LFBA: FAQs
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What is the Lake Forest Baseball Association?
The Lake Forest Baseball Association (LFBA) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1999, after assuming the responsibility for the travel baseball program from the Lake Forest Rec Department. Over the last five years we have moved to develop a more competitive program and longer baseball season to help raise the level of play for our athletes to better prepare them for high school. We do this by teaching our players hard work, teamwork, discipline, leadership, and good sportsmanship. An attempt to play the most competitive baseball is a major goal. A bigger commitment for time and travel are required. This is not an extension of the Rec Department's house league nor is there any guarantee of playing time. We continue to evolve our program to achieve our goals. Who can play? Any child who resides within School District 115 (Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Knollwood) between the ages of 9 and 14 is eligible to play SCOUT YOUTH BASEBALL with the Lake Forest Baseball Association (LFBA). How is the LFBA set up? There are 6 divisions based upon a player’s age; 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 year old divisions. A player’s age group is determined by his age and grade level in school (9 – 3rd Grade, 10s – 4th Grade, 11s, 5th Grade, 12s – 6th Grade, 13s – 7th Grade, 14s – 8th Grade). If you have any questions regarding the age division your child should register for, please contact an age level director. 14 Year Olds - In 2005, a partnership was formed between the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff Baseball Associations - 14 year old travel baseball players will proudly wear the LFHS Scout uniform! Depending upon interest and talent level, one “A” team and two balanced “B” teams will be formed with players from Lake Forest and Lake Bluff at the 14-year old level. The LFBA Board of Directors, comprised of about 15 parent volunteers, is headed by the Commissioner. The LFBA also has a Lake Forest Recreation Center Liaison as a member of the board as well as representatives from the Lake Forest High School Baseball Coaching Staff and Athletic Department. Each age level division has an assigned LFBA Director who oversees the season. A complete listing of Directors and contact information can be found on the LFBA website homepage. My 8-year old is very interested in playing travel baseball. Can he/she play? The policy of the LFBA regarding 8-year olds is that they can register and tryout. There is no guarantee of making a team, but if there is enough room and if the player is rated high enough to play at the 9-year old level, he’ll make a team. The following year, the player must play with their peers at the 9-year old level – he/she cannot advance to the 10-year old team. Why doesn’t the LFBA field U8 teams? The LFBA does not field U8 teams for several reasons. First, north suburban Illinois baseball leagues do not sponsor a U8 level, leaving a U8 travel team to play at the 9-year old level or in tournaments at the U9 level. Communities, baseball associations and leagues have found that players 8 years of age and under are not developmentally and/or emotionally ready to play competitive baseball at the 9 year old level. For this reason, most communities choose not to offer a U8 level, leaving very little game playing options for the communities who do offer U8 teams. When does the season start? Teams typically will start practice the beginning of April. Depending on league participation, games may start anywhere between April and June. The season typically runs through the first week of August. Do they play/practice on weekends? Yes. What commitment is involved from the kids and their families? Participating in the LFBA program can be expected to involve games and/or practices 4-6 days per week from the time teams are determined through early August. By trying out, you and your child have indicated a commitment to this schedule. A lack of commitment or availability denies an opportunity to another player who is interested in playing travel baseball. Commitment also means giving 100% effort at practices and games. Your teammates and coach depend on your child to do his best, hustle, listen and learn. When and how do I register my child to play? Registration is normally held in February at Deer Path Middle School Cafeteria. There is a $10 registration fee if you register in advance or at the walk-in sign up. After the walk-in registration date, the registration fee is $20. Insurance information and parent signature is required. Kiddles Sporting Goods will be available for uniform fittings. Where does the registration fee go? Each participant receives a LFBA T-shirt at tryout, which becomes part of the LFBA Uniform. Whoops, I missed registration. What do I do now? Interested players can register up to the tryout date for that age division. Registration fee will be $20. A registration form can be downloaded from the LFBA website. Please fill out the information, sign the liability waiver and send it to the LFBA address, or bring it to the try-out, along with the $20 registration fee. When and where are the tryouts? Depending