HiCast Sports Network Expands Partnership with The Ripken Experience™ to Provide Video Coverage for Its Aberdeen Ballpark

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company has expanded its partnership with Ripken Baseball to provide live and on-demand video coverage for its nine-field baseball complex in Aberdeen, Maryland.

Amanda Shank, Vice President, Business Development for Ripken Baseball, shares, “HiCast has streamed games at The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge for over two years, giving our teams the opportunity to clip and relive the biggest moments of their tournament experience. We’re excited to bring their best-in-class technology to our guests in Aberdeen and Myrtle Beach.”

This year, The Ripken Experience Aberdeen will host 39 baseball tournaments attracting more than 1,700 9U-16U teams from mid March through late November, in addition to summer camps for teams ages 7U and up.  General Manager Lauren Morris shares, “Our complex is a little bit different from the other Ripken Experience parks largely because of our location, which is right off the I-95 corridor making it a convenient weekend destination for a broad region of travel baseball teams. Beyond Maryland, we attract teams from all over the East Coast throughout the year. For us, it’s not just about baseball, it’s about creating a big league experience – from providing a well-run facility, to experienced umpires, to game announcers and music, to water in the dugouts.” While the tournaments are organized and led by the complex, they also host college games including McDaniel College (MD) and Montclair State University (NJ), as well as local high school and home school games.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

General Manager, Lauren Morris, born and raised in Harford County, Maryland, grew up playing softball, lacrosse and soccer. She went on to play soccer in college and interned with the Aberdeen IronBirds, a minor league baseball organization, before going on to work for Ripken Baseball to lead its signature Ripken World Series and other events for the next ten years. Now, she’s one of the few female general managers for a nationally-recognized youth sports complex.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

More than 125,000 guests will visit The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen in-person this year under Lauren’s leadership, but now so many more can share the big league experience from anywhere in the world using the HiCast Sports Network. “Being able to provide an experience for guests who are unable to travel to our complex is a huge benefit because they can still be in the action and live those moments while they are happening live. For parents to be able to clip and post highlights of their players’ big moments… that’s pretty cool! Players and families are creating these lifelong memories at our complex and we want them to be able to share them. Our older 16U players can save in-game moments to share with college recruiters who are often not able to watch all the players they’re following in-person. I wish we had that when I was playing sports.”

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen was established in 2003 by legendary former professional baseball players Cal Ripken, Jr. and brother Bill Ripken in their hometown. The complex has nine replicas of iconic professional ballfields found across the country so youth players can have the experience of what it feels like to play under the lights at Camden Yards or to hit a home run off the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Lauren shares, “We have six all-turf fields and three natural fields with a dedicated team putting down new lines, watering the field, and grooming the infield after each game just like you’d see at a big league game. Our goal is to deliver a ‘can’t wait’ experience for every athlete.” HiCast Sports Network now provides video coverage on seven of the nine fields at The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen with plans to add video coverage on the two newest fields (Citi Field and PNC Park) this summer.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched more than five million game minutes featuring more than 500,000 athletes playing on more than 200 fields and courts at premier baseball/softball and indoor court venues in Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. HiCast Sports subscribers have saved and shared nearly 250,000 game highlights, the Moments That Matter™ with the people who matter most.

About Ripken Baseball 

Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Recently expanding the best experience in youth sports to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments, Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee).

HiCast Sports Network Extends Viewership for The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach, One of the Hottest Sports Tourism Destinations in the U.S.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company has expanded its partnership with Ripken Baseball to provide live and on-demand video coverage for its nine-field baseball complex in Myrtle Beach, SC, one of the most popular sports tourism destinations in the country.

Amanda Shank, Vice President, Business Development for Ripken Baseball, shares, “HiCast has streamed games at The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge for over two years, giving our teams the opportunity to clip and relive the biggest moments of their tournament experience. We’re excited to bring their best-in-class technology to our guests in Aberdeen and Myrtle Beach.”

