Scotch Plains Fanwood YBA Copryright 2012 02/22/2012 02/22/2012 www.spfyba.org News from Scotch Plains Fanwood YBA PLAYERS CLINIC on Feb 28th @7pm 02/13/2012 02:07 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/596630.html Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Varsity Baseball Head Coach Tom Baylock and his staff, along with the managers and coaches of the Jr. Tee Ball and Tee Ball divisions of SPFYBA, will be conducting their annual Players Clinic on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:00pm at the SPF High School.  To attend the clinic, you must register using the online registration system.  This clinic is FREE OF CHARGE!  However there is a 60 participant limit to this event.  So sign up now so you don’t miss out!!

When you go online to register, check off the option for the PLAYERS CLINIC, and complete the registration process.  No charges will be assessed for this registration.  Note that you must be registered and fully paid for the Jr. Tee Ball or Tee Ball divisions to register and attend this event.  You can click on the link below to register for the Players Clinic:

Click Here to Register for the PLAYERS CLINIC with Coach Tom Baylock

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/596630.html 2012 SPRING REGISTRATION 02/07/2012 05:06 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/564300.html Registration has been extended on a contingency basis until February 15th.  Please sign up now to avoid any issues (waitlisting, etc.) for the 2012 Spring Season!  You can click on the link below to register. 

  • For all registration questions please contact Jim Morris at jmorris@metlife.com
  • If you are a new player with our league please mail a copy of the player’s birth certificate to 112 Paterson Rd, Fanwood, NJ 07023.
  • If you experience any issues with the registration website please contact us at spfyba@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE SPRING 2012 BASEBALL SEASON

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/564300.html March Spring Training w/Coach Baylock 02/13/2012 06:42 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/579136.html

Scotch Plains/Fanwood High School Head Baseball Coach Tom Baylock will be conducting his Spring Training Clinic for 1st Grade through 6th Grade on Wednesday nights starting on February 29th.  The cost is $150 for four (4) 75-minute classes.  The classes run on the following Wednesdays:

  • February 29th
  • March 7th
  • March 14th
  • March 21st

The times for the Wednesday clinic dates are as follows:

  • 1st through 3rd Graders: 6:30pm to 7:45pm
  • 4th through 6th Graders: 7:45pm to 9:00pm

Click Here for the Spring Training Clinic Registration Form

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/579136.html 2012 Middle School Program 02/13/2012 02:02 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/588818.html Tryouts took place on Saturday 2/11.  More information of team rosters will be available shortly.

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/588818.html March SPFYBA General Association Meeting 02/13/2012 02:02 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/370687.html The next General Association meeting will be held on Tuesday March 6th at 7:30pm SPF HS Cafeteria. All managers and coaches please attend. It is the managers’ responsibility to have every team represented at every General Association meeting!  Parents are also welcome to attend.  ]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/370687.html Bat Regulations - 2012 Rule Changes 12/08/2011 10:14 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/584657.html In 2012, SPFYBA will follow the Babe Ruth League / Cal Ripken Bat Regulations.  This is a change from recent years.  However bat availability and additional research on the subject has brought the Executive Board to the conclusion that in 2012 we will follow the Babe Ruth standard.

Latest Rule Changes from Babe Ruth League, Inc. for 2012
Updated 11/23/2011
 
CAL RIPKEN BASEBALL DIVISION
The bat may not exceed 33”in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2 ¼” in diameter.  Only 2 ¼” barrel non-wood bats marked BPF 1.15 will be allowed.  Wood 2 ¼” barrel bats are allowed.
 
13-15 BASEBALL DIVISION
The bat may not exceed 34” in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2 5/8” in diameter.  All aluminum/alloy barrel bats and all composite handle (only) aluminum/alloy barrels are allowed.  Only composite barrel bats certified and marked BBCOR .50 will be allowed.  Wood barrel bats conforming to the specifications of Official Baseball Rule 1.10 are allowed.
 
16-18 BASEBALL DIVISION
The bat may not exceed 34” in length and the bat barrel many not exceed 2 5/8” in diameter or be greater than a -3 length to weight ratio.  Only metal/composite bats certified and marked BBCOR .50 are allowed.  Wood barrel bats conforming to the specifications of Official Baseball Rule 1.10 are allowed.
 
