What is the age cutoff date and how much is the Registration Fee for the Spring Season?
The age cutoff date is May 1 and the Registration Fee is set at the start of every season.
What clothing will my child receive as part of registration fee?
A child registered for Spring T-ball and Coach Pitch will receive the following:
What equipment will be provided by the league for use during games and practices?
The following equipment will be available for use during games and practices:
Is there any other equipment I should consider purchasing for my child?
Yes. players should be prepared with a at least a baseball glove. male player should have and wear a protective cup. Optional items include appropriate sized bat, batting gloves, water bottle.
What guidelines should I use when determining what size/type bat to buy?
If purchasing a bat, it will need to be aluminum for use in our league. It may also be specified as a Tball bat. It should be of a length of between 24 inches and 26 inches. The taller your child is, the taller their bat should be. The most common length for a Tee ball player is a 25 inch bat. The weight of a bat can vary as well. The lighter a bat is, the easier it will be for your child to control the bat and swing it effectively. Of course, the lighter a bat is, the more it’s going to cost. Bats vary widely by cost.
What guidelines should I use in determining what size baseball glove to purchase for my child?
Kids under 8 years of age should consider gloves in the 9 to 11 inch range. specially search for a flexible glove. Young players not able to close their glove well can be frustrating for them. There are a variety of methods to soften or break-in a glove. Your player's hand should fit comfortably into the glove as well. Cost of a baseball glove can very widely based on manufacturer, size, style, and material.
How important is it that my child attends practices?
It is very important for your child to arrive at practices on time and attend as many as they can. It is during the practices that the skills needed to learn the game and enjoy the experiences. At this age especially, repetition of specific drills helps to build their confidence and understanding of the game.
Can I assist the managers and coaches during games and practices?
HAJBA is an all volunteer organization. The league, specifically Bantam, Coach Pitch and Tball, relies heavily on the involvement of parents during games and practices. At this age group, children tend to have a shorter attention span, and often require encouragement/motivation from their parents to keep their heads in the game. From my experience, managers/coaches at this age level welcome the involvement of parents at many different levels. They may ask you to assist with coaching a base, catching behind home plate, or being out in the field with the kids to encourage and motivate them to play their best. Don’t hesitate to ask the manager/coach to assist them when you’re available to do so. Also understand that there may be situations where the coach has enough helpers for a specific game or practice. But by offering to assist, you are letting the coach know that for future needs, you would be more than willing to help. If your schedule allows, you should consider managing a team yourself next year. It’s a wonderful experience and allows you to give back to the community in a way that words can’t describe.
When does the the spring Season Begin and end? And where are games played?
Practices for the Tball and Coach Pitch season normally begin in April and the season runs through the end of June. Normally there will be 6 practices, and approximately 12 games played during this time period. TBall Games and Practices will take place at Northwest Elementary which is located at 1233 Bower Street in Howell.
Field Maps and Addresses can be found at
http://www.howellbaseball.org/page/show/660497-field-maps
Will my child’s games and practices be on the same day each week? And will there be weekend games?
Due to the number of registrants in our programs, your child will not have practices and/or games on the same day each week. At the beginning of the season, you will be provided with a practice/game schedule for your child’s team. We get this posted as soon as we have a good feel for the number of teams we will have for a particular season. Your child may have regularly scheduled games or practices on any weekday, as well as Saturdays.
If I have a problem with the way that my child is being treated by our manager/coach/teammates, what should I do?
If you have concerns where your child’s role in the team is concerned, your child’s team manager and/or coach should be given the opportunity to hear your concern first. They are the person most likely able to ease your concern and make any changes that may need to be made. Our team managers are all volunteers, and they do their best to make the baseball experience enjoyable and educational as possible for all players. The best time to approach a manager/coach with a concern is after practices and/or prior to games. These two times are likely to be the least hectic for the manager/coach and will allow them to give you the needed time to listen to your concern. Should your concerns not be adequately addressed to your satisfaction by your manager/coach, contact the division Commissioner or any board member.
Be aware that the commissioners’ first action will be to contact the manager and discuss the situation with them. That’s why it is important that you give your manager an opportunity to hear your concern prior to contacting the Commissioner.
If the coach and commissioner have not resolved your concern, the HAJBA Board (President, Vice President, and Director of Baseball) are your next suggested contacts.
Commissioner and board member contact info can be found here.