WHAT IS SMYRNA BASEBALL LEAGUE?
Smyrna Baseball League (SBL) is a non-profit baseball organization that utilizes baseball as a way for players (and coaches) to learn valuable skills.
WHO RUNS SBL?
SBL depends entirely on the time and effort of volunteers. The league is managed by a Board of Directors that is elected annually. Parents, grandparents and friends serve on the Board and in all the other roles that are needed to make the League work. The quality of product the League provides is entirely dependent on the input of its volunteers, and everybody has something to contribute.
HOW IS SBL FUNDED?
SBL relies primarily on registration fees to pay expenses. The league has a small amount of sponsor income and fundraisers. Like all things in life, costs keep going up, and the SBL Board tries its best to keep registration fee increases to a minimum.
Smyrna Baseball League's primary areas of expense - uniforms, equipment and umpires. The Board is always watching for ways to control expenses without compromising the programs offered.
WHAT PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED??
3/4 T-Ball
T-Ball (age 3 and 4) is the entry level to the game of baseball for young players. Members of two teams take turns hitting a ball off a batting tee set on home plate. Batters try to get on base and advance to home. Fielders try to prevent that from happening. The elimination of pitching allows children to participate without the fear of being hit by a pitched ball. Tee ball develops the primary baseball skills of hitting, running, fielding and throwing. The players gain an understanding of the fundamental rules of baseball.
5/6 Coach Pitch
5/6 Coach Pitch (ages 5 and 6) is the transition division between t-ball and coach pitch. It also serves as an entry level to the game of baseball for young players. Members of two teams take turns hitting from Coach Pitch or off a batting tee set on home plate. Emphasis is made to try to hit the pitched ball over a ball placed on a tee. Batters get 6 pitches total, with a least 3 coming from the pitching coach. Batters try to get on base and advance to home. Fielders try to prevent that from happening, with a greater emphasis on throwing to the desired base rather than chasing the runner. 5/6 Coach Pitch develops the primary baseball skills of hitting, running, fielding and throwing. The players gain an understanding of the fundamental rules of baseball while gaining a step up in individual play.
7/8 Coach Pitch
7/8 Coach Pitch (ages 7 and 8) is a step up from the T-Ball or 5/6 Coach Pitch level of play. Played at a much faster pace, players must must learn to implement the basic fundamentals of baseball with less time to receive instruction from the coaches. Coaches must pitch from a pitchers circle that is further from the batter than in the previous division. This gives children the opportunity to learn to hit a pitched ball without fear of being hit. Batters get 6 pitches total without the option of a tee. Balls and strikes are not called, however a player may strike out swinging. The focus of 7/8 Coach Pitch is to learn the fundamentals of the game in a format that stresses learning the physical skills necessary to advance to the next level of play, 9/10 Kid Pitch.
9/10 Player Pitch
9/10 Player Pitch (ages 9 and 10) serves as an introduction into competitive baseball. This gives both the batters and the pitchers the first real opportunity to learn how to play the game in a competitive environment. At this level, the focus is on the continuation of learning the fundamentals of the game, including offensive and defensive positioning. Player pitching is introduced and there is a greater emphasis on learning the fundamentals of pitching and catching. 9/10 Player Pitch players are able to steal bases but not lead off.
11/12 Player Pitch
11/12 Player Pitch (ages 11 and 12) serves as a step up in competition. The focus is on the continuation of learning the fundamentals of the game, including offensive and defensive positioning. Player pitching is refined with a continued emphasis on learning the fundamentals of pitching and catching. 11/12 Player Pitch players are able to lead off and steal bases.
13/14 and 15/17 Player Pitch
13/14 and 15/17 Player Pitch (ages 13 to 17) is similar to 11/12 Player Pitch, at an older age level. Games are played on a larger field.
WHAT PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED??
SBL's has two seasons: Spring and Fall.
FALL
Registration for the Fall season usually starts in June and runs until late July, late sign ups August 4 space permitting.
The season will start in late August for all levels. The season ends in mid-November, with no postseason tournaments.
SPRING
Registration for the Spring season starts in October and runs until late February.
3/4 through 11/12 division will begin their season April 2nd. The season ends in late May, but there are postseason opportunities.
13/16 division will begin their season mid-May and end late-June, with postseason opportunities.
WHAT PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED??
Where will 3/4 T-Ball, 5/6, and 7/8 divisions play games? At Cedar Stone Park
Where will 9/10, 11/12, 13/14 and 15/17 divisions play games? At Todd Lane Park
What time do games start Monday thru Friday? Games begin on week nights at 5:30 pm. Wednesday games will only be played as rain out games are rescheduled.
Will my team play games on Wednesdays or Sundays? Wednesdays and Sundays are set aside for families and are only used to reschedule rain outs as needed.
What days will my team practice? Practice dates are given to coaches at the player draft. Practices times are 5:00 pm to ending as late as 8:00 pm depending on your Head Coach's discretion. Days – Monday through Saturday.
Where will my team practice? Practice locations are given to coaches at the player draft. Practices locations are located in multiple locations within the town of Smyrna. Each team will be assigned a field to practice according to age group and availability. SBL also offers dirt field practice times before the season starts but, due to the size of our league, will only be able to schedule two before the season starts.
Do I need to fill out a new volunteer application each season? Yes, Smyrna Baseball League requires a new application each season.
If I volunteer to coach, manage or be a team mom, do I need a background check? Yes. Anyone on the fields at any time with the kids must have completed a background check and have a valid NAYS certification.
Can I pick my Coach or Team I want to play on? During the registration process, there is a spot to mark whether your child is being protected by a specific Head Coach. Stating a coach's name here does NOT guarantee placement on that team, however, only the head coach can reserve the place on the team. If you have not been contacted by a head coach to confirm that your child is being protect, please leave this field blank. If you have a team preference, please state this in the Additional Notes field on the next page. This does not guarantee a place on that specific but does let us know that you have a preference.
We are always happy to answer any questions you may have. If you have a question or concern, please contact us and we will do our best to get a quick answer for you.