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Seasons
Divisions
Here you will find some of the most commonly asked questions. If you have a question and you don't see it answered here, feel free to contact us and we will try to get you an answer.
Spring Season...
Registration:
Equipment:
Q: I want to buy a bat for my child, but I am unsure of what to get?
Practice and Games:
Q: When and where do practices and games take place?
Q: Who manages and determines the time slots of games and practices?
Q: If I have a problem or question while at the ballpark, who can I talk to?
Sponsorship
Q: I am interested in sponsoring a team, what is all involved?
Second Season...
Registration:
Q: What is second season all about?
Q: How, when and where do I register for second season?
Equipment:
Practice and Games:
Q: When and where do practices and games take place?
In General ...
Q: Is BJLBA a recreational league or competitive league?
Spring ...
Registration:
Q: My child
participated in the spring league last year, do I need to attend the new
player registration?
No. If your child participated in last years league play, you will be
sent a registration packet via the mail that will include everything you
need to know for the upcoming season. All you will have to do is fill
the form out and send it in with monies owed.
Please note that if your child "took the year off" last year and previously played the years before they would then be classified as a "new player" because you did not participate in league play last year.
Q: I have a
child all ready in the program (played last year), but I have a new
child that would like to now participate, do I need to attend the new
player registration?
Yes. You will need to attend the spring registration meeting, but you
will only be registering the new child. The child that participated last
year will be sent a registration packet via the mail. When you’re
registering your new child, bring along the registration forms for your
child or children who played last year and be sure to ask for the family
discount.
Equipment:
Q: What
equipment (clothes, gear) does my child need (purchase) to participate
in games and practices?
Players need to have appropriate shoes (plastic cleats preferred), white
(white ONLY) baseball pants an appropriate size glove and a water
bottle. Each player will be given (as part of the playing fee) a hat,
shirt and a pair of socks. Items such as batting helmets, catchers gear,
balls and bats are provided to each team for use during the season. If a
player or parents wants to purchase and use specific equipment such as a
personal bat, first baseman’s glove etc they may as long as it abides by
all outstanding laws and regulations of the BJLBA organization. For
further explanation, please see the
Special Rules 1.00
Q: I want
to buy a bat for my child, but I am unsure of what to get?
By Special Rule definition, the bat can not be more than 33 inches in
length, nor have a bat barrel in excess of 2.25 inches. Specifically,
BJLBA currently follows the Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth guidelines.
Determine Your Bat Length
There are some standard rules of thumb in selecting the appropriate bat length. The charts below offer some guidelines based on age, weight and height:
|
Bat Length by Age |
|||||||
| Age | 5-7 | 8-9 | 10 | 11-12 | 13-14 | 15-16 | 17+ |
| Bat Length (in) | 24-26 | 26-28 | 28-29 | 30-31 | 31-32 | 32-33 | 34 |
Use the age guideline as a starting point, but height and weight are usually better ways to determine your ideal bat length:
|
Determine Your Bat Length by Weight and Height |
||||||||||
| Your height (inches) | ||||||||||
| Your weight (pounds) | 36-40 | 41-44 | 45-48 | 49-52 | 53-56 | 57-60 | 61-64 | 65-68 | 69-72 | 73+ |
| Bat length | ||||||||||
| less than 60 | 26" | 27" | 28" | 29" | 29" | |||||
| 61-70 | 27" | 27" | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | ||||
| 71-80 | 28" | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | ||||
| 81-90 | 28" | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 91-100 | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 101-110 | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 111-120 | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 121-130 | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 131-140 | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 141-150 | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | |||
| 151-160 | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 32" | 33" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 161-170 | 31" | 31" | 32" | 32" | 33" | 33" | 34" | |||
| 171-180 | 32" | 33" | 33" | 34" | 34" | |||||
| 180+ | 33" | 33" | 34" | 34" | ||||||
Practice and Games:
Q: When and
where do practices and games take place?
April is primarily practice with games beginning the first week in May
and going through the last week in June (at the latest). Each team is
allowed three activities per week (with certain exceptions). An activity
can be three practices, two games and a practice or any combination.
Games and practices can be any day of the week. 7/8s will play and
practice at either Bryan Park or the Winslow Sports Complex. 9/12 play
and practice at Winslow Sports Complex. A coach is also free to find
another spot for the third activity (practice) if desired. BJLBA
philosophy is that 5 though 10s should not be out “late”. For example,
no 7/8 game will start later than approximately 6:30 p.m.
