Frequently Asked Questions
The Spring Season is a fun, fast-paced time, especially with 3 different teams. We are excited that you are joining us for the season. There are so many questions that could be asked and we couldn't possibly think of them all...so we asked chatGPT to help build this list. If you still have questions,please reach out via our "Let's Chat" button.
What is the schedule for the upcoming baseball season, including practice times, game days, and any tournaments or special events?
Varsity will play 25-35 games, JV will play 20-30 games, and Freshmen will play 15-25 games over the season. There are 67 games currently scheduled and 10-15 more still in the works. You can view the current schedules in our "Upcoming Events" page and even subscribe to each team’s google calendar. We will generally have 2 field practices each week (on Monday & Thursday) and 2 cage practices each month (on the 1st & 3rd Fridays). Practices will be at either San Gabriel fields, Balcones fields, Town & Country fields or Outright Fitness batting cages. JV will play in a local tournament with Thrall as well tournaments in Dallas and Corpus Christi Varsity will play in a local tournament at Brentwood as well as tournaments in Dallas, Corpus Christi and Auburndale, FL. Some of our opponents include: St. Andrew's Catholic School St. Dominic Savio Catholic School Hyde Park St. John Paul II Catholic School Waves Harker Heights High School Taylor High School Faith Academy of Marble Falls Texas Wind Brentwood High School Florence High School Liberty Hill High School Holland High School Thrall High School Central Texas Christian School Valor South Austin Westwood High School Jarrell High School
How does the team handle communication, such as updates, schedule changes, or important information? Do you use a specific communication platform or app?
Game Changer will be our primary mode of communication during the season. In Mid-November you will get an email with your player’s roster assignment, and once you activate your Spring payment plan you will be added to the game changer for that team. Board Members and the Athletic Director are available for one-on-one meetings via zoom to discuss any concerns you may have. We ask that players have conversations directly with the coaching staff during practices to address any playing time concerns. Any code of conduct concerns should be brought to the attention of our Vice President of Ethics, Will Schwertfeger. Serious conversations with the coaching staff on game days are discouraged. You can schedule a meeting with any of the board members from our "About Us" page.
Are there any specific expectations regarding player attendance at practices and games? What is the policy for excused absences?
We expect all players to attend each practice and game. We will encourage carpooling among families to assist with this. We do understand that homeschooling families have additional challenges to getting players to events that are not always within a player’s control. We ask that players communicate directly with their coach via GameChanger if they must miss a practice or game. The coaches will rely on the RSVP feature of GameChanger to fill out their lineups for any given game.
What is the team's philosophy and approach to coaching, player development, and sportsmanship?
We strive to provide opportunities for competition and development for all homeschooled players. We do this by planning for 3 different levels of competition, providing practices with skill specific coaches for all players and by carrying a practice squad in addition to our 3 teams. Our coaching staff will also be moving players between the 3 teams during the season in order to get a wider opportunity for development for individual players. We invest the program resources into hiring skilled experts and into training our volunteer coaches so that we can provide a high quality program to all our players.
Is there a code of conduct or behavioral expectations for players on and off the field?
Yes, players, parents and coaches are all expected to adhere to our Code of Conduct while on or off the field when representing the Texans. You can find our Code of Conduct on our "About Us" page. If you ever have concerns about a player, parent or coach violating the code of conduct, we ask that you would start by addressing the concern to your team’s coach. If that does not resolve the issue, please contact Brian Reavis, our Athletic Director and Glenn Lucke, our VP of Ethics.
How are playing time decisions made, and what can my son do to earn more playing time or improve his skills?
Playing time decisions are made by each team’s head coach. Highschool programs, by their nature, are competitive, and it is the coach’s responsibility to put the best team on the field that he can. That being said, we do try to schedule a wide variety of opponents to give as many playing opportunities as possible to a wider spectrum of the roster. Players are encouraged to talk with their coach outside of game time to see what they need to improve.
How does the team handle transportation to away games and tournaments?
We encourage families to work together to carpool to games & practices as needed by offering bus stops on Game Changer when possible. The bus stop starts with one family willing to drive other players. We will create an event in GC listing the location and time of the bus stop along with the number of seats available. Players needing a ride would then RSVP to the bus stop.
Are there any fundraising activities to support the team?
We are currently running a fundraiser where each player is asked to recruit sponsorships from local businesses to cover our uniform fees and possibly some of our tournament costs. We will also host a hit-a-thon fundraiser in conjunction with our season kick-off event on January 18th. Watch for more information about this in our next newsletter.
Can you provide information about team equipment, uniforms, and any associated costs?
We will not be ordering new game uniforms for Spring 2025. New players will need to order 2 game jerseys ($150), a game hat ($30) and a practice jersey ($20) Players should purchase a practice jersey & hat from our online store. You will be billed separately for the game jerseys in November after registration. Each player will need to supply their own: pants (a white pair and a black pair) socks (black) belt (black) helmet (jaw guards are optional, but recommended) shoes Since many of our games will be at fields which do not allow metal spikes, all players should have a pair of turf shoes or molded cleats with them at every game.
How can parents get involved to help the team?
Parents can assist in the following ways: 1. Volunteer on the coaching staff (contact Brian Reavis) 2. Volunteer as a team parent to coordinate bus stops, GC scoring and tournament travel (contact Kimberly Reavis) 3. Volunteer to score or video games on Game Changer. (contact your team parent) 4. Volunteer to drive players to games or practices. (contact your team parent) 5. Volunteer to help set up our hotels in Dallas and Corpus Christi. (contact Kimberly Reavis) 6. Chime in on the Game Changer team chats with suggestions for team building events, (dinners after games, social activities, etc)
Is there a designated point of contact for parents if they have questions or concerns throughout the season?
A team parent will be recruited for each team who will work closely with the Board of Directors to keep the families informed about the season. If you are interested in this role, please contact Kimberly Reavis.
Can you provide information about the team's social and team-building activities or events that parents and players can participate in?
We love to offer events for players and families to connect with each other off the field. More info can be found on our "Upcoming Events" page. Many of our families also enjoy participating in the Christian Family Dance Club. You can find more information at www.familydanceclub.org
How does the coach approach college recruitment and assisting players who are interested in playing baseball at the collegiate level?
We are working on developing our presence on X & youtube to share player profiles and highlights from our games. Our coaches also share information about college showcases happening nearby for our players to participate in.
How much will the season cost and what is included?
The Spring Season is expected to cost $900 plus the costs of uniforms and travel. This will cover our insurance, field rentals, equipment purchases, tournaments & games. You can see an overview of our program budget on our “Fiscal Responsibility” page. If you have further questions you can contact our treasurer.