Travel Softball
The Three Village Baseball & Softball League Travel Program is designed to provide a positive experience for any player capable and interested in an advanced level of play. This brochure is intended to inform the parents about the program and of the financial and time commitments involved in travel softball.
TRYOUTS
Tryouts are held at the end of the fall season, usually around the end of September, for all existing teams. Tryouts for newly developing teams will be held beginning to mid May, approximately halfway through the spring in-house softball season. Tryouts are advertised on our website (www.3vbb.org), in the newspapers, via handouts as well as email blasts. The coaches’ chosen for those travel teams and a panel of travel commissioners will conduct the tryouts. The Three Village Softball Board of Directors must approve all travel committee members and travel coaches.
TRAVEL POLICY
Travel softball is not for all players. Only those players serious enough to make the commitment, should consider trying out for a team. The league is committed to improving the skills of all players to their maximum capability. The league also makes the commitment to the players that they will play as long as the player/parent lives up to the rules stated by the coaches at the beginning of the season (attending practices, proper attitude, on time for games and practices…) Playing time, and how it is distributed, is decided by the head coach. Playing time is not guaranteed to be fair and equal to all players.
In addition circumstances occur that cannot always be anticipated from game to game. For example, games are sometimes shortened due to inclement weather, the mercy rule, or teams being short players etc. In these circumstances, the parents and players must understand the situation that the team and coach are in. These instances occur on occasion.
Although it is the intention of the teams to win the games, winning at all costs is not the leagues mandate. Our philosophy is to build championship caliber players, not necessarily championship teams. Hopefully, by developing the players, the winning will take care of itself. However, because of the attempt to win games, this is why all the players are not guaranteed an equal amount of time. The coaching staff has the prerogative to play the players the number of innings they chose as well as in the position(s) best suited for the players and the team.
MANDATORY TRAVEL SEASONS
A player that makes a team is strongly recommended to participate in the spring and summer seasons. They are encouraged, but not required (in order to continue to be a member in good standing with that team), to participate in the fall season. Once a player makes the travel team, he or she cannot be removed from that team until the following year’s tryouts. Extenuating circumstances may exist however, such as extraordinarily bad behavioral reasons on the part of the parent or player. Should a shortage of players occur in the fall season, the coach, with board approval, is permitted to add additional players to the roster without holding a formal tryout, and must have a travel commissioner approve the player.
SEASONS
The travel season runs over the course of three seasons (spring, summer and fall). However, not all teams play in all three seasons.
Spring Season
This season is mandatory if the team decides to play spring travel. The season runs from the first weekend after Easter through the early part of June. Teams play an approximate 12 game season consisting of (6) weekend morning doubleheaders. Game days and practice days will depend on the team, league and division entered and your coaches availability. There are no playoffs.
Summer
The summer travel season begins around the last week of June and runs through to the first week of August with playoffs usually extending into the second or third week of August (the dates will vary slightly depending on the travel league your team has registered to play in). During the summer season teams usually play an apporximate 14 game season usually playing three games per week. There is usually one mid-week game in the early evening and a doubleheader in the morning on the weekend. In addition to the games, the teams practice at least once, and often twice per week. Game days and practice days will depend on the team, league and division entered and your coaches availability.
Fall (Optional)
Similar to the spring season, the fall season runs from approximately mid September through the late part of October. Teams play an approximate 12 game season consisting of (6) weekend morning doubleheaders. Game days and practice days will depend on the team, league and division entered and your coaches availability.
All divisions follow the ASA (Amateur Softball Association) Fast Pitch Softball Rules.
The 10U age levels games consist of 6 innings and use an 11" ball during play.
Both 12U and 14U age level games consist of 7 innings and use a 12" ball during play.
The 14U Program is managed by a paid professional coach. Manager for 14U is carefully selected by the league based on college playing experience or a teaching degree with school sports coaching experience.
HOW MUCH TRAVEL???
Approximately one-half of the games are played at our home fields:
• Oxhead Road Park, also known as Tom Moody Park
• Murphy JHS
• Gelinas JHS
• Percy Raynor Park
• Nicolls Road Field
Approximately half of your games are away. Depending on the league, the away games are usually within Suffolk County or Nassau County. The approximate number of games played for the season depends on the age of the player and the league entered.
LEAGUES WE PARTICIPATE IN
The Three Village Baseball & Softball League participates in the following travel leagues:
• PAL
• NJBL
• FAB
• Baseball Heaven
• Central Brookhaven Sports Association
• Town of Brookhaven.
FEES AND COSTS
Fees to play travel softball change from year to year. Prices can be found by going to our website www.3vbb.org and pulling up our travel softball registration form. These fees include field practices, games, umpire fees, and (paid coach @14U level only).
Additional fees not included in registration for players will include uniforms, helmets, gloves, bats, and other personal equipment.
Uniforms consisting of shirt, shorts, sliding shorts, socks, visor, and helmet (required with chin strap and face guard) generally run in the neighborhood of around $100.
ELIGIBILITY
Travel softball starts with the 10-year-old team. When playing in-house softball we encourage players to play with their grade (with their classmates), however, given the universal birthday rule; when playing travel softball they must play with the team at their AGE (see chart below). There may be some rare circumstances when a player may be able to play “up” with an older age group, but NEVER down” with a younger age
OTHER PLAYING OPTIONS
Taxi squads are the option of the coach of each team. It is a coaches prerogative to retain one or more players on a taxi-squad (call when needed) basis. These players can go on the roster and are allowed to practice with the team and play in tournaments. Their playing time is limited due to the nature of their involvement and is not subject to the commitment previously stated. Taxi players are to be used in “emergency” situations when the team is shorthanded and may forfeit games. Taxi squad players must be a registered player in the intramural league for insurance purposes.
TOURNAMENTS
Teams are encouraged to play tournaments during the year. This is left to the coaches’ discretion for teams 12 years-old and younger. The costs of a tournament(s) are separate from all other travel fees, and are paid separately, by the individual players on those teams competing in the tournament(s). These fees will be based on the number and costs of the tournament(s) your team participates in.
OFF SEASON TRAINING
The league is committed to training programs not only during the playing season(s) but also over the winter months. To that end, the league has entered into an agreement with several softball schools as well as higher level high school/college coaches and players for extensive pitching, fielding and hitting training clinics. The league also purchases time at the two Junior High Schools and the Senior High School during the winter for training by the individual coaches. The training programs run from the middle of January through to the end of March.
SPORTSMANSHIP PROGRAM
As with our intramural program, good sportsmanship is required by every parent and player in the league. Parents are required to read and sign the leagues’ Code of Conduct and attend a video presentation before the player is eligible to participate in our travel program.
We wish you and your child the best of luck in the upcoming softball season!