Our goal this year is to build on what Big Willow is known for and continue to provide a meaningful and fun experience for all players that prepares them for whatever path they choose next (travel, house, and/or tournament ball). 

Last Updated: January 1, 2024

1. Integrated Development: There will be more scrimmages and games, with development integrated into those experiences and fewer “practice-only” sessions.  We know that our players want to play - but we also believe in providing a solid developmental foundation to enhance the game experience throughout the season and enable those interested to be prepared for future travel or tournament baseball experiences.  Our coaching plans make it easy for volunteer coaches to know when and how to implement these development opportunities and will increase player engagement.  For example, at the Mites (t-ball) level, players not actively engaged in a game or scrimmage will rotate to other stations until it is their turn to bat or play in the infield.

2. Preseason Indoor Clinics for registered Juniors, Farm, and Majors players.  Join us for one-hour clinics, each focused on a specific skill, such as pitching, hitting, fielding, and catching.  (Juniors will meet separately from Farm and Majors.). Attend as many clinics as you would like. We just ask for you to register for each session so that we can plan accordingly.  (Register for these through the Spring house ball registration form)

3. We will have informal evaluations for all prospective Juniors, Farm, and Majors players.  These evaluations will be integrated into our preseason clinics.  (See the schedule here.) Evaluations will assist us in rostering Spring house ball and tournament teams.  Note that we will still aim to honor at least one friend request, as we know this is one of the reasons many of your kids choose to play baseball - they want to play with their friends!

We will have our formal evaluation process on February 24th and/or March 3rd (Juniors, Farm, and Majors players are required to attend at least one). 

4. Tentative Practice, Scrimmage, and Game Schedules will be: 

• Mites: Tuesday and Saturday

• Juniors: Wednesday and Saturday

• Farm: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday (TBD)

• Majors: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday (TBD)

• Tournament practices will be determined closer to the start of the season.

Please note depending on registration volume, the Farm and/or Majors schedule may be adjusted.

5. For Juniors, Farm, and Majors we have mapped out a new and exciting approach to Spring house ball.  It will involve a combination of clinics, scrimmages, dual-team  practices, intraleage games (our standard in the past), and special events such as a Home Run Derby, Skills Challenges, Cup Ball, and a ProAm game with guest participants (i.e. parents, older siblings, high school players, etc.).  For Farm and Majors, we will also have interleague games with other local leagues. These will all take place during the “twice per week schedule” noted above.

6.  If there is interest (both players and coaches), we plan to offer a tournament team experience by participating in one to three tournaments.  Players must participate in Spring house ball to be eligible to participate on a Big Willow tournament team so that all players participate in our standard development program.  Note that occasional additional tournament team practices will be scheduled.  

6A. Big Willow is hosting a 9AA and 12A Tournament!  Join us June 7-9 to cheer or play for a Big Willow tournament team.

Our Spring house ball is for players who are ages 4-12 regardless of physical address, school attending, ability, or short or long-term interest.  

1. We need new board members and committee members as soon as possible.  Several of our existing board members have older boys who have either graduated from Big Willow or they have transitioned to travel baseball.  As a result, a variety of positions are available.  Based on your interests and availability, we can find a place for you on the board or for small-scale assignments (which would count towards your volunteer shift requirement).  Open board member positions include Registrar, Tournament Director, Juniors Division Manager, and Farm Division Manager. Existing board members will onboard and support you and help make this an enjoyable experience.  Board members are eligible for one free spring ball registration (if you register before committing to serve on the board, we will refund your registration fee). 

2. Summer Ball at Big Willow is extremely popular. While summer ball is not happening anytime soon, we always fill up fast and turn away a lot of players, so we are making a few adjustments. First, Big Willow Spring Ball players have Summer ball registration priority. We will make sure to send multiple communications once Summer ball registration opens for Spring ball families (a two-week early registration period).  Second, we are adding a Saturday Mites and Juniors series (1 game per week). This is in addition to our typical weekday series for Juniors, Farm, and Majors (2 games per week) (For Juniors, you would choose one option, not both).  Note that summer ball is focused on games only.   Coaches are responsible for arranging any desired practices and field space during summer ball.