Elk Grove Cal Ripken Baseball League
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Elk Grove Cal Ripken Baseball Leagues’ (EGCRBL) primary objective is to develop and promote in children through the medium of properly supervised and competitive baseball: 1) Good Sportsmanship; 2) Understanding and respect for rules, coaches, and umpires; 3) courage in defeat; 4) tolerance and modesty in victory; and 5)a spirit of cooperation and team play. In the attainment of this objective, the instilling of a desire to win, or the winning of games, is to be the secondary objective. EGCRBL is a recreational baseball league for boys and girls ages 5 to 12. While EGCRBL has a competitive element to it, it is not intended to be at the same level of competition of travel or tournament baseball. EGCRBL is designed for players of ALL skill levels. We recognize that there are players with exceptional skill; however, the vast majority of players are of average and/or below average skill. Therefore, the primary purpose of EGCRBL is to enhance and improve the skill level of this vast majority.
Q? What are the ages of the players in the League?
Answer: Players are between the ages of 5-12 years old. Playing age is determined by the age of the player as of April 30, 2010.
Q? What are the League's boundaries?
Answer: General boundary lines are east of Highway 99 to the county line, South of 47th Avenue to Dillard Road in the South. If you live west of Highway 99, you can register with a Cal Ripken-affiliated League, Laguna Youth Baseball League (www.lagunayouthbaseball.com). To see a map of our boundaries select the locations tab on the left hand side of the web page.
Q? What is the cost to play in your League?
Answer:
|
Age of Player as of 4/30/2010 |
Early Registration Discount Ends on 12/11/2009 |
Registration Fee
Between 2/12/09- 1/22/2010 |
Registration Fee
AFTER 1/23/2010 |
|
5-7 years old |
$125 |
$150 |
$175 |
|
8-12 years old |
$150 |
$175 |
$250 |
In order to assist families during this time if they are affected by the current economic climate, the League has instituted a payment plan for Spring 2010. Families are able to make payments on an installment plan. The first installment will be due no later than December 11th and the balance will be due by January 9th. As long as payment is received in full by January 9th there will be no late registration fees levied against the family account. Please ensure that if bringing in a check to drop in locations, you should note your player's name and age on the check and if possible, your registration confirmation number to ensure appropriate tracking and credit to your account. Any questions can be directed to info@egcalripken.org . Payments can be made on-line, or dropped off to an Elk Grove Cal Ripken League Representative at Pizza Bell (EG Blvd) on December 11th, or at the Sandlot Players Clinic January 9th held at Rau Park.
Q? What do registration fees go towards?
Answer: Fees cover the following:
- Field usage fees, field maintenance and related equipment.
- CSD Fee’s.
- Team Picture, one PLAYER photo (solo) and PLAYER button are included for Non-Competitive and Competitive Divisions. Extra photos, baseball cards, etc. are available however; families would pay for those services separately.
- Non-Competitive Divisions (Rookie and Single "A"): Baseball Cap, Team Jersey, Baseball Pants, Baseball Socks (to keep). Participation trophies with player and team name engraved.
- Competitive Divisions (Double "A", Triple "A", Major-Minor, Majors): Baseball Cap, Team Jersey, Baseball Pants, and Baseball Socks (to keep). Umpires for League games. Trophies are ONLY provided to the divisional winner teams and runner-up teams for Double "A" thru Majors.
Q? Can I just do a walk-in registration on one of the tryout dates?
Answer: Due to the volume of registrations received each year and the preparation time needed for volunteers to develop rosters, practice/game schedules, player assessments, League events, etc we are only offering on-line registration which will be offered for 90+ days prior to the tryout sessions. There will be two walk in opportunities; 1) December 11th at Pizza Bell and 2) January 9th at the Sandlot Players Clinic held at Rau Park. This registration process allows us to accommodate and track the Non-Competitive and Competitive divisions in our League in a timelier manner. When registering on-line, please ensure you have the CURRENT version of Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash Player PRIOR to completing the registration form. Inquiries can be directed to info@egcalripken.org or registration issues can be directed to playeragent@egcalripken.org YOU MUST COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION PROCESS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN TRYOUTS.
