Rebuilding Baseball at Renton High
Donation protected
February 2018 update:
Tip of the cap to all that have been so generous with their donations to the Renton High School Baseball program. We would like to give you a brief update on what your generosity has allowed us to do. Over the past year we have been able to purchase many items that have been out of our reach in the past. Some of those items include game and practice baseballs, baseball training equipment such as batting tees and whiffle balls, one time training for our young athletes at Rijo Athletics, along with funding for some time at the batting cages which we are still without at our high school. We were also able to purchase brand new baseball caps for our players last year as well as this year and will be able to provide hooded fleece sweatshirts to assist in keeping our young men warm during those cold and damp spring days. None of this would have been possible without your support and for that we cannot thank you enough. We still have much work to do but we are tracking in the right direction. Your continued support is immensely appreciated and we hope to see you at the yard for one or more of our games this spring!
Rebuilding Baseball Program at Renton High School
Not long ago, the Renton High School Indians Baseball Program was on the verge of disappearing. But the dedication of veteran Assistant Coach Jason Saisslin and new Head Coach Chris Fedor and the building enthusiasm of the players has turned it around:
- 2014 – 8 players attended tryouts, the coaches and players had to actively recruit more to even field a team and ended with 13 players who finished the year. The team did not win a game and were outscored 311-23.
-2015 – 29 players attended tryouts and we fielded both a Varsity and JV team. We won four Varsity games and 2 JV games. Varsity was outscored 242-69, so progress was made.
- 2016 – 32 players attended tryouts and we fielded a full Varsity and JV team. We won 5 Varsity games and 3 JV games and the Varsity team made the playoffs!
During this building period, the thing we are most proud of is that we won the Seamount League Sportsmanship Award for each of these years. The boys train six days a week during the season, and are eager to learn baseball strategy and improve their skills. They also learn life lessons about teamwork, comradery and integrity.
We are excited about the momentum the program has gained and would like to provide the players with up to date practice and game equipment and improved facilities. Currently the players use equipment that is out-of-date and worn, and the fields need updating. While we have recently acquired electricity to the fields to power our pitching machine, which was generously donated, we have no batting cages for the players to practice hitting, which is essential to their development and success. Much of the existing equipment has been donated, but since most of it has been used, there is a shorter use life.
Many of the boys have never played baseball until high school and as such don’t have bats, gloves, cleats, practice attire etc., and more than 2/3 of our students are on free or reduced lunch, coming from diverse and predominantly lower-income households. If we place the burden of outfitting the players with the basic equipment on families, many would not be able to participate. We want to keep baseball alive and well for all who want to play regardless of the family’s income or socio-economic status.
The recent creation of an official non-profit baseball booster club, tax ID# 47-1921157 501c3, by an enthusiastic group of parents paves the way to providing updated equipment, improved fields, and uniforms for training and games. Our goal is to relieve the financial burden from the families so all who want to participate can, and allow us to compete on a more level playing field. We have a target of raising $25K to fund the following:
- Game balls, practice balls (hard, rubber, whiffle), bats, gloves, field chalk and chalking machine
- Portable pitching mounds
- General training equipment
- Strength and injury prevention gear such as bands and tubing
- Team caps and new pants to replace the old and worn pants donated over the years.
- Necessary field maintenance equipment including mount tamper, field drag and rakes.
- Practice equipment such as batting tees, batting net, screens
- Team gear such as matching bags and jackets to keep them warm during the rainy season
- Facility improvements to the dugouts, equipment shed, outfield fence, and an outdoor batting cage
If anyone would also like to send contribution directly to the baseball club. You can mail them to:
Renton Baseball Booster Club
PO Box 915
Renton, Wa 98057
or deposits can be made at the Banner Bank branch of Renton.
IF you have any question, please feel free to contact us at [email redacted] or see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rentonbaseballboosterclub/
Our team thanks you for your contribution and hopes to see you at our games! Play Ball!