“We pride ourselves on delivering a big league experience for our players and we’re constantly re-investing in our complex,” shares General Manager Matt Ensworth who’s worked with The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach for the past 15 years. This year, The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach will host approximately 27,000 players and 93,000 visitors. “Live streaming is very important for us, especially for those family members and friends who can’t make the trip. They still get to be a part of the live experience. The video on-demand feature lets our players and families capture and relive their experiences and memories, the ability to replay video is a great learning tool and will ultimately help improve the overall experience. Our staff is looking forward to saving and sharing highlights from our tournaments to spotlight players on our social media,” adds Matt.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

One of the original privately-owned sports complexes in the country built in 2006, The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach spans 50 acres just minutes from the beach. It offers nine replica all-turf fields of historic Major League ballparks, each featuring unique field dimensions and playing experiences every game. The complex hosts play year-round which spans 10 week-long experiences and a 5-week collegiate league for 24 teams each summer. “In my 15 years here, we’ve hosted teams from all 50 states,” adds Matt.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

During the Spring and Fall seasons, the complex hosts three and four-game youth tournaments attracting teams from across the country. The complex has also become one of the most popular collegiate and high school spring training destinations from February through April, attracting teams that are looking for warm weather, rain-resistant all-turf fields, and competitive play. When traveling teams arrive at the complex, they’ve got plenty of space to warm up on Training Island which features 17 batting cages and infield training circles to help them prepare for tournament play. When teams are ready for a break, the Big League Grill offers a comfortable space to cool off in the air conditioning, where they can watch games in progress at the complex on big screen TVs thanks to coverage from the HiCast Sports Network.

Photo Courtesy of Ripken Baseball

HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched more than five million game minutes featuring more than 500,000 athletes playing on more than 200 fields and courts at premier baseball/softball and indoor court venues in Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. HiCast Sports subscribers have saved and shared nearly 250,000 game highlights, the Moments That Matter™ with the people who matter most.

About Ripken Baseball 

Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Recently expanding the best experience in youth sports to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments, Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee).

HiCast Sports Network Delivers Youth Ballgames Live from Elizabethtown Sports Park to Family and Fans at Home or Anywhere in the World

While the Covid-19 global pandemic put a pause on the start of spring baseball and softball play at Elizabethtown Sports Park in Elizabethtown Kentucky, the ballpark was able to resume play in June with beautifully renovated turf infields, and a powerful video coverage solution in partnership with The HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company which allows youth athletes, coaches, families and fans to view live sporting events at top ballparks across the nation anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Todd Yancey, General Manager for Elizabethtown Sports Park in Kentucky, shares, “Our return-to-play guidelines closed our bleachers to support a safe environment. Spectators have to bring their own chairs and social distance around the diamonds. Now that we have HiCast in place, we’re excited to share the best view behind home plate with fans here at the park and watching from home.”

Elizabethtown Sports Park opened eight years ago and sits on just under 160 acres of land featuring 12 diamond fields for baseball (about 70% of the ballpark’s play) and softball (about 30%), a Miracle Field for athletes with special needs, and 12 rectangular fields for soccer, lacrosse and football.  The venue, which sits about a half-hour south of Louisville, KY attracts teams from all over the country.  Different size ballfields enables the venue to host athletes from ages 8 through 18, and the new turf infields minimize the impact of weather conditions on play. 

Elizabethtown Sports Park is overseen by Elizabethtown Tourism who secured Sports Facilities Management (SFM) to effectively manage operations of the venue. Todd Yancey was brought in by SFM to run the day-to-day operations of the park. “We’re really focused on streamlining operations, partnering with top baseball and softball event organizer Athletx Sports Group and with their help, grow our own branded tournaments here at Elizabethtown.”