Q? I registered last year; do I have to complete the whole registration form again?
Answer: If you participated in our league last year, a family account was created during the registration process. Go to the registration page and select the “returning player” button. This will allow you to access the account that was created for you last year. You will be able to update your family’s information, register players for the 2010 spring season, and make payments. If you have forgotten your password or forgot which email address you used, send an email to the player agent at playeragent@egcalripken.org. Please do not create a new account, this will make it more difficult to resolve issues and answer your questions during the year.
Q? What happens if my child is not able to attend one of the two tryouts offered?
Answer: You will need to petition the Player Agent by January 8, 2010 in order to be excused from tryouts. Once your petition has been granted, your child will be draft eligible at the level of play from last spring. All registrations must be paid in full no later than January 22nd @ 5:00 Pm. If a player does not petition and/or has not paid the registration fee, they will be placed on a waiting list. We will do our best to place everyone on the waiting list, however we cannot guarantee placement.
Q? What forms of payment does the League accept?
Answer: On-line registration program accepts major credit cards and electronic checks. If you wish to make a payment via check, PLEASE make it payable to: EG Cal Ripken Baseball League; You will need to attend one of the two walk up registrations at Pizza Bell on December 11th (after 5:00 Pm) or the Sandlot Player’s Clinic on January 9th at Rau Park. These are the only two dates and locations for walk up registrations and payments. All other registrations and payments must be done on line.
Full refunds will be given upon written request and then only up until Draft Day. AFTER Draft Day, a pro-rated amount will be reimbursed to the family account - again, a written request is needed to process the pro-rated refund.
Q? What are the divisions?
Answer: The divisions are noted below. Please note: "Playing Up" or playing for a higher level division during Summer Ball DOES NOT GUARANTEE the same level of divisional play for the Spring Season ( i.e. a player who played "Level B ((aka Triple "A")) during Summer Ball DOES NOT GUARANTEE that the same player will be drafted onto a Triple "A" team for the following Spring season).
|
Division |
Description |
|
Rookies |
5 year olds. This is the beginning instructional level. Coaches will pitch and a tee can be used. Scores and standings are not kept. A safety ball is used. Participation trophies will be provided to all players. |
|
Single "A" |
6 year olds with team experience who are skill appropriate (players not selected in the draft OR who are more appropriately placed in Single "A" - please email the Player Agent at playeragent@egcalripken.org for clarification). Coaches pitch at the beginning of the season and players will start pitching part-way through the season. No tees will be used in game situations; however a safety ball is used. Participation trophies will be provided to all players. |
|
Double "A"
(40'/60' Field) |
7 & 8 year olds. This is normally the first level of competitive play experience for players, and is intended to help players adjust to competitive baseball. Players may steal 2nd & 3rd base, and there is a 6 run rule per inning. Players MUST attend tryouts since teams in the competitive divisions are created through a draft process. Age-eligible players that do not attend tryouts without petitioning the Player Agent (playeragent@egcalripken.org) will be randomly placed on a AA team. Tryouts are tentatively scheduled for 1/16/2010 and 1/23/2010. Umpires are provided for League games. |
|
Triple "A"
(40'/60' Field) |
9 & 10 year olds. This is a competitive division and players must attend tryouts. Players can not lead off at this level; however they are allowed to steal 2nd, 3rd, or home. Age-eligible players that do not attend tryouts without an approved petition from the Player Agent (playeragent@egcalripken.org) will be randomly placed on a team based on the players’ age and level of play from Spring 2009. Tryouts are tentatively scheduled for 1/16/2010 and 1/23/2010. Umpires are provided for League games. |
|
Major/Minors
(50'/70' Field) |
11 year olds with remaining 12 year olds that do not get drafted onto a Majors team and some 10 year olds. At this level, full baseball rules are used including, dropped strike three, and leading off. Age-eligible players that do not attend tryouts without an approved petition from the Player Agent (playeragent@egcalripken.org) will be randomly placed on a team based on the players’ age and level of play from Spring 2009. Tryouts are tentatively scheduled for 1/16/2010 and 1/23/2010. Umpires are provided for League games. |
