Our Story

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 The Osage Maples began with a concern that was being repeated by parents, coaches, and members of the community: baseball in Osage was struggling, and opportunities appeared limited or inconsistent for players in certain age groups.

When I was asked to coach baseball, I began hearing these concerns more frequently.

The more conversations I had, the clearer it became that there were local players who wanted additional opportunities to learn, develop, compete, and continue playing the game.

It felt like something needed to be done.

Rather than continuing to talk about the problem, I decided to begin working with others to create a possible solution.

 My involvement in youth sports began through my children and a desire to participate more actively in the things that mattered to them.

I started by volunteering and coaching sports with which I was familiar. Over time, that led me to coach football, basketball, and baseball.

Coaching gave me an opportunity to spend meaningful time with my children, support other young athletes, and become more connected to the Osage community.

It also showed me how much influence a well-run youth sports program can have.

Children remember more than wins and losses. They remember whether their coaches believed in them, whether their teammates supported them, whether they improved, and whether being part of the program was something they were proud of.

That is the type of experience I want to help create through the Osage Maples.

I want to be honest about my role.

I am not a lifelong baseball player, the most experienced baseball coach, or someone who believes he has every answer about the game.

What I do have is more than 15 years of professional experience developing programs, departments, teams, and large projects.

My professional work has required me to identify problems, gather information, research possible solutions, organize people, create repeatable processes, and build programs designed to operate with consistency and quality.

I understand how to take an idea, create the structure behind it, and find people with the knowledge and abilities needed to make it successful.

That is where I believe I can best serve the Osage Maples.

My role is not to present myself as the baseball expert for every player, coach, or team. My role is to help build an organization where knowledgeable coaches, committed volunteers, supportive families, and developing players have the structure and resources they need to succeed.

 A successful baseball organization requires more than forming teams and ordering uniforms.

It requires planning, communication, financial responsibility, fundraising, marketing, qualified coaches, volunteers, player-development resources, and a structure that can continue from one season to the next.

The foundational work for the Osage Maples includes:

• Establishing the nonprofit organization
• Registering the program’s domain
• Developing the Maples name and identity
• Creating the website and marketing materials
• Gathering information from interested families
• Building a qualified and committed board
• Recruiting coaches and volunteers
• Developing coaching and team resources
• Establishing expectations for players, coaches, and families
• Creating consistency between teams and age levels

The goal is not to create an organization that depends completely on one individual.

The goal is to build a repeatable and well-managed program that can continue serving Osage families long after the original organizers and coaches have moved on.

 I understand both the strengths I bring and the areas where the program needs the knowledge of others.

The Osage Maples will need experienced baseball people who understand player development, instruction, practice planning, game strategy, and the different needs of each age level.

It will also need people who understand finances, fundraising, communication, marketing, nonprofit leadership, event coordination, field maintenance, and volunteer organization.

No single person will possess every skill the program needs.

My mission is to help establish the foundation, identify the right people for the right positions, and support them as they contribute their abilities to the organization.

I do not need to be the best baseball coach in the program.

I need to help create a program that attracts quality coaches and gives them the resources, structure, and support they need to develop our players properly.

 The Osage Maples will only reach their potential if the community becomes part of the program.

Some people may bring decades of baseball knowledge. Others may be able to coach, organize, fundraise, communicate, maintain fields, manage finances, coordinate events, sponsor a team, or volunteer when help is needed.

Every one of those contributions can make a meaningful difference.

What matters most is a willingness to help, a commitment to the players, and a desire to strengthen baseball opportunities in Osage.

We are starting the Osage Maples because we believe local children deserve opportunities to learn the game, improve their abilities, compete, develop friendships, and proudly represent their community.

I do not claim to have every baseball answer.

What I do know is how to build programs, bring capable people together, create structure, and work toward something that can make a lasting difference.

By combining those abilities with the baseball knowledge, time, experience, and commitment of others throughout the community, we have an opportunity to create something special for Osage.

That is why the Osage Maples were started.

And we are only getting started.

 The program needs people who believe in creating more opportunities for local players and are willing to contribute their time, experience, ideas, or resources.

Whether you are interested in coaching, serving on the board, volunteering, sponsoring the program, or registering player interest, we would like to hear from you.