LET'S GET READY TO PLAY SOME TEE BALL!!

Greetings from your new commissioner:

Welcome everyone to the 2025 NYSA TBall season!  Let me take a quick moment to introduce myself and tell you my basic philosophy on how I plan to run this season.  My name is Michael Tucker; my wife and I have been in the Navarre area since 2014 when I was first assigned to Hurlburt Field and now more recently over at NAS Pensacola.  Our 3 children have all been born here and our oldest 2 have been involved in several sports through the NYSA.  For our part, my wife has coached soccer for 3 years and I have coached TBall and 8U.

My philosophy on 4U and 6U divisions:  These are intro years and these should be fun and centered on exposure to the basics.  In my opinion, these years will not make or break someone’s future MLB draft selection, but a negative early experience could end someone’s career before it ever really starts.  You all will pay the same fees; there is no try out to make a team-so everyone should get an equal chance to participate given they are putting forth the effort to come to/participate in practice and games.

First (and foremost): I NEED YOUR HELP.  The NYSA is all volunteer (the NYSA Board, all the commissioners, all the coaches,…all of us).  Want to coach? Want to be a part of the TBall committee? Want to be an Assistant Coach? Want to help run tryouts? Want help prep the field? Want to do most anything else? GREAT—reach out to me ASAP, the more volunteers we get, the better the season and experience is for everyone. Come one, come all! Please contact me via [email protected].

Basic Division Outline:

As the TBall commissioner, I run the 4U and 6U divisions.  So what are the differences?

The 4U is for 4 year olds only (both boys and girls.)  This is a developmental year for both our first year players….but also for you first year coaches.  

—What makes it different? Given this is everyone’s first year, we will provide coaches with a structured ~12 week practice guide that focuses on having fun to help keep everyone involved while having our players learn baseball basics “by accident” as a side product of a fun baseball experience.  Games will be ‘umpired’ by coaches and score will not be kept; there will not be a playoff or AllStar game at the end of the season.  

Parents and players can expect   a maximum of 2 events per week, each lasting 45-60 minutes.  The cost for 4U is reduced to $135.

6U (co-ed) is where we start to model the league to follow a baseball structure.  HOWEVER, it is expected that this will also be many players’ first introduction to the game.  So, there is no assumption or requirement for your player to have played in our 4U league before entering the 6U league.  The age cutoff will be for 5 and 6 year olds (it will be age based not school grade-level based). The time requirement will be 2-3 events per week, each lasting 60 minutes.  The cost for 6U is $165

I will be making some changes to how TBall has been traditionally run based on my above mentioned philosophy about equal chance to participate.  I view TBall as an introduction to the game and the fundamentals….winning is NOT one of my priorities when designing and structuring the league.  The reworked rule book will be posted prior to tryouts, but the basic changes are:

1: 3 outs do not end the inning—the entire batting order will get to bat.  After 3 outs, no further runs will be scored for that inning. 

—-why? Every effort will be made to balance the teams, however, should a team get an all star or two that can carry the team and get the opposition ‘3 up, 3 down’ multiple times, this reduces the playing opportunities for more junior teams to participate in the game/get at-bats.

2: The entire order will bat, however, each new inning the batting order will rotate (ie: first at bat will start with the top of the line up, but second inning will start with ~5th batter and run 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,1,2,3,4).  Then the 3rd at bat would start with the 10th batter).

—-why? Those normally at the bottom of the batting order often do not get the chance to learn base running as their at bat ends the inning as ‘last batter’ and the inning ends after their hit.

3: Positions will rotate each inning.  There will be an “A” set of positions and a “B” set of positions.  “A” positions will include the infield+the pitcher, “B” positions will include 4 outfielders+the catcher.  Players will not be allowed to play the same set of positions 2 innings in a row; they must alternate A, B, A, B, etc.

—-why? This division is designed to develop the overall player; not to specialize in developing one player as a first baseman.  Too often the younger player, or the ones later to develop ‘get stuck’ playing outfield or catcher all season and are not given opportunities to develop as a player across the season.

