IMPORTANT - Junior Training

Junior training for this Saturday the 5^th of September has been moved to the football oval next to the Erindale Leisure centre as Viking Park is again being used for Rugby this Saturday.  Times have not change 1pm–2pm for U10/12’s and 2.15pm -3.30pm for U14/16’s.

This only applies for this Saturday the 5^th of September all future trainings will be at Viking Park. 

VIKINGS JUNIOR PRE-SEASON DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 2015/16

Erni Rauter our Coach & Player Development Manager has designed a new Junior training program for our Junior players. 

This will program will start on Saturday the 5th of September from 1pm to 3.30pm. 

U10/12 will run from 1pm-2pm and then  U14/16 from 2.15pm-3.30pm.

There is no cost associated with this program just your enthusiasm and willingness to learn and improve your baseball skills.

For any further details please contact Erni at erni.rauter1@bigpond.com

§  Program will be run over 4 weekend sessions ending just before the start of Vikings Baseball Club junior team trainings.

§  Training sessions will take place on Saturdays, between 1:00pm and 3:30pm at Viking Park - Wanniassa

§  Participants will practice in 2 groups – U10/U12 (1-2pm) & U14/U16 (2.15-3.30pm.

§  U8 & Players New to Baseball can participate in “Come & Try” rolling session 

  as part of Registrations held at Viking Park.

Session 1            -      Fundamental Based            -      Fielding; 6Fs of fielding (Feet Placement, Fielding technique, Funnelling the ball,           Footwork to take, “Firing” the Ball to base, Following the ball in same direction            -     Hitting; Tee work, working on the Load and swing path of bat, Soft-toss for timing

Session 2            -    Moving from Fundamentals onto field styled movement            -    Eg: Making throws in the direction of the base/cut-off            -    Tee work and seated BP (Short distance BP)

Session 3           -    Advancing from Fundamentals/Field Movement onto regular training           -   Taking groundballs, flyballs, making routine plays           -   Taking Batting practice; putting learned fundamentals into a practiced, timed swing

Session 4             - Continue with regular training, simulate game style play            -  Fielding balls under the pressure of runners            -  Situational hitting; execution of hitting to opposite side, bunts, Hit and Runs, etc.            -  Mock game style of play

Congratulations to our Jai Burnes

Congratulations to our very own Jai Burnes on being selected in the 2015 ACT Little League Team. Good Luck Jai when you play in Lismore next month!

Little League Player Profile 

Name: Jai Burnes

Age: 12

Position: Outfield, Pitcher

When did you start playing baseball? September 2014

Favourite baseball team? Pittsburgh Pirates

Favourite baseball player? Andrew McCuttchen

Favourite thing about baseball? I like feeling when I get a double play

What is your biggest baseball achievement? Grand Final win 2015 and making the Little League team.

More information regarding Little League can be found at http://www.littleleague.org.au. 
Good luck in the Championships to our representative Canberrans!

Congrats to our 2014-15 U16s Champions!

Junior Presentation Day photos 2014-15

Click for full sized pictures

School Sport Australia Baseball - expressions of interest

The School Sport Australia Baseball Championships are right around the corner, and Baseball Canberra is looking for Expressions of Interest from both players and coaches for this year’s tournament. The tournament is part of the Pacific Schools Games and is open for those that are 17 or under as of June 1st 2015, and is being held in Adelaide from 20 - 29 November.

Click for more info: 
http://act.baseball.com.au/News/State-News/call-for-expressions-of-interest-school-sport-australia-baseball-championships

Junior photos

Vikings Baseball Club photos will be done this year at

The Auditorium
Vikings Erindale Club
23 February 2015.

Start times are as follow:
U8 – 4.30pm
U10 Red - 5pm
U10 Grey – 5.30pm
U12 – 6pm
U14 – 6.30pm
U16 – 7pm

Please note your team coaches will email you with details.

UPDATE YOUR CALENDAR - Vikings Presentation Night

Junior Presentations

Viking Park

3pm - 3:30pm: Club & Coaches presentation

3:30 - 5:30pm: Come along and test your inner cowboy/cowgirl moves or maybe just race your friends through tunnels, over hills and squeeze yourself through tubes.

Parents – Your team coaches will be coordinating with you to bring plates of food.

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Senior Presentation Night

Cocktail Party Buffet
(Neat casual attire)

Vikings Town Centre (Tuggeranong)
Downstairs
Cnr Athllon Dr & Rowland Rees Cres, Greenway
Ph 6208 6300

6:30pm for 7pm start

So that we know numbers for catering, please RSVP by Saturday 14th March.
(Send email to vikingsbaseballtuggeranong@gmail.com)


All senior players (and juniors playing in senior grades), are covered for this event.

The fee for additional guests is $20 per person. For catering purposes, please notify the club before you bring extra guests.

Little League & Junior League Tryouts

Please check out the below information if your child was born between May 2000 and May 2004

http://www.act.baseball.com.au/News/State-News/announcing-junior-league-and-little-league-championships-coaching-and-tryout-dates

Sat 13th Dec: ACT Ambassador's Cup this year at Cavs vs Aces game

The Ambassador's Cup Trophy goes to the ACT Junior Club with the most new recruits each season.

This year it will be presented by Major League Baseball All-Star Grant Balfour, prior to the ABL game – Canberra Cavalry vs. Melbourne Aces, on Saturday 13th December.

In previous years the Ambassadors Cup has been held Saturday morning immediately following the U8 and U10 games. While in years past it has been compulsory for the U8 and U10 teams to attend, given the timing of this year’s event, attendance is optional.

