RLL Field Maintenance Guidelines

Field Maintenance Committee:

Tom Goode

Tom Willingham

Cary Wright

Over the years the League has made a significant investment of time and dollars to have high-quality facilities.  We appreciate all of the work that the coaches and volunteer parents do to help maintain this important league asset.

Our primary field maintenance goals are to:

• maintain a fair playing surface so that our young players are able to develop sound fielding fundamentals instead of worrying about dodging unpredictable bounces;
• minimize the recovery time following rain so that our players are able to enjoy using the fields more often; and
• maintain a clean environment for the players and fans.

Field Maintenance Guidelines:

• Both teams are responsible for setting up the field and clearing the field for all games
• Game set-up:

-          Unlock the gates and place the padlocks on the fence where the children can not reach them;

-          Drag the infield (drags should be left against the fence behind the backstop) – please stay at least one foot away from the infield lips with the drag and do not let the kids drag the field unless they know what they are doing;

-          Remove base anchor caps and place them in the appropriate white bucket, which can be found in the green storage box (there are two buckets marked BN and BS);

-          Use the tools found in the white buckets to clear dirt from the base anchors and set the bases;

-          Remove the mound and home plate tarps and place them behind the backstop;

-          Place the metal tarp spikes in the appropriate white bucket (do not leave metal spikes lying in the field or dugout areas);

-          Lightly rake the mound and plate area to smooth low spots;

-          The first teams to play on each field should use the wooden template (this will be left behind the backstop on one of the fields) and spray paint (in the green storage box) to make a batters box;

-          Machine pitch coaches – set the machine on top of the mound with the front legs on the pitching rubber; use sand bags to anchor both front legs - do not use the spikes to anchor the machines on the mounds.

• Post-game- If there is another game following yours, drag the infield, rake the mound and plate area and clean trash out of the dugouts for the next teams.

• Post-game – last game/practice of the day/evening:

-          Remove bases, separate base from magnetic plate before placing both in the green storage box;

-          Place caps in the base anchors before raking or dragging;

-          Drag the infield (please stay at least one foot away from the infield lips with the drag and do not let the kids drag the field unless they know what they are doing) and rake mound and plate area;

-          Cover mound and plate area with tarps (be sure not to cover the sprinkler heads behind the plate area).

-          Clean all trash out of the dugouts, place any extra league equipment in the back storage room, and put any personal items that are left behind in the lost & found (clear plastic box in the front storage room);

-          Lock both gates;

-          Turn off the field lights (see instructions below).

• Rain guidelines:

-          Cary, Tom W or Tom G will determine if the fields are playable and update the voice mail and web site up to an hour before the first game of the day; umpires (and coaches for machine pitch) will be responsible for cancellation decisions after that time;

-          We will try to remove the tarps during the day after rain, but any coach playing that evening should feel free to take that initiative to increase their chance of playing;

-          Do not use the Quick Dry found in the green metal box around home plate or on the mounds and use it only as a last resource on the base paths;

-          Use the dirt from the pile next to the south right field fence to fill in low muddy areas;

• Other guidelines:

-          Please try to keep players from tearing up the fields while they are playing/practicing on them. For example, don't let them hang/climb/push on fences, don't let them kick/throw infield dirt into the infield grass, don't let outfielders dig into the outfield grass with their cleats, etc.;

-          Do not hit soft toss with baseballs (including RIF balls) into the overthrow fences.  Use whiffle balls, or if don’t have whiffles, hit soft toss in the batting cage or into the backtop;

-          Do not keep rakes and shovels in the green metal box – they should be kept in the front storage room or behind the backstops;

-          Encourage parent volunteers – this is an easy and valuable way for parents who don’t feel comfortable making the coaching commitment to help out;

-          Encourage the players to be responsible for leaving a clean dugout for the next team;

-          All coaches are responsible for making sure that the storage shed is locked (both doors) and that the key is returned to the combination lock.  Do not carry the key in your pocket; return it to the combination lock after each use.

-          Coaches are responsible for turning the field lights on and off.  An alarm will sound to alert coaches that the lights are available to be activated.  The control is located on the electrical box between the fields.  To access the controls, use the key in the combination lock hanging below the control box.

-          Please let any of us know if you notice anything that does not seem right with the facility.  Our e-mails are:

Cary Wright -

Tom Willingham – t.willingham@ewingbemiss.com

Tom Goode - thomas.goode@bankofamerica.com