RFYBO fields AAA (A), AA (B) and A (C) levels of play based on the number of players and talent.
How much does Travel Baseball Cost? River Falls Youth Baseball costs vary depending on the level of play and the number of tournaments scheduled. Typically, the overall season cost will fall between $250 and $350 per player. The variation in costs depends on clinics attended and uniform pieces ordered.
Each team usually plays in two away tournaments between mid-May and the end of June. The registration cost for each tournament varies, but averages approximately $300. Early registration is necessary. Your team coach will collect tourney dues from each team member prior to registering in a
tournament. This cost will be equally divided among the team. In order to be fair among the teammates and coaches, everyone is required to pay their equal share of tournament fees, even if a member has a prescheduled event and will not be participating in a given tournament.
RFYBO offers all travel baseball teams the opportunity to play in a home tournament with registration costs waived. If a team legitimately qualifies for state play at the end of a season, (that is, not receives a qualifying invitation by default) the board will absorb the registration costs in order for that team to participate and represent RF Youth Travel Baseball at State.
Where does the money go? RF Youth Baseball provides each team with quality equipment, fields and umpires for competition. Specific spending varies from year to year depending on equipment needed, field maintenance etc. Financials are available upon request.
How much time do I need to volunteer? The goal of RFBYO is to charge each team just enough to break even on the team’s individual expenses. In order to cover any overhead operating costs, we use the funds generated from our tournaments and concession stands. These expenses include, but are not limited to, costs for maintenance, field improvements, and supplies. We simply ask each family to volunteer for approximately 4hours during one of our three tournaments. Most people find this to be a pleasant experience.
It requires a tremendous amount of work to keep our travel Youth Baseball successful. All of this work is done by volunteers in order to keep the overall price down. There are many opportunities to help during the season, as well as during the off-season. Examples are field improvement, field preparation/post game clean-up, practice and training, score keeping/refreshments, fund-raising, team communication and car pooling. Please do not hesitate to send us your ideas or ask how you can help. Parent participation is crucial to a team’s success and the overall quality of the travel program. Participation is anticipated to be
unconditional and intended for the betterment and future of RFYBO.
Are teams pre-selected? No. RFBYO uses an evaluation procedure and ranks players based on their performance in the tryout. Once the tryout is completed, the board and coaches select teams based on the results. If the number of top quality players exists to fill a AAA team, this will be done first; then AA and A teams are formed. For ages 12 - 14 the top six scoring players from the player evaluations are automatically invited to be part of the first team organized, and then the board and/or coach will select the remainder of the team from the tryout pool.
Are play “up” requests granted? Rarely is this an issue, but when it does arise, the board’s first concern is to consider all tryout participants. If there are enough players to fill a team without pulling from a lower age level, a play “up” position will not be granted. The board recognizes this as the fairest option. If circumstances exist that a team cannot be filled without pulling up from a lower age bracket, this may be an option. Understand a player that chooses to play “up” will not be granted a position on the highest team level.
How are teams formed? After evaluations are completed the board will designate a team coach based on the application AND where his/her player falls in the tryout rankings. For U12 and older, the highest level of play, the youth board & team coach will form a team first. The board and past coaches will be present to provide assistance in player history for any player the coach does not know or hasn’t seen play. Once the first team is selected, the next level coach will select players.
Players are distributed by equal levels of play for the U10 and U11 teams. This has been the long held philosophy of the RFYBO to instill technical and fundamental skills, develop player-confidence, and fair play time at the younger ages. A coin will be flipped and each coach will take turns selecting a player
from the pool of players until each team has up to twelve players. The board and coaches of the specific age levels being divided are present to monitor the draft of teams.
What is the commitment level for Travel Baseball? Generally, each team will play two weekday games from mid-May to the end of June and participate in roughly four tournaments in that span of time. There will most likely be one OR possibly two practices during the week as well. Prior to mid-May, practices schedules will be at the discretion of the coach, weather and field conditions.
Who can coach? RFYBO is always looking for good coaches. The board will take applications, review each application and interview select candidates by a board officer. Based on the interview and the application the board will attempt to select the best fit for each team.
If you are selected to coach are you automatically going to coach in the future? Head coaches are assigned for one year only. Each coach must re-apply and be selected based on experience and prior evaluations.