Q: Who
manages and determines the time slots of games and practices?
The short answer is Bloomington Parks and Recreation. BJLBA shares the
Winslow Sports Complex with Parks & Recreation Girls softball, Girls
Inc. softball, and Bloomington High School South softball. The demand on
the Winslow fields is “high”. As a result, Parks & Recreation gives BJLBA our “slots”. BJLBA then assigns those slots as evenly as possible
between all age groups/teams. BJLBA also uses Bryan Park for practice
and 5/6 and 7/8 games.
Q: Due to
other commitments, I will not be able to attend every practice and/or
game is this a problem?
We understand that everyone juggles multiple commitments and sometimes
things just come up. All that is usually asked is that you communicate
with the manager what conflicts you have. And keep the manager informed
as circumstances change. Managers usually just want to know who to
expect and who won’t be there on any given night because most managers
plan the night’s activities (at least with a mental sketch) and it helps
to know who is going to be present.
Q: If I
have a problem or question while at the ballpark, who can I talk to?
A representative of the Parks and Recreation Department will be present
during each game and practice at
Winslow Sports Complex. In addition,
during each game at both Winslow Sports Complex and Bryan Park, a BJLBA
board member will be on duty.
Q: I am
interested in sponsoring a team, what is all involved?
A team sponsorship is $350. For the sponsorship the team name/logo go on
the front of the shirt. BJLBA also provides a team hat which will carry
the team’s name and/or a small logo. In addition, the sponsor gets a
plaque, suitable for displaying, with a team picture and words
expressing our sincere appreciation for the sponsorship. Furthermore,
the sponsor can have their website imbedded in our website under
sponsor
links so that people visiting our website can go to the sponsor links
and be directed to the sponsors website. If interested, please contact
us and we will get a sponsorship form set right out to you.
Second Season ...
Registration:
Q: What is second season
all about?
The concept behind our Second Season is an "organized sandlot". The
emphasis is show up and play baseball. Kids used to get together and
play pickup games on their own. We (BJLBA) provide a basic structure,
some adult leadership, but the primary emphasis is to show up and play
some baseball. For the 5/6s and 7/8s, the Second Season is pretty
similar to our regular season. The 9, 10, 11, and 12s are more loosely
organized than during our regular season. If a child has never played
this is a good place to start. If a child has played, this is an
opportunity to try new positions (e.g., catching, pitching, etc.). There
are no uniforms, and no scoreboards are used. That doesn't mean the kids
wouldn't be able to tell you who won.
Q: How,
when and where do I register for second season?
Signups will be announced near the conclusion of the Spring Season.
You can usually find the specific dates and locations on this website by
visiting the online
calendar, keeping an eye on the
"news" and/or visiting our
Second Season page.
Equipment:
Q: What equipment (clothes, gear) does my child need (purchase) to
participate in games and practices ?
Players need to have appropriate shoes (plastic cleats preferred),
appropriate size glove and a water bottle. Baseball pants recommended,
but not required. Items such as batting helmets, catchers gear, balls
and bats are provided to each team for use during the season. If a
player or parents wants to purchase and use specific equipment such as a
personal bat, first baseman’s glove etc they may as long as it abides by
all outstanding laws and regulations of the BJLBA organization. For
further explanation, please
see the Special Rules 1.00
Practice and Games:
Q: When and
where do practices and games take place ?
All games are at the
Winslow Sports Complex and start at or around 6:00 p.m. Games
will normally be scheduled on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Thursday
is left for rainouts. We try to stay away from the final weekends of
summer. Practices are up to the manager. Some teams will have a
"get-together" practice. Some will practice once a week on a regular
basis. Some teams will not practice.
In General ...
Q: Is BJLBA
a recreational league or competitive league?
We consider BJLBA a “full service” program. We provide baseball in four
age groups, based on age (i.e., 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12) including buddy
ball for those with special needs. The season starts in the spring with
league play and is followed up by a single elimination city tournament
for those in our Junior Division and above. After completion of our
regular season, BJLBA sponsors post-season play for children with more
advanced skills to provide them with an opportunity to further grow
their skills against more similarly talented players. In addition, we
provide a Second Season program in August for children who are either
new to our community or were not selected to play on a post-season
tournament team. Finally, we provide a Fall Baseball program for all
children who would like to work at acquiring and/or refining their
baseball skills in anticipation of the next season. Please reference our
divisional Mission Statements (Novice, Junior, Minor and Major) for more
information.
|
Dennis Shoup
1952 - 2010 |
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