These rules will apply only to the regular season, during the post-season playoffs/tournament, these new rules will no longer apply. A fuller breakdown of these rules will be included in the rulebook to be published prior to tryouts.

For both divisions (4/6U) I am exploring/intending on moving the vast majority of the post-registration logistics of the league to the free app ‘GameChangers.’  In this app, rosters, team and league-wide communications, practice and game schedules, scoring (6U) and more will all be centrally aligned through this single app.  It is free to download and use as a user, so please consider downloading and familiarizing yourself with this app.  Emails and Facebook shall still be utilized and I will do my best to respond to the “[email protected]” as expeditiously as possible.

FAQs:

Do you offer scholarships?  Yes-if the registration fees or supplies are a potential hurdle, please reach out to me.  I will NOT guarantee a scholarship, but when warranted, we will do what we can.  The TBall divisions are all self funded, so your registration fees and fundraisers are vital to a successful season.

Can I get a refund? A large part of your fees go to purchasing uniform items, which we can not return.  So refunds are possible up until uniform items are purchased.

Can my player play another year down in 4U or play up into 6U? Maybe.  Priority will go to players who are registered into their age correct age bracket.  If registration is low or the numbers are a few short of filling out a final team, age waivers will be considered, but these decisions will be based on a lottery system after final registration is complete.

I can’t make practices on Tuesday (or a specific day) due to ‘insert reason,’ can I get on a team that practices on different days?  I cannot guarantee a deconflicted practice/game schedule.  Teams will be made prior to practice schedules being assigned and honoring multiple requests to change teams causes too great a difficulty for the league to get set and coaches to communicate build their teams.  

I was on Coach Doe’s team last year and my player really enjoyed playing for him, can I get on his team again?  It may happen by chance, but all coaches have equal opportunity at selecting their players in a draft.  For 6U, there will be a ‘tryout’ for all players where head and assistant coaches will be able to evaluate the skill level of the players.  Each coach will be allowed to ‘freeze’ (select prior to the draft) their own kid and 1 kid of their assistant coach (freezes will not be allowed for a player whose parent has not volunteered to coach).  After the tryout, coaches will pick their teams based on factors discussed at the coaches meeting.  But unless you volunteer to coach, there is no available to set your player on a team separate from the draft.  If your player is not frozen and cannot make the tryout, based on age/years of play, they will be randomly assigned to a coach/team.

I missed the registration window, is it too late to still sign up? Probably….many decisions about how big teams are or how many teams we needs (which drives the number of coaches we need or practice schedule etc) are driven based on registration.  Adjusting those numbers noticeably after our numbers are ‘set’ may not be feasible and therefore will most likely not be honored.

I tried to register but got put on a waiting list saying the league is full, is that accurate?  Likely.  In order to ensure teams do not swell too large, we have to cap the teams around 12-13.  From there, given the number of fields available to use and the hours useable to practice in a given week, we are limited to the total number of teams we can have combined of 4U and 6U.  The league filled up last year and given the success of 4U last year and those players moving up to 6U, it is possible (likely) that the league will fill up prior to the end of the registration period….so please consider making your decision early.

What does my registration fee cover? The fee is two part, first is the NYSA membership fee per family, then a registration fee per player/season.  This covers basic operating expenses (quite literally turning on the lights) as well as league supplies, umpires, and other basic expenses.  But for you, it will cover your players uniform (jersey, hat, socks, belt, and potentially pants depending on vendor pricing).

DID YOU KNOW...that NYSA is an all-volunteer organization?  Yes, with exception to the umpires, all commissioners, committee members, coaches, and team moms are 100% volunteers.  This means that throughout the season, your assistance will be requested to aid with running the concession stands, picking up trash, keeping the scorebook, operating the scoreboard, partaking in our once-a-season field day preparations, and participating in fundraisers.  NYSA was built on the backs of volunteers.  We cannot continue to grow and prosper without YOUR help!  Many of us look at NYSA as the ballpark our children will grow up in and create countless, unforgettable memories that one day they will tell their kids about.  We greatly appreciate any and all help that you can provide throughout the season.   A wise man once said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."  

