Goals

1. Individual Skills

   1. Catch balls hit or thrown to them, this is the most important skill!  Catching is the skill that allows your child to protect themself from injury.

   2. Catching fly balls correctly.

   3. To throw with decent mechanics.

   4. To play first base in a safe way.  First basemen should catch balls thrown to them with their throwing side foot touching the inside side of the bag.  Touching the side of their foot to the inside side of the bag keeps their bodies out of the basepath and helps prevent collisions between the first baseman and the batter-runner.  Putting the throwing side foot in contact with the bag gives the first baseman the greatest range for reaching thrown balls.

   5. Batting, the mechanics of a good swing.

   6. Plate coverage, where to stand in relation to home plate when batting.

   7. Understanding each player's strike zone.

   8. Identifying where pitches were located in the strike zone grid.  For example, high and inside.

2. Team Skills

   1. Communication: calling for the ball.

   2. Backing up plays instead of scrumming around the ball.

   3. Communicating the number of outs before each play

   4. Communicating where critical plays may occur

3. Knowledge of the game

   1. How to run the bases.

   2. Where players start for each defensive position.

   3. Knowing where force out play are possible.

   4. Fly outs.

   5. Understanding simple double plays. For example 2nd to 1st or a caught fly ball to a runner who didn't tag up.

   6. Understanding which plays are best before each pitch.

   7. Understanding "tagging up" on fly balls.

   8. Keep the batting order

Time Frame

Spring Season

In addition or instead of the general outline above:

• Team assignment: your coach will contact you in late March or very early April to introduce themself and let  you know the team practice schedule.

• Practices:

  • Start early to mid March.  

  • We schedule three practices a week.  Two will be on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening from 6:00PM-7:00PM.  These will be the same night each week.  The third will be early or late Saturday morning.

• Games start late April.  Early in the season games will be on Saturday and one weeknight with a practice on the other weeknight.  Later in the seasson it may be necessary to schedule two weeknight games.

Fall Season

This season is for players rising from T-Ball to Rookie and returning players who will play Rookie the next Spring season.   The focus is on developing players for the Spring season.

FAQ

1. What night will we practice, my child has another activity on xxxday.  Teams practice on the same night each week.  If your child has another activity during the week you can let us know about the nights that work best in the "Special Requests" section on our registration page.  We will do our best to avoid conflicts.

2. Equipment You Must Provide

   1. Baseball Glove - Make sure it is NOT too big or stiff.  Young players need smaller, more flexible gloves, that allow them to comfortably hold their glove hand out, open and close the glove, and see around the glove.

   2. Shoes - Any regular pair of sneakers will do.  Cleats are not needed, but if you have cleats, they must be plastic, metal cleats are not allowed!

3. Equipment We Provide

   1. Team shirt and hat.  We do not require baseball pants at this level. If you do buy baseball pants, please get grey pants to everyone with baseball pants match.  The shirts and hats will arrive before the first game.

4. My child has played several seasons of Rookie, can he move up to Minors?   Please email registration@pineforge.org with your child's name, and last coach.  We will contact the coaches who know your players skill level and will let you know our recommendation.  It's not unusual for a player with several seasons to advance.

Goals

We are looking to reinforce the skills and knowledge from Softball 8U with 

1. Individual Skills

   1. Pitching mechanics.

   2. Play behind the plate for catchers.

   3. Identifying where pitches were located in the strike zone grid and evaluating which zone they hit best.

   4. Strategies for batting.

   5. Bunting.

   6. Stealing bases.

   7. Sliding into bases.

2. Team Skills

   1. Communicating the number of outs before each play.

   2. Communicating where critical plays may occur.

   3. Relay plays.

   4. Defending against stealing.

   5. Picking off runners.

3. Understanding the game

   1. Understanding "tagging up" on fly balls.

   2. Knowing where force out play are possible.

   3. Understanding which plays are best before each pitch.

Time Frame

Spring Season  - March through mid June

• Team assignment is by draft.  If your player is new to the division you will be contacted with a date and time for a skills evaluation event in March.  Immediately after the skills evaluation the coaches will draft players.  If your play can not attend, or misses, the evaluation, their name will be placed in a "hat".  Each coach is given the opportunity to draft a specific player from the players at the evaluation, or to pick a random player from the "hat".  Players returning to the same division as the prior spring do not need to come to the evaluation.

