Coach Mike Marra appointed to ABCA position

September 2010

Monticello varsity baseball coach Mike Marra was named as the District 1 Chairman for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) High School Divisional Committee. In addition to New York, District 1 covers Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island.

The ABCA is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level, with more than 6,200 members who represent 50 states and 22 countries. Since 1945, Association membership has broadened to include seven divisions - NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, Junior College, High School and Youth.

“This is a great opportunity for me to represent high school baseball coaches throughout the Northeast,” said Marra. “The main mission of the High School Division Committee is to address issues that affect high school baseball in our region such as the 10-run rule, the -3 bat rule, the lack of quality umpires and the length of schedule. This year, college level teams will begin to use a pitch clock. The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee passed a proposal mandating a
20-second pitch clock between pitches with no runners on base, a 90-second clock between innings of non-televised games and a 108-second clock in televised games.

What starts in the NCAA usually ends up in high school in two to three years. As a voting block, District 1 could say we oppose the use of a pitch clock in high school baseball while discussing how we can make the game better and increase ways to get season recognition for players and coaches. There are many quality players throughout the Northeast and especially right here in the Hudson Valley who have gone unnoticed due to the lack of local representation at the national level.”

Marra will begin his tenure in January at the Annual ABCA Coaches Convention in Nashville. Presently, Marra serves as the President of the New York State Baseball Coaches Association.

ABCA website