**If you are trying out for fall only there will be an additional tryout in June for those who are not able to attend the May 4^th tryout.

Greetings from the New Castle Baseball Association. 

We hope that everybody is getting excited for the upcoming NCBSA Rec Baseball and Softball Season. 

The following provides information relating to the town’s Summer and Fall Travel Baseball Programs.

Please direct any questions about this program to the directors whose contact information is listed below, or to Info@NCBSA.com.  Replying to the sender of  this email will delay a response.

This cover letter gives general information and the attachments will provide more detailed information relating to each age group, as well as a Commitment letter that we require each player to sign at the time of their respective tryouts. 

If you have an interest in summer travel baseball please read on, if not, see you on the fields playing Recreation Baseball and Softball shortly.   (Also please check the NCBSA website at ncbsa.com for regular Travel Baseball updates about fields and playing times and other pertinent information).  As stated above, one of the attachments is a Commitment letter that we require each player to sign at the time of their respective tryouts.  Please review prior to your season’s tryout.

Objectives of the Summer Program

• The primary objective is to provide the opportunity for qualified baseball players to participate in a competitive travel team program.  Travel teams generally play in the Westchester Putnam Baseball Association (WPBA), and also may participate in regional tournaments and other travel team leagues.
• When practicable, taking into account roster sizes and player capabilities, the NCBSA will seek to field additional teams to enable as many players as possible to play on a Summer travel team.

Additional Points:

• All travel teams will be formed to adhere to the WPBA age appropriate rules – i.e., the age a player becomes during the period of May1 to April 30.  No players can “play down”.  In special situations, an exception may be made for a player with advanced baseball skills to “play up” an age level.  Permission for playing up can only be granted by the NCBSA Summer Committee and will generally be limited to situations where there are open roster spots for the team at the next age level, thus allowing more players to participate in the Summer travel program.
• All Travel Baseball Players must actively participate in the New Castle Spring Recreation Baseball Program and attend substantially all scheduled recreation league games, unless unable to due to sickness or injury or other excused absence.
• Participation in the travel program requires player commitment for the entire summer season usually mid June through the first week in August.  This means player attendance at all games, including availability at the beginning and end of the season, unless due to sickness or injury or other excused absence (such as weddings and religious ceremonies).  In June, one game is scheduled each weekend.  In July three games are usually scheduled each week… two during the week, one on the weekend.  All rained out games must be played before the end of the season.  Once the season starts Travel baseball can be as much as a 5 or 6 day a week commitment.
• Most of the costs of each Summer travel team are paid directly by the team members.  These costs include league entry fees, umpire fees, uniform costs and, if applicable, costs of any paid trainers or non-parent paid coaches.  In addition, the costs for 12U Summer travel teams typically include the expenses of participating in the Cooperstown tournament mentioned below.

9s

• Children 9 and under are eligible to tryout.
• Priority will be given to 9 year olds.  WPBA rules limit the number of 8-years olds that can play on a team, and dictate that no 8-year old can take a roster position from a 9-year old.
• Any 8-year olds on a 9U team roster will most likely play at the 9U level again the following Summer.
• If practicable, the NCBSA will seek to form more than one team at this age level.  If there is more than one 9U team, players will be distributed among the teams to balance talent equally.
• Playing time and positioning are left to the coach’s discretion, with the only requirement at this age group that each player play in the field at least 2 consecutive innings and has at least 1 at bat each game.

10s

• If practicable, the NCBSA will seek to form more than one team at this age level.  If there is more than one 10U team, players will be distributed among the teams to balance talent equally.
• Playing time and positioning are left to the coach’s discretion, with the only requirement at this age group that each player play in the field at least 2 consecutive innings each game and has at least 1 at bat each game.

11s

• Depending on the number of kids that try out, the NCBSA will field as many teams at this age level as is practicable.
• If there is more than one 11U team, players will be allocated by talent and placed onto “A” and “B” teams.
• Playing time and positioning are left to the coach’s discretion, with the only requirement at this age group that each player play in the field at least 2 consecutive innings and has at least 1 at bat each game.