PENALTY
  • If the illegal bat is discovered prior to a batter completing his “at bat” the bat is simply removed from play and the “at bat” continues.
  • A player who uses an illegal bat or non-conforming barrel dimension and hits a fair ball will be ruled out.  No advancement on the bases will be allowed, and any outs during the play shall stand.  This is an appeal play.  The “at bat” will be considered legal once a pitch is thrown to the next batter.
  • Any bat discovered prior to the game that does not conform to the above rule shall be directed to be removed immediately and not be allowed for use during the game.

Read Our FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: I have noticed that the official Babe Ruth League statement on bat regulations mentions nothing about the "drop ratio" for bats.  In past years, SPFYBA has had "drop ratio" limits specific to each division.  What’s the story for 2012?

A: Research has been done for years, and research will likely continue for years into the future.  At the present time, the experts are less concerned with the "drop ratio" and more concerned with the makeup of the bat.  Composite bats are proven to be more dangerous than non-composite (aluminum or wood) bats.  However the current wisdom is that the "drop ratio" has a far lesser impact to ball exit speed than does the nature of the bat material itself.  SO there will be no "drop ratio" limits in SPFYBA in 2012.
 
Q: What is the “drop ratio”?
A: The “drop ratio” is the difference between the length of the bat in inches, and the weight of the bat in ounces. So for example, a bat that is 28” long and 17 ounces has a drop ratio of 11. This can also be referred to as “-11” or “minus 11”… meaning that the differential between the weight and the length is “minus 11”, or “drop 11”.
 
Q: Are composite bats allowed?
A: The simple answer is NO. The only exception is that any composite bat must be certified and marked BBCOR 0.50. No other certifications are permitted any longer by Babe Ruth (BESR, etc.). BBCOR is the ONLY permitted technology in composite bats, and the BBCOR factor must be 0.50. Please also note that the BBCOR technology typically applies to the bigger bats used by the Senior division and up.
 
Q: So what are the permitted bat specifications for a regular bat (not BBCOR)?
A: No composite bats (unless BBCOR). Besides that, the things to remember are that the bat barrel may not exceed 2 ¼” in diameter, only non-wood (aluminum) marked BPF 1.15 will be allowed. Wood 2 ¼” barrel bats are allowed. Note that most “Official Little League” bats meet the specifications for Babe Ruth League.
 
Q: These acronyms are a little confusing. What does BPF mean? How about BBCOR? BESR?
A: It is confusing. BPF is Bat Performance Factor. It’s a measure of the bat’s exit speed on a pitched ball at 60 mph. A BPF performance factor of 1.15 means that the 60 mph ball, won’t go any faster than 69 mph on exit from the bat. BPF is typically used on the Little League size bats (2 ¼” barrel). BBCOR stands for  Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution. LET’S MAKE THIS SIMPLE – BBCOR 0.50 means that the bat will exhibit very “wood-like” performance, which is substantially less performance than other composite predecessors that were covered under the BESR standard. BESR stands for Ball Exit Speed Ratio. BESR has little significance to us starting in 2012 as BBCOR is the new adopted standard.
 
Q: In the past, we’ve had trouble finding the drop-8 and drop-10 aluminum bats that SPFYBA has mandated for the Majors and Juniors divisions respectively. How does the situation change with the new bat regulations in 2012?
A: As the years went by, the drop-8 and drop-10 bats have become increasingly more difficult to find in local stores. The change in rules this year will actually make it much easier for parents of youth ballplayers to find bats that are legal in SPFYBA in local sporting goods stores. 
 
Q: To be clear, are there any "drop" rules for SPFYBA house league any more?  In other words, if I want to get my kid a "drop 12" or "drop 13" bat because it's lighter and they can swing it easier, that's fine?
A: Yes.  There is no drop consideration this year.  The bat will be allowed as long as if follows all of the other Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken regulations.
 
Q: By adopting the literal Babe Ruth League standard in 2012, has this created an insurance/safety issue for the ballplayers in the program?
A: The debate on baseball bat safety is likely to rage on for years. We can only make decisions based on the data we have that is current and widely accepted. Babe Ruth has seen its way clear to do away with composite bats, unless they are BBCOR 0.50 certified. The research backs that decision relative to ballplayer safety. The research on the drops seems more focused on what makes the youth ballplayer more comfortable (i.e. a bat they can get around quick enough with) rather than a performance enhancer in and of itself. Young ballplayers on the younger and smaller side are likely to swings bats with a great drop so they can get them around. Bigger kids are going to typically be more comfortable with a bat that is a little heavier (less drop) because they are big enough to get it around quicker. The research we’ve seen says the composite issue is far more significant than any issue around drop differentials, and the Babe Ruth League regulations support that.
 
