Cleveland High School Baseball
Sellwood JBO/Cleveland HS Baseball
Partnership Announcement
Result of Meeting on 10/9/07
Sellwood Baseball is excited to announce a new and dynamic partnership with the Cleveland High School Baseball program. The partnership is solely focused on creating a greater sense of baseball community for everyone within the Cleveland High district. We believe this can be done through improved playing and learning opportunities for all players who live within the Cleveland District. Ultimately, we hope this effort leads to stronger connections in the local baseball community, and improved success for the Cleveland High baseball program.
How did this all come about?
Last year, Varsity baseball coach, Casey Dyer, began to hold joint practices with Cleveland's Freshman, JV and Varsity teams after sensing a need to create a more cohesive baseball community at the high school level. The new practice format created excellent interaction between the players at all development levels within the program and allowed coaches to work in groups based on positions rather than age or ability. The end result--a successful season for the current 5A PIL Co-Champions, and a closer, more connected baseball community among the players and their families.
The success of this practice format led coach Dyer to ask members of the Cleveland Baseball Board to consider ways to extend the concept of resource sharing and community building to the younger age groups within the Cleveland Boundaries. May ideas were discussed and considered but it was not until organizers from Sellwood JBO approached the Cleveland Baseball Board with a partnership proposal that things really began to take shape.
It's About Community...
The two organization's mutual goals and overlapping boundaries led them to quickly join forces. The partnership has already produced tangible results. This fall and winter, Sellwood JBO and Cleveland Baseball will host a series of skill development clinics for players ages 9 to 14. Registration numbers are outstanding and punctuated with enthusiastic responses from players and families. The Cleveland coaching staff will teach the clinic series with assistance from Sellwood JBO coaches and Cleveland High School players. Plans are also in the works to form a 13 - 14 year old JBO Federal team representing the Cleveland Warriors. The Cleveland coaching staff will participate in player and coach selections for this team. Additional ways to connect the older and younger kids and to share resources and talents between JBO and the summer legion program are also being evaluated.
Sellwood JBO and the Cleveland Baseball Board are truly excited about providing younger players in the community more quality baseball experiences and a chance to connect with their local high school players and coaches before entering into the Cleveland system. We invite all members of the baseball community to help us meet those goals. Regardless of how long our kids might play, or their individual athletic achievements, we want to support their interest in baseball to the best of our ability. Ultimately, we want them to share a sense of pride to be part of the Cleveland High School and Sellwood JBO baseball community!