“While generating revenue is important to Elizabethtown Sports Park, community involvement is another one of our key performance indicators. When we came in, the venue was 100% travel tournament play and within a year, we were able to support the local Elizabethtown Area Baseball Commission to help them operationally, at no cost to the league. Our Miracle Field was just put to use last year. We had eight local schools come out and participate in field days and we’re looking forward to hosting more of those events in the future.” This fall, family and fans can tune in using the HiCast Sports mobile app or web viewer to watch fellow community members and coworkers relive their glory days in the adult co-ed wiffle ball league.

Stephanie Calabrese, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer for HiCast Sports Network, shares, “We’re so excited to partner with Elizabethtown Sports Park. It’s one of the top ballparks in the country and because of its location, an attractive destination for ~1200 travel ball teams up and down the east coast. We covered a national Baseball Youth event at the venue in the past, so installing our network as a permanent amenity makes it possible for us to capture all the moments that matter on the diamonds.”

“I had background experience with HiCast when I served as the general manager at Ballparks of America in Branson, MO and appreciated the ability for our patrons to share those game memories across all social channels. I really wanted to be able to bring that to Elizabethtown Sports Park and make sure that we were able to offer that same level of experience to the people who are on-site and to those who can’t make it.”

Runners on 2nd & 3rd and the well-timed bunt on Field 5 at our newest ballpark, Elizabethtown Sports Park in KY from the Versus tourney on 9/20/20

Solving the Umpire Shortage in Youth Sports Requires a Team Approach

February 14, 2020 – HiCast Sports Network co-founders Stephanie Calabrese and Robert Stribling recently attended the Grand Slam Tournaments annual meeting in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was a unique opportunity for us to spend time with tournament organizers across the southeast and to learn ways in which we can come together as a youth baseball/softball community to support each other and the game we love. 

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Marty Clark at Diamond Nation. Photo provided by Diamond Nation

One of the topics raised by Larry Thompson, Grand Slam Tournaments Owner/CEO, was concern over the shortage of umpires and challenges in recruiting (particularly young adults) as the national average age of baseball officials has risen to 54. We know travel baseball has experienced explosive growth over the past several years, but have we looked closely at the impact on our officials? We’ve heard and seen verbal abuse from coaches and fans cited as a contributing factor to the umpire shortage, but what other factors are at play? And most importantly, what can each of us do to help solve the problem?

To get better insight and advice, we reached out to three of the top UICs (Umpire in Chief) in youth baseball across the country, each with more than three decades of experience officiating  and educating officials, and the founder of UmpireBible.com to hear what they had to say. We hope their perspectives give you an inside look at the challenges we face as a youth sports community, and inspire you to think about ways you can be part of the solution. 

Our contributors:

James Jesse, Vice President (Umpires) for Grand Slam Tournaments (GS), leads corporate oversight of all GS umpires and directly manages a team of 60 umpires in Atlanta, Georgia. Jesse played baseball for many years, served in the U.S. Army for 15 years, and began officiating 32 years ago.

Marty Clark, Umpire in Chief (UIC) and Tournament Director for Diamond Nation, became an umpire 44 years ago, inspired by his older brother AL who went on to become an MLB umpire. Marty has worked with Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ for the past ten years where he manages a staff of 95 umpires.

John Turner, founder of Central Georgia Umpires lead a staff of 100 umpires officiating games at East Cobb Baseball (ECB) Complex and surrounding venues in Marietta, Georgia. He began officiating 38 years ago, working under his father who ran the umpire association for the organization where John grew up playing baseball. He was an official at the NCAA level for one year and served more than 10 years at the high school level. John is currently officiating baseball in Toronto, Canada.

Nick Gattuccio, founder of UmpireBible.com, created this resource five years ago to support umpires, coaches and fans in their knowledge of the rules of baseball in plain speak. A retired technical writer for Microsoft, he served as a youth sports umpire for 18 years in the Seattle, WA area. Nick blends these skills to help improve our understanding of the game.

What’s driving the shortage of umpires in youth sports?

More games. And better job opportunities with less harassment and risk.

