NORTH COLONIE BISON BASEBALL

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1 NORTH COLONIE BISON BASEBALL This document has been created to provide an overview of the North Colonie Bison Baseball Travel Program for the 7-12 year old players. These are not rules. They are guidelines approved by the North Colonie Youth Baseball Association (NCYBA) Board of Directors to serve as a basis for all decisions within the 7-12 year old North Colonie Bison Travel Baseball (Bison Baseball) program. The Bison Baseball Travel Board (Travel Board) and NCYBA Commissioner (Commissioner) reserve the right to change or alter these guidelines based on changes in enrollment or unforeseen circumstances which require them to do so. The Travel Board consists of a President, Vice-President and Trustee. The Travel Board serves a 1-year term from August 1 - July 31. Please remember that Bison Baseball and NCYBA programs are run solely by volunteers. Objectives and Goals The objective of the Bison Baseball program is to provide children that participate in the 7-12 year old NCYBA recreational baseball program (rec) with an opportunity to compete at a higher level. The philosophy of Bison Baseball has a dual approach. While winning District, State and tournament championships are the inherent goal of Bison Baseball, that goal is balanced with player development, the thrill of competition, sportsmanship, FUN, and how to properly represent the NCYBA. Bison Baseball is the public face of the NCYBA. With that, it is the responsibility of all managers, coaches, players and parents to uphold the integrity and ideals of the mission statement of the NCYBA. NCYBA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, volunteer organization that provides the opportunity for children, ages four to eighteen, to participate in amateur baseball. NCYBA also offers a Challenger program for children and young adults with special needs. NCYBA is dedicated to the goal of promoting the spirit of honesty, integrity, fair play and sportsmanship among young persons and the public at large. 1

2 Overview Participation in Bison Baseball is a serious commitment from both players and families. The playing season typically runs from early April through the end of July. Families should consider this before committing to Bison Baseball. Once games begin in April, participation on a Bison Baseball team will likely result in a baseball game or practice four or more days per week between Bison Baseball and rec. Bison Baseball is designed as a complement to rec. During the rec season, Bison Baseball games are played on Fridays and/or Sundays, and practices are held on Mondays so as not to conflict with rec. Any Bison Baseball games played on days other than Friday or Sunday must be pre-approved by the Travel Board and Commissioner. Bison Baseball managers may hold additional practices throughout the week. However, any players that have a conflict with a rec game must attend their rec game. It is mandatory that Bison Baseball players play in the rec program. To be eligible to take part in Bison Baseball the player must reside within the chartered geographical boundaries of the NCYBA as defined by the Eastern New York Babe Ruth State Commissioner. A detailed description of this requirement including exceptions to the rule can be found in the current version of the Babe Ruth League, Inc. Baseball Rules and Regulations & Official Playing Rules under Section Requirements for Charter. The Bison Baseball program is broken up into multiple parts and runs from mid-january until early August. Bison Baseball includes winter workouts, Empire State Baseball League (ESBL) Travel, Cal Ripken All-Stars, and tournaments/summer games. Winter Workouts - Bison Baseball begins in mid-january with winter workouts. Winter workouts are held at All-Stars Academy on Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham, NY. Each age level will have one workout per week for 1-1 ½ hours for approximately eight weeks depending on the schedule available. Winter workouts are designed to focus on skills development and fundamentals prior to heading outside for practice. In addition, final roster selections are determined at approximately the mid-point of winter workouts. Winter workouts are run by the Bison Blue Manager for each age level with the assistance of volunteers. It is the responsibility of the Bison Blue manager with help from the Bison White manager to solicit interest for assistance with winter workouts from parents and other potential assistant coaches. (*Roster and Manager/Coach selections explained in further detail in Team Selection and Manager/Coach Selection Sections) ESBL Travel - All 7-12 yr. old Bison Baseball teams will compete in the Empire ESBL travel program. ESBL travel is made up of community based baseball programs from all throughout the Capital District and beyond. For clarity, ESBL is essentially the Bison Baseball regular season and runs from early April through mid-june. ESBL games are played on Fridays and/or Sundays. ESBL is made up of multiple divisions at each age level with varying degrees of skill, to try and maintain a competitive environment for all teams. Bison Baseball will enter teams in the skills division it feels is most appropriate for each individual team. The division a team plays in will be decided 2

