Letter from the SVBL President
Dear SVBL Players, Parents, Families and Friends:
We welcome you to the 2010 Simi Valley Baseball League! We are excited you decided to join our league for this season. We have a lot of great events and memories in store for you this year.
This year marks our 32nd year in Simi Valley. It has been an honor to be a part of this great community for so long. Throughout the years, one thing has been consistent; the joys we get watching our youth play this beloved game and the personal growth that comes with it. We have seen many players grow into responsible adults. Many of the parents around the league played for SVBL as kids and are now coaching their children here. As always, the kids are paramount and are the focus of this league. We wouldn’t be here without them.
In the recent past, we have seen a tremendous amount of success here at SVBL. We are literally busting at the seams. We are looking for ways to accommodate the ever increasing demand to support more teams in the league. We are looking to improve on what many people have created over the years; such as electronic registration, restroom renovation, a flag pole, our website is new and improved along with other field accommodations that improve your experience with SVBL. If you get an opportunity, please visit our illustrious snack shack. This past season, several improvements were made in the snack shack including tri- tip sandwiches, an Icee machine and a variety of BBQ and sweet treats to satisfy those hunger pangs.
It goes without saying that SVBL have the best fields in Simi and maybe even the county. It doesn’t get any better than walking through our beautiful fields on a bright spring Saturday afternoon surrounded by hundreds of kids having the time of their life. This is what SVBL is all about.
SVBL is made up of volunteers, moms, dads, kids and grandparents all working together to make the league the success that it has become. This year, there are several new additions to the SVBL Board of Directors. We are working in unison to give you the best experience possible. It is our hope that you will find enjoyment as you participate in the 2010 season here at SVBL.
“Play Ball”
Scott Cuillard
SVBL President
WELCOME TO SVBL!!
Please take a moment to read this booklet as it contains general information about Simi Valley Baseball League and may help answer any questions you may have.
Simi Valley Baseball League Inc. (SVBL)
Simi Valley Baseball League is a non-profit youth baseball organization affiliated with Babe Ruth Baseball Inc. It provides a program of organized baseball with formal instruction and competition. It is overseen by an elected volunteer Board of Directors. The program is provided for nearly 1000 kids during the course of Spring and Fall seasons. In addition to the Spring and Fall seasons, the league also fields teams in several post season tournaments including the sanctioned Babe Ruth tournaments for all of our Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Divisions.
SVBL Boundaries
Our league is open to all players who are between the age of 4 and 18 living in the following boundaries: Top of the Conejo Grade going East including NewburyPark, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark. West of Fillmore on the 126 including Piru up to the Santa Clarita Valley. The Santa RosaValley (zip codes 93066 and 93012). And the San Fernando Valley North of Mulholland Drive including Burbank. Birthdays as of April 30. 2010.
SVBL Baseball Complex
The SVBL Baseball Complex is located at 3700 Royal Ave. (DarrahVolunteerPark) in Simi Valley, 93063. The fields are located between Sequoia and TapoCanyon. The league phone number is (805) 581-3378. The league’s website is svbl.org.
SVBL complex has dedicated fields for T-Ball/Coach Pitch, Farm, Minor/Major and Senior/HS Prep Divisions. The Senior/HS Prep divisions play on a full size field of 90’ bases and 60’6’ pitching mound. There is a fully operational Snack Shack open during all “regular scheduled” games.
League Age
It is important to know the player’s “League Age”. This is the age in which your player will be at as of April 30 of the NEW Spring Season. Whenever the term “League Age” is used during registration, tryouts or anywhere in the SVBL programs, it always refers to the player’s age as of April 30 of the given year.
SVBL’S Playing Divisions
Babe Ruth Pro Division (ages 15-18)
This division begins play in late May for about 10 weeks. Teams usually play on weekends only. The teams interlock with other teams from throughout the San Fernando Valley and the SouthBay areas. There is a post season tournament in the middle of July.
Babe Ruth Senior H.S. Prep Divisions (ages 13-15)
The Senior field will be divided up into 2 divisions. BOTH divisions will play on the 90’ bases and 60’6” pitching mound which is the same as high school and Major League Baseball. It is expected that most of the 13’s, some of the 14’s and a handful of 15’s will play in the Senior Division. Most all of the 15’s, many of the 14’s, and a handful of the 13 year olds will be drafted to the High School Prep Division. It is expected that this split of the ages will allow players of similar skill levels to get a chance to work on their skills over a competitive schedule of games during the Spring Season.