IMPORTANT DATES: (*subject to change)

- January 6, 2025:  Baseball Registration Opens
-* February 10: Coaches Meeting, evening: Time TBD
-* February 10: Registration Closes 
-* February 12: Tryouts/Draft for 6U (Field 2) @ 5:30pm 
- February 17:  Weekly practices for all divisions begin
- March 1: Field Cleanup @ 9:00am 
- March 29: Opening Day (Time TBD) —(change 1: to align with Baseball)
- April TBD:  Picture Day
- May 5-9: Makeup week
- May 10: NYSA All-Star Games (6U) @ 10:00am
- May 12-16: Playoff Week
- May 17: Championship Saturday (Season Concludes)
***Commissioners reserve the right to change or cancel a game(s) during mid-season or post-season play.  

REMINDER:  Coaches/Players/Parents/Spectators please review the Baseball Code of Conduct (BCoC), written below, and the NYSA Code of Conduct before the season begins.  During the registration process, all coaches and parents are required to read, acknowledge, and sign that they understand the BCoC prior to signing up your child.  Violations of the BCoC and NYSA CoC will be strictly enforced. The NYSA CoC is located in the Volunteer Corner section of the NYSA Spring Baseball webpage.

Baseball Code of Conduct

This Coach/Player/Parent Code of Conduct is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of rules concerning coaches/players/parent behavior. All coaches, players and parents registered to play on an NYSA Baseball team are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is above and beyond respectful of others and reflects positively on Navarre Youth Sports Association.

Sportsmanship:  All coaches, players and parents must learn and display a sense of fair play.  Be humble in victory, gracious in defeat.  Players and parents must represent your team and Navarre Youth Sports Association by always showing good sportsmanship, win or lose. 

Player Conduct: Each player will agree to the following:

1.         Respect your Coach, Coaches, Teammates, Parents, Opponents, Spectators, and Umpires.

2.         Never argue with an umpire’s call or decision.

3.         No swearing, harassment, or inappropriate behavior or language will be tolerated.

4.         Be responsible to help clean up the field, dugout after all practices and games.

5.         No use of Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs will be Tolerated

6.         No defaming of coaches, teammates VIA any electronic or social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) text messages, etc.

Coaches/Parents/Guardian Responsibility:  Each coach, parent and guardian will agree to the following:

1.         Respect all coaches, players, teammates, parents, opponents, spectators, and umpires.

2.          Only the head coach may query an umpire's call after seeking permission from the umpire in question; however, a coach will NEVER argue with an umpire
              about a call.  After a play comes to an end, and time is called by the umpire, only then can a coach request from the umpire to have a conversation about a
              specific ruling.  

3.         Be respectful of your coach’s decisions.  Remember they are the ones who are putting in the extra time and effort.

4.         Encourage your child to play by the rules.  Remember that children learn best by example and be supportive of both teams when good plays are made.

5.         Do not embarrass your team by yelling at players, coaches, umpires or spectators.  By showing a positive attitude toward the game, and all of its
             participants, your player will benefit.  Any coach or parent that cannot refrain from such behavior will be asked to leave.

6.         No defaming of coaches, players, or other parents VIA any electronic or social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) text messages, etc.

7.         Allow for a 24 hour “COOL DOWN, be OBJECTIVE” period before you discuss any serious concerns you have with a particular coach in a constructive and adult manner.

8.         Allow for a 24 hour “COOL DOWN, be OBJECTIVE” period before you contact your division's committee member or commissioner.

Any coach, player or parent found to have engaged in such prohibited conduct shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal, suspension and/or a formal apology to the offended individual. 

Discipline Policy/Consequences:  Each coach, player and parent are advised of the following discipline policy and consequences for any and all inappropriate conduct.

1.         Any and All Disciplinary action shall be reviewed by the NYSA Baseball Committee, NYSA Baseball Commissioners, and, or NYSA Board of Directors as   
             appropriate.

2.         Any and All actions may include but are not limited to the following repercussions:
a.  Verbal Warning
b.  Suspension
c.  Dismissal

For more information please contact me [email protected]