Florissant’s Redbird Rookies fills 162 spots; organizers plead for volunteer coaches

Missy, the city’s recreation specialist for athletics, and Mike, a league organizer, said the Redbird Rookies youth baseball program — sponsored by Cardinals Care — has enrolled 162 children in its first Florissant season and is recruiting volunteer coaches so registration can reopen.

“Hey, I’m Missy. I am the recreation specialist for athletics for the city of Florissant,” Missy said at the start of the podcast episode. Mike said, “We have currently we have 162 kids enrolled, but we only have uh seven or eight coaches.”

The program serves ages 5–13 in three divisions (5–7, 8–10 and 11–13). Organizers emphasized that participation is free and that Cardinals Care provides uniforms and equipment to families in need. Games are set to begin in June, with practices starting earlier depending on coach availability.

Organizers said Redbird Rookies is non‑competitive by design at the youngest ages to give newcomers a low‑cost entry point into baseball. They pointed to support from Cardinals Care and USA Baseball for coaching materials and clinics. Mike, who said he has coached for 17 years, urged novices to volunteer and noted a planned coaches clinic later in March to prepare new adults for T‑ball and other age groups.

The hosts described additional program benefits: participant events (aquarium visits, health fairs), perks for active players and coaches (rewards, Cardinals game tickets), and a scholarship opportunity the recording identifies as a $10,000 “Sake Scholarship,” which organizers said has been awarded to 11 children in prior cycles. Organizers also described a pathway from Redbird Rookies into the Nike RBI program and regional tournaments, offering opportunities to travel and compete beyond the local season.

Facilities at St. Ferdinand Park are cited as ready for the program after recent field renovations, including dugouts. For older divisions (8–10 and 11–13) organizers said teams may travel to nearby communities while the local league builds roster sizes.

Logistics for volunteers: organizers said the program requires a background check and completion of an abuse‑awareness class for all coaches. A coaches clinic is planned toward the end of March and a kickoff meeting is set for April 18 at St. Ferdinand Park where organizers will assign teams and introduce coaches. Mike provided a contact number and an email for volunteers to register: 314‑769‑1661 and redbirdrookies.fl26@gmail.com.

Organizers said they opened registration on Feb. 2 and closed it on Feb. 13 after reaching capacity. They said they will reopen sign-ups if at least five more volunteer coaches step forward. The hosts urged community members—including women—to consider coaching, saying many young players respond well to women in coaching roles.

Next steps: organizers plan a late‑March coaches clinic and an April 18 kickoff; they will reopen registration once they secure enough volunteer coaches to staff teams.