BURNSVILLE TRAVELING BASEBALL New to Traveling Baseball Parent Info (BTB) 2018 New to Traveling Baseball Parent Info January 2018

Agenda Background info Schedule/Tournaments Coaches Commitment Additional Info Questions

Player Quotes: “I get to make new friends from other schools.” “ I like going out of town.” “ I play different positions.” “Spending time with my teammates.”

"I like that my child gets to travel to all of the different cities, more exposure, and better competition." “The opportunity to play competitive baseball in a fun environment where the team is like a family. The traveling baseball community is a close group that supports the kids and families.” “It gives my player an opportunity to be a leader on his team.” “I like getting to know other kids from different communities. My player has made quite a few ‘out of town’ friends. Everyone is starting to recognize each other.” Parent Quotes: “A very enjoyable way to spend the spring and summer.”

Traveling Baseball Background Info Players ages 9 through 15 years old. Third-graders who are still 8 years old can also try out for the 10U level along with the 9-year-olds. Minors are 10, 11, 12 U teams Majors are 13, 14, 15 U teams Season All teams complete play by the last weekend of July There are free weekends during the season -- usually two per month No games are played Memorial Day weekend or July 4th

Schedule 16 league games and 4 tournaments (minimum). Average season is 30-40 games. Typical pre-season week (April) Indoor practices Outdoor practices when fields open 4-6 sessions/week Typical in-season (May-June) week one or two practices two league games Tournaments on weekends League games played during the week against other communities like Apple Valley, Lakeville, Bloomington and Eden Prairie…Waconia

Tournaments Three local/Twin Cities weekend tournaments One out-of-town tournament Ten-year-old tournaments are all local Tournaments begin Friday evening/Saturday morning and conclude on Sunday afternoon (if your team advances) Teams may qualify for state tournaments (up to 3), which are held during the month of July May take up entire weekend depending on schedule/weather

Traveling Baseball Background Info Fees for 2018 Traveling Baseball Total $400: $350.00 registration fee, $50.00 non-refundable tryout fee, $30 BAC administrative fee The deposit collected at the time of registration is equal to the total In-house fee plus the non-refundable tryout fee No admission fees for games Scholarships available

Uniforms 2 Jerseys 1 pair of pants Fitted hat with number sample of uniforms Potential additional costs: Indoor practice costs Additional pants Gate fees (state tournaments) Bat, glove, batting helmet Additional equipment

Traveling Baseball Participation Info Number of Teams age 10 11 12 13 14 15 # of Players year 2013 3 4 2 252 2014 240 2015 204 2016 182 2017 168

Coach Selection and Playing Time Coaches Coaches selected via application and interview process (complete for 2018) Head Coaches have demonstrated baseball experience/coaching experience Assistant Coaches selected by head coach All must pass background check All must adhere to coaches’ code of conduct Expectations of practice frequency and player development Coaches’ feedback survey Playing time BTB promotes and tracks a fair-play policy 5% guideline for all players (not applicable for 15s) Attendance and attitude may influence this depending on coaches’ policies

Family Commitment Parents are expected to get their child to all games and practices…on time Families are required to volunteer at the Burnsville Invitational Tournament (June 8-10) and State Tournaments (July 20-22) This works out to 2 or 3 shifts per family for each of the two weekend tournaments…there is no door to door fundraising Travel Baseball in Burnsville commitment for not only the player but the family

Tryouts and Team Selection Tryouts on March 17 and 18 at Savage Dome Fielding, Hitting, pitching/catching, running are all part of tryout process. Players that have made a BTB team will be posted on the Burnsville Traveling Baseball website by March TBD. Tryout schedules will be handed out and available on the website at the pre-tryout Parent Meeting on Monday, March 5, 2018. Potential for reassignment All players not making a traveling team will be reassigned to an In-house team if they choose that option at the time of registration. No player is denied the opportunity to play baseball. Because of the timing of tryouts, In-House reassignments cannot be guaranteed placement on their neighborhood team.

Tryout Equipment and Prep Tennis shoes or rubber molded cleats Athletic supporter with a protective cup for indoor fielding Glove Bat-USA stamped Batting helmet Prep Playing catch Hitting cages Grounders and Fly Balls

Bat rules for 2018 in MBL/MBT: Bat restrictions: 9U-14U: All bats must have the new USA stamp (unless using a -3 BBCOR bat). 15’s can use a BBCOR bat or wood bat. 9-U, 10-U, 11-U, 12-U, 13-U Bats must be: 2 1/4" with unlimited weight differential “DROP” 2 5/8" and have a -11 weight differential “DROP” less (i.e. 31” – 20.0 oz.) 14-U: Either a drop 5 (-5) bat with a USA Bat stamp, or a BBCOR bat with a drop 3 (-3). BBCOR bats do not require a USA Bat stamp. 15-U: All bats will continue to meet the BBCOR -3 standard. MYAS, which runs the Gopher State league and year-end state tournament, voted to NOT switch to the new USA Bat certification. Therefore, the USSSA-stamped bats that have been used for many years will remain legal in a tournament hosted by a Gopher State community and will also be legal in the Gopher State Tournament. So if your son has a USSSA bat from this past season, you should hang onto it in case you play in any of those tournaments. **PLEASE NOTE: A USA Bat (or BBCOR at 14/15u) will be required for BTB tryouts in March.

9/10-year-old policy BTB will allow 9-year-olds to try out at 10-year-old age level. A 9-year-old is defined as a player who is 9 years old by August 31st, 2018 and a 3rd grader. 9- and 10-year-olds are eligible to make any 10-year-old team, including 10AAA BTB will determine how many 9-year-olds make a team based on registration numbers After the first season playing as a 9-year-old on a 10-year-old team, the player must commit to either moving up the next year to play at 11s with his grade level (typically a 9-year-old in 4th grade as of April 30th, 2017), or remain at the 10s the following year (typically a 9-year-old in 3rd grade his first year playing 10s). Once a player commits to playing up with their grade after that first year, he may not elect to move down in later seasons (i.e. play at 11s two years in a row). A player who elects to play at 10s again a year after playing as a 9-year-old may elect to move up an age level in later seasons (i.e. play second year at the 10s but then skip to 12s to play with his grade the following season) 4th-grade player priority over 3rd-grade selection

Volunteer BTB Board Mark Nesvig (president) David Limberg (vice president) Teresa Christenson (secretary) Dave Santleman (treasurer) Mike Neutz (minors director) Tim Emerson (majors director) Brook Dawson (tournament director)

Additional info The Burnsville Traveling Baseball website: www.burnsvilletravelingbaseball.com e-mail: burnsvilletb@gmail.com and we will respond in a timely manner Metro Baseball League’s website can be found at www.mbl.bz. You can visit our information table at in-person registration Saturday February 3rd 830-12 @ Nicollet Middle School Parent pre-tryout meeting and all parent meeting