• Practices:

  • We offer weekly indoor skill sessions from late January - early February though March.  Check our website for details.  We encourage all Rookie age players to come out and get ready for the upcoming season.

  • Team practices start early April.  

  • We schedule three practices a week.  Two will be on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening from 6:00PM-7:00PM.  These will be the same night each week.  The third will be early or late Saturday morning.

• Games start late April.  Early in the season games will be on Saturday and one weeknight with a practice on the other weeknight.  Later in the seasson it may be necessary to schedule two weeknight games.

Tournament Team

We offer tournament play for those players looking for more playing time and a chance to compete at a higher level. 

At the beginning of team practices each coach will announce the date for our tournament team tryout.  We will select a team upto 15 players with the possibility for alternate players. 

Tournament team practices will be held Sunday afternoons throughout the season and continue through July.

Fall

This season is for players rising from Rookie to Minors and returning players who will play Minors the next Spring season.

FAQ

1. What night will we practice, my child has another activity on xxxday.  You let us know about the nights that work best in the "Special Requests" section on our registration page.  While we will do our best to avoid conflicts the players team is determined by draft.

2. Equipment You Must Provide

   1. Baseball Glove.

   2. Shoes -Cleats are recommended at this level, they must be plastic. Metal cleats are not allowed!

   3. Grey baseball pants.

3. Equipment We Provide

   1. Team shirt and hat.  We require baseball pants at this level. Please get grey pants to everyone with baseball pants match.

   2. Batting helmets.  Each team has enough helmets for all base runners and the batter. If you want to get a baseball helmet please make sure it fits your child well.

   3. Bats, each team has a selection of age appropriate bats.  If you are thinking about getting your child a bat please click here for more information on how to pick an appropriate bat for young children.  We recommend using the team bats for a couple practices to see which size works best for your player.  Remember young children grow quickly, but they don't put a lot of wear and tear on their equipment. Since they may out grow a bat in a year or two, so it might be a good idea to check with friends who have older players who may have out grown their equipment.

   4. Catcher's gear.  Each team will have at least one complete set of catcher's gear.  We rotate children through all nine fielding positions, based on each players ability, so there is no dedicated catcher on the team. Children grow very quickly, so we recommend waiting before buying this equipment.

Goals

We are looking to reinforce the skills and knowledge from Softball 10U with additional focus on:

1. Individual Skills

   1. Pitching mechanics.

   2. Play behind the plate for catchers.

   3. Identifying where pitches were located in the strike zone grid and evaluating which zone they hit best.

   4. Strategies for batting.

   5. Bunting.

   6. Stealing bases.

   7. Sliding into bases.

2. Team Skills

   1. Communicating where critical plays may occur.

   2. Relay plays.

   3. Defending against stealing.

   4. Picking off runners by both the catcher and the pitcher.

3. Understanding the game

   1. Understanding the "infield fly rule" on fly balls.

   2. Situational baseball. For example close game, ahead with 2 outs with a runner on 3rd.

   3. Understanding which plays are best before each pitch.

Time Frame

Spring Season  - April through mid June

• Team assignment is by draft.  If your player is new to the division you will be contacted with a date and time for a skills evaluation event in March.  Immediately after the skills evaluation the coaches will draft players.  If your play can not attend, or misses, the evaluation, their name will be placed in a "hat".  Each coach is given the opportunity to draft a specific player from the players at the evaluation, or to pick a random player from the "hat".  Players returning to the same division as the prior spring do not need to come to the evaluation.

• Practices:

  • We offer weekly indoor skill sessions from late January - early February though March.  Check our website for details.  We encourage all Rookie age players to come out and get ready for the upcoming season.

  • Team practices start early April.  

  • We schedule three practices a week.  Two will be on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening from 6:00PM-7:00PM.  These will be the same night each week.  The third will be early or late Saturday morning.

