Our program builds character in our children at an early age. F.A.B.L. players learn that in baseball, like in real life, if you work hard and with others as a team, you can be a winner. There is something wonderful about baseball - it keeps renewing itself. If you lose a game on one day, you can come back and win the next day. The nature of baseball has many parallels in real life. It is a humbling game where young players learn that you can't and don't win all the time, that dedication and teamwork does pay off. F.A.B.L. is not just about winning baseball games; it is about learning and working hard to becoming the best baseball player and person you can be. We frown on the concept of winning at any cost.

To maintain our ideals and reach our aims we place a great deal of responsibility in the hands of our managers and coaches. They are the individuals who spend the greatest amount of time with the players and parents. F.A.B.L. is becoming more sensitive about screening coaches and managers who work with our younger age groups since it is these men who are being placed in a position to strongly influence our league's future players. We seek coaches and managers who never lose their perspective. They need to be constantly aware that children and their parents are listening and watching their every word and deed. We want F.A.B.L. managers and coaches to understand that young players are very impressionable and that exhibiting un-sportsmanlike behavior will adversely influence players. Our league imposes serious sanctions on coaches and managers who fail to carry themselves as gentlemen on and around youth baseball fields. Each year F.A.B.L. conducts a Coach's Clinic to help managers and coaches understand and teach baseball. Professional baseball scouts and ex-major and minor league baseball players conduct this clinic.

Our next and a very important aim is to provide the highest degree of competitive baseball for all our age groups. In the development of youth baseball players the level of competition strongly dictates a player's growth and development. If a player is constantly facing weak pitching and hitting well, he might think he is a good player and his parents might think so, but if he faces the best pitchers in his age group and is hitting well then there is no doubt about his ability and skill level. Without question, F.A.B.L. offers the very highest level of baseball competition in the New York City/Long Island area and, subsequently, over the years, our league has attracted the very best youth baseball players. The best way to sum up the competitive aspect of our league is to say that our level of baseball gives a young player a great opportunity to hone his skills and experience competitive baseball at its best. Subsequently, this will give him a very big advantage when it comes to trying out for his junior high or high school varsity team. Playing competitive baseball in F.A.B.L.'s high school age programs will subsequently enhance the player's potential to obtain college scholarship funds for his higher education. When it comes to Long Island high school age baseball players, Division I and II college baseball coaches focus a great deal of interest on F.A.B.L. players.

It is important for parents to understand the world of youth baseball. Not only does F.A.B.L. in general aim to have the best youth baseball managers, coaches and players, we also want to have the best parents. Parents hold within their grasp the ability to make F.A.B.L. one of the most wonderful and rewarding baseball experiences in their child's baseball life. The league very much welcomes communications with parents. We want parents to understand that the league will always try to solve problems that are in the league's power to solve. We strongly suggest parents read the F.A.B.L. rules and regulations for the age group their child is playing in.

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Published on: 2005-03-10 (9552 reads)