on the age, tryouts are held in March at the Lake Forest High School Field House. Check out the LFBA website calendar for dates and times. My child is a returning player. Does he/she have to go to tryouts? Yes, tryouts are held to allow all those interested an equal chance of making a team. If your child is not at the tryout, your child will forfeit the opportunity to be placed on a team. See the tryout schedule for the dates, times, and locations of the tryout. What happens at tryouts? At check-in, your child will receive a sticker with a number from the LFBA Age-Level Director. Your child should affix this sticker to the front of their shirt and keep it on for the duration of the tryout. Tryouts are anonymous and the only person knowing the identity of the child is the Age-Level Director. After initial comments and directions, players are cycled through the various stations. Players will be given turns fielding groundballs and fly balls, throwing (arm strength/accuracy), pitching (where applicable), timed base running and batting. When at the batting station, a pitching machine is used for consistency. Children can ask the official in charge to adjust the height of the pitch or simply adjust their placement in the batting box. Officials evaluate each player and assess a score from 0 to 5 for each skill. To maintain objectivity, the LFBA uses local high school baseball coaches and independent professionals to officiate the tryout sessions. At the completion of the try-out, the LFBA Director of Tryouts/Clinics will compile the results from each skill for each child and determine a composite score. The LFBA Director of Tryouts/Clinics will then share this information with and work with the Age-Level Director to form teams. Can Parents attend and watch the tryouts? No. The tryouts are closed sessions. What does my child need to bring for the tryout? Your child should bring their glove and bat, batting gloves are optional. Have your child dress in comfortable clothes, with no identifying names printed on them. Gym shoes should be worn in the field house. Some kids bring a drink – water or Gatorade please. What if my child can't be at the tryout? Please contact the director for your child’s age group to arrange a make-up time. For a list of Directors and contact information, see the Board of Directors list on this web site. How many teams are there in each age division? Typically, there are 2 teams per age division - a BLUE team (A level) and a GOLD team (B level). Each team can have somewhere between 11-13 rostered players. The number of teams in any division in any given year depends on interest. How are teams formed? After the tryout, players are ranked according to their composite score and team rosters are finalized by the Age-Level Director and the Director of Tryouts/Clinics. In some cases, the coach’s evaluation of the player from the previous season is factored into their score. The players with the highest composite scores are selected to play on the BLUE team and the next ranked players will be assigned to the GOLD team. How and when will my child find out if they made a team? Players will be notified by mail and/or email shortly after the tryouts. Who are the coaches? Almost all of the coaches are individuals or qualified parents who have played and coached baseball and are interested in working with kids to develop their skills and love of the game. They are paid professionals who work for the LFBA under an employment agreement. There is an application and interview process for coaches conducted by members of the LFBA Board of Directors. This selection process takes place in January-February for the following season. The LFBA takes great pride in retaining and hiring qualified coaches at all age levels. What equipment does my child need? A detailed list of uniform needs will be mailed home after teams are selected. Returning players will be required to purchase a new hat - other items need to be purchased as needed. Additionally players need a glove, bat, a protective cup and baseball cleats. The league supplies batting helmets, and catcher’s gear. What leagues do LFBA teams participate in? LFBA has teams participating in a number of Northern Illinois Leagues. 9 Blue, 10 Blue and all GOLD teams will participate in the North Shore Baseball League (June-July with playoffs in early August). 11 Blue, 12 Blue, 13 Blue and 14 Blue will participate in Mike’s Memorial/Lake County Baseball League (late April through early July) and/or possibly the Buffalo Grove Summer Classic (July). Depending on interest, teams may participate in additional leagues. Does my player need to sign up for Lake Forest Rec Center House League if they make a LFBA team? If the team you are assigned to is playing in the North Shore Baseball League (NSBA), participation in the hometown House League program is mandatory for ages 9-11. Upon making a team, your notification letter will let you know if you should sign up for House League Rec Baseball. How much playing time will my child receive? Depending on the league rules and age levels, playing time can vary. The LFBA makes no guarantee of playing time. This is often a difficult and frustrating situation for coaches, parents, and kids to adjust to. Some kids and