3 by the team manager after consultation with the Travel Board. For more information on ESBL travel baseball go to: Cal Ripken All-Stars yr. old Bison Baseball is chartered by Cal Ripken which is a division of Babe Ruth League, Inc. As such, Bison Baseball will enter its teams in the Eastern New York (ENY) Cal Ripken District 1 Championships for each team s appropriate age division. The District 1 Championships are held locally in June or July. The winner and runner-up of the District 1 Championship advances to compete for the ENY State Championship. For additional information regarding Cal Ripken All- Stars go to: and (*Cal Ripken All-Star roster selections explained in further detail in Team Selection Section) Tournaments / Summer Games - In addition to the ESBL Travel and Cal Ripken All-Star parts of Bison Baseball, NCYBA strongly encourages each Bison Baseball team to enter one or more baseball tournaments to provide the children additional opportunities to compete and enjoy the game. Teams are also encouraged to schedule individual games with other travel teams. Tournaments are held all season long but specifically Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer once the school year is over. There are both local and out of town tournaments potentially requiring overnight stays. Any tournaments that potentially conflict with the rec season must be pre-approved by the Travel Board and Commissioner. No team will be able to play more than one out of town tournament during rec season without approval from the Travel Board and Commissioner. The Travel Board will assist the managers with finding tournaments to compete in. Team Selection It is the goal of the Bison Baseball program to form two teams at every age level between 8 and 12. A 7-year old team may be formed that will compete in the 8-year old division, but this varies from year to year based on the interest and skill levels of both players and volunteers. The two rosters formed at each age level will be called the Bison Blue and Bison White. The Bison Blue is generally comprised of the more advanced players at their individual age level. The Bison White team is made up of the additional players not selected for the Bison Blue roster, but still wish to compete and continue to develop their skills. On rare occasions where the interest level at one or more age levels is very high, the Travel Board may consider forming a third Bison Baseball team. This team will be called the Bison Black and will only be formed if there is a sufficient number of interested players with the desire to play, as well as having volunteers to guide and develop the players. The Bison Blue and Bison White rosters at the 9-12 year old levels are selected based on the following criteria: 1. Ranking based on the tryout in the fall prior to the season; 2. Ranking based on the player s former body of work in both Bison Baseball and rec; 3. 3

4 Performance at winter workouts. The 8-year old rosters are formed based on criteria 1. and 3. Criteria 2 may be used for the 8-year roster if sufficient data is available. 1. Fall Tryout - Each player that wishes to take part in Bison Baseball should attend the tryout held in the fall. All players registered at each age level will be evaluated by an independent professional instructor along with volunteer coaches. The volunteer coaches must not have any affiliation with the age level they are evaluating to avoid potential bias. Upon conclusion of the tryouts the Bison Baseball President will compile the results to rank the players from strongest to weakest. The evaluators are instructed to score the players on both skill and effort. Families will be given ample notice of the date, time and location of tryouts. If an unavoidable conflict or documented injury or illness exists, the Travel Board will hold a separate tryout for that player. A player that does not attend tryouts because of a documented injury or illness may still have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the Bison Blue roster. 2. Past body of work - The Bison Baseball President will solicit feedback from coaches and parents that s(he) feels can provide a valuable unbiased evaluation of a player s former body of work. The chosen evaluators will rank each player that took part in tryouts based on their former body of work in both Bison Baseball and rec. The evaluators are encouraged to base their rankings on overall skill, effort, attitude and coachability. The Bison Baseball President will compile the results to rank the players from strongest to weakest. 3. Winter Workouts - In addition to skills development and fundamental work, the first half of winter workouts also provide an opportunity for the Bison Blue manager to evaluate the players before selecting those that fill out the Bison Blue roster. All players will be given an equal opportunity to display their skills as they compete for a spot on the Bison Blue roster. The Bison Baseball President will combine the rankings from the tryout with the rankings from the past body of work to create a final ranking of the players from strongest to weakest. The Top 24 or 25 ranked players from each level will be invited to winter workouts and are automatically placed on a Bison Baseball roster. The rankings are not made public and are only seen by the Travel Board and Commissioner. At the mid-point of winter workouts the Bison Blue manager at each age level is given a list of the players that ranked in the Top 6 after combining the tryouts with the past body of work. The players that ranked in the Top 6 are automatically placed on the Bison Blue at their age level. The Bison Blue manager then selects six more players to fill out the Bison Blue roster. If the child of the Bison Blue manager is not ranked in the Top 6 (not public) then the Bison Blue Manager will select five more players plus their child to fill out the Bison Blue roster. In addition, a player must have attended fall tryouts to make the initial Bison Blue roster unless they had a documented injury or illness. The Bison Blue roster must be submitted and approved by the Travel Board before it is official and made public. 4