Q: Are the new bat regulations safe?
A: The simple answer is yes, keeping mind that this is a sport. Kids do get hurt occasionally. There are no guarantees in any sport. However there is no reason to believe that lifting the drop regulations in 2012 presents any additional safety issues to the kids in our program. 
 
Q: What if we have more questions that aren’t answered here?
A: Email us at spfyba@gmail.com and we’ll get you an answer to your question.
]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/584657.html December 2011 Newsletter 01/03/2012 02:14 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/575363.html Click here to download the December SPFYBA Newsletter

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/575363.html 8U Gold Summer Travel Team Wins District - 12 Championship! 07/01/2011 12:37 AM http://www.spfyba.org/home/540128.html The SPF Raiders scored 2 runs in the top of the 2nd inning and never looked back as they maintained their lead over Cranford throughout the District - 12 Championship game on Wednesday night.  The Raiders celebrated as the game ended in an 8 to 4 victory, resulting from solid pitching from Alex Fazzino, Matt Drubulis, and Stefon Johnson along with effective fielding and timely hitting from the entire Raider team.

The next stop for our youngest Raiders is the State Tournament which will be held in Edison starting on July 21st.

Congratulations to the SPF 8U Gold Team & Best of luck in the States!

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/540128.html 12U Blue 2011 Summer Team 07/31/2011 10:14 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/191191.html  

 Top Row:  Mike Vignola-Coach, Glenn Vaughn-Coach, Mike Rash-Coach, Mike Ruzek-Coach Middle Row: Marc Occhipinti-10, William Kluckas-17, Nigel Nelson-27, Bobby Nugent-8, Brody Rash-2, Max Lusk-18, Matt Vignola-15, Steve DiGiacomo-Team Manager, Botton Row: Vincent Ruzek-44, Nick Stetin-7, Robert Fallo-5, Michael DiGiacomo-16, Ryan Reilly-6, Spencer Vaughn-11  

 

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/191191.html Parents Auxiliary - 2012 10/30/2011 09:13 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/414150.html The Parents Auxiliary is a group of parents who work in conjunction with the SPFYBA Executive Board to handle many of the events that the association offers to its membership.  Events include the Annual Picnic, Movie Nights, Memorial Day Parade and many others.  If you are interested in getting involved with the SPYBA Parents Auxiliary in 2012 or if you would like more information, please contact Danielle Ricci at wdricci@comcast.net or Neil Kaufman at neilskaufman@gmail.com. 

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/414150.html SPFYBA Apparel Now Available Online 04/30/2011 08:02 AM http://www.spfyba.org/home/514427.html Buy apparel & accessories for all members of the family as well as customize your own.

Click Here to Begin Shopping for SPFYBA Apparel

 

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/514427.html No Parking on Valley Road 05/12/2009 11:01 AM http://www.spfyba.org/home/329828.html Everyone should be reminded that there is No Parking on Valley Road. This includes anywhere near the parking lot and anywhere near the batting cages. Coaches should drop off equipment and park in the lot. No parking in the little drive up area by the cages. Parents may NOT wait outside the cages in their car for players. Please adhere to these rules. Our neighbors have been patient with us, and we don’t want to see anyone issued a parking summons. THANK YOU!!

]]> http://www.spfyba.org/home/329828.html Welcome to the Scotch Plains Fanwood Youth Baseball Association 11/05/2010 01:46 PM http://www.spfyba.org/home/161988.html

 

November 2010 (PDF)
 
Greetings “Baseball Lovers”, wherever you are! The holidays and the winter season are just in front of us. However to your SPFYBA Executive Board, that means we are mobilizing in force to prepare for the 2011 Baseball Season! 
 
