Erindale Lions Little League: T-Ball

Changes to the 2009 T-Ball Program:

After a lengthy review of the T-Ball and Rookie programs, the Board has decided to make a few modifications for the 2009 season.  A few years ago we extended our registration program to include 4 year olds and have since found that it has had a negative impact on the development of the 5 and 6 year olds that shared the same teams.  At that young age, children's skill levels vary too much and it was difficult for coaches (often new to the game themselves) to manage a whole team effectively.  Consequently for the 2009 season we will be running a once a week 4 year old instructional program (think Hockey IP) to help the younger players get better grasp of the fundamentals. 

For players that are 5 & 6 years old, we will be running a traditional instructional/competitive program.  The season will start out focusing on fundamentals and basic game play and progress into a fully competitive format by the end of the season.

Players that are 7 & 8 years old we be playing in a traditional Rookie ball format.  This will be a competitive level of play where players will be hitting from a pitching machine for the entire game.  This is a change from prior years where we had a blend of machine and live pitching and bring more in line with other surrounding baseball organizations.  As a result the Rookie ball program will follow the COBA rule set.  The main differences to prior years will be full pitching machine and no base stealing. 8 year old girls will play in the Mite softball program.

Players wanting to move up/down levels:

In addition to the changes mentioned, we are also going to be open to have players move a bit more freely into an appropriate level of play.  For example, strong 6 year olds will be able to play in the Rookie level or 7 year olds new to the game can play at the t-ball level.  Likewise, strong 4 year olds can play T-Ball, and strong 8 year olds can play Minor.  We want to ensure that all players have a great season and having them in the right level of play is key.  Players will be automatically slotted into a level based on age.  If you want to move them up or down, please contact the appropriate convenor for new level.  Players wanting to play up a level will be required to attend the appropriate try-outs in April.