“I don’t really think there’s a shortage of officials. Maybe there are too many games being played,” shares John Turner with a laugh. With the reduction of local league play and the dramatic growth in travel teams and tournament organizations over the past several years, we’re experiencing a dramatic increase in the quantity of games being played. For example, a national championship tournament to be held at East Cobb Baseball Complex this summer will bring in more than 250 teams and offer a 7-game minimum. That’s 1750 games or 3,500 umpire spots during a 7-day timeframe. Before the dawn of travel ball, a local league team typically played just 2-3 games per week for a three-month spring season. So while the  demand for more baseball games has increased, we’ve outpaced the growth rate of umpires joining the ranks.

“There is a shortage of umpires,” says John Turner, “That is a true statement, but to say that we’re having a hard time recruiting umpires just because parents are abusive is a scapegoat. Travel organizations need to help drive umpire recruiting and retention with dollars and cents. Going back 35 years ago, I played baseball in high school and then got in to officiating. For most of us at that time, if you didn’t play in college or professionally, there were very few avenues for you to continue with baseball other than officiating. There’s less of a need to officiate to stay involved in the game today, because young adults can continue to play in amateur leagues or pursue opportunities as coaches or administrators within the travel ball industry. Young adults have so many other part-time job opportunities before them now to earn more money with less hassle.”

Central Georgia Umpires in training at East Cobb Baseball Complex. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

And risk. If a game is rained out, the umpire doesn’t get paid. If tournament schedules get behind or delayed by weather conditions, the umpire spends more time at the ballpark without extra compensation. Couple that with the need for umpires to secure secondary insurance to help cover their liabilities not only for injuries, but disputes on their calls… and choosing to pursue a part-time job as an umpire is a tough call.

Does age matter when it comes to our community of umpires?

Maybe. The average age of 17,000 officials responding to the National Association of Sports Officials survey (NASO) Survey in 2017 was 52 years old. Of the 6562 baseball officials surveyed, the average age was 54.

James Jesse has been successful in recruiting and training younger umpires. The average age of his Georgia team of umpires is 35. “How you treat the individual, how you work with them, and how you pay them is going to determine if they are willing to stay with you long term,” shares Jesse. 44 umpires of his 60-person team of umpires have been working with him for more than 10 years. 

Marty Clark shares that the average age of his 95-person team of umpires is about 40 as he tends to hire umpires who already have 3-5 years of experience because of the high level of play at Diamond Nation, a ballpark that regularly attracts college recruiters from around the country. Marty also officiates for high schools and emphasized that umpire recruiting has been particularly challenging. “At the high school level, we are drowning for officials. We see retirees coming in to officiate, but it’s tough to recruit college age officials partly because they don’t want to deal with the parents.”

Diamond Nation umpire at work. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

Nick Gattuccio adds, “There’s increasing hostility directed at umpires. I ran a junior umpire program for a league in the Seattle area and it was difficult to retain kids because you put a teenager on the field with an alpha male coach, and it’s a really difficult thing to ask of a kid. The kids quit. They don’t want to put up with it. Even adult umpires have difficulty. You need a thick skin, but even with a thick skin, after a while it begins to wear down.”

How much of a problem is umpire abuse from coaches and parents?

It’s big. But, let’s also look at some underlying challenges that might contribute to this.

According to the NASO 2017 survey, the majority of baseball officials surveyed (59%) stated that sportsmanship is getting worse particularly at the youth competitive level of play (37%) over the youth recreational level (16%) and even high school level (11%) – pointing the finger at parents (41%), rather than coaches (29%) or players (8%) as the source of the problems.

Marty Clark adds, “It’s a challenge for my umpires – to ignore (abuse) as much as they can until they can’t ignore it anymore. A human being can only be yelled at for so long without taking action. And we have a policy in place to take care of things of that nature.”

