This is a general announcement to the Nether Swarthmore Baseball (NSB) community for those rising 13-16 year-olds who wish to try out for Travel Baseball in 2021. .

UPDATE as of 2/26/21 !!! NSB based on recent player numbers, the loss of many players due to COVID and the cancellation of the 2020 season, has decided to close down the Legion program for 2021 and the foreseeable future. Please note that NSB is currently pulling together alternative in house and summer travel team plans for U13-U16 players which will be communicated by email blasts and postings on www.npaabaseball.com. Please be on the look out!!! 

Sr. American Legion for players residing in WSSD School District and parts of Ridley will hold tryouts TBD.  Please contact  Dave Shuster NSB President @ fiveshus@verizon.net, with questions in the meantime.

For those of you who are new to the American Legion Baseball Program, here is a snapshot of how the season and the NP Legion program work.

2019's Legion program will offer the Legion "Prep" Team (primarily 13 year olds), a U - 15 Team (Sandlot), and our Main Line Jr. Legion League Team (15-16) and a Sr. Legion program for players 16 to 19 years of age. Ideally, the Prep Team and the Sandlot Team are key elements and venues to prepare players for the Jr. Legion Team. The Sr. Legion team is designed for players who want to continue to play baseball at a very high level throughout the summer and keep their skills sharp for the upcoming high school or college baseball season.

In March, we will hold indoor practices and tryouts for all players interested in travel baseball who will still be no older than 16 as of January 1, 2020. Senior Legion tryouts will also be held for players that are still 19 or under as of January 1, 2020.

From these tryouts the coaches will evaluate all participants and determine the talent level of each player. As a result of the tryouts and indoor practices, players that make the travel program will be assigned to a pre-season roster on either the Prep team (made up of mostly 13 yr olds), the Jr. Legion pre-season roster (13-16's) and or the "sandlot league" Team. Understand that as the pre-season evolves players may be moved from one roster to another based on their skill levels until final rosters are determined. Senior Legion rosters will be set later in the spring as this league does not generally begin practice or games until all school ball has concluded.

Legion activities will not conflict with any School baseball schedules as the regular season schedule will not start until just before Memorial Day and go through mid-July and possibly late July and or early August, if a team advances to states in any playoff competition.

As this is the most competitive baseball for this age group, we expect a commitment from the players and parents to have their son available throughout the entire season and especially playoffs which could run through July and possibly in early August. (please do not schedule any family vacations until August if you plan to have you son play on the Prep, Jr Legion or Sr. Legion teams)

The scrimmages, practices, clinics, and your performance will decide who actually makes the final roster on any of the the travel teams. Final announcements of team assignments will be made prior to roster deadlines outlined by each program. Regardless of your assignment, players may be dual rostered and schedules will be carefully planned to maximize playing time and minimize conflicts with another team (should your son be dual rostered). NSB Baseball has capped the number of teams you may play on to two. This may include two travel teams or a travel team and our NSB Senior league. Generally, all rising 13's (Prep Team players) will also be rostered on the NSB Senior League. 14s and 15s that are not dual rostered on the Jr. Legion team are encouraged to also play NSB Senior League in order to maximize playing time and gain valuable extra "reps" and experience to sharpen their skills.

The cost of Legion or travel baseball is more expensive than our intramural league due to the type of baseballs used, umpire fees, Clinics, Insurance, and uniform requirements. Each year we also sponsored a tournament over Memorial Day and hosted a snack bar on multi-game weekend days that generated additional funds. As this is a volunteer organization, all parents are asked to get involved and volunteer for one or more of our fund-raising programs.

Registration will begin just after the new year and all participants will first register for NSB and those making the travel and or legion programs will be assessed the difference between NSB senior program and the Legion fee. If you make a travel program roster (and pay the Legion fee), you will not have to pay extra to play NSB Senior league and or a second travel team. NSB will have a registration table at our tryouts.

If you have any questions regarding our program, please contact NSB President, Dave Shuster @ fiveshus@verizon.net,