• Games start late April.  Early in the season games will be on Saturday and one weeknight with a practice on the other weeknight.  Later in the seasson it may be necessary to schedule two weeknight games.

Tournament Team

We offer tournament play for those players looking for more playing time and a chance to compete at a higher level. 

At the beginning of team practices each coach will announce the date for our tournament team tryout.  We will select a team upto 15 players with the possibility for alternate players. 

Tournament team practices will be held Sunday afternoons throughout the season and continue through July.

Fall

This season is for players rising from Minors to Majors and returning players who will play Majors the next Spring season.

FAQ

1. What night will we practice, my child has another activity on xxxday.  You let us know about the nights that work best in the "Special Requests" section on our registration page.  While we will do our best to avoid conflicts the players team is determined by draft.

2. Equipment You Must Provide

   1. Baseball Glove.

   2. Shoes -Cleats are recommended at this level, they must be plastic. Metal cleats are not allowed!

   3. Grey baseball pants.

3. Equipment We Provide

   1. Team shirt and hat.  We require baseball pants at this level. Please get grey pants to everyone with baseball pants match.

   2. Batting helmets.  Each team has enough helmets for all base runners and the batter. If you want to get a baseball helmet please make sure it fits your child well.

   3. Bats, each team has a selection of age appropriate bats.  If you are thinking about getting your child a bat please click here for more information on how to pick an appropriate bat for young children.  We recommend using the team bats for a couple practices to see which size works best for your player.  Remember young children grow quickly, but they don't put a lot of wear and tear on their equipment. Since they may out grow a bat in a year or two, so it might be a good idea to check with friends who have older players who may have out grown their equipment.

   4. Catcher's gear.  Each team will have at least one complete set of catcher's gear.  We start using just the players interested in catching as catchers. based on each players ability and desire. If you child has enjoyed catching in Minors and wants to develop this specialized skill, you might consider getting catching gear, but talk to your coach and our Junior Babe Ruth coaches about their thoughts on appropriate equipment.

Goals

We are looking to reinforce the skills and knowledge from Softball 12U with additional focus on:

1. Individual Skills

   1. Pitching mechanics, including picking off base runners and understanding the balk rules.

   2. Play behind the plate for catchers and understanding the balk rules for catchers.

   3. Identifying where pitches were located in the strike zone grid and evaluating which zone they hit best.

   4. Strategies for batting.

   5. Bunting.

   6. Stealing bases.

2. Team Skills

   1. Communicating where critical plays may occur.

   2. Relay plays.

   3. Defending against stealing.

   4. Picking off runners by both the catcher and the pitcher.

3. Understanding the game

   1. More situational baseball. For example close game, ahead with 2 outs with a runner on 3rd.

   2. Understanding which plays are best before each pitch.

Time Frame

Spring Season  - April through mid July

• Team assignment is by draft.  Players will practice together and be evaluated by the coaching staff for team placement.  We are looking to find the team which will provide the most playing time for each player.  Players develop by playing, not sitting on the bench.

• Practices:

  • Players who make their school team should consult with the coaches about their school practice/game schedule so our coaches can plan for their absences. 

  • We offer weekly indoor skill sessions from late January - early February though March.  Check our website for details.  We encourage all Rookie age players to come out and get ready for the upcoming season.

  • Team practices start early April.  

  • We schedule three practices a week.

• Games start late May, after the school season.  There are usually 3 or 4 games/practices a week.

• The regular season ends late June/early July.

• League tournament is held just after the regular season.

Tournament Team

We put teams into the Babe Ruth Tournament Trail, and the team may participate in other local tournaments.

Fall

This season is for players rising from Majors to Junior Babe Ruth and returning players who will play Junior Babe Ruth the next Spring season.

FAQ

1. What night will we practice, my child has another activity on xxxday.  You let us know about the nights that work best in the "Special Requests" section on our registration page.  While we will do our best to avoid conflicts the players team is determined by draft.