Grand Slam and Diamond Nation both have an Umpire-in-Chief on site during tournaments, citing this as a critical element in keeping things cool in a heated environment. If there is a discrepancy on the field between a coach and an umpire, the UIC can be there to provide support and an objective perspective on the rule and the call. It gives the coach an opportunity to express their concern to a senior level umpire who was not involved in the call. This helps coaches develop confidence in the  officiating of a tournament and respect for one another. Last year Diamond Nation hosted more than 6,000 games and had just 12 ejections.

John Turner believes that abuse from coaches and fans would be less of an issue if tournament organizers are hiring well-trained and more experienced umpires. He shares, “I consider myself one of the better officials and as a general rule, when I walk off a ball field, parents tell me ‘We’re glad you’re here. We can tell that you know what you’re doing and you’ve put in the effort to be good at this, and thanks.’ If umpires would do the backend work of going to clinics, learning the systems and the mechanics to officiate correctly, and really be a true steward of the game and commit to it, the abuse from parents would be less of an issue.”

John Turner leading a Central Georgia Umpire clinic at East Cobb Baseball Complex. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

Often times, due to the increasing growth rate of tournaments and games, UICs are pushed to place two less experienced umpires on a field together, which can lead to challenges. James Jesse shares, “If I ever put a junior-level umpire on a field, I always place him or her with a senior-level umpire. When I train the junior officials, I don’t let them work the plate until I am confident they can work the plate. Not all tournament organizations do this as some are much more focused on increasing their team numbers for tournaments and less focused on the quality of officiating games. Less experienced officials put in this challenging position can lead to complaints from coaches on the field.”

If we want top-notch officials, who pays the price?

We all need to step up to the plate.

The majority of umpires on your ball fields are independent contractors who are paid on a game-by-game basis and work in affiliation with one or more tournament organizations, leagues or venues hosting their own tournaments. Each umpire is responsible for covering and tracking their own expenses such as uniforms, a chest protector, plate shoes, travel expenses, insurance, meals and background checks; and they invest their own time for clinics and evaluations.

For most umpires you see on travel baseball/softball fields, officiating is a second, part-time job for them and an opportunity to earn some extra income while staying involved in a game they have loved most of their lives. The National Association of Sports Officials 2017 survey backs this up citing that the vast majority of its respondents got into officiating “For the love of the game” and most continue to officiate for three reasons: 1. to monitor newer officials, 2. to challenge themselves, and 3. to stay fit. James Jesse shares that many of his umpires are educators and some junior-level umpires are college students who have more flexible time in the summer to work games for some extra income when travel tournaments really start to heat up.

The UICs we talked to shared that umpires are paid by the game. An umpire officiating a 13U and up game typically earns $50-65 per game; a 12U and down game will bring in less; and a one-hour coach-pitch game will earn $25-30 per game. So, consider that an umpire officiating three 13U games at $50 per game on Saturday in 90-degree heat and two games on Sunday in drizzling rain will earn $250 for 10 hours of his time on the field, excluding wait time between games, and travel time to the ballpark.

John Turner shares, “The independent contractor model is part of what has caused our industry some problems. We as umpires haven’t really had a true advocate for us. The price of umpire gear has gone up every year for the last 20 years. In 1998, I bought a new chest protector for $90. That same chest protector now is a minimum of $150. And yet tournament organizers still want to pay us $50-60 per game. At some point, for someone officiating as a side job, it becomes difficult to justify. If it’s not going to financially benefit someone to the point that they think it’s worth it, they’re going to stop doing it and it’s going to be difficult to recruit others.”

What about college officials? The New York Times reports that, “Though compensation varies depending on the college conference, baseball umpires working in Division 1 can earn about $400 a game and mileage, lodging and a modest per diem. John Turner adds, “You’re not going to get an umpire who’s used to making $400 per game in the college season to come work youth tournaments for $60 per game in the summer. I think the way to fix the problem is to raise the rates.”

Are there opportunities to help umpires reduce their expenses? 

