SYB Player Placement Process

Summary of League and Team Placement
Introduction
Southborough Youth Baseball / Softball (SYB) primarily bases league placement on a player's age.
Some exceptions are allowed for: school grade, Prior SYB Experience, and safety concerns. This FAQ
recaps the current policy and reiterates the Board’s position on some common questions.
League Placement Questions
Q – How many different baseball leagues does SYB offer?
There are seven primary baseball leagues, all of which are open to both boys and girls:
• Tee-Ball (primarily 5 and 6 year old players)
• Single A Baseball (primarily 7 and 8 year old players)
• Double AA Baseball (primarily 9 year old players)
• Triple AAA Baseball (primarily 10 year old players)
• Major League Baseball (primarily 11 and 12 year old players)
• Junior League Baseball (primarily 13 and 14 year old players)
• Senior League Baseball (primarily 15 and 16 year old players)
Q – What are the major criteria in determining what League / Level a child is placed in?
The primary determinant is the player’s age as of Little League International’s April 30th national
cutoff date. Under certain circumstances, SYB allows a player to move up one age group. With
only minor year-over-year adjustments, these policies have now been in place since the 2006
Spring Season.
• Exceptions are allowed for reasons including: school grade, Prior SYB Experience, and
safety concerns. These exceptions are highlighted and described in the “2008 Placement
Criteria” link on the SYB Website.
Q – Where are the policies on league placement defined?
Most league policies can be found through our website at www.southboroughbaseball.net. The
“What’s New” section contains the League Constitution and Manager’s Handbook – where the
details are found. The specific Placement Criteria are also excerpted into the “2008 Placement
Criteria” link at http://www.southboroughbaseball.net/whats_new.html
Q - Can My Child move up two age groups?
The Player Placement policies provide limited circumstances in which a player is moved up one
league level beyond his “natural age”. Players are not allowed to move two or more age groups.
Q – My Child is still learning the game. Can my child “Play Down” with a younger age group?
SYB will not force a player to play with a lower age group based upon ability. However, we will
respond to a parent concern or request. If a parent is concerned about their child’s relative
playing ability compared to his age / grade peers, they may request a “play down”, in which the
child is placed in a league one level lower than their “natural age” league. Please contact the
League Registrar or Player Agent via our website at www.southboroughbaseball.net.
(FAQ continued on next page)
SYB2008_FAQ_Placement.doc
2008 SYB Player Placement Process
Summary of League and Team Placement Decisions (continued)
Q – Why does SYB incorporate a Summer Team Evaluation in its league placement?
There is no perfect method for player evaluation that satisfies all coaches, parents, children, and
circumstances. There are reasonable and natural concerns relating to the timing, location,
frequency, scoring mechanism, and administration of any tryout / evaluation process.
Recognizing this constraint, SYB has attempted to design a process with the guiding principles of
transparency and consistency.
In 2005, SYB instituted a league-wide open evaluation for choosing its summer baseball teams.
• This mid-June event selects players for all summer teams aged 8 through 15.
• It replaced an earlier non-tryout mechanism in which “all-star” teams were chosen based only
upon the judgment of individual coaches, league coordinator, and the summer team coach.
Since this is a league-wide process (open to all players) that involves independent evaluators
(coaches not affiliated with the age group being evaluated), it is our best means for SYB to obtain
a “fair and consistent” comparison of its players. Therefore, as documented in emails and web
posting communications from last May, SYB also uses it as a factor in league placement.
• SYB has only one league-wide evaluation per calendar year.
• Players may participate in the summer team evaluation even if they cannot commit to
participating in a summer team.
Q -- My Child Did Not Participate in Last Summer’s Evaluation / Tryout Day
We recognize that not every child who might be interested in a 2008 spring “play up” participated
in the 2007 summer evaluation day. However, the SYB Board feels that since the vast majority
of interested players are covered by this opportunity, league-wide evaluations are not required
more than once per year.
Q – If I am Coaching, can my younger child be “moved up” to play on my team?
No, the standard league qualification guidelines are used for these situations. Although this was
common practice five to ten years ago, SYB no longer allows players to “play up” based upon
their parent’s coaching status. This was deemed an unfair “insider advantage” that was discarded
in favor of a policy that can be consistently applied to all parents, whether or not they are
involved in helping to run the league.
Q – Can my younger child be “moved up” a league to play on the same team with a sibling?
No, the standard league qualification guidelines are used for these situations. Although this was
common practice five to ten years ago, SYB no longer allows players to “play up” merely based
upon having an older sibling.
Q -- My Child is Bored With / Not Challenged By the Level of Play at his age level
Players are not moved due to “boredom”; the standard league qualification guidelines are used for
these situations. A placement judgment based upon one player’s perspective cannot be
consistently and fairly applied to all 600 program registrants.
Q – I’m still not satisfied with my child’s league placement
If a parent or player is not satisfied with their placement or schedule, they can request and receive
a full refund or league credit anytime up through the first week of scheduled play for their league.
(FAQ continued on next page)
SYB2008_FAQ_Placement.doc
2008 SYB Player Placement Process
Summary of League and Team Placement Decisions (continued)
Team Placement Questions
Q – I would like to have my child assigned to avoid a particular coach or particular child
At all levels of play, SYB will strive to make the playing environment comfortable as possible –
while maintaining a consistent set of rules for all players. It is important that we receive feedback
on coaches (positive or negative). Confidential concerns regarding placement with a specific
coach or child can be forwarded to the league president or Player Agent. Contact information is
available at our website www.southboroughbaseball.net.
Q – What Days of the Week are the practices / games? Can we request specific days?
There is no pre-assigned practice or games dates used year-over-year. Games and practices can
be scheduled any day during the week – although weekday events will typically start no earlier
than 5:30 PM. The most common scheduling conflict concerns occur for potential Tee Ball /
youth soccer conflicts. The Southborough Soccer and Baseball programs have traditionally been
able to establish their schedules so there are no conflicts at this age group.
SYB cannot offer individual accommodation to only some parents. We understand that children
and parents have many other scheduling requirements. Therefore, our coaches are instructed to
treat players consistently and NOT impose unreasonable “penalties” for a child who misses
practices or games due to conflicts where the coach is given advance notice.
If a parent finds that a team’s schedule has too many conflicts, they may exercise the SYB refund
policy and obtain a full refund or credit any time prior to the second week of the season.
Q – Can my child be assigned with others from my neighborhood to simplify car-pooling?
No. Beginning with the Double AA program, specific pre-draft pairings with selected friends are
not allowed. We believe that the town sports experience is a good opportunity for children to
build relationships outside their existing social network.
Q – I would like my child placed on the same team (or a different team) than a sibling
If the siblings are eligible for the same league, parents will have the choice of whether to place
the children on the same or different teams. In general, SYB will assume that the parents want
the players placed on the same team. Please note that a sibling cannot be “moved up” a league if
their only qualification is that they have a sibling in a higher aged league.
Q – I would like my child placed with a certain friend or coach
Beginning with the Double AA program, specific pre-draft pairings with selected friends are not
allowed. Team coaches are assigned through a random “blind draft” in which the coach (and
their child) is randomly assigned to several equally balanced rosters.
Q – I would like my Daughter to be assigned to a team with other girls
Beginning with the Double AA program, specific pre-draft pairings with selected friends are not
allowed. Player placement policies for girls are consistent with those used for boys. Girls who
want more girl teammates are welcome to register for both baseball and softball.
Q – I’m still not satisfied with my child’s team placement
If a parent or player is not satisfied with their placement or schedule, they can request and receive
a full refund or league credit anytime up through the first week of scheduled play for their league.
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