Tip of the cap to all that have been so generous with their donations to the Renton High School Baseball program. We would like to give you a brief update on what your generosity has allowed us to do. Over the past year we have been able to purchase many items that have been out of our reach in the past. Some of those items include game and practice baseballs, baseball training equipment such as batting tees and whiffle balls, one time training for our young athletes at Rijo Athletics, along with funding for some time at the batting cages which we are still without at our high school. We were also able to purchase brand new baseball caps for our players last year as well as this year and will be able to provide hooded fleece sweatshirts to assist in keeping our young men warm during those cold and damp spring days. None of this would have been possible without your support and for that we cannot thank you enough. We still have much work to do but we are tracking in the right direction. Your continued support is immensely appreciated and we hope to see you at the yard for one or more of our games this spring!
Rebuilding Baseball Program at Renton High School
Not long ago, the Renton High School Indians Baseball Program was on the verge of disappearing. But the dedication of veteran Assistant Coach Jason Saisslin and new Head Coach Chris Fedor and the building enthusiasm of the players has turned it around:
- 2014 – 8 players attended tryouts, the coaches and players had to actively recruit more to even field a team and ended with 13 players who finished the year. The team did not win a game and were outscored 311-23.
-2015 – 29 players attended tryouts and we fielded both a Varsity and JV team. We won four Varsity games and 2 JV games. Varsity was outscored 242-69, so progress was made.
- 2016 – 32 players attended tryouts and we fielded a full Varsity and JV team. We won 5 Varsity games and 3 JV games and the Varsity team made the playoffs!
During this building period, the thing we are most proud of is that we won the Seamount League Sportsmanship Award for each of these years. The boys train six days a week during the season, and are eager to learn baseball strategy and improve their skills. They also learn life lessons about teamwork, comradery and integrity.
We are excited about the momentum the program has gained and would like to provide the players with up to date practice and game equipment and improved facilities. Currently the players use equipment that is out-of-date and worn, and the fields need updating. While we have recently acquired electricity to the fields to power our pitching machine, which was generously donated, we have no batting cages for the players to practice hitting, which is essential to their development and success. Much of the existing equipment has been donated, but since most of it has been used, there is a shorter use life.
Many of the boys have never played baseball until high school and as such don’t have bats, gloves, cleats, practice attire etc., and more than 2/3 of our students are on free or reduced lunch, coming from diverse and predominantly lower-income households. If we place the burden of outfitting the players with the basic equipment on families, many would not be able to participate. We want to keep baseball alive and well for all who want to play regardless of the family’s income or socio-economic status.
The recent creation of an official non-profit baseball booster club, tax ID# 47-1921157 501c3, by an enthusiastic group of parents paves the way to providing updated equipment, improved fields, and uniforms for training and games. Our goal is to relieve the financial burden from the families so all who want to participate can, and allow us to compete on a more level playing field. We have a target of raising $25K to fund the following:
- Game balls, practice balls (hard, rubber, whiffle), bats, gloves, field chalk and chalking machine
- Portable pitching mounds
- General training equipment
- Strength and injury prevention gear such as bands and tubing
- Team caps and new pants to replace the old and worn pants donated over the years.
- Necessary field maintenance equipment including mount tamper, field drag and rakes.
- Practice equipment such as batting tees, batting net, screens
- Team gear such as matching bags and jackets to keep them warm during the rainy season
- Facility improvements to the dugouts, equipment shed, outfield fence, and an outdoor batting cage
If anyone would also like to send contribution directly to the baseball club. You can mail them to:
Renton Baseball Booster Club
PO Box 915
Renton, Wa 98057
or deposits can be made at the Banner Bank branch of Renton.
IF you have any question, please feel free to contact us at [email redacted] or see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rentonbaseballboosterclub/
Our team thanks you for your contribution and hopes to see you at our games! Play Ball!
Organizer
Jason Olson
Organizer
Renton, WA