While we passionately believe that the 12-and-under Bowie Bulldogs (Coach Washington) have something that few teams can compete with, switching teams is not an easy decision — nor should it be.  The fear of change and the unknown keeps parents from moving on.  We realize parents have questions.  We hope to answer those questions here.

1. What Level Will We Play?

This time of year, it seems like every team plays CRAB League.  When coaches recruit, they want you to believe they are a CRAB team.  The reality is that very few actually are.  Will we be a MABA or CRAB team?

That all depends upon how we fill out the rest of our roster.  If your child is a MABA player, that takes us a step closer to being a MABA team.  However, as a baseline we will play CBA.  Moreover, we use league games as a way to get our kids additional reps. We treat these games more like a glorified scrimmage, allowing those who may not pitch or play certain positions to get those opportunities.  We’ve also been known to flip the lineup from time to time in these games because we realize that if you have a set lineup for the entire season, some players automatically get more opportunities than others.

2. What Positions Are We Looking For?

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that you shouldn’t focus too much on filling specific positions. We want athletes who are versatile and can play multiple positions.  Even if you’ve been a shortstop in the past, you may not be a shortstop on this team. The truth is that we’ll likely end with more than half of our team who normally played shortstop.

If you only play catcher or first base, that can become a problem. What if we have a player who is better there? What if you can’t then find a spot on the field?

By focusing on athletes who can play everywhere, we can easily fill holes. You will always have a place on the field.  Sure, we want pitching. Everyone wants that ace. But we also want our entire team to pitch. And if we don’t have a defense, that ace pitching will go to waste.

3. How Many Tournaments Will We Play?

At the moment, we’re looking to play in about 2-3 tournaments for the fall season and 4-5 tournaments in the spring season. Weather is an issue in this area, so we’ll likely sign up for more than that. But when the year is done, we’ll have played in about a 8-10 tournaments.  How many games that results in, of course, will depend upon how we do.

4. What is the Practice Like?

Practice is where your son learn what type of player he is not the games. He will learn what his range is as a defensive player. Meaning, he know he can either dive and catch a ball 20 feet to his right or he can’t. He will know if he can get to a shallow fly ball behind 2nd base and catch it in the air or not. He will begin to challenge and push himself in practice to get to balls so that NO baseball drops in his zone!

Our practice closely resembles that of a football or basketball practice. We have infielders doing drills, outfielders doing drills, catchers, there are individual defensive work, there are team integrated work and there’s a time for statues (if they are playing a simulated game with the coach pitching). If you see statues (players standing around), your time and your kids’ time is not being maximized.

5. What is Our Style of Play?

We will hustle. There is no excuse not to hustle. It takes no talent, and anyone can do it. Hustle will often be the difference between outs, hits, wins, and losses.

We will play smart defense, limiting miscues. One of the reasons we’re looking for good athletes is to make sure that we have outfielders who can change singles into outs and extra bases into singles. Our players will also be educated on backup and cutoff responsibilities, leading to crisp execution in the field.

We will be respectful of umpires, opponents, coaches, and teammates. As coaches, we will not tolerate disrespect of any of these groups.

Ultimately, we play team-first baseball, focusing on “we” over “me.” A selfish player has no place on our roster. We will support one another through the good and bad.

6. How Many Players Will We Have?

Over the years, we’ve learned the importance of reps. When these kids get to high school, those reps will be more difficult to come by. So for now, we need to focus on development.

To achieve development for the entire team, it helps to have a smaller roster. We’ve found that the ideal number of players is 12. This provides some depth as well as some protection in the event of absences.

9.  Will my child be stuck at one or two positions?

Nine positions make up a defensive team. Your son should probably play six to eight of those positions! Maybe your child doesn’t pitch, maybe he doesn’t catch, but all the others — give them a shot!

We find it crucial at this stage of development to have players learn virtually every position on the field. From the ages of 5–13, your son should really be playing multiple positions.  If your son can play 2nd base, he probably can play 3B, LF or RF too. He needs to learn those spots, why? What if there is an opportunity for him to start on Varsity as a sophomore in RF and the coach says, “Can you play right?!” the answer better be, “YES!” or else we have not done right by your son.  It’s about experiences, the more your child learns about the game, the more they take with them level after level. Our team fulfill the knowledge your son crave about the game of baseball.

12. What About Playing Time?

Ideally, talent will be close to even from top to bottom. When that happens, it’s much easier to keep playing time within a narrow range. That said, playing time will not be even. We will try to win. Some players will be better than others at pitching and other positions. As a result, players will earn their roles.

We will use league games and pool play games to help even out playing time and opportunities, particularly in the first half of the season. I want all players to have multiple positions that they can play — ideally, everyone will play in the outfield.

We will move kids around quite a bit in the beginning to allow players to earn their spots. But in the end, opportunities, at bats, and playing time won’t be the same for everyone.

13.  What about team events?

Team Camaraderie is the spirit of good fellowship. It’s the mutual trust and friendship that emerges among kids who spend a lot of time together.

Championship teams have it. Winning coaches understand its importance.  A team with camaraderie plays well together because they are tuned into each other and working towards the same goals.  We coordinate several team events for the players during the season to build team spirit and camaraderie.  From team builders, to bowling, to attending a professional baseball game, the player form a true bond.

14. What Will All of this Cost?

To play on most 12U travel teams the fee is about $1,500 per season (Fall and Spring seasons) + $200 uniform fee (home and away uniforms).  That’s approximately $3,000 per year to play travel baseball.  Not including travel costs families incur getting to games and tournaments.

We offer an AFFORDABLE alternative to other travel baseball options. This allows more families to experience the benefits of travel baseball, without the added financial hardship and worries that can go along with other programs.

15. Will We Do Fundraisers?

I know. It’s expensive. So, will we hold fundraisers to cut into these costs?

I’ve always been open to fundraising. However, I will not lead that fundraising. Life is tough enough as the coach, and I like to focus my energy there!

However, if there’s a parent who wants to lead this (I think we may have that this year), we will absolutely hold fundraisers to help with expenses.

Join Today

Families need to be reminded that developing a baseball player is not something that is done with a few lessons, team practices, and a jersey on a travel baseball team. Developing a baseball player is a journey. We believe that during the time your son will be with us, he will be in the best hands in the area to lead him through this journey.

Thank you for your interest in the 12U Bowie Bulldogs team.  We are very proud of the coaches, parents, and especially the boys who make up our travel team.  ​Sign up today at www.WeAreBulldogs.com to tryout or attend an upcoming team practice.