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS
I am pleased to announce several additions to our volunteer leadership:
·         Newly elected division Vice Presidents Jack Kennedy and Jim Killeen join the Executve Board as VP of Junior Tee Ball and VP of the Senior Division respectively. 
·         Doug Ackerman joins the Executive Board as our new Secretary. 
·         Danielle Ricci will be heading up our Parents Auxiliary. In its 3rd year of existence, the Parents Auxiliary has become an integral part of our organization in helping us to plan many events and organize our parent volunteer forces. If you are interested in participating in the Parents Auxiliary, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! Please contact us at spfyba@gmail.com. 
·         For a full listing of the association leadership, visit us at www.spfyba.org and click on General InformationàFront Office.
 
We thank all of our volunteers, including those about to show up on Saturday, November 6th for the Booth Field Day cleanup.
 
We’ve got an exciting year planned for you in 2011. We’ve included a fair amount of information in this November newsletter. So hang on tight, as we get ready for 2011!
 
GENERAL ASSOCIATION MEETING
Our next General Association Meeting is Tuesday, November 9th at 7:30pm @SPFHS. All 2010 teams are expected to be represented. Managers who cannot attend should have one of their coaches attend.
 
REGISTRATION
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN! If you haven’t registered, we encourage you to do so immediately. We start registration early on purpose, so that we can get a feel for registration levels and start planning the number of teams per division, number of managers we’re going to need, etc. So the earlier you can register, the easier it is for us to start our planning process for the upcoming season.  If online registration is a problem for you, please email us at spfyba@gmail.com and we will horse-and-buggy a paper form over to as soon as possible J.
 
PLEASE NOTE: Once we close registration, anyone else will necessarily go onto a waiting list. We will assess the number teams needed in the division, conduct player evaluations and player draft, and then finalize the teams. The waiting list is typically used only to supplement the established teams as necessary and sensible. We need to keep the number of players on a team realistic, as it would be unfair to all the players on the team to setup teams with too many or too few players. Once the process of setting up the teams is completed, it gets very difficult to add new players. We are not obligated to place waiting list players on teams, and will only do so when it is in the best interest of the teams in the divisions and the league.
 
In summary à To avoid being place on the waiting list and ensure your place in the league, REGISTER NOW AT WWW.SPFYBA.ORG!
 
WINTER CLINICS WITH COACH BAYLOCK
SPFHS Head Baseball Coach Tom Baylock and his team will be conducting instructional clinics at The BallPark in Springfield again this winter. December will start the first month of classes. The classes will run every Wednesday from December 1st thru December 22nd. They will be covering throwing, fielding, hitting, base running, pitching, and every night will end with a fun instructional game. These clinics stress the continued development of young baseball players, with a focus on repetition of doing things the right way as the means to become a better player. For more information and registration information, please go to our website at www.spfyba.org or email us at spfyba@gmail.com. 
 
2010 FALL HOUSE SEASON COMPLETES
I would like to congratulate the Fall House League Managers, Coaches, Players and Parents on completing a very successful season on 10/30. The weather cooperated for the most part, and the kids got to have fun playing each week – which is the important part. We will be emailing out online surveys to participants in the league so that we can gauge how things went from your perspective, and also get some of your feedback to further improve the program. When you receive the email survey, we encourage you to participate. 
 
On a side note, we have been experimenting with this online survey capability as a means to get timely feedback on the programs and services we are providing to you all. So far it has been an excellent tool for us. Of course that relies on your participation. Our plan would be to assemble feedback received, organize it, and then feed the information back to you so you understand the what we heard in terms of common themes and suggestions.
 
2010 SPRING SEASON AWARDS BANQUET HELD
The 2010 Awards Dinner was held on Friday evening, October 15, 2010 at the Italian American Club in Scotch Plains. The event was a great success. We were able to honor the Champion and Runner-up teams from the Juniors, Majors and Seniors divisions. The format was slightly different this year. As you may be aware, we did not have a banquet in 2009. In 2010, we chose to focus on the House League champion and runner-up teams, since the travel teams typically do their own post-season events. 
 
We did get some feedback from folks via our online survey. Here are some of the highlights:
·         The overwhelming responses of respondees ranked the Italian-American Club venue, food served, presentations and length of the event as APPROPRIATE or better.
·         People overwhelmingly preferred this smaller, more focused event. Comments indicated that the banquet was a worthwhile event, but that focus on the house league for this event was better - and separating out the travel programs.
·         The majority of people indicated they would attend this event again next year.
 