Likely. Maybe you can help.

We here at HiCast Sports Network are doing our part by offering free Monthly Passes to all officials through our venue partners and tournament organizer relationships. Providing HiCast Sports at no cost to umpires at ballparks within our network can only help improve umpire training and the quality of games across our entire network.

John Turner leading a Central Georgia Umpire clinic at East Cobb Baseball Complex. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

John Turner who’s been officiating baseball just outside of Toronto, Canada for the last few years, suggests that the U.S. officiating community can learn from Canada’s centralized background check approach. Nationally all recreational baseball is governed by Baseball Canada. “In the U.S. there’s a push to do state-by-state background checks on officials, which I completely support. But if you are a multi-sport official, you’ve got to pay for a background check for each of the sports.” Peopletrail, a company that provides such background checks, charges $70 for the first sport, $20 for the second sport, and $15 for each additional sport. John adds, “Here in Canada, I can do one background check and it’s good for all of Canada, for all sports.”

Aside from abuse on the field, what’s the biggest challenge for an umpire? 

Continuing to improve their own game, while educating players, coaches and fans on the fly.

Marty Clark shares, “Most umpires I know want to be perfect. They have a lot of self pride. They study the rule book. They go to classes. We’re always talking about how to become better. Everybody who does this, even though it’s not their profession as much as a vocation, wants to do the best they can day in and day out because they love the game.

So the challenge is to get better every day and to learn from the mistakes. Honestly, that’s where HiCast Sports comes in, especially with positioning. Over the past couple of years we’ve been using it here at Diamond Nation. I’m able to bring up a video to show them where they were and then we can talk about it, or I can look at a particular field at a certain time to evaluate a play in question. HiCast has become a very good teaching and accountability tool for us.”

James Jesse shares that educating the players, coaches and parents (to a degree) the rules of the game while the game is in progress and emotions are high can be challenging. “If there is a situation where a coach might question a call, it’s our job to help them understand the rules in a respectful way and without embarrassing them. Coaches are doing their best to represent their team in a high pressure environment and parents are watching them. Parents expect their coaches to advocate for their team and we understand that. It’s important that we not make the coach look bad even if they don’t understand the rule.”

What can players, coaches and fans do to improve the situation?

Adjust your actions based on the umpire’s calls, show respect, and know the rules.

James Jesse shares, “If I’m calling low strikes, what does that mean? Step up in the box. If I’m calling high strikes, move back in the box. As the umpire, I’m not going to adjust my calls because I’m trying to remain consistent. If I did, I’d be criticized for being all over the place.” It’s the coach’s job to adjust the actions of their players based on the umpire’s calls. 

And think before you speak (or yell)! Know the rules governing your game. James Jesse shares, “Playing the game and coaching the game are two different things. Playing the game, coaching the game, and officiating the game are three different things.” And to keep it interesting, different organizations play by different rules. Grand Slam Tournaments and Diamond Nation follow National Federation of High School Rules. USSSA plays by Official Baseball Regulations (OBR), and while the majority of the rules are the same, about 10% of the rules are different. That 10% might distinguish what the rule is for a balk for example.

Marty Clark at Diamond Nation. Photo provided by Diamond Nation

Marty Clark adds, “Each rule is not just black and white. You can rule a number of different ways on each individual play depending on the definition of what transpired. For instance I had a mother yelling at an umpire last year about a player running out of the baseline. And the umpire was 100% correct because every time a player turns to go in a different direction in a run-down situation, he creates a new baseline. And the mother didn’t understand that. When I spoke to her to explain the rule, she just said, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’ Education and knowledge is a very powerful thing.”

John Turner suggests, “Knowing the rules would cure more than half of what goes on with parents screaming at umpires. We have to ask ourselves what life skills are we teaching our kids. Some of it is humility. It’s understanding that you are as much an influence on the team as you are in the dugout or the clubhouse as you are on the field. The same is true for parents. Rather than yell at the umpire, the best thing you can do for your kid, is to show them how to respect others, rise above adversity, and take the initiative to educate yourself on the game.”

