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A MESSAGE FROM OUR COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL, EDDIE
ALBERT, ON OUR POLICY ABOUT PLAYING UP OR DOWN
Requests to Play Up to an Older Age Group/Division:
Due
to the new age cutoff date, we have had a number of requests for players
to play up. Generally that is acceptable as long as the parents and
players understand that the level of play increases significantly as the
ages go up. There is one situation, however, that can be dangerous and
one which we only allow in exceptional cases: when an 8 year old
requests to play up in the Cub division (9-10s). The difference in
ability and size between 8 and 10 year olds is too much. So for those
who are requesting to have their 7 year olds play up with the 8's
because some friends or a coach is handling the 8 year old team, please
consider two important things:
1/ The next year, when they are 8 and want to continue with that
team, we will allow it for only exceptionally skilled players who we
believe can handle playing with 10 year olds (which is a rare case); and
2/ The move from 7 to 8 is a big one - at 8 the players start
pitching. That also means that players will be batting against other
players not their coaches. That element of safety will be removed.
So
in most cases (particularly for the 7 and 8 year olds), we believe that
it will better in the long run for your child to stay in his/her age
group and meet new friends and coaches instead of having to face it a
year later. Kids generally tend to be open to meeting new friends at a
younger age. If they are on an 8 year old team where they know some of
the players and the coach they will feel more comfortable having to hit
player pitching. It is for those reasons that we require that any 7
year old wishing to play up into the Pony/8 year old division be
evaluated at the Pony evaluations.
Requests to Play Down to an Younger Age Group/Division:
Playing down to a younger age group is generally not permitted because:
1/ of the potential danger it poses to the younger players; and
2/ once a player reaches 9 years old, games are played among the
other organizations sharing the permits for the fields. The controlling
body of that organization (to which we belong – the PPBA) requires that
they give permission for all players requesting to play down. They are
very stingy about giving permission and generally do so only in cases of
a physical or mental disability. However, we control the decision up
through the 8 year olds since we play within our own organization up
through that age group. So for requests from 6 and 7 year olds to play
down, we are more liberal. However, for requests by 8 year old requests
to play with the 7s, the issue of danger looms. So we require that 8
year olds requested to play must be evaluated by us before making a
final determination.
I
should also note that when making teams for the 5 and 6 year olds (who
play together as the Pee Wees) and the 7 year olds (the Lions), we must
take into consideration making an even number of teams for scheduling
purposes. So there will be an occasion when some of the older 6 year
olds are placed on a 7 year old team. Our experience has shown that the
skill levels between older 6s and 7s are sufficiently similar not to
warrant a concern of injury.
I
hope that clarifies these issues for you. In any event, we will
try our hardest to work
out what is best for your child.
* * *
Baseball Umpire Comments
To help assess the baseball umpires, if you have any comments, negative
and/or positive about specific umpires or situations, please send them
to the following email address
umpires@78youthsports.org
If referring to a specific umpire, please include information about the
game (the date, time, field, and teams playing) and the umpire's number so the head umpire will be able determine who the
umpire was. The comments will be going directly to the head of the
umpires and our Commissioner of Baseball and the President of the PPBA.
Positive comments are just as important -- with more than 50 games a
week on 11 fields the head umpire cannot be at every game and must rely
on feedback from all the organizations. |
78th Precinct Youth Council 
On Deck
Baseball Cancellation Information.
For both the Prospect Park Baseball Assoc (PPBA - games in
Prospect Park, etc.) and the games
at Van Voorhees cancellation
information will be given by your calling into a phone recorded message
that will be updated as required, sometimes hourly based on the weather
and field conditions. 