What is the SBA?
The Southlake Baseball Association ("SBA") is an ALL VOLUNTEER, non-profit organization committed to providing our area's youth with a positive and rewarding baseball experience.
As a non-profit organization, though, we are continually in need of both financial (team sponsorships) and volunteer (administrative help) assistance. Please consider assisting us in assisting your child!
When is registration for the Spring Season?
Spring registration is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Stars Baseball Academy. On-line registration for spring will open in early January.
Spring coach look is scheduled for Saturday, January 30, 2010 (rain date January 31, 2010).
Spring team drafts will be Tuesday, February 2, 2010 and Thursday, February 4, 2010.
The Spring Season will start in early March and finish in early June.
What does it cost?
The registration fee is determined by the age/league and covers the cost of the uniform. The current registration fees are as follows:
- BlastBall $70
- Shetland $90
- Pinto $110
- Mustang $125
- Bronco $125
- Pony $150
- Colt/Palomino $150
What divisions and levels of play are offered?
The Southlake Baseball Association offers multiple programs and levels of play both Recreational and Classic (“Select”) Baseball for children ages 3 to 17. For information on Classic Baseball, please see the information provided in the “Handouts” tab on this website.
Players participating in our Spring Recreational Leagues are qualified to participate on All-Star teams and compete in the PONY Baseball National Tournament each summer. Our summer All-Star teams are highly competitive and often compete in tournaments with area Classic baseball teams.
Based on your child's age, he/she will play BlastBall (3 and 4 years old), Shetland – “T-Ball” (5 and 6 year olds), Pinto – “Coach Pitch” (7 and 8 year olds), Mustang – “Kid Pitch” (9 and 10 year olds), Bronco (11 and 12 year olds), Pony (13 and 14 year olds) or Colt (15 to 17 year olds). There is an age chart in the “Handouts” tab to assist you in selecting the appropriate division for your child. A child’s “baseball age” is determined based on his or her age at April 30, 2010.
We do not advise players to play either above or below their age level. Please contact the appropriate commissioner to discuss a request to play either above or below your child’s age as determined by the age chart.
The Shetland, Pinto and Mustang divisions offer two levels of league play. Shetland teams are divided into Introductory and Advanced for safety concerns. Pinto and Mustang teams are divided into Texas-Cactus and Grapefruit. Bronco, Pony and Colt Divisions offer one level of play.
In Shetland, a player seeking Advanced placement must attend the Shetland “Coach Look”. Any player not attending the coach look will be assigned to the Introductory Division of Shetland for that season. The Shetland Advanced Division is for experienced players not intermediates or beginners!
In Pinto and Mustang, Texas-Cactus is focused on development of beginning and intermediate players and Grapefruit offers a higher level of competition for advanced players who have more baseball experience. Any player seeking placement on a Grapefruit team must attend the appropriate Pinto or Mustang “Coach Look”.
When and where are games played and practices held?
Games are played on weekday evenings and Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday games start at 6pm or 8pm. Saturday games start as early as 8am. Sunday games start at 1pm.
All BlastBall, Shetland and Pinto division games are played at Bicentennial Park. All Mustang Texas-Cactus division games are played at Bicentennial Park. The Mustang Grapefruit division plays interlock games with other nearby area baseball associations and as such, may require travel on a limited basis. The Bronco, Pony and Colt divisions play interlock games with nearby area baseball associations and as such, may require travel on a limited basis.
When and where are games played and practices held?
Practices are held both during the week and on the weekends (prior to the season starting). Currently weekday practice slots run from 5pm to 9:30pm. Practice locations are Bicentennial Park, Southlake Softball Complex “SSC” (off of Crooked Lane) or Koality Park (adjacent to Carroll Elementary School).
There is no guarantee your child will or will not practice on a specific day or time.
What if my child has never played baseball before?
It is not necessary to have played baseball prior to joining an SBA league. We have beginners join and start playing baseball at all ages. BlastBall, Shetland Introductory, Pinto Texas-Cactus and Mustang Texas-Cactus are all leagues designed to introduce a child to the game of baseball.
All of our leagues including the Advanced and Grapefruit Divisions require coaches to rotate players in the infield and outfield and to bat the team’s entire roster. This allows each player the opportunity to play multiple positions and to have multiple at bats during each game. Therefore, a beginner is not relegated to the bench or playing “right field”.
How are teams selected? Can I make specific requests?
Under PONY Baseball recreational leagues are required to utilize a draft process for team selection. As a result, no requests for players playing with each other or for a specific coach are accepted with the exception of BlastBall.
Please email the BlastBall commissioner with any request to combine players on one team or to register as a team.
For all Divisions, you may specifically request that the siblings play on the same team if the siblings’ ages allow them to play in the same Division. Space is provided on the registration form to note your request to have siblings play together (or not).
As described below, coaches will be selected following the Coach Look and teams will be drafted usually within two weeks of the Coach Look date. Following the draft, your coach will contact you (usually by email) shortly thereafter with team information including practice times and the game schedule.
All other concerns and/or requests should be directed to the appropriate Division Commissioner through his email.
The Southlake Baseball Association attempts to keep team rosters to ten or eleven players to maximize the playing time for each participant. Therefore, it is important that players attend scheduled games. Please consider potential conflicts with other activities or religious issues that might impact your child’s ability to participate in all scheduled games.
What is "Coach Look?"
Coach look is a successful tool used to balance teams within each division. The setting, which is both positive and informal, provides the coaches an opportunity to evaluate players and their skill level prior to team selection. Coach Look is mandatory for all divisions except BlastBall. As players will bat, field, and run at the Coach Look, he/she should dress appropriately and bring a baseball glove and batting helmet. Although most players bring a personal bat, it is not required and there will be bats available for use at the Coach Look.