|
Majors
(50'/70' Field) |
Highest level of competitive play with a maximum of 12 players per team primarily for 12 year olds with 11 year olds making up the rest of the team. Majors Teams will be made up of between six to eight 12 year old players (which is dependent on the total number of 12 year old registrants). At this level, full baseball rules are used including, dropped strike three, and leading off. This is a competitive division level and players must attend tryouts. Age-eligible players that do not attend tryouts without an approved petition from the Player Agent (playeragent@egcalripken.org) will be randomly placed on a team based on the players’ age and level of play from Spring 2009. Tryouts are tentatively scheduled for 1/16/2010 and 1/23/2010. Umpires are provided for League games. |
|
"Playing Up"
or
"Playing Down"
|
Parent/guardian MUST SUBMIT A PETITION VIA EMAIL to the Player Agent (playeragent@egcalripken.org) detailing a request for a player to "Play Up" or "Play Down" no later than JANUARY 3, 2010. Petitions will not be accepted after this deadline. The Player Agent may consult with the Executive Board and request consideration on whether to approve/disapprove the request. The petition must detail and support your reason for the request and the player needs to be made available (if approved) for a tryout session within the appropriate age level time-slot. Please Note: If a petition is granted for a player to "Play Up" a level, there are NO GUARANTEES that those divisional coaches MUST draft the player into that level. These petitions are generally disfavored. |
Q? How will you determine what team my child will play on?
Answer:
- Non-Competitive Levels (Rookie/Single "A"): The Non-Competitive Player Agent (click here for email) will use a players school and the level of play from last season as the basis for team assignments. Special request for families to play on the same team with other families who can support their player’s friendships and transportation needs can also be made, however the league cannot guarantee that these requests will be honored. If you have not listed your request on the player registration form, you must submit an email as soon as possible.
- Competitive Levels (Double "A", Triple "A", Major/Minors, Majors): Age-appropriate players as indicated above must attend at least ONE of the two tryout sessions. Tryouts give the coaches an opportunity to review each player's baseball ability. Coaches then take turns during Draft Day (held after the tryout sessions) to draft players for their team from the appropriate draft-level board.
Q? Can I request my player to play on a team with one of their friends or with a Coach I like?
Answer: Non-Competitive divisions (Rookie/Single "A") allow for some flexibility for these types of requests depending on when the request was made as well as roster size for the team. Competitive divisions (Double "A", Triple "A", Major/Minors, Majors) operate from a draft format and we are not able to honor these types of requests.
Q? Can I ask not to be on a specific team, or play for a specific coach?
Answer: Blocking coaches, or teams, are handled on a case by case basis. In general, a player is allowed to block up to two coaches, however; you must submit a petition to the player agent by February 1, 2010 in order for your concerns to be considered. The petition must include enough information to support why you do not want your child to play for a specific team or coach. Hearsay and speculation will not be considered. There is no guarantee that your petition will be granted, however we do want your Cal Ripken experience to be a pleasant one and we will work with you.
Q? When does the Spring 2010 season begin and games start?
Answer: Tryouts for the Spring 2010 Season are tentatively scheduled for 1/16/2010 and 1/23/2010 (weather and fields permitting). Non-Competitive coaches should be receiving their team rosters and begin contacting their players no later than March (possibly end of February). Competitive coaches should have their team rosters and begin contacting their players no later than the end of February, if not sooner. Opening Day ceremonies are on March 20th.
Q? What are the game schedules?
Answer: Games are slated to be scheduled twice a week, usually one weeknight game and one Saturday game. As soon as the new schedule has been developed, we will post it on the website.
Q? What about practice schedules? I would like to know dates/times as soon as possible.