5 The remaining players not selected by the Bison Blue manager will be placed on the Bison White roster. If there is an ample number of players and volunteers to form a Bison Black team the players not placed on the Bison White will form the Bison Black. *The only exception to playing Bison Baseball without a fall tryout is if there are less than 24 players registered at a particular age level. Those players may register but will automatically be placed on the Bison White (or Black) at the start of the ESBL Travel season unless the player is new to the league and did not join until after the fall tryouts. **Players at the 8u level may compete for a spot on the Bison Blue if they do not attend fall tryouts as long as they attend at least three winter workout sessions before rosters are finalized. The roster a player is placed on during winter workouts will be their roster until the conclusion of Memorial Day Weekend. After Memorial Day weekend the Bison Blue manager may request to make up to three roster changes in preparation for the Cal Ripken All-Star District 1 Championships. This will be the only opportunity the Bison Blue manager has to make roster changes. The family of the player the Bison Blue manager wishes to add to the roster may decline if they are not comfortable with their child moving up for the Cal Ripken All-Star season. If the Bison Blue manager wishes to add a player to the Bison Blue roster s(he) must remove a player from the Bison Blue roster, if the result is the Bison White roster not having enough players to field a team. The player removed from the Bison Blue roster will be placed on the Bison White roster to ensure the Bison White roster has enough players. Any roster changes must be approved by the Travel Board. At the conclusion of the Cal Ripken All-Star season it is the choice of the Bison Blue manager if any new player(s) will remain on the Bison Blue roster for the remainder of the season or return to their ESBL travel roster for the reminder of the summer. In addition, the players families may request that (s)he be moved back down at the conclusion of the Cal Ripken All-Star season. Placement on a Bison Baseball roster means that the player and family is committing to the entire season. Any deviation may affect future placement of the player on a Bison Baseball roster. Playing Up - There are occasional cases where a player s ability far exceeds the other players at his or her age level. In those situations a player may be allowed to play up. Before consideration is made to evaluate a player at an older age level the family of the player must make a formal request in writing to the Travel Board. If the request is approved the player will attend tryouts in the fall at the age level for which they wish to tryout. If the player has a final ranking in the Top 6 after combining the fall tryout with the past body of work, they will be placed on the Bison Blue roster. A player can only play up on a Bison Blue roster. If their ranking is not in the Top 6 they will be placed on the appropriate roster at their own age level. Playing up during one season does not guarantee the player will be allowed to play up the following season. A new request in writing and subsequent evaluation must be made each season. 5

6 The Travel Board feels that it should be the goal of every player to compete for a spot on the Bison Blue roster, but ultimately the most important thing is that they play and love the game of baseball. Placement on a Bison Blue or Bison White roster should not matter. However, if a player or family truly does not wish to be on a Bison Blue roster for their own personal reasons they should notify the Travel Board before final roster selections are made at winter workouts. Once rosters are posted, a decision by a player or family to not play because they are not placed on a specific roster may affect their placement on a future Bison Baseball team. Each player s status on a roster terminates at the end of the current season. For clarification, the end of a season will be defined as the last tournament or game that a team plays in up to and including Labor Day weekend. Past placement on a Bison Baseball roster does not guarantee any player a spot on a future Bison Baseball roster. The new season begins with the fall tryout and each player must go through the entire registration process and fall tryout to be eligible to participate in Bison Baseball. Manager/Coach Selection Prior to the fall tryout, any parent or approved volunteer that is interested in managing must apply via for the position of Bison Blue or Bison White manager. Ample notice will be given by the Travel Board when they are soliciting interest for managerial positions. All those interested in managerial positions must apply even if they have held the position in the past. Once all applications have been received the Travel Board will conduct interviews with all candidates, even if there is only one person interested in the position. A candidate will not be considered for the Bison Blue manager position if they are the parent or guardian of a player that would not realistically be selected for the Bison Blue roster. The Travel Board and Commissioner will select the managers prior to fall tryouts and will notify them in a timely manner of their selection. Candidates not selected will be notified as well with an explanation from the Travel Board as to why they were not selected. Candidates not selected are still eligible to be assistant coaches if the manager selected wishes to have them on their coaching staff. All managers selected must also be approved by the NCYBA Board of Directors. Selection criteria includes but is not limited to: Prior coaching experience and results; and Feedback from parent surveys from previous seasons, demeanor and past behavior during previous seasons, and general baseball background and experience. 6

