Dear Members,
As the fall season comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for making this season truly remarkable. Despite the unusually warm weather we experienced, the fall baseball season provided a fantastic opportunity for our boys and girls to grow their skills and enjoy competitive games against their friends. It's always a joy to watch our young athletes develop their talents in such a fun and instructional environment.
As we transition into the holiday season, I want to remind everyone about some exciting events coming up. We are thrilled to announce our Thanksgiving football raffle, as well as early registration for our Black Friday, including a special Black Friday raffle. Stay connected with us by following our new Facebook page, our existing Instagram account, and visiting tomrivereast.com for the latest updates.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, I want to inform you about an important change: the board has decided to implement a work bond of $100, which will help cover field maintenance costs. While we have long aimed to avoid such a measure, the rising expenses associated with field upkeep and the decline in volunteer support made this necessary. Our hope is that the work bond will encourage more parents to step up for essential roles like coaching, game-day operations(scoreboard,announcing games), and field cleanup.
For families unable to volunteer, a $50 field maintenance fee option will be available before the season to help offset these costs. Board members, managers, coaches, and our invaluable team moms, who dedicate substantial time, will be exempt from the work bond.
Additionally, the work bond we are implementing is significantly lower than what is typical in other leagues across our district, our registration fees also remain competitive. Remember, we are a non-profit organization, and your registration fees directly support field maintenance, enhancing our complex, umpire payments, equipment purchases, uniforms and essential winter indoor workouts for spring season players. More details to follow as we get closer to the season.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the upcoming spring season. Our opening day parade has grown larger and more spirited each year, and this year promises to be no different, with increased registration numbers resulting in more children playing baseball than ever before. Together, let's create a fun, instructional, and competitive environment for our kids.
I also want to share some fantastic developments at our complex! We're pleased to announce the addition of new batting cages by field 6, an artificial pitching mound on field 8 that will be in use this spring, and a new indoor pitching mound. These improvements are vital for providing better facilities for our players.