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Sunday, March 8 Shetland Schedule 2009 -- at Tassajara Field
ECYB Shetland FAQ Welcome to the Shetland FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Hopefully you’ll be able to find the answer you are looking for, but if not, contact ECYB. The short description of the Shetland Division is: For players with no prior baseball experience and returning players who prefer to continue with a high introductory level of play. Players learn the fundamentals of baseball. Players use a softer than usual baseball and start the season by hitting from a Batting-Tee and end the season with Coach-pitch. The diamond is 50 feet, and flexible rules expedite play. Play consists of three innings in which all team members bat and play the field each inning. No game score or standings are kept. Each player receives a baseball jersey, hat and a certificate of participation. Important Events: Saturday, March 7 - Opening Day Parade Early March - Noon & 2:30 p.m.: Initial Shetland Practice & Play Sessions. Your player will receive a Shetland Uniform and Hat on Parade Day. T-shirts are royal blue and hats are 4 different colors, depending on the Shetland Team. Here is a brief summary of what is in store for Shetland Baseball: We will be dividing our total of 48 players into four PRACTICE GROUPS (called Group E, Group C, Group Y and Group B). Each Group will get a different colored hat this year. Every Saturday there will be two Shetland Sessions at Tassajara: one at Noon to 2:00 pm and a second at 2:30 to 4:30 pm. Each Shetland Session will include two of the Practice Groups, with Practice Groups rotated each weekend so that the player mix changes. Every player will either be in the Noon or 2:30 Session each Saturday, as the Groups rotate. Each Session will begin with 45 minutes to an hour of practice drills. The final hour of each session will play BASEBALL!. Shetland rules vary from other ECYB Division rules, as they are designed for largely non-competitive teaching of basic Baseball fundamentals. - Coaches will determine, on an ongoing basis, which players are best suited for Tee hitting, and which get Coach pitching, or a combination of the two.- There are no strike outs by batters. - All umpiring is done by the coaches on the field. - While plays are made to teach getting OUTS, There is not the same rules for 3 OUTS ending an inning. - Every attempt is made to get every player up to bat as many times as possible. - Batting line-ups include all players, with enough rotation to try and get every player a HOME RUN periodically.- In every season for Shetland we expect to be adjusting certain procedures and rules as we progress, in order to make this the best teaching environment possible. MOST IMPORTANT, WE ARE ALL GOING TO HAVE FUN!!! Equipment: Each player will receive a Shetland Uniform shirt and Hat. The only required equipment will be a Baseball Glove. Bats, helmets and other equipment will be provided. Cleats are allowed, but optional, as are Baseball pants, cups, sox, etc. It is recommended that Bats and other equipment not be purchased before consulting with coaches on what size and weight is appropriate. How, What, When, Where? How old does my child have to be to play baseball? Is my child ready to play baseball? How do I register my child and what does it cost? When does the season start? Where, when and how often are practices and games held? What equipment is required to play? What equipment is supplied by the league? Do the kids keep the team hat and shirt? Is there any additional fundraising required? Team Formation and Assignment Does my child need to tryout? How are teams assigned? How many kids are on a Shetland team? Can my child request a friend to play on the same team? Are there girls playing in Shetland? Will my child be able to play with kids from the same school? Can I enter/form my own team with all my child’s friends? I’m interested in coaching, what should I do? What opportunities are there for parents to assist the coaches during the season? What are the special rules for Shetland division? Answers How old does my child have to be to play baseball? Children have to be 5 years old by April 30, 2009 in order to play in ECYB PONY Baseball. Most of the participants are actually 6 years old by this date and the median grade is kindergarten. We may have some preschoolers play and this is a parental choice based on the child's desire to play sports and their physical and emotional maturity. Is my child ready to play baseball? The median grade for kids in the Shetland Division is kindergarten, with most kids at 6 or turning 6 years old during the season. There are no try-outs for Shetland kids and we assume no prior baseball knowledge. The Shetland Division is designed for absolute beginners through a single season of age-adjusted beginning baseball. Most 5 and 6 year-old kids can figure out quickly the fun of hitting a ball but most cannot play a sustained game of catch and very few know much about the game rules. The practices will emphasize throwing, hitting, fielding and game knowledge, but performance expectations are in line with the age/ability of the kids. The goal is to provide a fun, positive sports experience in a safe environment. If you have a preschooler considering Shetland baseball, please evaluate whether they possess the physical and emotional maturity to be in a learning environment that requires some level of attention span and receptiveness to a team play. For most children, baseball is their first team sport and we are particularly interested in the experience being a positive one. At this age, children change tremendously over a year in physical and emotional maturity and waiting a year to start a child in baseball can have a huge effect on their experience. Whether they start at five or six there is plenty of time to develop before the pro scouts start attending the games. How do I register my child and what does it cost? Registration forms are available on line at www.ecyb.org, at the El Cerrito Community Center, or you may request forms by calling ECYB at (510) 215-2939. Shetland players must submit a photocopy of the child's birth certificate, passport, or other age-verifying document to the league, again per the instructions in the registration information. The Shetland registration fee is $95.00 for 2007. If you are not a resident of El Cerrito, you must also submit an additional $15 non-resident fee. This is our first year doing Shetland and we don’t know how many children to expect. Fields are limited and so we strongly encourage you to register early. When does the season start? Practices begin in February. Opening Day is the first Saturday of March and the first Shetland games begin the following weekend and runs through the weekend preceeding Memorial Day weekend. For other important dates, please check the ECYB website. Where, when and how often are practices and games held? Games and practices will be