities to point out how they have improved, physically, mentally, maturity, and being a teammate. LEARN the game along this time. It will set them up for the next big step.
13U-14U – This step is all about the PROCESS! Helping your player understand that these next two seasons are about falling in love with the process of getting better. Big changes usually happen here. Kids mature and start finding their favorite positions, hitting styles, and see who they could become. The players that fall in love with getting extra cage time, focusing on little details of pitching or defense, or just like to work on their own start to separate themselves from others. Me personally, this was one of my favorite phases. I love practice and player development. This phase was one of the most rewarding because you see big jumps in a players abilities if they love it. This cant be your process as a parent though. If the player drives this with some guidance from you or from M-Pact, that’s where you will see the PROCESS!
High School – ENDURANCE! Hopefully at the stage before your player started to understand the process. By the time they put the HS uniform on, it becomes about who can endure the roller coaster the best. So many factors here but it will be a roller coaster ride of emotions. You have to fight daily with the mental side, with the pressures of playing in front of your peers, and the physical demand. This goes for you as a parent too! It’s a battle! However, seeing your kid learn how to endure is a tough but rewarding process. Help your player remember this stage is what all the others were building up to. Enjoy this part because it could be the last. For some, they get to keep playing in college or beyond but they will always remember this phase. Endure it for all it is and it can be used as a huge life teaching tool.
Image Caption: Some of our boys who have been here for most of their playing career. We could list off several more and will as we go. Hasten Conley, Weston Henry, Alexander Monge, and Drake Clemmons have all played at least 5 years with M-Pact and now sophomores in HS.