During Winterball, the division is split up with the (new to be) 13 year olds and many of the 14 year olds in one division and the upper level 14’s along with all of the 15 and 16 year olds playing in the High School Prep Division. This in order to get ready for high school tryouts which usually take place in the late fall season.
Cal Ripken Major Division (ages 10-12)
The Major Division is the premiere division for 12/under youth baseball. It is the division that ultimately competes for the World Series Championship that is played in Aberdeen, Maryland each summer. It is designed for the more experienced and skilled players and will contain many 11 and 12 year olds as well as a few select 10 year olds. This division plays on 70’ bases and a 50’ pitching mound with lead offs and regular base stealing. This division is for very highly skilled and motivated players. Any 10 to12 year old players NOT selected for the Major Division will play in the Minors.
Cal Ripken Minor Division (ages 9-12)
The Minor Division is used as a stepping stone to the Major Division. The Minor Division is competitive by containing ALL of the 11 and 12 year olds not selected to Majors and most all of the 10 year olds. Many of the upper level 9 year olds also play in the minors. Any 9 or 10 year olds not selected for Majors or Minors will automatically be in the Farm Division.
Cal Ripken Farm Division (ages 7-9)
This is a competitive division consisting of the balance of the few 10 year olds who are basically new to baseball and need help in all areas and many of the 9 year olds not selected by the Major or Minor divisions as well as all 8 year olds and those 7 year olds that tried out, with their parent’s permission, and were selected in the draft. The 3 divisions (Farm, Minors, & Majors) allow the players to work on their skills and move up in the ranks as their skills become better. Fundamentals, Sportsmanship and the love of the Great American Pastime are encouraged at all levels.
Cal Ripken Coach Pitch Division (ages 6-7)
This division is designed as a transition division for experienced 6 year olds and most all of the 7 year olds who do not yet want to go to the Farm Division. It continues the instructional theme of the T-ball Division but is at a slightly higher level of play with live ball hitting. There are no standings or scores kept for this division.
Cal Ripken T-ball Division (ages 4-6)
The primary objective of the T-ball division is to provide an environment in which 4, 5 and 6 year olds will have fun during the season and experience baseball at its most rudimentary level. This division is strictly instructional. There is no scorekeeping or standings kept and competitiveness is downplayed. This division stresses instruction, team work, fair play, sportsmanship, and FUN. Players are encouraged at all practices and games.
Team Parent Meeting
A meeting for all the Team Parents will be held in February. The meeting is to explain the duties of this very important position to those who volunteered to be the “Team Mom/Dad”. The Team Parent (OR THE TEAM MANAGER) of each team must attend this VERY IMPORTANTmeeting. The primary purposeof this position is to keep their team families aware of all of the league and team happenings, and to assist with their manager on administrative side of things so that their manager can focus on working with the children throughout the season. Printing of league information is needed from the team parent as well as being able to communicate to all their parents the league’s activities/events during the entire season from beginning to the end. Team Parent Chair is Tina Ortiz at (805) 791-9370
Field Work Parties
SVBLhasfield work party days where everyone is needed to come out and help with the fields to make them ready for Opening Day and season play. Field and facility preparation areVERY important to our league and the help of everyone is highly needed. This is a great opportunity for the players to show their support for the league and lend a helping hand. Parents, too, are role models for the children and being out there helping this non-profit organization really does make a statement for the children when they see their parents, team mates, friends, and otherslending a helping hand. This area of volunteering is so important to the beauty and playability of the fields.
There is a refundable $25 maintenance fee per family due when registering your player(s). Board Members only are waived from this deposit. After you have volunteered your 2 hours at the fields during one of our spring season scheduled field work parties, the fee will be refunded within a few weeks after completion of your duty. Your team parent and the league’s website will keep you informed as we near the work parties. Thank you for taking 2 hours or more of your busy schedule to help make “your fields” the VERY BEST in Simi Valley. We take pride in them!!!
Team Assignments
Team assignments are made in the best interest of providing reasonable, competition between teams in the same division. This is done in all divisions (except T-Ball and Coach Pitch) by means of tryouts which are followed by the managers of each division participating in a sequential player selection using the Draft Process. Drafts are conducted shortly after the 12/under tryouts starting with the Majors and then followed by the Minors and then the Farm. High School Prep and Senior Drafts are held after their tryouts also. Virtually all team assignments are for the duration of the player’s career until he/she moves up to a higher division by promotion or by reaching the maximum age for that division. If there is a problem like a serious conflict with the player and the team he is on, or the player cannot compete in the division he is drafted to, then the parent should contact the player agent for that division. Any player that declines to move up as a result of the draft will not be allowed to move up for the balance of the current season. Coach Pitch and T-ball teams are formed based on requests and random assignment.