If a player does not attend the coach look, he or she will be assigned to the developmental level of a Division that offers multiple levels of play.
If your child cannot attend the coach look due to a conflict or illness, please contact the appropriate commissioner in advance of the Coach Look!
What equipment is provided and what equipment do I have to supply?
The SBA provides recreational league teams with catcher’s gear, pitcher’s helmet and chest protector in Shetland and Pinto, batting tee in Shetland, score book and practice and game balls.
The SBA provides all necessary equipment for BlastBall including Tee, Balls, Foam Bat and special Blast Base. In BlastBall players are not required to have a batting helmet or baseball glove due to the bat and ball being foam.
The SBA provides uniforms for Recreational leagues for each player. For BlastBall, the uniform includes a team tee shirt and baseball cap. For all other recreational leagues, uniforms include team jersey, baseball pants, socks, belt and baseball cap. The SBA also provides the head coach and one assistant coach a team baseball cap.
For all Recreational Leagues except BlastBall, players must provide their own Batting Helmet and Baseball Glove. It is highly recommended that all players wear a protective cup at both practices and games. Although not required, starting in Shetland, most players supply their own Baseball Bat. Additionally, most players wear rubber baseball cleats. No steel cleats are allowed except for Colt.
For the Mustang Divisions (both Grapefruit and Texas-Cactus), batting helmets are required to have a face guard.
Do players receive trophies?
In the fall, participants receive trophies in BlastBall and Shetland Divisions.
In spring, the SBA provides trophies to all BlastBall and Shetland players and to the season ending tournament winning and runner-up teams in the Pinto and Mustang Divisions.
Can I be an umpire?
The SBA uses a third party agency which employs both teenagers and adults as umpires. If you are interested in being an umpire, please contact Bill Farris at metroplexcheckcashing@tx.rr.com.
How are Grapefruit and Texas-Cactus Coaches Selected?
We encourage and need parents to participate in coaching. Coaching is a great experience for both you and your child. If interested, please sign-up on-line to volunteer to become a coach.
In selecting head coaches, the SBA’s primary objectives are to provide and sportsmanship, but a safe and secure environment and allow our children to have fun playing baseball.
As the Grapefruit divisions are more competitive and players are more accomplished, Grapefruit Coaches will generally have prior head coaching experience in the SBA or other Baseball Associations and previous baseball playing experience at the high school or higher levels. To be selected to coach a Grapefruit Team, the prospective Coach’s child must qualify to play in the Grapefruit Division. Therefore, the prospective Coach’s child must attend the League’s Coach Look and based on the rankings, be qualified to be drafted in the Grapefruit Division.
As Texas/Cactus divisions are developmental in nature, these Coaches generally have prior assistant and head coaching experience in the SBA or other Baseball Associations.
Coaches will be selected in the following manner:
- Coaching candidates must submit a written or on-line coach application to the League Commissioner.
- The Coaching candidate (or his assistant) must attend the League Coach Look in order to evaluate and be prepared to draft a team if selected to Coach a team.
- Candidates for both Head Coach and Assistant Coach for Grapefruit Divisions must have their children attend the applicable League Coach Look. Only parents of eligible Grapefruit Division players can coach a Grapefruit team. Therefore, players must be ranked prior to the selection of Coaches necessitating candidates attending the coach look prior to be selected as a coach!
- Prospective Coaches will need to be available on the draft evenings in order to draft their respective team. Please check the SBA Calendar for the draft dates to ensure your availability.
- A group of qualified coaching candidates will be identified by the Coaches Selection Committee (“CSC”). The CSC consists of the President, Vice President, and Division Commissioners.
- The CSC then evaluates each coaching candidate’s knowledge of the game, their teaching ability, the ability to create a positive, fun and winning environment for the athletes and their families. Other factors to be considered in the selection process will be:
- Satisfactory experience as a Head Coach with SBA
- Satisfactory experience as an Assistant Coach with SBA
- Experience as a Coach outside of SBA
- Level of involvement in various SBA activities
- Prior baseball playing experience and level of experience (i.e. high school, college, minor leagues, etc.)
- Recommendations by an SBA board member
- Provided that coaching candidates are equal in ability, SBA will attempt to select no more than 50% of it coaches from the SBA Board membership.
- Prior to the draft, but following the Coach Look, the CSC will present the proposed head coaching candidate slates for each league and division to the SBA Board of Directors for approval.
How are Summer Tournament Team Coaches Selected:
In order to coach a Summer Tournament Team, a prospective coach’s child must be registered and playing in a SBA Spring Recreational League. Otherwise, the child is not permitted to play on a Summer All-Star Team due to PONY Baseball Tournament participation rules.
Coaches will be selected for Summer All-Star Tournament Teams in the following manner:
- Satisfactory experience of a Tournament Team with SBA
- Satisfactory experience as a Head Coach with SBA
- Satisfactory experience as an Assistant Coach with SBA
- Experience as a Coach outside of SBA
- Level of involvement in various SBA activities
- Personal knowledge of the candidate by an SBA board member
- Knowledge of the game
- Teaching ability
- Ability to create a positive, fun and winning environment for the athletes and their families.
Those interested in coaching must submit a coaching application to the League Commissioner and attend the summer team appropriate Summer Coach Look.
The CSC will consider coaching candidates on the same criteria as the recreational league coach selection and then make a recommendation to the full SBA Board for approval.
NOTE: Prior to any discussion regarding the CSC’s recommendation of coaches or the Board voting on coaching candidates, any member(s) of the CSC or Board that is/are among those candidates being considered shall leave the premises while further discussion is held for that particular age group. The member(s) may rejoin the discussion when the CSC or Board considers another age group.