Answer: Practice schedules will be made available to your coach - however, coaches may choose to practice on alternate fields or trade practice dates/locations. Most teams practice twice a week.
Q? Are rosters finalized by the time practices start?
Answer: We prefer not to have to do any roster revisions. However, if there is a question of player safety concerns in any of the divisional levels, further player assessments can be conducted which may result in roster revisions. It is the goal of the League to limit any movement amongst the divisions unless there is a true player safety concern involved. If it involves a player with limited organized baseball playing experience and no safety concerns, coaches are encouraged to assist with player development.
Q? I would like to be a Coach/Assistant Coach? How do I apply and what are the requirements?
Answer: Follow the link on the website and complete a Coaches Application for the Spring 2010 season. Your name will be submitted for consideration and approved/disapproved during the League's coaching ratification process. This is because all coaches MUST be approved by the Board of the Elk Grove Cal Ripken Baseball League. Everyone who chooses to coach MUST have completed and successfully passed the on-line Babe Ruth Coaching Certification program. There is a cost associated with the Babe Ruth certification Cal Ripken National rule and there is a cost associated with completing the on-line program. Information regarding coaching certification can be found on the following website: www.ripkencoaching.org. Applications are due no later than December 29, 2009.
ALL coaches are required to be FINGERPRINTED with their information being run through the LiveScan process with Elk Grove Cal Ripken Baseball League. THE LEAGUE DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXCEPTIONS IN REGARDS TO FINGERPRINTING. If a coach has already undergone the LiveScan procedure with the League that coach will only be cleared for a team AFTER the League has completed a records check.
If an applicant HAS NEVER undergone a LiveScan process with Elk Grove Cal Ripken Baseball League, one MUST be completed prior to being considered for a coaching staff position. No Exceptions. The League will pay for the LiveScan process ONLY at these dates and times: We Print U will be at tryouts January 16, 2010 from 8:00 until 2:00, and at the mandatory coaches meeting. If a coach is not scanned at those dates it will be their responsibility to have it done at their expense. LiveScan can be completed at local UPS stores or the Department of Justice on Broadway Boulevard at an associated cost to the applicant.
Q? What is LiveScan?
Answer: LiveScan is an inkless fingerprinting process. Fingerprints are electronically transmitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for completion of a criminal records check. This technology replaces the use of the rolling ink process. Digitizing the fingerprint enables the electronic transfer of the fingerprint to central computers in the DOJ in a matter of seconds which drastically reduces the processing and results time. The League's use of LiveScan assists us in the protection of our players and families. Information is not to be shared with inappropriate parties or individuals. Questions regarding the LiveScan process and its affect on a coaching application can be directed to: president@egcalripken.org
Q? Are there other volunteer opportunities besides coaching?
Answer: YES! Elk Grove Cal Ripken Baseball League is an organized youth baseball program run solely by volunteers. Please Note- Parents and Families: Volunteer time is required by the League to assist with carious projects. Coaches need your support with field maintenance, Snack Shack coverage, scorekeeping, and other misc. Team support functions. For larger League functions (Hit-A-Thon, All Star Tournaments, etc.) volunteer coordinators will do their best to provide schedules which ask anywhere from one hour to two hours of your time for a given event (you may volunteer more hours as your schedule permits). The League WANTS to have a successful youth baseball organization for the kids in our community and recognized that it needs YOUR help and assistance to make that happen for all of our players. We ask that each parent or adult family representative give at least 2-3 volunteer hours throughout the League's season.
Q? How do I contact a League representative or someone who might be able to answer a question for me?
Answer: Use the Contacts tab on the Welcome page of the website or you can send an email to: info@egcalripken.org and it will be routed to the most appropriate individual(s).
Q? I want to participate with the Board meeting and/or am thinking about becoming a Board member volunteer - what do I do?
Answer: Come to any of the General Board meetings (posted on the website) and you can also email the League President, Doug Scott for information (president@egcalripken.org).
ELK GROVE CAL RIPKEN BASEBALL LEAGUE
Not Just Any League ~ Just One of the Best
