Youth Baseball Program Overview

Questions and Answers

What is the philosophy of the Becker Baseball Program?

The Becker Baseball Program provides a competitive baseball opportunity with intensive skill development and a high level of competition. The program strides to promote confidence and teamwork while competing with other teams in and around the area.

Who is in charge of youth baseball in Becker?

Youth baseball is managed by a volunteer board, the Becker Baseball Diamond Club. This group is affiliated with the Becker Youth Sports Association (BYSA), a not-for-profit organization that supports youth sports in our community. The Becker Baseball Diamond Club meets several times throughout the year. The board of directors is listed on our website.

What are the age levels for teams and players?

Becker Youth Baseball provides a competitive program for kids ages 9-16, and an in-house Junior Ball program for ages 5-8. Your child's "baseball age" is his/her age on May 1, 2012.

AAA teams – travel		AA teams – in house
10AAA 11AAA 12AAA 13AAA 14AAA 15AAA		10AA (10 and under) 12AA (12 and under) 14AA (14 and under) 16AA (16 and under)

How do I register for Youth Baseball (ages 9 and up)?

There are 3 ways to register for :

· Download a registration form and mail the completed form with payment to Becker Community Education

· Download a registration form and register in person at Becker Community Education during business hours

· Come to our in-person registration event. Dates will be posted shortly. Registration deadline is March 3rd. After that date, an additional fee will be charged.

What is Junior Ball?

The Junior Ball program starts with T-ball for 5 and 6-year-olds and coach pitch for 7 and 8-year-olds.

How do I register for Junior Ball?

Registration for Junior Ball is held in May during the mass registration event.

Can an 8-year-old "play up" in the 10-and-under league?

Eight year olds (child's age on May 1, 2012) can play on a 10-and-under AA team. They must attend the workout/evaluation on March 17^th and score at the 50th percentile or higher to be placed on a team. Players will be placed on teams on a space-available basis. If there are no available spots on a team, or the player does not qualify, we will refund the registration fee and the player can register for Junior Ball in April.

How are teams organized?

A player evaluation will be held March 17^th at the Becker Fieldhouse. Results from the evaluation will be used to select players for AAA teams at each age level. These players will be notified a week after the evaluation. After these teams are finalized, the remaining players will be placed on AA teams. These players will be notified in early April about their team assignment.

March 17^th Player evaluations
9AM – 5:00 PM (Age specific times will be posted prior to the date)

What is the difference between AAA and AA teams?

AAA teams are selected for each age group. These teams play in the Gopher State Baseball League, comprised of communities around Becker and the Twin Cities. They will play a 16-game schedule, with a post-season playoff, ending in mid-July.

AA teams play in an in-house league comprised of neighboring communities such as Big Lake, Monticello, Foley and St. Michael-Albertville. These leagues are set up for convenient travel, and provide a competitive baseball experience at all levels. They play a 14-16 game schedule, with a post-season tournament, ending in mid-July.

Additional weekend tournaments may be scheduled, but must be paid for by individual teams through fundraising or player contributions.

Is my son missing out if he doesn't play on a AAA team?

No. Becker youth baseball doesn't have "traveling" teams, in the sense that an elite group is singled out for extra games and practices. All of our teams and participants have equal access to equipment, practice time, game experiences, and good coaching. Both AA and AAA teams play a league schedule and can participate in tournaments. At all levels, we emphasize skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship, and enjoyment of the game.

How are evaluations handled?

Becker youth baseball will conduct a player evaluation on March 17^th at the Becker Fieldhouse. The workout enables us to evaluate players to select AAA teams at each age level, and form safe, fair and balanced teams for the season. The hour-long evaluation includes fielding, hitting, pitching, throwing and running. Players are scored by impartial judges and scores are held confidential. All players and potential coaches are required to attend the evaluations:

March 17^th Player evaluations
9AM – 5:00 PM (Age specific times will be posted prior to the date)

How are registration fees determined?

Our registration fee is budgeted to cover operating costs — equipment, uniforms, umpires, field maintenance, league fees, and insurance. The City of Becker and Community Education provide a youth sports coordinator to handle administration of youth sports programs. We are charged a fee per participant for this position.

Tournaments are held throughout the summer. These events enable us to raise money for important "capital" projects such as batting cages, pitching machines, major equipment purchases and field improvements. We raise money from outside teams through tournament entry fees, concessions and admission/gate fees. Parents are required to help run these tournaments.