• Kids get in free (they need to be in their club uniform)
• $10 for parents
• Upon entry, make yourself known to the ticketing box as an “Ambassador Cup entrant"
• If you’ve got any questions, please contact Max at mviney@canberracavalry.com.au

A brief run sheet of the evening is below:

• 6.30pm Cavalry CEO Donn McMichael to make an introductory speech on-field about Ambassador’s Cup
• 6.50pm Ceremonial First pitch; Ambassador John Berry to present the ball to Grant Balfour who will pass the ball onto the representative of the winning club to throw to Jack Murphy
• 7.00pm-7.15pm Presentation to take place behind home-plate along the concourse with Grant Balfour and Ambassador John Berry to present medals to the players
• 7.15-7.30pm Grant Balfour autograph session with fans behind home-plate on the concourse

ABL News item: Grant Balfour to Visit Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast

Click the image below to go to Canberra Cavalry web site: 

FOR SALE - 2nd hand items - JUNIORS

Grey pants (14) - $10.00

SOLD: 

Items for sale - $150 for the lot

(but will accept offers for individual items)

 Still in good condition. Great for someone starting out.

vkdownunder4him@bigpond.com

13 inch and 14 inch Wilson 360 leather out-fielding gloves from the States.

Metal Easton -3 Typhoon Adult Baseball bat - Model BK63, 29 oz., 2 5/8 inch. diameter baseball bat.

Blue plastic batting helmet for youth.

2 baseballs.

Easton baseball sports bag.

Nike metal cleat baseball shoes Size US 8/ UK 7.

Also a training shirt (16)

Attention: All Junior Parents

The season is only second game in - and as at the beginning of all seasons, there are still some teething problems within individual teams, as groups get settled into the new routine.

Please show patience, support and empathy for our volunteer coaches/managers. We need to be appreciating what these young men as coaches have to offer our junior players - as role models, knowledge sources and general hard workers.

More hands will make light work. If you see a problem and feel you are able to help out, please do offer - for example when batting, while coaches are helping runners on the field, you could perhaps keep the kids waiting on the benches and managing them as they enter the field. You could also check in with the coach and see if there is anything else you might be able to do to help.

The season will be great, the kids will have fun, and at the end of the season they will have an understanding of baseball. We look forward to seeing all the kids having a great time throughout the season!

Equipment care

Please note that the club has purchased a number of new items last year and this year.

The club asks that all coaches/managers impress upon players the importance of respecting club equipment. No throwing helmets, no leaving gear on the field, no taking gear from other team kit bags, (your kit bag is designated for your team only).

If you require additional equipment, please contact Eric Seidel, who will endeavour to source your requirements.

Lost property - please check at canteen if you are trying to track something down.

Viking Park Housekeeping Duties

Coaches/team managers, please ensure your teams always take care of these responsibilities at the end of training and games:

1. On training nights, if you are the last team on the field, you are required to rake down the dirt areas of the diamond when you're done.
2. Also please do a scan for any equipment left behind. Collect any stray balls from the field and carpark.
3. Please do a quick rubbish pick-up, especially in the dugout and bleachers.
4. Lockup involves: checking that the batting cage is locked, the pitching screens are locked up in the container, the equipment container is locked up, and the entry gate is locked as you leave.
5. If you are the last people to leave Viking Park, you are responsible for locking the entry gate behind you - even if there are still footballers in their gym.
6. On game days, please leave the dugout tidy and the diamond raked for the following team, and if you are the last team, tidy up the dugout and rake down the field before you leave.

Junior parents/coaches/managers: If you're not sure of how to maintain the diamond, please get in touch with Erni Rauter or a senior player.


Remember, our club is run by volunteers who are not there to clean up after you. Everyone needs to do their bit to help keep our grounds to the high standard we are accustomed.

Under 12s New Draw & Division

Under 12s have been moved into Division 2, and a new draw has also been released by ACTBA. 

Please be sure to download the new draw and replace any old copies!

http://www.act.baseball.com.au/Competitions/Junior-Draws

Important Notices

Canberra Clothing 

Thursday 9th 5pm-6pm, Alan from Canberra Clothing will be at Viking Park for people to purchase gear. He accepts cash or eftpos.  

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Canteen assistance needed this Sunday 12th October

This weekend marks the commencement of all senior games. On Sunday we host games at Viking Park, and as such we will need to open our canteen. As many of you know, our very-hard-working Sharon Cappello has recently had a knee replacement and desperately needs support to run the canteen while she is rehabilitating. Obviously we can't have her standing in there all day! If you think you can help out even for as little as half an hour, can you please let us know what time and for how long, by email to  vikingsbaseballtuggeranong@gmail.com

Game times on Sunday are as follows:

3rd Grade 10am start

2nd grade 12:30 start

1st grade 3pm start

Apologies for the short notice on this, but we hadn't expected our first games of the season to be at home ground.

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All Sunday training for Vikings juniors has ceased for the rest of the season, as senior baseball commences this weekend. Please note: now that Sunday training has finished, your respective coach/manager will email you shortly to confirm your training day and time for your child's team. 

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Game draws:
As soon as junior draws are released, they will be given to the coaches and posted on the blog on our draws page:
http://vikings-baseball.blogspot.com.au/p/draws.html

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Start dates:
- Seniors start this weekend - Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th. Saturday games will be at Aranda.
- All juniors start (weather permitting) on Saturday 18th October.

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U14s training
As our U14s coach is away for the coming month, U14s will be training with the U16s squad. Our U16s coach (Erni Rauter) will include U14s in his communications. The next two training sessions have been added to our calendar.