* * *

Learn the Rules:

Umpire Bible: www.umpirebible.com – a website for new and developing umpires of amateur baseball, as well as for players, coaches, and fans who want to enhance their command of the rules of baseball. You’ll find NFHS and OBR rule differences, rule myths and more. 

2020 Changes to the National Federation of High Schools Rule Book: https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/baseball-rules-changes-2020/

HiCast Sports Network Partners with Rawlings® to Award the Most Valuable Plays in Youth Baseball

ATLANTA – November 19, 2018 – HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company which allows youth athletes, their coaches, families and friends to view and engage with sporting events at top venues across the nation anywhere, anytime, on any device, is proud to host the HiCast Sports 2018 MVP Awards recognizing the most valuable offensive and defensive plays in youth baseball in partnership with Rawlings. From more than 4,000 video highlight entries saved and shared by HiCast Sports mobile app users from top ballparks across the country, the HiCast Sports team selected and announced the Top 50 Semi-Finalists on November 5th. These impressive plays include a runner’s leap over the catcher to score, diving catches, first home runs, stellar base stealing, an unassisted double play, a game-winning grand slam and more. Featured youth baseball players range from age eight to 18 and reside across America.

The contest is currently in its online voting phase, whereby anyone can cast a vote for one or more of their favorite plays from the 50 Semi-Finalists by November 30, 2018 at: http://www.hicastsports.com/vote. Highlights receiving the most votes secure spots among the Top 10 Finalists for Best Offensive Play and Top 10 Finalists for Best Defensive Play on December 1, 2018. Finalists will go before a professional ballplayer judge, provided by Rawlings. He will choose three winners in each category, and winners will be announced on the HiCast Sports website on December 10, 2018.

For the HiCast Sports MVP Awards, Rawlings provides a powerful lineup of prizes. These include the new 2019 Quatro Bats for the three Best Offensive Play winners and custom gloves for the three Best Defensive Play winners; new Mach batting helmets for the finalists; and sackpacks for all semi-finalists.

“We really value the opportunity to celebrate these young players and their Moments That Matter™. We’ve enjoyed watching and sharing their highlights in our app and in social media all year long, and felt that this contest would be a really fun and meaningful way to elevate some of their most memorable moments with a broader audience and to reward them. Teaming up with Rawlings took our initial idea for the contest to the next level, and we’re thrilled with the response we’ve had from our users and the general public’s support of these youth athletes. Tens of thousands of fans have viewed our Semi-Finalists’ highlights within the first week of the online voting phase of the contest,” said Stephanie Calabrese, HiCast Sports Network Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer.

“Youth sports is important to us. Teaming up with the HiCast Sports Network to honor these young athletes and reward their achievements on the playing field is exciting. Capturing and sharing memorable moments like these 50 Semi-Finalists’ highlights not only builds confidence for these kids, but it brings people together around a game we love. We’re happy to be a part of that,” shared Mark Kraemer, Director, Sports Marketing for Rawlings Sporting Goods.

About HiCast Sports Network

HiCast Sports Network offers an automated, turnkey video technology solution for venue owners and managers who want to provide the ultimate player and fan experience, reach more viewers, engage with fans beyond their stands through shared game highlights via social media, support coaching and player development, and better manage their facility. The app makes it easy for users to not only see the whole game, but to save, trim, zoom and share their Moments That Matter™ in clips or highlight reels.

HiCast operates with a robust network of partners (venues) and promoters (sporting leagues and event organizers) with which they cultivate win-win relationships. In 2018, HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched more than 2 million game minutes featuring hundreds of thousands of athletes playing on more than 100 baseball and softball fields at premier venues in Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas.

Find HiCast Sports online at: www.hicastsports.com and cast your vote for the HiCast Sports 2018 MVP Awards Presented by Rawlings at: www.hicastsports.com/vote.