parents may not be interested in participating if they aren’t guaranteed a maximum amount of playing time but coaches typically cannot give anyone any such guarantees. If you are planning on being away during the summer you should be honest and forthcoming with the LFBA age level director and/or coaches about your schedule so that everyone can come to some agreement about scheduling and playing. If your child is going to miss a number of practices and/or games, don't be surprised if his or her playing time is reduced upon return. If you believe that your child has not been given their fair share of playing time, check with the coach immediately. If this doesn't work contact the age director. Often, playing time is left to the team coach's discretion. How much does it cost to participate in Travel Baseball? Anticipated costs for the season vary depending on the age level and team. Fees for the 14 Blue, 14 Gold, 13 Blue, 12 Blue, and 11 Blue teams will be will approximately $700. Fees for all other teams will be approximately $500. A full uniform will cost approximately $125. For returning players, a new hat will be required. Other items need to be purchased as needed. What do the fees pay for? Season fees are used to pay coaches’ salaries, equipment/field upgrades, field use and preparation fees, umpires, LFBA clinics, league fees, tournaments, and LFBA administration (mailings, website maintenance/development, etc.). Can I get a refund if my player decides not to play? No refunds are given once a player has been assigned to a team and payment has been made. How often do teams practice and play games? You and your child can plan on having a combination of team practices and games 4-6 days per week throughout the season. Where are practices held and games played? LFBA uses a number of fields for practices and games in the Lake Forest area, including Deer Path, South Park, Northcroft and Everett/Malin fields. In addition, coaches may schedule practices at alternate sites based on field availability and weather conditions. Schedules and locations will be forthcoming after the teams are selected. Who maintains the fields? The Lake Forest Recreation Department mows and maintains all of the baseball fields in Lake Forest. Prior to games, the LF Rec Department prepares the infield and chalks baselines and batter’s box. Who umpires the games? Trained and paid umpires are used for LFBA games. LFBA maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ policy regarding abusive or inappropriate conduct toward umpires by players, managers, coaches, and spectators. What is the ratio of home to away games? About one-half of the games are home, while the other half are away. Travel is typically limited to the northern/northwest suburbs, however is dependent on the other teams participating in the league. Are there any night games? There is at least one LFBA home game per team that is scheduled under the lights! Away games may be scheduled at night as well. Will my child’s team be participating in tournaments? Tournaments are a very exciting part of baseball. Each LFBA team will participate in at least one tournament throughout the season - older kids may participate in more. A great deal of thought by the age director goes into the selection process of deciding what tournaments to register for. While many tournaments are local, some enjoyable, well-run tournament can be distant, requiring overnight stays. Tournament game schedules can be intense and demanding. You never know what the game schedule is going to be until the tournament approaches. Your team’s win/loss record often determines how long the tournament will last. How do I find directions for away games? For NSBL: Please consult the "Locations" page of the North Shore Baseball League website. For Lake County Baseball: An information packet containing park locations and driving directions will be distributed to all ballplayers. How can I find out if our game is rained out? Call your team parent or coach for rainout information. Please note that the decision to play or postpone a game may be decided by the umpires near game time when weather is questionable. Is the LFBA hosting a tournament? No. I would like to volunteer, how can I help? Team volunteers are always needed and welcomed. Available volunteer opportunities include:
If I have a concern or question about LFBA, whom may I contact? For all general inquiries, please contact the LFBA via this web site. A listing of the Board of Directors is available on the homepage of this website, with email links. You may also send snail mail to the LFBA Board of Directors at: LFBA 825 S. Waukegan Road PMB 155 Lake Forest, IL 60045 Can I make a tax-deductible contribution to the LFBA? The LFBA has been granted not-for-profit status by the IRS and welcomes donations from community families and businesses who wish to promote character growth and leadership in young people through athletics. For information about making a contribution, please contact any of the LFBA Board of Directors. If you have additional questions, contact a LFBA Board of Director or submit them via email. We look forward to hearing from you. Check this space periodically for additional answers to questions that have been submitted. |