Cherry City’s philosophies
Cherry City’s main philosophy is that “individual attention breeds team results.” What do we mean by that? It means that we focus on the development of your child’s abilities. We want each kid to see significant improvement in their abilities by the end of each season. And in return, the team will benefit as a result of those improvements. We want them to be as prepared as they can be for the challenges that lie ahead in High School and College baseball.
Cherry City’s Goals
A long time high school coach in Salem told me that his biggest issue he has with kids coming into his program, is that he has to teach or reteach so many of them, the “fundamentals of the game.” He said too many kids don’t know where to throw the ball when they get it, or how to hit the ball in the right spot given the situation, or even how to properly field a ball. Our goal is to prepare kids for High School and beyond by giving them the tools they need to succeed.
Cherry City’s Values
We value sportsmanship, teamwork and safety above wins, trophies and individual statistics. We have a unique offseason training program that will prepare their bodies for the season. We have a detailed warmup/stretching regimen that they will do before every practice and every game to limit injury.
We believe that the Salem region has the talent to perform at the highest level and win State championships. We are looking for hard-working kids who love baseball and want to better themselves, their abilities and their community.
We look forward to seeing you at the Ballpark!
FAQ
What is Cherry City Baseball Club?
Cherry City Baseball Club is a non-profit youth organization with a goal to provide top-quality baseball instruction to the youth of the Salem Metro area. Our mission is simple: To combine the fun of a Little League team, the competition of elite travel ball, and the instruction quality of private lessons, at an affordable cost.
How we do it?
Due to sponsorships and private donations, coupled with fundraising efforts by the players, we can keep our league fees down. The fundraising opportunities that arise will act as team-building exercises as well as helping the kids to feel real ownership of their place on the team.
Where are the tournaments?
To save on costs both to the organization and the families, the tournaments we will participate in are all in the state of Oregon. Most will be close enough to travel to and from each day. There may be one or two that would require an overnight stay. It is our intention to collect enough in fundraising efforts and sponsorships to help contribute if not completely cover those costs.
How much are sign-ups?
Our goal is to make this experience as affordable as possible, so we set our fees at $300 for this year. This is comparable to the price of a JBO season, but our players get personal and group instruction from January through July.
Are there hidden costs?
The registration/participation fee, along with all money raised by fundraising and sponsors goes towards paying for tournaments, uniforms, pants, belts, socks, insurance and registration with the NW Nations. Food and gas for travel are additional expenses to expect, but that’s why we aim to stay local with our travel.
Extra fees for tournaments?
The cost of all tournaments we participate in is covered by the registration/participation fee. Hotel accommodations (if necessary) as well as food and gas are extra costs that may be offset by additional fundraising, but not guaranteed to be fully covered.
Where are practices? What days and times?
As of right now, practices will be at Geer Park in Salem, starting in March. We will meet once a week for 12U and twice a week for 14U starting in January for strength and conditioning. We will have a few Saturday or Sunday practices/fundraising opportunities during this offseason as well. Full practices will begin in mid-March and will be 3 days a week for 12U, 4 days a week for 14U. Time and dates TBD with input taken from families to help accommodate any travel difficulties.
How many kids?
We are looking for a roster of 12 kids at each age level, so that we are still able to play if we are missing a player or two due to illness/injury or other school/family function. Players not chosen will be placed on a call-back list and may be called upon later in the year if roster needs arise.
Is playing time fair?
Playing time is determined by work ethic and determination in practice. We do not guarantee that every kid will play an equal number of innings, but every effort will be made to ensure that it is as close to equal time as possible.
What level of play? Competitive? Fun?
The level of play will be determined by the players selected for the team. We are not looking to “stack” the team, we want kids who want to play and want to learn and want to get better. Our goal is to win more than we lose, but we believe that more can be learned from a loss than can be learned from 10 wins.
We aim for this program to be a blend of different types of programs, with a twist. We want to incorporate the FUN of Little League, the COMPETITION of a travel ball club and the INSTRUCTION of private lessons. We have a unique conditioning program and have other unique training drills that will keep the kids on their toes, and having fun, while learning how to work together as a team.
How much experience do the coaches have?
Our coaching staff is headed up by manager Dan Hughes. Coach Hughes has been around the game of baseball either as a player, scorekeeper, journalist, assistant coach or manager for almost 30 years. Coach Hughes managed the South Salem JBO 12U Junior American team to a Valley District title in 2015 and a 9th place finish at the State Tournament. He is a supporter of the Positive Coaching Alliance.
Hitting coach Emmett Gauntt starting playing little league at age 7. At age 8 he started playing catcher and did so through high school graduating in 1989. In 1999, he began coaching an 1860's vintage baseball team in Portland OR. He coached this team until 2006 when he started coaching little league baseball for South Salem Little League. Coach Gauntt coached little league until moving over to South Salem JBO in 2013 and North Salem JBO in 2016.
