Lodi Area Baseball & Softball  

FAQ

FAQS FOR PARENTS

  1. What is Lodi Area Baseball/Softball?
  2. The Lodi Area Baseball and Softball (LAYBS) is led by a board of volunteers and supported by the Lodi Optimist Club and other sponsors. Our goal is to offer inexpensive baseball and softball to the children of Lodi and the surrounding communities. We offer a Community League (no cut) as well as a competitive traveling league where teams are selected through tryouts.
  3. What is the difference between Community and travel baseball/softball?
  4. Recreational (Community League) baseball/softball is 4K-8th grade. There are no tryouts. All children are welcome to play. Traveling teams are selected through tryouts every August and travel to play teams in other cities. Note: occasionally if the number of teams in a particular Community League are low, teams may need to travel to surrounding communities to play.
  5. Can my child do both recreational and travel?
  6. While it may take more coordination, players can play in both leagues. Players in both leagues should not expect to be moved to another team to accommodate travel league after teams are selected. 
  7. Are there limits to how many kids can play travel? What about Community League?
  8. In the interest of having a healthy recreational baseball/softball environment and keep Lodi’s traveling teams competitive, the number of kids who can play on traveling teams is limited. The youngest traveling team consists of kids 9-10 years old (younger kids can tryout). There are no limits on the number of players in Community League.
  9. What kind of commitment is required?
  10. There are usually 2 games per week. Practice depends on the coach but teams usually practice twice per week until the season starts.
  11. How far do teams travel?
  12. Community League teams travel to communities close to Lodi (Poynette, Dane, Harmony Grove) Traveling teams can travel up to 50 minutes for a game and further depending on tournaments that the coach signs up for.
  13. How long is the season?
  14. The recreational season starts in June and goes through July with a free season ending tournament the last weekend of July.
  15. The traveling league starts mid-May and goes through mid-July.
  16. How can I help?
  17. The league would not be able to function without its volunteers. Parents can volunteer to coach, work concessions, and even be part of the board. We also depend on sponsors to pay for team uniforms and other items.
  18. How expensive is it?
  19. 4K and K tee ball is $50, 8U-14U leagues are $85. 
  20. Traveling players can expect to pay $275 per player.
  21. Will I need to buy my own equipment?
  22. The league supplies catching gear, balls, and bats. Players can expect to purchase gloves, cleats, helmets, and pants. Uniforms (jerseys or t-shirts) are provided.
  23. What league would my son/daughter be in?
  24. 4K T-Ball is co-ed
  25. K-1 T-Ball is co-ed
  26. 8U Coach Pitch (boys and girls separate)
  27. 10U Boys Little League/Girls Modified Pitch
  28. 12U & 14U Boys Fast Pitch/Girls Fast Pitch
  29. Traveling starts out at 10U
  30. What do my fees go towards?
  31. LAYBS is a non-profit organization. Fees collected help buy equipment, uniforms, field groomers, concessions, umpires, and legal fees. While grants and donations from our sponsors allow us to keep the cost to the families low, we provide insurance and background checks on all coaches. The cost per player is donation dependent. LAYBS prides itself on being one of the most inexpensive organized sports organizations in the area.
  32. How are tryouts conducted?
  33. All players are divided by age and gender and put through the same drills. These drills are evaluated by un-bias volunteers. These volunteers cannot be parents or potential coaches of the players being evaluated. Every effort is made to ensure the evaluators know as little about the children as possible.
  34. I have a complaint, whom should I talk to?
  35. Complaints should be handled at the lowest appropriate level. Example: complaints about playing time or sportsmanship should be brought to the coach’s attention. Complaints about the coach should be brought to the director of that league. Complaints about fields, umpires, equipment, or scheduling should be directed to the director of those areas. See “Contact Us” on the website. We ask that parents, coaches, and players are professional and contact the appropriate individual versus publicly airing grievances on social media. 
  36. Whom can I contact with questions?
  37. lodiareabaseballandsoftball@gmail.com


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