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Baseball

General Information


HGRA Baseball is a coed, recreational program for beginners, veterans and everyone in between. We emphasize sportsmanship, learning and fun.

T-ball (Mondays): We teach the basics (how to swing, where to run, etc.). We don't keep score, everybody plays and the kids have a great time (their parents do too). Click here for more information on HGRA T-ball.

Rookie League (Wednesdays): Again, no score and everyone bats, but coaches pitch and outs are called. Click here for more information on HGRA's Rookie League.

Minor League (Wednesdays): A coach pitch transition to real baseball. Batters get limited pitches and teams get only 3 outs. Click here for more information on HGRA's Minor League.

Major League (Thursdays): Real baseball but no undue pressure. Kids pitch, umpires make the call, and excitment is guaranteed, highlighted by our all day, season-ending tournament. Click here for more information on HGRA's Major League.



With the exception of T-Ball, which meet only on Mondays, all teams play games on the designated nights and also practice once a week on a day and time selected by the coach.  We are unable to accommodate requests to change teams because the practice time is not convenient so please try your best to avoid making other commitments until you learn when your team practices.  All players will be advised of their practice date and time by May 1.

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Playing up - HGRA Baseball has created overlapping ages to permit players at the top of a league's age range to opt into the next highest league ("play up").  Parents of children who fit within the overlapping ages are asked to carefully evaluate their child's playing abilities and social skills to determine if the child is ready to play up.  Please do not make this choice based on non-baseball factors such as convenience, the desire to avoid scheduling conflicts, etc.  HGRA reserves the right in its sole discretion to move children who are playing up back to the lower league if the child is not able to safely or effectively participate at the higher level of play.  


Playing down to a lower age group is permitted only to accommodate a disability.  No exceptions are made to this.

Chris Gliedman

Baseball Comissioner

FAQ

Q.  Is HGRA Baseball right for my family?

 

A.  Our idea of a good time is sitting with friends and neighbors on summer evenings watching kids have fun playing baseball. If you want intensive training and competition, or if winning matters the most, HGRA may not be for you. But if you want baseball and sportsmanship taught in a positive way where everyone can have fun, why not join your friends and neighbors at HGRA Baseball?

HGRA baseball players learn the game the right way - nobody pushing too hard, and no fear of failure sapping their enjoyment. Kids develop skills in a way that makes them want to play baseball.

HGRA is just right for busy families. We play and practice once a week - enough for a quality experience but mindful of parents’ need to give time and attention to all the kids.

HGRA also works for kids who play another sport more intensively. We don’t make kids choose between two sports - there is time for both at HGRA.

Q.  Can we move our child up to the next level?

 

A.  HGRA has established overlapping ages at each level to permit parents to choose whether to keep their kid at the same level for one more year or move them up. This allows for some flexibility for the parents.  However, we urge parents to make this decision based on baseball talent and social skills rather than scheduling preferences or other convenience issues.  We want your child to have fun and learn the game, and we tend to find that this happens best when the child is with others of similar skills.

Q.  Can we move our child down a level if he/she has never played or just isn't skilled enough to play with kids of the same age?

 

A.  Generally, no. There are kids at all levels (including the Majors) who don’t hit or catch well so no child should feel completely out of place. Besides, the kids seem to have more fun being on a team with their peers, regardless of talent level, than playing with kids who might be 2 -3 years younger.

Q.  Can we choose a team with a particular practice day to accommodate other activities or trips to the lake?

 

A.  We have approximately 400 baseball players in 4 different leagues to assign in approximately 10 days. Since we already have to confirm buddy requests and insure gender balance (as well as competitive balance in the upper leagues), we just don’t have the time or resources to guarantee that every kid will have a practice that does not conflict with some other activity.

In addition, we might end up having too many kids wishing to practice on a certain day but not enough openings. It does not seem fair to grant special requests for some people but not others.

The season is less than three months long, and we ask that you do your best to make sure that you arrange your childrens' schedules to allow them the maximum enjoyment and benefit of HGRA Baseball.

