Eastland Youth Baseball 2023 Season Frequently Asked Questions
- What does my child need for skills sessions/tryouts, practices, and games?
- Glove to catch with
- Cleats
- Note: 14u ONLY can play with metal cleats
- Best to purchase with any of the following stamps:
- Note: batting gloves are not required but are sometimes helpful
- What will be done during skills sessions/tryouts?
- Each player will get the opportunity to
- (10U, 12U, 14U) field, bat, and pitch
- (8U) field and bat only
- Note the drills for each usually include
- Batting practice
- Having ground and pop ups hit to the player
- Having the player throw the ball to a base (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or home plate)
- During this time, the coaches and board members will assess the players current skill level
- What will the league provide?
- What league or association is Eastland Youth Baseball affiliated with?
- None - the board has decided to focus on player development and fun
- We will be following TTAB rules, with the exception of the following:
- Age (see example below)
- Pitch count (coaches will be briefed and will explain during practices) for 10U, 12U, 14U
- 8U will have all players in batting lineup (aka rolling lineup)
- This decision had a positive impact on our league
- Allowing the player to play up or down (as opposed to following strict age rule) based on their current abilities and how well they are developing
- Example: If player just turned 11 but has never played baseball before,
- Belonging to an association such as TTAB, the player must belong to the 12U league
- With our current unaffiliated status, the coaches can decide to have the player play up in 12U or down in 10U
- The outcome here will be focused on the players development and overall ability to have fun
- If a player is developing more rapidly or declining at the current level, the coaches have the ability to move the player down or up
- When are practices and when are games?
- Days and times for practice will be determined by the coach
- Only 2 practices are allowed once games begin and can be scheduled on any day of the week except for Sundays and Wednesdays
- Games will be held on Saturdays
- Note: Some leagues might have teams play a doubleheader
- Note: Week day games might have to be played in the event we have several rainouts (not a bad thing because we always need rain!)
- Will there be an end of season tournament?
- Yes, dates/times/schedule are TBD and subject to change
- Will there be an All Star team?
- Yes most likely at every age level
- The coaches will decide on a roster of players for the All Star team
- This All Star team will begin to travel to tournaments
- Eastland Youth Baseball will pay for 1 tournament
- If the team decides to continue beyond the 1st tourney, they will need to raise money for the team
- Note: At this time, we will have to follow whichever association the tournament follows
- Birth certificates will be required so that age can be verified
- Bats that conform to the association (USA or USSSA)