As I reflect on our recent achievements, I am filled with Spartan pride. Our student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom, on their field of play, and within the community. Much of this success is attributed to the dedication and passion of our players, coaches, parents, and the Spartan community. With this dedication and passion, Stratford has been able to maintain the resources needed to enrich, teach, and graduate talented student-athletes that are prepared to be leaders and champions in college and life. I encourage you to invest in the future of these young men by donating to The Spartan Baseball Club.
It’s a great time to be a Spartan. Here are a few highlights:
- In 2016, we had 5 seniors commit to playing collegiate baseball, with Arcentae Stone receiving a full baseball scholarship to Rhodes College, in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Chauncey Scott was named 2nd team All-State, 1st team All-Region, with 30 stolen bases, 49 runs scored, and led the state with a .558 season batting average (.600 regular season).
- Thomas Jones was named to the 1st team All-Region with 47 RBIs (12th in the state).
- Josue Espaillat Garcia was named to Tennessee Baseball Report’s Super Freshman/Sophomore Team.
- Partnering with East Nashville Little League we were able to convert a hangar at the Fort Cornelia Air Park into a hitting and pitching facility.
- Josh Trueheart received a $2000 scholarship from The Old Timers Baseball Association.
- Republic High School and Stratford STEM agreed to a co-op for baseball and softball, allowing even more student-athletes an opportunity to play the sport they love.
Our 2017 roster is expected to include 30 players, a major expansion from 17 players last year, enabling Stratford to field a Junior Varsity for the 1st time in more than 20 years. This amazing expansion is thanks to our inclusion of 8th graders from the lower campus, our co-op with Republic HS, and the addition of several home school student-athletes that live in the neighborhood. Our rapid growth is why your support is so valuable.
Many of our athletes do not have the financial means to purchase the various specialized equipment required for baseball (e.g. gloves, cleats, bats, helmets, tees). Your support directly impacts the lives of our student-athletes. With the generous support of our The Spartan Baseball Club, we have been able to revitalize the Stratford baseball program and provide a safe, constructive environment for dozens of young men.
Our goal, as coaches and mentors, is to provide these young men with more than an opportunity to play and learn about the great game of baseball. We also strive to instill the virtues of professionalism, hard-work, dedication, and fortitude to ensure the best opportunity at success in life. Your contributions will provide all players with up-to-date equipment, science-based sports training, and well-maintained fields to help ensure the safety and top performance of our student-athletes. Please reference the back of this letter to see our operating budget and wish list. Our goal is $500 a player, please contribute to make a difference. Thank you for your commitment to Stratford Baseball. Go Spartans!!
Chad Lyon
Head Baseball Coach
Stratford STEM School
Upcoming Events
February 13th Full practice begins 2:30 – 6:00p
February 25th 1st scrimmage @ Hillsboro 1:00p
March 9th & 10th Spartan Showcase & Showdown 2:30-5:30p
March 11th Pancake Breakfast, Home Run Derby, Skills Competition and Alumni Game 9:00a-2:00p
March 13th Opening Day @ Goodpasture 4:30p
March 20th Home Opener vs Whites Creek 4:00p
A Few of the Annual Costs, Fees, and Necessities
$1650 TSSAA Varsity Umpires for 22 games
($75 per umpire)
$400 Hudl online video f or coaching and college recruiting (annual fee)
$680 Game Balls ($85 per dozen)
$315 Practice Balls ($105 per bucket)
$1000 Baseball Bats ($175 per bat)
$50 Field Paint and Chalk
$660 Pregame nutrition
(22 games at $30/game)
$1200 Practice Shirts, Shorts, Socks
($40 per player)
$500 Electricity for Batting Cage (annual)
$900 1 Load of Field Dirt
$800 Nets and Poles for Building Soft Toss and Tee Work Area
$200 L-Screen
$120 J-Bands (Resistance Bands for rotator cuff strength; $40 each
$500 Basic Field Maintenance (grass seed, quick dry, etc)
$8,975
Short Term Wish List
$2000 Outside Rolling Batting Cage
$1000 Screens for simultaneous infield and batting practice. ($250 each)
$3000 Back Stop Repair and Net Extension
$6000
Please pass along this request to anyone else that would be interested in supporting the Stratford baseball team. I can personally guarantee that any donations will be spent exclusively on the Spartan baseball program.
I hope you will invest in our student-athletes this year by making a donation to the Stratford Baseball Team. You can give by completing and returning the enclosed form with a check made payable to Spartan Baseball Club.
Spartan Baseball Club is a non-profit 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible.
