Frequently Asked Questions
I'd like to have a rough estimate of how much of a time commitment. Can you give me a little more information?
The program from the 5&6 year old instructional league (tee ball) is very structured (see question 2). As a guideline, coaches generally start with 2 practices a week. They will generally do them on the weekends at the start because it still gets dark early. That will last about 4 weeks, then some will shift to about 1 practice a week during the season. A lot of coaches then shift to weekday, but some like to stay early on Saturday's. During this time there are about 2 games a week. Some coaches like to keep going with a couple of practices every week, while still others will stop practices all together when the season starts. The schedule of games will be on any given weekday throughout the season and you can count on weekend games for make ups.
A lot depends upon the weather, the team, the age group, the league, the coach, and the availability of the fields.
Can you give me some details about the 5 & 6 year old program?
A. The CYB Instructional League is organized to teach boys and girls the basic skills and rules of baseball/softball. The sessions are held on 8 consecutive Saturday mornings from 9am - 11am beginning in late April. The first 45 minutes of the session is an instructional period where the coaches will work with your child on the fundamentals of the game. There are two teams assigned to each field. After this instructional period, the remainder of the time is used to play a game between the two teams. The game is very low key and in fact scores are not really kept. All games always end in a tie. In the Instructional League, the coaches pitch to the players. During the last couple of weeks of the season, the players are given the opportunity to pitch to the players. The Instructional division is broken down into baseball (boys and girls) and girls' softball.
What is a skill evaluation? Why is it done? What is it used for?
The skill evaluation is a quick overview of our young athletes. They are NOT try-outs for any team. The evaluation consists of the player and a member of the CYB Board of Directors throwing the ball to each other. During this exercise, the Director is rating the player on his or her level of skill, strength, and coordination. These player ratings are used by the Board of Directors when establishing teams. The intent is to maintain parity among the teams.
Does my child need to attend the skill evaluation?
We request that the following players attend the evaluations:
All new players ages 7 and 8 (Baseball)
All Softball players
What is the difference between a team manager and a coach?
In addition to coaching the team, the manager is responsible for the team equipment, team uniforms, scheduling practices, establishing the line up and player substitutions, and is the team point of contact with the Division Commissioner. The coaches take their direction from the team manager and may be asked to manage the team in his or her absence.
How can I become involved in managing, coaching or umpiring?
If you are interested in managing or coaching a team or you would like to become an umpire, please reach out to us using the contacts page.
The league determines what division my child will play in based on his or her age. What is the age cut-off date in the league?
For baseball, the cut-off date is April 30th. This means that as far as Cheshire Youth Baseball is concerned, your child's age is based on his or her age on April 30th of the current year. Your child must be at least 5 years old on or before April 30th and must not have reach his or her 17th birthday on April 30th (19th birthday for Legion players). For softball, the cutoff date is December 31st. For more information on eligibility rules, please visit our Registration Information page.
Is it true that the age cut off dates are changing?
Yes, it is true for baseball. In accordance to a change in the age differential dates being enacted nation-wide and across all of the leagues we participate. See here for more details: http://www.rybl.org/archives/2005/agecutoff.htm
When does the Cheshire Youth Baseball season begin and end?
When the CYB season begins and ends has a lot to do with which league your child plays in as well as the weather. The following chart can be used as a general guideline. Please note that all dates given are tentative and subject to change.
What is the difference between the Cheshire Reds and the in-town league?
The Cheshire Reds teams are competitive traveling teams. Players must try-out for a place on the team. The teams travel to other towns to play other competitive teams in area leagues. There is no guaranty of a certain amount of playing time for any player on a Reds team. The in-town program is less competitive and as the name suggests, the teams only play within the town of Cheshire. Try-outs are not necessary or even offered as any child who wishes to play in the in-town league can register and will be placed on a team. Minimum playing times for each player in the in-town league is mandated by the league.
My child wants to try-out for the Cheshire Reds. What happens if he or she is not selected for a Reds team?
If your child attends try-outs for a Cheshire Reds competitive team and is not selected for the team, he or she will be notified by the coach and will automatically be placed on a team in the in-town CYB league. The additional fee that you paid at registration will be refunded to you in April. If your child left an in-town team to try out for the Reds, every effort will be made to place him or her back with the same team. Please be aware that this may not always be possible.
Do I need to bring my child's birth certificate to registration?
If your child did not play in any of the Cheshire Youth Baseball leagues last year, we will need to see his or her birth certificate. We do not need to keep a copy; we only need to see it at registration. If you forget to bring it with you, we will ask that you mail us a copy prior to the beginning of the season.
