Differences between Thunderbird Baseball and other clubs
There are lots of options for youth baseball out there, and you want to pick the best one for your family. Here are some factors that differentiate our organization from others.
We care about your son or daughter’s development as a player and person, not just winning games. Our goal is for all of our players to improve by working hard in a competitive but fun and low-stress environment, no matter what their starting skill level. We believe this creates more long-term success than a win-at-all-costs approach that leads to burnout and leaving baseball completely before high school. Many families and players have come to Thunderbirds after negative experiences with other clubs and have commented on this stark difference.
Not only are our costs to families substantially lower than other clubs (generally $500-800 total cost for the season compared to more than $1,000 and up to several thousand dollars for other teams), but we also offer scholarships for those who might need a little help financially. We want our experience to be accessible to all families. We do this through our volunteer, locally based, non-profit approach.
Mental strength is vital. Although skills acquisition is important, far more important is your player’s self-esteem. All coaches will be a positive influence on your player, encouraging them and building their confidence for both baseball and life experiences. We also organize team and club-wide social activities throughout the season for team and friendship building.
The Thunderbirds generally only field one team at each age level, and this team gets the full energy and attention of the organization, compared to other programs that have “A” and “B” teams at each age level.
Many other programs speak of the “parent coach” as a bad thing. We have great confidence in our parent coaches to bring both their baseball and life experience to help them coach the “whole child” compared to young, less experienced coaches from other organizations, who also drive up costs. We also bring in high school and college coaches to help with specific skills.
We will not make your player choose between Thunderbirds and Little League. This means no tournaments during end-of-season Little League tournaments and no demands on Little League coaches to avoid having our players pitch.
Our practice facilities are outstanding, including Balch Fieldhouse on the CU-Boulder campus as our home for winter practices.
We do not want to overwhelm our players’ and families’ schedules, and we encourage our players to be involved in other sports and non-sport activities, which are important for kids’ development as players and people. This means no draconian attendance policies and a manageable practice and tournament schedule.
Schedule
The Thunderbirds hold tryouts for the entire season in mid-August each year. We then have an optional fall baseball season in the Longmont Fall League that involves one weeknight practice a week and two games each Sunday from the beginning of September to the end of October. Winter practices indoors at Balch Fieldhouse then start in late January and run two weeknights per week through mid-March, in preparation for the Little League and tournament seasons. Once the Little League season starts, Thunderbirds practices for our younger teams are less frequent; 13U-14U teams generally continue practices, now outdoors, two weeknights per week. Our teams play weekend tournaments through the Colorado Amateur Baseball Association (CABA) from late March through late June. Level (AA/AAA) will be determined by each team. These tournaments generally include two Saturday games for seeding and then a single-elimination format Sunday. Our teams generally play no more than every other weekend, and the total number of tournaments varies by age group, from 3-4 for 9U to 7-8 for 14U.
What kind of training do the coaches have?
Our coaches have played high school or college baseball and have basic first aid training. Our coaching staff is made up of volunteer parents, complemented by some outside targeted coaching and clinic opportunities with high school and college coaches and players. In the recent past, we have also brought in professional coaches to work with us in strength and conditioning. We have also brought in sports psychologists to discuss the mental aspects of the game (visualization, self-calming drills, etc).
How many players are on the team roster?
We generally field 10-13 players per team.
Age Group Determination
Your player’s tournament age group is determined by their age on April 30th of the upcoming season. Here is an age-calculator for the tournament organizations in which we participate, to help determine which age group your child would be participating in this season. Players sometimes play up an age group based on their skill level.
Bat Specifics
Little League (USA-standard) bats can all be used for Thunderbirds, but the tournaments also allow USSSA bats, which go up to 2 3/4" barrel diameter (this is wider than what Little League allows). So your player is welcome to use his/her Little League bat for Thunderbirds, but some players will have a separate "tournament bat" that may allow better contact/power. Bat standards:
Wood bats are allowed in any league and at any level.
To meet Little League standards, non-wood bats must have USA printed on them.
For Thunderbirds tournaments, all non-wood bats must be USSSA 1.15 or USA stamped. For 13U, bats must be drop 8 (-8) or less.
For 14U, generally drop 5 (-5) and drop 3 (-3) BBCOR certified bats are allowed.
It is probably best if you take your player with you to help in determining the right bat length. With the bat on the floor, the knob should be at the child's hip. Once you have figured out length, then make sure the bat is not too heavy. The player should be able to hold the bat with arm outstretched without too much strain.
How do Little League and tournament field sizes and pitching distances compare?
AgeGroup CABA Tournament Little League
PitchingDistance BaseLengths PitchingDistance BaseLengths
9U 43' 65' 46' 60'
10U 46' 65' 46' 60'
11U 50' 70' 46' 60'
12U 50' 70' 46' 60'
13U 54' 80' 50' 70'
14U 60.5' 90' 60.5' 90'
Cost Estimation
Cost for the season depends on age but is generally $500-800 for the season. We strive to keep these costs as low as possible to make Thunderbirds accessible to all families. The following are covered by our annual cost:
Tournament registrations
Winter indoor practice facilities
Spring field rental
Professional specialty coaching instruction at practices
Uniform (hat, jersey, hoodie)
Team practice equipment
Insurance
Fall baseball is typically a lower separate cost (around $125). We also offer scholarships for those who might need a little help financially
Is Thunderbirds a non-profit organization?
Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 86-1261522). Our current Thunderbirds Board includes:
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President – Adam Green
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Vice President – Kelly Herbert
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Co-Treasurers – Scott Kennedy, Jason Oeltjen
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Secretary – Sylvia Englund
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Fundraising, Social Media Coordinator – Matt Patrick
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Information Officer – Julie Tuerk
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Social Events – Deanna Blair
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Board members at large: past and present coaches, player parents
Where are the outdoor practice field locations?
Aurora 7 Park in Boulder for 9U - 12U
Martin Park in Boulder for 9U - 12U
Manwaring Field in Boulder for 13U & 14U
Community Park in Superior for 13U & 14U
Player and Parent Code of Conduct
Players' responsibilities are simple: be respectful of others, be responsible, play fair, always do your best, and always exhibit good sportsmanship. We ask that this form be signed every season by both player and parent as agreement to these values.
Do players need to live in Boulder?
No! Thunderbirds players do not need to live in Boulder, and in fact we have players from many towns, even from as far away as central Colorado!
Contact us for more info.