Any player in the lower divisions are eligible to be drafted up to the respective upper division at any time during the season provided that the player tried out or has been on his/her lower division team for at least 10 days. The refusal of the player to move up will make the player ineligible for an appointment later in the season. Parents and players must understand that as skills develop, the possibility of the player playing at a higher level is a compliment to the player and should be one of their goals. The player agent for the divisions involved will notify everyone affected if the need arises. Specific draft rules are found in Babe Ruth rule book.
Tryouts
Carefully study the tryout schedule provided in this booklet and mark the appropriate date/time on your calendar. THERE WILL BE LIMITED REMINDERS OF WHEN TRYOUTS WILL BE HELD VIA THE LEAGUE’S WEBSITE. The player MUST make one of the tryout dates according to their “league age”.Players, league age 4-7, who will be playing in the T-ball or Coach Pitch Divisions do not attend any tryouts. ALL OTHER players must attend one of the tryout days UNLESS they are RETURNING Major or H.S. Prep Division players. Players who do not attend tryouts will not be drafted to a team until ALL players who tried out are selected. 10 to 12 year olds who DO NOT tryout are NOT eligible for the Major division draft. Lower division returning players who do not tryout WILL NOT automatically go back to their old team. They will be available to any team that wants them. Any special circumstances should be discussed with the player agent or Registration person prior to or during the tryouts.
Parents:To avoid any disappointments, please see that your player attends tryouts or make special arrangements. Tryouts are for the purpose of providing balanced teams as much as possible. All managers and coaches will attend the tryouts to evaluate the players and prioritize the preferences for their teams. Since the very beginning, SVBL has strived to have players play in the division that best fits their skills at that time. The primary basis for this is attending the tryouts. The player is given the opportunity to show his/her skills in hitting, throwing, fielding and base running.
Uniforms and Equipment
All players will be issued a team jersey with their last name and number on back and a hat which are theirs to keep. Players are responsible for their own baseball attire of baseball pants, undershirt (if desired by player and/or Manager), baseball belt, baseball socks, soft cup (TB & CP Divisions only), hard cup (Farm, Minors, Majors, Seniors, and H.S. Prep Divisions), and baseball cleats (no metal cleats in the 12 & under divisions). The league provides the Managers an equipment bag so that children can use the baseball equipment during practices and games. The bag consists of batting helmets, bats, and catcher’s equipment.
2nd Annual Thanksgiving Swing-Fest Tournament
In 2009, SVBL hosted the inaugural Thanksgiving Swing-FestTournament benefiting our 2010 Cooperstown team. The tournament was a nice compliment to the EoSC and featured divisions:8u through 15u. We look forward to continuing this charitable tradition in the fall of 2010.
Tryout Preparation and Schedule
What to bring to the tryout; Players do not have to wear a complete baseball uniform but should be prepared with their glove, baseball shoes (no metal spikes in 12under divisions), hard cup, and a hat. Bats and batting helmets will be provided but players may bring their own as desired. Parents are encouraged to come and watch the festivities. We cannot guarantee specific times or move players up in the process. We will try and adhere to the scheduled start times as much as possible. Saturday is usually the heaviest day so try to arrange the Sunday tryout if at all possible. Special circumstances should be discussed with the player agent. (See Board of Directors).
REMEMBER, if it is raining at your home doesn’t mean it is raining at the fields plus many hours and product has been put into the fields to helpabsorb the water. Tryouts will be held as scheduledunless cancellations are needed due to weather or an unforeseen event. You may call the league phone at (805) 581-3378 and svbl.org for updated field conditions at any time.
IF IN DOUBT,JUST SHOW UP.
***PLEASE NOTE NEW TRYOUT TIMES FOR 2010***
CAL RIPKEN (ages 12 and below) MANDATORY TRYOUTS:
CHOOSE ONE DATE TO ATTEND
January 9 & 10, January 16 & 17
LEAGUE AGE FIELD TIME LEAGUE AGE FIELD TIME
7/8 YR OLDS Farm 9am 9 Yr OLDS Major 1:30pm
10 YR OLDS Major 12 noon 11 YR OLDS Major 10:30am
12 YR OLDS Major 9am