Tryouts 

Tryouts will be held in June/July and will be evaluated by a combination of Travel Program Committee members, team Managers, and experienced coaches. The evaluation team will include individuals whose children are not participating in the tryout for that age group but may also include some individuals whose children are participating in the tryout for a different age group. Players must bring their own equipment to the tryout. Returning tournament players are required to attend tryouts for subsequent years. An exception may be made if a returning player is unable to attend a tryout due to extraordinary circumstances (ex: injury, illness, etc.).

During tryouts, players will be evaluated on the fundamentals of baseball including the following:

   ·  Hitting – balance & athleticism, plate discipline, weight transfer, hitting up the middle

   ·  Fielding (including catching & throwing) – technique, follow through, hand positioning

   ·  Pitching – wind up, stride, rotation, power and accuracy

   ·  Base Running & Base Stealing – technique, speed and reading batted balls

   ·  Hustle & Attitude and Game Instincts

Players selected for a travel team (based on their tryout) will be sent an invitation. Invitations to the teams will typically be sent by August 15th.

Rosters

A team will have no more than 12 players. Our goal is that at least two-thirds of the roster must be Little League players and that our program will not conflict with a player's ability to continue playing Little League.

Registration Fees

For the Aug 2023 - July 2024 season, $250 for returning players and $450 for new players. All tournament costs will be paid solely by participant families of the team. Team registration fees and other team-level costs will be allocated evenly amongst the players. All personal equipment (bats, gloves, catchers gear, etc) and other personal items will be the responsibility of the participant families. Tournaments are generally expected within a maximum 2-hour driving distance from SYC to limit travel costs. No fees are due at tryouts. All Travel Program players will register after invitations have been delivered and accepted.

A Manager will be selected for each team by the Executive Committee. The Manager will have final say in all roster spots of the team and will nominate/select their assistant coaches after tryouts. Managers may seek out tournament opportunities, but all tournaments are subject to approval by the Executive Committee.

Any grievances with the Team or Manager which cannot be resolved after discussion with the Manager should be brought to the attention of the Executive Committee for resolution. The Committee will not address issues associated with playing time or positions as those are in the full discretion of the Manager.

PLAYING TIME – Playing time is not guaranteed. Players can expect to compete for a position and playing time. The "everyone plays" expectations of recreation baseball does not necessarily apply in competitive baseball. Spots on the roster will depend on the amount of work you put into it both at practice and at home.

Playing time will most likely be determined based on a player’s level of dedication as well as improvements made throughout the year. Players will start to develop and play more in a certain “area” of position, as opposed to playing "everywhere”.

A player "may or may not” play in any given game. Many coaches tend to develop players throughout league play, but in tournaments the top 9 will get most of the playing time. A player could spend a significant amount of time sitting while they are learning.

PRACTICE TIME – Players need to be prepared for a much greater time commitment. Practices will be 2-3x per week, based on the team’s needs and the coaches’ demands. Tournament practice time during the spring and fall Little League seasons will be limited to 1x per week.

TIME COMMITMENT – Practices would begin immediately after team selection. Tournament practice would be lighter during the Little League seasons (about 1x per week) and heavier outside of the Little League seasons (2-3x per week). Note: The Little League spring season is from April thru mid-June. Little League and District 14 Clarence Boyd tournament play would be late-June through early August.

Plan on 4-8 tournaments being played during the season (less for younger teams and more for older teams). Tournaments are generally held on Saturdays and Sundays.

Expect your Manager to request that any vacations not conflict with tournament weekends or the week immediately prior to tournament weekend.

FINANCIAL – Tournament fees are not included in the player registration fee. Prepare to spend approx. $50 - $75 per tournament for entrance fees thru the course of the year, depending on how many tournaments your team plays in. Each tournament costs between $500 - $750 per team.

Teams may rely on corporate sponsorship and team fundraisers to help cover some of the costs associated with travel baseball.

FUNDRAISING – The Tournament program will fundraise via a Program Bingo and the Tomahawk Classic hosted tournament and you are expected to be at these to do your part in raising monies for your team in addition to other team selected fundraisers (spirit nights, concessions, spirit wear, etc). The program may do several of these throughout the season.