7 The Bison Blue manager at each age level cannot solicit interest or form a coaching staff until the Bison Blue roster has been finalized. The coaching staff of the Bison Blue roster must be approved by the Travel Board. The same rules apply for the Bison White manager. The Bison White manager cannot solicit interest or form a coaching staff until the Bison White roster has been finalized. The coaching staff of the Bison White roster must be approved by the Travel Board. All managers and assistant coaches must also pass a background check before being allowed on the field with the players. All Bison Baseball managers and assistant coaches must complete the on-line coaching course required by Babe Ruth League, Inc. for all coaches. The course is titled Coaching Youth Baseball - The Ripken Way for Babe Ruth Baseball Coaches. It can be found at: In addition, all Bison Baseball managers, assistant coaches or book coaches are required to be a registered manager or assistant coach in the rec program. Financial Commitment The total cost of Bison Baseball at the 7-12 year old level varies from year to year, so a final figure is not placed in this document. The total cost will be released before winter workouts conclude each season. An initial non-refundable deposit will be required before the player can begin winter workouts in January. This deposit is applied towards the total cost of the program. The total cost of Bison Baseball includes but is not limited to: Cal Ripken chartering; Uniforms; Game baseballs; Umpire fees; Insurance; Field equipment and maintenance; Winter workouts; and Tournament registrations. Before a player is eligible to take part in Bison Baseball they must have reconciled any outstanding balances from past seasons. Failure to pay financial obligations from a previous season makes the player ineligible to participate in the current season. Refund Policy - If a player cannot participate or complete a season due to a documented injury, ineligibility due to moving out of the area, or any reason beyond the player s control, a refund will be granted on a prorated basis. If a player withdraws prior to the start of winter workouts there is no fee other than the non-refundable deposit. Any additional payments already made will be refunded. All other situations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis and refunds will be granted at the discretion of the Travel Board and Commissioner. 7

8 Fundraising Fundraising is an integral part of Bison Baseball but is not mandatory for any player or team. The total cost of the program is included in each player s registration total. The League fundraising manager will continuously organize league wide events to help raise money to offset the total cost of the program. All Bison Baseball families are encouraged to take part in these events. Individual teams may organize events that are designed to supplement each individual team s expenses that may exceed what is included in the total cost of the program. This may include but is not limited to: Travel expenses for out of town tournaments; Additional indoor practice time; Tournament registration fees if a team wants to play more tournaments than the allotted amount (based on cost); Tournament shirts; and Team parties All team fundraising must be approved by the NCYBA fundraising manager, NCYBA Treasurer and Commissioner. Team fundraising may only take place during the Bison Baseball season after final rosters are posted In addition, the level of participation by individual players does not matter. Each player is treated as a member of the team they are on. It does not matter if one player or family is doing all the work. They are a team. It is up to the manager and/or Team Parent to manage and organize the level of participation in fundraising activities by their team. Game Philosophy For the purposes of this section the term regular season refers to any ESBL Travel game played from April - June on a Friday or Sunday. Regular season does not include tournaments, Cal Ripken All-Stars or the NCYBA rec season. Bison Baseball has the goal of competing to win every time its teams take the field. This is true for all Bison Blue, White and Blacky teams. However, this does not mean winning at all costs. The most important thing for our managers to remember is that these are children. Our managers have and will continue to be instructed to be competitive while also focusing on player development and fun. All players develop at different rates so it is imperative that they are given the opportunity to compete and be instructed at various positions throughout the season. In addition, the managers are supposed to set an example of professionalism in conjunction with being competitive. With that, the following guidelines should be followed by all teams. 8

9 Playing Time - During a regular season ESBL game all players must play at least three innings in the field for a game that lasts five innings or more. In addition, no player should sit a third inning until every player has sat at least one inning. The only exception is if a game ends in four innings or less due to a mercy rule or time limit. All Bison Baseball teams must utilize a continuous batting order during the ESBL regular season. All players must bat. Age specific guidelines are listed below. The term infield includes the following positions: P, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS. Managers may only deviate from these guidelines unless a game ends in four innings or less due to a mercy rule or time limit. 7-8u - During a regular season ESBL game a player is not permitted to play any position more than two innings in any game that lasts six or less innings. Every player must play at least one inning in the infield each game. 9-10u - During a regular season ESBL game a player is not permitted to play any position more than three innings in any game that lasts six or less innings. Every player must play at least one inning in the infield each game. Pitching - Babe Ruth has adopted new pitching rules for the Cal Ripken All-Star season and beyond. Bison Baseball with approval from the NCYBA Board of Directors has decided to adopt these rules for the ESBL regular season as well. The new pitching rules can be found at: In addition, any Bison Baseball player cannot pitch more than one inning in any rec game. Bison Baseball managers may deviate from these restrictions if competing in a tournament that has separate pitching rules. Managers are encouraged to exercise good judgment in these cases. Practice - Practice time is crucial for player development. All players should be given opportunities at all positions during practices and practices should be designed to be efficient and interactive for all players. The Travel Board will assist the managers with practice design if they feel it is in the best interest of the team. Equipment All Bison Baseball players are required to have their own baseball glove. Any additional equipment is optional. Bison Baseball will provide any other mandatory equipment to any family in need. Bats - Players are not required to purchase their own bat. However, if players wish to purchase their own bat please make sure to adhere to the following guidelines. All non-wood bats must have the USABat Marking. Barrel Maximum 2 5/8. No BBCOR Bats are permitted in the Cal Ripken Division. 9