combined and will be held on Saturdays or Sundays as scheduling permits. Before the start of each game, players will do some warmup exercises followed by drills in catching, throwing, running and batting. The drills are practiced at various stations which will be run by parent volunteers who will receive training conduct those specific drills. Players will be placed into groups and will rotate through each of the four drills which are 20 minutes each. After the drills, the players will take a short snack break and then be split into teams and play a game. Games do not begin until after Opening Day and ends on the weekend before Memorial Day. In the event of rain, practices and games will not be rescheduled. What equipment is required to play? The only baseball equipment required is a baseball glove. The glove should be leather (avoid plastic) and should be small, commensurate with the small hands of a 5/6 year old. Please ask for assistance in getting the correct size if this is the first time a glove is being purchased. Baseball shoes (cleats) are not required. If cleats are worn, plastic only. If your child has soccer cleats, they are acceptable for use in the Shetland League. The league distributes the hats and a uniform. What equipment is supplied by the league? The league gives each team an equipment bag containing baseballs, bats, helmets, a Tee, and some practice bases. A hat and team T-shirt are provided and the kids keep these at the end of the season. Do the kids keep the team hat and shirt? Yes, at the end of the season, the kids keep the hats and shirts. Is there any additional fundraising required? Yes, ECYB participates in various fundraisers. Picture Day raises money for ECYB as does the A’s fundraiser and Golf Tournament. Please see the ECYB website for details about those events. Does my child need to tryout? There are no try-outs for Shetland kids and we assume no prior baseball knowledge. Shetland is an introductory level and the games are skewed toward fun, player participation and success. How are teams assigned? At the end of the practice drills, teams will be formed based on the age, skill level and number of players present. Teams will have no more than 15 players per team and the composition of the teams will change each week. How many kids are on a Shetland team? We start with a goal of 12 kids per team, and then build as many teams as we can, up to the number of head coaches that have volunteered by the time teams are assigned. If there are not enough parents volunteer to coach, teams may have to go up to 15 players. Can my child request a friend to play on the same team? No. Teams are formed and reformed each week giving players a chance to play with a variety of Shetland players. Are there girls playing Shetland? Yes, both girls and boys are welcome in ECYB. Will my child be able to play with kids from the same school? Yes. As long as other children from your child’s school are enrolled, there will be plenty of opportunities for them to be on the same team. Can I enter/form my own team with all my child’s friends? No. I’m interested in coaching, what should I do? When filling out the registration form, the first step is to check the “Head Coach” or “Assistant Coach” box in the volunteer section. Coaching at the Shetland level is quite fun and it is a great way for you to participate in your child’s sports experience. It definitely helps to “know baseball”, but knowing how to work with 5-6 year olds is equally important. We offer training for coaches and assistance with planning materials. Recruiting coaches at the Shetland level is one of the largest tasks of the Shetland Division President as most parents are just starting their youth sports experience. Many parents doubt their ability to coach, but most who volunteer find the experience rewarding and return as coaches the following year. Our desire is to get one head coach for each team and a minimum of two assistants for each drill station. If you would like additional information or have questions, please contact ECYB What opportunities are there for parents to assist the coaches during the season? The success of the Shetland division is related to the commitment of our parent volunteers. The Shetland division needs parents to help organize and conduct drills, prepare fields before each game, clean up after games and snacks, organize a snack schedule, distribute league materials and organize the end of year party. Enclosed with your registration application is a list of volunteer opportunities that are available. Volunteer participation is required as a condition of membership to ECYB. Also, parent volunteers are required to help out at each game. Examples of some of the duties include, but are not limited to the following: assisting with Tee management, coaching bases and the very important job of “bench manager.” The bench manager keeps the kids queued-up and the game flowing when your team is at bat. By having a “system” in place, the kids stay in tune with the game more, the risk of injury due to shenanigans is reduced and the games move at a much faster pace. The head coach will request your assistance in some way and most of the time, it will mean being involved in a game or practice and no preparation is necessary. The kids respond extremely positively to having their parents involved. In addition to the volunteer jobs required at the Shetland level, there are many additional opportunities for league level jobs. Please visit our website for a list and description of all the volunteer needs of ECYB. What are the special rules for Shetland division? • Each game shall consist of a maximum of three innings or 1 hour whichever comes first. A half inning is complete when everyone on a team has batted once. The last player up in a half-inning hits a home run. The team in the field should wait for the last batter (during his home run sprint) to touch home plate before exiting the field. • No outs are recorded, but if a batter or runner is out via a put out, a force out, or a caught fly ball, the batter/runner is retired. This reinforces the defensive concept of trying to get base runners out and keeps the defense interested in the game. Put outs from a runner failing to tag up on a caught fly ball are not called – the runner returns to their original base (no quadruple-plays). • Any hit ball traveling less than 10 feet in front of the plate is considered foul. This is a safety consideration to avoid collisions at the plate. No bunting. • No extra bases on overthrows to any base. No sliding is allowed. • Kids must have a helmet on their head before being handed a bat. When a team is batting, only one player may be outside the dugout area; there is no “on-deck” batter. • Batters are allowed a total of 6 pitches when using a combination of coach pitch and pitching off a Tee. If a batter chooses to use the Tee, the then batter will be limited to 3 pitches. |
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