2. Equipment You Must Provide

   1. Baseball Glove.

   2. Shoes -Cleats are recommended at this level, they must be plastic. Metal cleats are not allowed!

   3. Grey baseball pants.

3. Equipment We Provide

   1. Team shirt and hat.  We require baseball pants at this level. Please get grey pants to everyone with baseball pants match.

   2. Batting helmets.  Each team has enough helmets for all base runners and the batter. If you want to get a baseball helmet please make sure it fits your child well.

   3. Bats, each team has a selection of age appropriate bats.  If you are thinking about getting your child a bat please click here for more information on how to pick an appropriate bat for young children.  We recommend using the team bats for a couple practices to see which size works best for your player.  Remember young children grow quickly, but they don't put a lot of wear and tear on their equipment. Since they may out grow a bat in a year or two, so it might be a good idea to check with friends who have older players who may have out grown their equipment.

   4. Catcher's gear.  Each team will have at least one complete set of catcher's gear.  Catching is now a special position so catchers should consider getting catching gear, but talk to your coach about their thoughts on appropriate equipment.

At this time there are no local leagues for this age group, so we will practice and train for playing in local softball tournaments.

Goals

We are looking to reinforce the skills and knowledge from Junior Babe Ruth with additional focus on:

1. Individual Skills

   1. Pitching mechanics, including picking off base runners and understanding the balk rules.

   2. Play behind the plate for catchers and understanding the balk rules for catchers.

   3. Identifying where pitches were located in the strike zone grid and evaluating which zone they hit best.

   4. Strategies for batting.

   5. Bunting.

   6. Stealing bases.

2. Team Skills

   1. Communicating where critical plays may occur.

   2. Relay plays.

   3. Defending against stealing.

   4. Picking off runners by both the catcher and the pitcher.

3. Understanding the game

   1. More situational baseball. For example close game, ahead with 2 outs with a runner on 3rd.

   2. Understanding which plays are best before each pitch.

Time Frame

Spring Season  - April through mid July

• Team assignment is by draft.  Players will practice together and be evaluated by the coaching staff for team placement.  We are looking to find the team which will provide the most playing time for each player.  Players develop by playing, not sitting on the bench.

• Practices:

  • Players who make their school team should consult with the coaches about their school practice/game schedule so our coaches can plan for their absences. 

  • We offer weekly indoor skill sessions from late January - early February though March.  Check our website for details.  We encourage all Rookie age players to come out and get ready for the upcoming season.

  • Team practices start early April.  

  • We schedule three practices a week.

• Games start late May, after the school season.  There are usually 3 or 4 games/practices a week.

• The regular season ends late June/early July.

• League tournament is held just after the regular season.

Tournament Team

We put teams into the Babe Ruth Tournament Trail, and the team may participate in other local tournaments.

Fall

This season is for players rising from Junior Babe Ruth and returning players who will play Senior Babe Ruth the next Spring season.

FAQ

1. What night will we practice, my child has another activity on xxxday.  You let us know about the nights that work best in the "Special Requests" section on our registration page.  While we will do our best to avoid conflicts the players team is determined by draft.

2. Equipment You Must Provide

   1. Baseball Glove.

   2. Shoes -Cleats are recommended at this level, they must be plastic. Metal cleats are not allowed!

   3. Grey baseball pants.

3. Equipment We Provide

   1. Team shirt and hat.  We require baseball pants at this level. Please get grey pants to everyone with baseball pants match.

   2. Batting helmets.  Each team has enough helmets for all base runners and the batter. If you want to get a baseball helmet please make sure it fits your child well.

   3. Bats, each team has a selection of age appropriate bats.  If you are thinking about getting your child a bat please click here for more information on how to pick an appropriate bat for young children.  We recommend using the team bats for a couple practices to see which size works best for your player.  Remember young children grow quickly, but they don't put a lot of wear and tear on their equipment. Since they may out grow a bat in a year or two, so it might be a good idea to check with friends who have older players who may have out grown their equipment.

   4. Catcher's gear.  Each team will have at least one complete set of catcher's gear.  Catching is now a special position so catchers should consider getting catching gear, but talk to your coach about their thoughts on appropriate equipment.