Q.  Can we choose which coach we want?

 

A.  We do not grant coaching requests. If Coach so-and-so is so good, it's only fair to let other kids benefit from his coaching too. HGRA Baseball coaches are dedicated volunteers who will try their hardest to teach the game and make it fun. We are proud of the quality of our coaches and chances are, you'll love this year's coach just as much as last year's..

Q.  My child plays HGRA soccer too - is that a problem?

 

A.  Not in terms of games. We set soccer and baseball schedules so that kids can play both. You might have a practice conflict though, and we urge you not to let practice in one sport take precedence over games in the other sport.

 Q.  Where are the games played?

 

A.  All games are in the neighborhood - Groveland for T-ball and Rookies, and Homecroft for Minors and Majors. Desnoyer Park is another field we use for T-Ball. Directions to all fields are included on the website in the right-hand column.

Q.  Is it OK to coach if I've never done it before?

 

A.  Absolutely. For one thing, we try to pair inexperienced coaches with veteran coaches. We also have a coaching clinic at the beginning of the season with a local high school coach, a former pro player living in the area or some current college baseball players. We also have an online coaching manual to give you lots of help. You'll do fine!

Q.  I can't commit to coaching but want to help - is that OK?

 

A.  Sure, just tell your coach at the first practice that you are willing to help. They'll be happy to put you to work!.

2024 Games & Practice Schedule

GAMES (begin week of May 6th)

T-Ball - Mondays @ 6:00pm

Minors- Wednesdays @ 6:30pm

Rookie - Wednesdays @ 6:30pm

Majors - Thursdays @ 6:30pm

 

PRACTICE (can begin week of April 22nd for Rookies and up)

Rookie - Tuesdays 6-7pm or 7:15-8:15pm @ Groveland

Minors - Tuesdays 6-7pm or 7:15-8:15pm

Majors - Mondays 6-7pm or 7:15-8:15pm

Note: these are the general practices times/days for each league, some practice times will vary based on coach availability and schedule

HGRA Baseball Opening Day

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2024 Baseball Age Requirements

League assignment is determined by the player's date of birth only. We do not have the capability of determining league placement by skill level, although we do allow some choice by having overlapping ages.  The birth date ranges for each league are shown below.

T-Ball Coed (Mondays) 
9/1/17 - 8/31/20

Rookies (Coach Pitch) Coed (Wednesdays)
9/1/15 - 8/31/17
 

Minor League (Advanced Coach Pitch) Coed (Wednesdays)
9/1/14 - 8/31/16

Major League (Little League Rules) Coed (Thursdays)
9/1/11- 8/31/15

2024 Critical Dates

Feb 1st - Registration Opens

April 22nd - May 4th - Practice Weeks

Monday, May 6th - Opening Day

Monday, May 27th - Memorial Day (No HGRA activities)

Wednesday, June 19th - Juneteenth (No HGRA Activities)

Thursday, July 4th - 4th of July (No HGRA Activities)

Monday, July 16th - final day of T-Ball

Thursday, July 18th - final day of regular season games for Major League

Saturday, July 20th - Major League Tournament

Sunday, July 21st - Major League Tournament (backup date)

Important Major League Info

Major League Players - Read This


HGRA's Major League is not a "drop-in" program.  Attendance is necessary and will be a critical area of focus.  A number of measures have been adopted, including:

1.  Coaches will be instructed to reduce playing time for poor attendance at games or practices.

2.  Coaches will be instructed to sit kids out for an entire game if they fail to alert the coach in advance to a game that they will miss.

3.  Kids who meet the age threshold for the all star event will not be invited to participate if they have missed more than two of the games leading up to the event.

While we stress participation and fun, HGRA's Major League is a competitive league.  The players on each team count on their teammates to be there and contribute to the team.  If you know that your child will miss a number of weeks during the season, or if you do not wish to commit to regular attendance because of other scheduled events, family plans, etc., we ask that you give serious thought about whether this is the right activity for you.

Please feel free to contact us at hgrabaseball@mail.com for more information on our increased focus on player attendance.