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Wednesday, November 28 West Raleigh Baseball and Softball Programs
If you are interested in learning more about West Raleigh programs, please Click Here to e-mail the Operations Manager. The spring season begins with practices in early March, with games beginning in April and ending in mid-June. The spring program, consisting of over 40 teams, is designed to offer competitive league play. The leagues include: Minor League coach pitch (6-8 yrs.), National and American Leagues(9-12 yrs.), and Junior League (13-14 yrs.). The American League is divided into a 9/10 year old division and an 11/12 year old division, while the National League contains highly skilled players from ages 9-12. In addition, age-group specific teams of players compete against teams outside West Raleigh on Sunday afternoons in Select League play. Beginning with Spring 2007, West Raleigh also offers Girls 12-and-under softball, which features increasingly competitive play. Softball league play may be supplemented with play against other local teams or leagues as opportunities present in order to provide variety and area-wide competition. Highly skilled All-Star teams representing West Raleigh play in tournaments during June, July and August. The spring baseball program is affiliated with both Tar Heel Leagues, Inc. and Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Baseball. All-Star teams play in Tar Heel League District and State tournaments, and the highest-skilled All Star teams in each age division compete in Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth tournaments at district, state, regional, and World Series levels. In addition to league, Select, and All Star play, West Raleigh has a Junior American Legion Baseball team affiliated with Athens Drive High School for players who meet eligibility requirements. Junior Legion play usually runs from late May through July. The fall program beginning in August and ending in mid October is comprised of at least 35 teams. The fall program is designed to provide a high level of instructional training, focusing on player skill development, and is intended to prepare players for spring baseball. The fall program includes a Minor League (Coach-pitch, 5-7 yrs.), Rookie League (Player-Pitch, 8-9 yrs.), Major League (10-11 yrs.) and Junior League(12-13 yrs.) as well as Girls Softball (8-11). In fall, we do not offer Select or post-season All Star play, but Girls Softball may include out-of-league games against other local leagues or travel teams. The Baseball Committee directs the West Raleigh Baseball Operations. The West Raleigh Exchange Club appoints the WRBA Directors, which reports to the Exchange Club's Board of Directors. The Baseball Committee is appointed annually, and oversees the entire program for both spring and fall seasons. The Chairman presides over the Baseball Committee, with members including: Baseball Operations Manager, the individual league Commissioners, league coach representatives, All Star and Select program Commissioners, Fundraising, and Web/Communications. Tuesday, January 10 West Raleigh Pitching Rules (Pitch Counts, and Elimination of 12U Curveballs) For several years, West Raleigh Baseball has been looking into the growing body of evidence that youth pitchers are placed at greater risk of injury and long-term arm impairment by over-use and by throwing curveballs at early ages. We have particularly considered research and recommendations by USA Baseball Medical & Safety Advisory Committee. West Raleigh Baseball is taking a leadership step in protecting the health of our youth players by making two significant changes in pitching rules. The American, National, and Junior Leagues in West Raleigh Baseball follow pitch count and minimum-rest rules rather than relying on traditional innings-pitched rules. A great deal of research has shown conclusively that innings-pitched rules are ineffective in reducing over-use injuries to young pitchers. Pitchers have been known to throw innings stretching over 50 pitches, even at West Raleigh where we have tried to prevent over-use. Pitch count and rest rules being implemented at West Raleigh are in accordance with the latest recommendations available for youth players. For details about the new pitching rules and how they are applied, see the individual league rules. In addition to implenting pitch counts, West Raleigh also eliminated the usage of the breaking ball - pitches in which the pitcher deliberately breaks his or her wrist in order to induce a forward or side-angled spin on the ball - in our Rookie 9/10, American and National Leagues. This decision follows guidance from leading researchers indicating that pitchers who throw curveballs at an early age - under 13 years old - experience significantly more injuries, shoulder and elbow pain than pitchers who do not. We strongly believe that one of our primary responsibilities is to ensure that our players can continue playing in good health as long as they wish - and eliminating the curveball from our younger age divisions is a strong step in that direction. As many of you may be aware, this issue was brought to national attention last fall during the Little League World Series...Little League officials were debating whether or not to implement this policy, and much of the debate centered around enforcement. What many people may not know is that our 12 and under Cal Ripken All Star team in 2005 followed this rule, self-imposed by the coaches. They did not throw a single curveball during All Star competition that ended with West Raleigh winning the Southeast Regional and advancing to the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland. This experience has convinced us that we can play good, competitive baseball and not risk the health of our players for the sake of winning. We have also communicated our rules to Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Baseball, and to Tarheel Leagues. At this time neither sanctioning body has adopted these measures, though both readily agree that our action is within their rules, and they are very supportive of our efforts to do this on a local level. West Raleigh Baseball recognizes that the elimination of pitches in which the pitcher intentionally "breaks the wrist" is a controversial subject....the most controversial aspect is probably enforcement. We at West Raleigh Baseball place good sportsmanship well ahead of competitiveness, this applies to this rule as well. We expect that parents, players and coaches will accept that there will be occasions when pitchers unintentionally break the wrist when throwing pitches - many young pitchers do "slide" their wrist as part of their natural throwing motion. Other pitchers can throw pitches that drop or slide without breaking the wrist (circle-changeups and two-seam fastballs can be mistaken for curves or sliders by the ball movement). Our coaches are being counseled in how to deal with these situations - and part of that counseling is that discussion of whether or not a pitcher is throwing "breaking balls" is NOT to take place during games or on the ballfield or in the stands. These matters will be resolved between the coaches and the league commissioners after the game. Arguments on the field over curveballs will be considered equivalent to arguing balls and strikes with an umpire, and will not be tolerated. We intend to work to reduce and remove usage of the curve ball, and do so in a fair and even-handed manner. We expect that coaches will NEVER ask or permit their pitchers in the affected age group to intentionally throw a curveball, and will assume that any that are thrown are unintentional. Coaches' ability to improve their pitchers' mechanics so as to reduce or eliminate curveballs over the course of the season will be a consideration for future coaching assignments. We do not expect that our efforts will be perfect, but we do expect that over time we will improve the health of our youth players. To read some of the research and recommendations on which West Raleigh Baseball is making these changes, please check out the attached handouts. Handout: Pitching / Injury Studies by USA Baseball Saturday, August 2 West Raleigh Baseball Web Policy West Raleigh Exchange Club believes that it is important to maintain effective communications among league officials, players, families, and the community at large. An important part of our communication strategy is our web site. We believe that an informative and attractive website helps us communicate within the league and helps us attract new players to West Raleigh Baseball. It can be used for online registration and payment of registration fees, and for signups for camps and clinics offered in conjunction with the league. In keeping with this mission, West Raleigh Baseball Association reserves the right, at its sole discretion to publish articles about teams, games, tournaments, and awards. In addition, West Raleigh Baseball Association reserves the right to publish and use photographic images of players and coaches, which may also show families or fans in attendance at the West Raleigh Complex. It should be noted that such photos may show players' last names and jersey numbers. By registering to play in West Raleigh Baseball, parents or guardians give permission for West Raleigh Baseball Association to publish or use such articles and/or photos without restriction. |
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