10 Helmets - All players must wear a helmet when batting. Players are not required to purchase their own helmet. However, if players wish to purchase their own helmet it must be fully enclosed over both ears. Footwear - Players are encouraged to wear baseball cleats but they are not mandatory. If a player purchases cleats the spikes must be plastic or molded rubber. No metal spikes. Code of Conduct All Bison Baseball players, coaches and families are expected to conduct themselves in a mature and respectful manner at all times. The goal of NCYBA is to portray an image of good sportsmanship even during adversity. If a player or family member has an issue with their manager, assistant coach, another player, or with family members or spectators outside the playing area, the Travel Board would like the manager to address the issue if possible. In addition, unless there is an immediate threat or dangerous situation the Travel Board requests that everyone wait 24 hours before contacting the manager. This allows the player or family member time to address the situation calmly so it can hopefully be addressed in a mature and professional manner. If a player or family is not comfortable discussing the issue with the manager directly then they should contact the Bison Baseball President. In addition, if the player or family does contact the manager with an issue and does not receive a satisfactory resolution then the next step is to contact the Bison Baseball President. The following rules regarding conduct were created by ESBL and Bison Baseball is adopting them for all parts of the season. Bison Baseball players, coaches and families SHALL NOT: 1. Use foul, abusive, derogatory, or offensive language 2. Taunt, verbally harass, threaten, or degrade any other player, coach, manager, spectator, or any official. 3. Hit, strike, kick, assault, or offensively touch any other player, coach, manager, spectator, official, or umpire regardless of the intent to injure. 4. Engage in any conduct that would be considered unbecoming, unsportsmanlike, or offensive including, but not limited to, spitting, throwing equipment or other objects, offensive and/or threatening gestures, kicking dirt, and questioning of an umpire call or decision. 5. The use or possession of alcohol, drugs, weapons, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The game umpire is given complete control of the game and the field or area of the 10

11 game from the time the players and coaches enter the area of the game and until the players and coaches leave the area of the game following the end of the event. 1. The umpire has complete control to eject any player, coach or spectator from the area of the game and surrounding area in his/her discretion if the person in question is in violation of any of the above with or without any prior warning. 2. If any Bison Baseball player, coach or spectator of any given team refuses to leave the facilities after being ejected and told to leave the area of the game and surrounding area, then his/her team will forfeit the game and the official will immediately leave the area of the game without further discussion. The Travel Board reserves the right to suspend any player, coach or family member from further participation in Bison Baseball if any of the above are violated. Reinstatement after suspension will be dependent on the severity of the violation and will need approval by the NCYBA Board of Directors. Volunteering Bison Baseball is a community based organization that would not exist without volunteers. Please be aware of this at all times. Outside of the managers and coaches that instruct and compete along with the players, there are many other things that need to be done. Everyone involved with Bison Baseball needs to take part to make this the best experience for all. Managers and Coaches - Please be appreciative of the time they dedicate to the players. They will not always make roster decisions or game situational decisions everyone agrees with, but remember they are volunteers and everyone should imagine themselves in their situation before vocalizing any disagreement or displeasure. Team Parent - The Team Parent works closely with the manager and is basically in charge of all things outside of games and practices. Bison Baseball families are expected to cooperate at all times with their Team Parent who will assign concession stand duty, field work and organize any other team activities that either require volunteers or are for fun. Concession stand duty is not optional. Concession stand revenue is the most important source the NCYBA relies on to help keep registration costs as low as possible. The Team Parent will do everything they can to keep the responsibilities fair and even. Everyone needs to do their share. Bison Baseball families use the facilities substantially more than rec families, so the amount of volunteer time expected will be more. Field Work is not optional. The Team Parent will do everything they can to keep the responsibilities fair and even. Everyone needs to do their share. However, Bison Baseball is hopeful that families do more than their share. Keeping the playing fields 11

12 and facilities safe and looking great is an endless job. Bison Baseball players use the fields nearly three times as often as rec players. For that reason, Bison Baseball families should be doing three times the amount of work at the fields. Field work is not limited to Saturday mornings. There is always work to do. Any questions regarding this document or in general should be directed to the Bison Travel President. Their contact information can be found at: 12