12s

• Depending on the number of kids that try out, the NCBSA will field as many teams at this age level as is practicable.
• If there is more than one 12U team, players will be allocated by talent and placed onto “A” and “B” teams.
• 12U Summer teams typically participate in a weeklong national tournament in Cooperstown.
• Playing time and positioning are left solely to the coach’s discretion, with there being no minimum playing time requirements for this age group.

Fall Baseball

• Fall baseball is an extension of the Summer Program and provides players with an opportunity to continue to play competitive baseball during the early Fall Season.
• Summer teams playing Fall baseball will retain their Summer rosters, with the exception of any players that do not desire to play Fall Baseball.
• Fall teams will be formed based on the same rules as Summer baseball.
• If additional players are needed to fill in Summer team rosters, open roster spots will be made available to Fall-only and other interested players who attended the travel team tryouts, based on their rankings in the tryouts.
• In certain circumstances where sufficient numbers of Fall-only players attend a tryout, a “Fall-only Team” may be formed (i.e., a team comprised solely of players who do not participate in the Summer program, but wish to play Fall baseball).
• The Fall season begins the first week in September and ends the third week in October.  Games are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays only. 

Details on Upcoming Season and Tryouts:

U9s and U10s:  In an effort to get the players better acclimated to the Travel Baseball environment with slightly different rules, we are going to have a pre-season period of practices.

For the 2008 Season, the 9s and 10s will have weekly practices on Sunday nights at 6 PM initially on Gedney Fields 1 (for 9s) and 3 (for 10s).  After May 9th, practice fields might be changed and will be listed on the ncbsa.com website.  The practices’ beginning will coincide with the Rec Season beginning and will continue through the whole season.  This is an opportunity for kids interested in the Summer travel program to get some extra practice in and to give the coaches a greater opportunity to familiarize themselves with all the kids.  While players are encouraged to attend, these sessions are not mandatory for making the Summer team, as there will be an official tryout for that.

For the first 4 or 5 weeks, the practices will be run by the expected summer coaches and assistant coaches.  On the May 4th practice we will have outside parties come in and engage in a one night tryout.  Their feedback along with coaches input of the practices will then be used to set up the teams.  Once the teams are selected, all participants will be notified and the Sunday night practices will continue until the Summer Travel season begins.

For the 2008 Season, the 11s, 12s and 13s & 14s tryouts will be conducted by instructors from Frozen Ropes. These tryouts will be held at Frozen Ropes new indoor facility in Elmsford.  Please see ncbsa.com website for address and directions to Frozen Ropes.  NEW Frozen Ropes facility is at: 

Frozen Ropes

300 Executive Blvd.

Elmsford, NY

914 993 6355

Saturday April 12th, 9 am to 12 noon… 11 year old age group.

Saturday April 12th, 1 pm to 4 pm… 13 and 14 year old age group.

Sunday April 13th, 1 pm to 4 pm… 12 year old age group.

The attachment for each age group contains more detailed information on your specific age.

Summary & Contact Information

The program is a lot of baseball but it has always been a great time for the kids.  Also while we are set with coaches for many of the age groups we are still looking for coaches and assistant coaches in the U9.  Coaching is a significant time commitment but it also proves to be very rewarding and a great bonding experience for the parent, their children and their children’s friends.  If you are interested in being a Coach or assistant coach for a U9 team please email David Katz, katz.baseball@matrixassetadvisors.com or call 914 980 0003.

If you have any questions on the Summer Program please call or email as follows:

U9s and U10s: 

David Katz  914 980 0003 or email at katz.baseball@matrixassetadvisors.com

Or

Peter Frankel 917 817 9669 or email at frankelpm@aol.com

U11, U12s

Lu Parziale  914 906 7173 or email at lparziale@hwwilson.com

As we get into the summer, we will send a similar email with information about the Fall Travel programs.

Look forward to seeing everybody on the fields.

Best regards.

David Katz

Lu Parziale

Peter Frankel