About Rawlings

Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®. For more information, please visit Rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

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How Baseball Heaven is Winning with the HiCast Sports Network

Meet our partners at Baseball Heaven, General Manager Frank Zataglio and Travel Team Director and Coach Steve Hassan, and a few of our HiCast Sports subscribers in Yaphank, NY to hear what they have to say about the HiCast Sports Network. At Baseball Heaven, we're covering games for nearly 3,000 teams each year not only in the northeast region, but across the country. Host to the National Youth Baseball Championship for the second year, this iconic ballpark is second to none. We're proud to cover Baseball Heaven.

HiCast Sports Network to Cover the National Youth Baseball Championships at Baseball Heaven

The 10th Annual National Youth Baseball Championships (NYBC) kicks off its Championship Week starting today, July 22 at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, NY (Long Island) for a major league tournament experience, and ending with championship games for each age division on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30. 

In its 10th year, the NYBC is bringing together the best of the best youth travel baseball players from 9U-14U age divisions representing 70 teams from 14 states across America. Each team had to earn a bid to compete in this final week of championship games by way of NYBC Qualifiers that occurred March - July throughout the US. 

Nathan Clinkenbeard, Communications Manager for Steel Sports, shares, “It all comes down to providing the ultimate tournament for these players and families to experience… beyond the games, we’re providing opening ceremonies, skills competitions, a home run derby and Friday is our big festival day. We understand the time and financial commitment these families make to come to New York for a week and we just want to give back, and celebrate these young athletes and families for all the hard work they put it all season long.”

NYBC was founded in 2008 by former Chicago White Sox vice chairman and minority owner former Eddie Einhorn. His vision was to give youth travel baseball athletes a platform to showcase their skills. Steel Sports expanded the NYBC to include more age groups. “We want to give these players that unique opportunity to play for a national audience. While we get a lot of hype around our 12 games to be televised by CBS Sports, the great news is that ALL of our games at Baseball Heaven will be covered by HiCast Sports Network,” said Clinkenbeard.

How does NYBC feel about HiCast Sports Network putting game highlights in the hands of players and fans at Baseball Heaven? Clinkenbeard answers, “These kids love being able to see their highlights and we love sharing them too in our NYBC social media. Getting exposure for a great hit or a big play is everything to them. These are the future stars. You’ll see many of these players in Major League Baseball one day.”

Catch the entire tournament live or on-demand July 25 - 30 on the HiCast Sports Network. Start your free trial here: http://www.hicastsports.com/baseballheaven

East Cobb Baseball on the HiCast Sports Network

We're proud to partner with East Cobb Baseball Complex where we're covering their nationally-ranked East Cobb Baseball teams and travel ball tournaments lead by Triple Crown Sports, Perfect Game, CABA and Travel Ball Select hosted at this legendary ballpark in Marietta, Georgia.

Documenting a Day at East Cobb Baseball Complex

Guerry Baldwin, founder of East Cobb Baseball Complex

We sure loved documenting a day at East Cobb Baseball Complex. ECB is the legendary, nationally-recognized youth baseball program and facility lead by founder Guerry Baldwin with support from his top-notch staff including Director of Baseball Operations, Jamie Crane. 

"Do we have really good players? We do. Have we had a lot who have done incredibly well? We have. But it's also about kids having fun with the game, and getting better no matter what their level is." – Guerry Baldwin

Wishing BIG luck to Caleb Reis, 16-year old athlete for the ECB Astros. Catcher, pitcher and first baseman. Super impressed with this young man who spent time with us yesterday. His high school team, Mt. Bethel Christian Academy, will play in the State Championship game at ECB this Monday night.

We can't wait to share the video story with you! And we sure are proud to have ECB among our partners.

Caleb Reis, ECB Astros 16U, catcher, pitcher and first baseman

Jamie Crane, Director of Baseball Operations at East Cobb Baseball Complex