We appreciate the constructive criticisms that were offered. Some were around the price of the event ($24), the food served and nature of "manager speeches". One thing that is important to note that the cost of the event also included the price of the venue, not just the food. The comments on the food served were made regarding food allergies. And interestingly, there were mixed comments on the nature of manager speeches. While some expressed that short speeches are better, others thought it was excellent that managers took the time to see a few brief words about each player - because it gives everyone a flavor for the kids’ participation on the team, and the kids love it!
 
We will take all of this under advisement for next year, and we thank all who participated in the event and the survey.
 
2011 DIVISIONS
We are continuing with our policy of alignment of the divisions by grade. 
·         Grades 7 through 9 will comprise the Senior Division.
·         6th Grade will be the Majors 50/70 Division.
·         5th Grade will be the Majors 46/60 Division and play all their games at Booth Field.
·         3rd and 4th Grade will comprise the Junior Division.
·         2nd Grade is Pee Wee Division.
·         1st Grade is Tee Ball Division.
·         Kindergarten is Junior Tee Ball Division.
 
In the Junior Tee Ball, Tee Ball, and Pee Wee division – We are continuing to refine and improve on the scheduling of practices and games. Prior to last year, we had a policy of games on Saturdays and practices during the week. Unfortunately we had a couple of years where weekends were washed out by rain, and many of the game days were rained out. Last year we made an adjustment – game days scheduled on both Saturdays and once during the week, with the early part of that game day time earmarked for practice, followed by as many innings of game time that the remaining time would allow. I think there was general agreement that this format worked better than the rain-limited schedules of the prior years. However there were a couple issues that occurred that we are reacting to:
 
·         In 2010, the rain stayed away in large part – leading to a record number of games played. While some folks gave us feedback that this was very good, others felt that it was too much. For 2011, we are working on more detailed game/practice policy – a hybrid between the approach of 2010 and past years – to provide an optimal number of games and an appropriate number of practices for this age group. We have yet to devise a solution to control the weather. However our scientists are hard at work, and we hope to have a solution for this shortly!
·         We also received feedback that there was not enough practice time, managers opting to just let the kids play rather than spending time on a solid team practice. This is certainly understandable as it can be a challenge to keep the collective attention of kids at this young age in a practice setting, as well as in a game setting. However we feel that practice time is critical, especially at this young age, to help the kids develop their skills. In 2011, we plan to publish more detailed guidelines for managers and coaches at these levels, as well as support them with documented practice plans specifically designed to teach, to keep their attention and most importantly to make it fun!
 
As for the older divisions:
·         Junior division continues to be a “full participation league” with kids doing all the pitching (continuation from the last part of Pee Wee where coaches pitch the 1st half of the season).
·         Major-5th grade division is the next level still on the 46/60 fields (mostly Booth Field)
·         Major-6th grade division makes the jump to the 50/70 fields – which is designed to be a stepping stone to moving to the ‘big field’ in 7th grade.
·         Senior division makes the big jump to the 60/90 major league field. 
 
SPRING TRAVEL PROGRAM
The spring travel tryouts will be planned for the January/February timeframe. Travel opportunities in the spring will be available for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders. More information will be distributed once available. You can always get the latest information at www.spfyba.org.
 
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING PROGRAM
We are planning a special program for 7th and 8th graders to fill the gap left by the discontinuation of the middle school sports programs by the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education.   The plan is for entering 2 SPFYBA teams into a competitive inter-district league sanctioned by Babe Ruth. There will be tryouts for these teams, which will be announced. The league is expected to consist of 10-12 teams, and will play in the spring. We continue to work with SPFHS Head Baseball Coach Tom Baylock to make this program a solid, competitive program for this group of players. More information will be coming out shortly. More information is available at www.spfyba.org, or write us at spfyba@gmail.com with any specific questions.
 
--------------------------------------------
 
As you can see, we will be moving very quickly on 2011 preparations. More information will follow in subsequent announcements. And of course the latest and greatest information is always available on our website at www.spfyba.org. We look forward to seeing everyone out on the field soon!
 
With Warm Regards,
 
The SPFYBA Executive Board - Neil Kaufman, President
Email: spfyba@gmail.com
 
P.S. – Join us on Facebook by clicking on: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scotch-Plains-NJ/Scotch-PlainsFanwood-Youth-Baseball-Association/148983158456212?v=wall
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