2018 NATIONAL & AMERICAN LEAGUE TRYOUT INFORMATION

Shoreview Area Youth Baseball is excited to welcome your son or daughter into either the American or National League! This is Little League at its best and SAYB offers some of the greatest baseball memories your child will experience! Parents, grandparents and friends alike will enjoy the chance to catch a game and eat a hotdog up at Sitzer Park!  Please see the below information for details pertaining to the leagues, tryout information and more. We look forward to seeing your child participating in the tryouts.
 
TRYOUT DATE:  Sunday, February 25, 2018 – warm ups begin approximately 15 minutes before the start of each session listed below:

• ·         Last Name:   A – E                         Evaluation Time:  10:00am – 11:30am
• ·         Last Name:   F – K                         Evaluation Time:  11:45am – 1:15pm
• ·         Last Name:   L – P                         Evaluation Time:  1:30pm – 3:00pm
• ·         Last Name:   Q – Z                         Evaluation Time:  3:15pm – 4:45pm
• ·         Pitching/Catching (optional)       Evaluation Time:  5:00pm – 6:00pm

o    Check-ins for each session will begin approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of that session. A parent or guardian is required to sign-in each player participating in tryouts.
o    If a conflict arises and you need to attend a different time slot, simply go to a different session.  It is not necessary to contact a SAYB official.  Failure to complete the evaluation unless there is a unique circumstance or doctor documented injury (either must be approved by the SAYB Executive committee prior to the evaluation date), results in that player automatically being placed in the American League.
o    This is the only date we will be conducting the tryouts – unfortunately we will not be able to offer an alternative option for those who have a schedule conflict.
o    Parents/Players are strongly encouraged to visit the facility prior to tryouts to familiarize themselves with the location of the building and to avoid unnecessary stress the day of the evaluation.
 
LOCATION:      Sports Recreation Center (SRC) – Bethel University 3900 Bethel Drive – Arden Hills, MN
 
COST:  There is no cost to participate in the tryouts.
 
EVALUATION PROCESS:

o    At this level, evaluation (tryout) scores are the basis for team formation for both the National and American Leagues. The goal of the process is to ensure players are placed at the level where they will have the greatest opportunity to develop their skills. SAYB strongly encourages all 11 and 12 year old players to attend tryouts (even those who wish to be excluded from National League consideration). Tryout scoring is one tool which helps the AL Director towards our goal of forming competitively balanced American League teams.

o    Players will be scored by evaluators/coaching candidates at each of the below three stations:
·         Hitting Station (50% of overall score): Players will receive (7) pitches at approximately 45 mph from a pitching machine.
·         Infield Station (25% of overall score): Located at the shortstop position, players receive a minimum of (4) ground balls from home plate, field the ball and throw to a 1st baseman.
·         Outfield Station (25% of overall score): Players will start in four locations (N, S, E, W), receive (4) fly balls from a pitching machine, catch the ball and throw to a cutoff man.
·         Pitching & Catching Session (0% of overall score): This OPTIONAL session offers players the opportunity to pitch and/or catch while the evaluators observe and take notes. This session is not figured into a player’s overall evaluation score. Players who elect not to participate in this session will still have the opportunity to play these positions during the season.
o    The average of a player’s scores will be multiplied by the above percentages to create the player’s final score.
o    Evaluators are not solely basing their scores on results; they are also taking into account many other factors such as technique, bat speed, contact point, fielding form, throwing ability (accuracy & strength), pitching technique, etc.
o    Evaluators have the option to ask a player to repeat any of the above stations (if needed).
 
NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAM FORMATION:
o    Upon completion of the evaluation process, the overall scores are tabulated and verified. Player’s scores are then ranked (by overall score) and a pool of eligible players is created for the National League Draft.
o    The number of NL Teams and the number (and age breakdown) of players will be determined upon completion of tryouts. These amounts will be based on the total number of tryout participants and the skills demonstrated during tryouts.
o    The tryout evaluators will consist of coaching candidates. Final selection of NL coaches will be determined by coaching ability, past experience, and the overall score of their son/daughter (if their overall score doesn’t qualify for the NL draft pool, that coach will not be selected for this NL season).
o    The National League Draft will take place within approximately two weeks of the tryouts.
o    Upon completion of the NL Draft, the players not selected will be included with the remaining players to form the American League teams.
 
AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAM FORMATION:
o    SAYB’s goal in the formation of American League teams is to achieve a balanced level of talent across all teams. Teams are formed based on a number of factors (tryout scores, residence location, school attending, etc.).
o    Special requests for team/buddy placement cannot be guaranteed in the American League.
o    Final selection of AL coaches will be determined by coaching ability and past experience.
NOTIFICATION:
o    National League and American League players will be posted on the SAYB website (www.sayb.org) shortly after the completion of the NL Draft.
o    Both NL & AL coaches will begin contacting their teams shortly after the formation of the American League teams.
 
IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING TRYOUTS:
·         Tennis shoes must be worn at tryouts – NO SPIKES.
·         Players are encourages to wear an athletic protector (cup).
·         Players are to bring their glove, bat and batting helmet.
·         Bats must be Little League Approved and will be reviewed to insure they meet specifications.
·         Please avoid wearing shirts or caps indicating the player’s name or previous tournament team participation. Players will be asked to remove the item prior to tryouts.
·         Tryout participants will have a tryout number (sticker) attached to their shirt. It is helpful if the players wear a cotton shirt and avoid wearing “Under Armour” style shirts.
·         All players are encouraged to practice batting, catching and throwing in advance of tryouts.
 
 
PARENT / PLAYER EXPECTATIONS:
·         NL players should expect a minimum of 4-5 nights per week commitment (including some weekends) during the season. AL players should expect a 3-4 night per week commitment (including some weekends). The number of practices will depend on each coach.
·         Coaches are not required to play a player at every defensive position or at every spot in a batting line-up. SAYB does encourage all our coaches to place players in positions which are suited to the abilities of each player. The American League offers a guideline for the number of innings/game played in the infield and outfield. The National League does not have this guideline in place. Please make sure you and your child are aware and understand this before beginning of the season.

o    HAVE FUN! This is a tremendous experience for both players and parents.