Introduction

The Norfolk Baseball Association Summer League has been designed to allow our Junior Level Players ages 7-12 and our Senior Level Players ages 13-18 to continue playing Baseball from Late June through early August. Players, who had not participated in our Spring League, are still eligible to play in our summer program.

Registration is for participation in Norfolk Baseball’s Summer Program; not for a specific Team or League.

At the Junior Level please refer to the team selection process for further information on how the Hockomock, Sizzler and Friendship Teams are selected. Junior Level Players not selected for the Hockomock, Sizzler, or Friendship Teams will automatically be assigned to The Barnstormer League or Participate in our In-town Farm League. All Inquires regarding the Junior Level of Norfolk Baseball’s Summer League should be directed to the Summer League Coordinator.

At the Senior Level all players will be accommodated as best the league can handle. All Inquires regarding the Senior Level of Norfolk Baseball’s Summer League should be directed to the Babe Ruth President or Coordinator.

Contact information regarding the Summer and Babe Ruth Coordinators can be found here.

Below are descriptions of the leagues in which Norfolk Summer Baseball participates, their potential schedule, level of competitiveness and expected level of commitment from the players and their families.

Hockomock League

Hockomock is considered the most competitive among the leagues in which we play. Each participating town fields its best players, creating a high level of competition. Norfolk will be fielding teams at the Junior Level for each age 9-12 and at the Senior level for ages 13-18. During the season, we ask that selected Hockomock players miss no more than 1 week due to vacation and are available for the playoff schedule. Games are played within Norfolk and other Hockomock member towns. Our Hockomock teams will be populated with our players who have excelled during the current spring season. Expertise at positions will be a factor in the Hockomock selection process.

Hockomock Summer League Web Site

Hopkinton Sizzler Tournament

The Hopkinton Sizzler Tournament, a competitive summer tournament with all games played in Hopkinton. Games will be primarily on weekends. We will enter two teams in the Sizzler Tournament this summer: a team of combined baseball age 9 and 10 years old, and a second team of combined baseball age 11 and 12 years old. As with our Hockomock teams we ask that our Sizzler team members do not take more than a week’s vacation during the tournament. Sizzler tournament rules require players to play in at least 50% of their team’s games to be eligible to participate in the Sizzler playoffs.

Hopkinton Little League Web Site

The Friendship League

Norfolk Baseball will once again enter a team in the Friendship League based out of Foxboro. Last year’s team had much success, as well as a great time. We will be entering a team of combined 7 and 8 year olds. This league is a great opportunity for our players to begin to play competitive summer ball while continuing to develop their skills and baseball awareness acquired during the spring season.

The Norfolk/Sharon Barnstormer League

The Barnstormer League will be a no-cut league with an opportunity for Junior Level Players not selected for the other traveling teams to still have the opportunity to continue their baseball season, in a combined recreational and competitive environment. Games will be played in Norfolk and Sharon, with an opportunity to play night game(s) “under the lights” in Sharon. We will have two divisions; ages 9-10 and ages 11-12. Our season will include a regular game schedule with an end of season playoff.

In-town Farm League

To accommodate and welcome players not selected for the Friendship team, Norfolk Baseball will continue its In-Town Farm League. This league is designed to create a relaxed and fun learning experience for our 7-8 year olds and their families who want to continue playing baseball in the summer. Like the previous summer, the focus will remain on basic skill development. In most cases, a pitching machine will be utilized in an effort to encourage hitting and fielding.

Registration

The registration period for Norfolk Summer Baseball will be held in May, 2008. Players will be assigned to their team no later than the first week of June. On-line registration is available via www.norfolkbaseball.com. Please have a copy of your child’s birth certificate accompany your registration. For our players who are registering on line, birth certificates can be mailed to Post Office Box #176, a players birth certificate can be submitted upon check-in at evaluation day.

To be eligible for the Hockomock, Sizzler, or Friendship teams, a birth certificate will be required and we require the birth certificate to be presented to the league on or before evaluation day.

Manager/Coach Selection Process

Prospective Managers for both our summer program’s Junior and Senior Levels must submit to Norfolk Baseballs Summer Coordinator, in writing, their intent to manage or coach by the end of the first week in April. For Each year the end date will be posted on the Norfolk Baseball home page. The Manager Approval process includes an in-person interview with the Norfolk Baseball Summer Manager Selection Committee. This committee will follow the same objective format used to select the spring Major League Managers and Coaches. Any committee member wishing to manage or coach a summer league team will be required to follow the same process, utilizing an impartial replacement for the interview

Player/Team Selection - Junior Level

Norfolk Baseball will use a combination of the following criteria in forming our summer Hockomock, Sizzler, and Friendship All-Star Teams:

• Spring Season Performance
• Tryout/Evaluations from Evaluation Day (Junior Division Only)
• Evaluations from their Last Summer team (if applicable)

Information for the first two factors will be collected during the spring season and the appointed mangers for each summer team are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the potential candidates for their team during the spring season. Norfolk Baseball will conduct a player evaluation day prior to The All-Star team selection. The date for each season’s Evaluation Day will be posted on the Norfolk Baseball Website in the beginning of May.

The week prior to Evaluation Day, each spring manager will re-evaluate the players on their teams and submit these evaluations to the Summer Coordinator for consideration during the selection process.

Evaluation Day for the Junior Level All-Star Teams:

Participation in Player Evaluation Day, while not mandatory, is strongly encouraged as feedback has already been accumulated for each regular season player. However, the performance of players on evaluation day will be used as part of the final team selection. Team selection will be posted on the Norfolk Baseball website no later than the first week of June. All Players not selected for a Junior Level All-star Team will automatically qualify to play in The Barnstormer League or our In-town Farm League.

In order to create objectivity in our process, evaluations will be completed or reviewed by the Player Agent, Summer League Managers, the Norfolk Summer League Director and at least one other member of the Board whose child is not part of the applicable tryout process.

Parents, please note the following parameters:

Since the summer teams are a more competitive level of baseball than the regular season, it requires a greater degree of participation and time commitment. The two competitive travel teams (Hockomock & Sizzler) can each expect to practice or play two or three nights a week throughout the summer season (typically through the end of July first week of August).

If players are unable to participate on a regular basis (due to summer camps, vacations, or other commitments) please let the Team Manager know before the evaluation day is complete. For our players participating on the Hockomock, Sizzler, and Friendship teams, if a family’s vacation plans will exceed one week, the Team Manger has discretion to ask the player to participate as an alternate, in deference to a player who can make a full-time commitment to participate.

As indicated throughout this document, players not offered a roster position on Norfolk’s Hockomock , Sizzler or Friendship teams will have the opportunity to play in The Norfolk Sharon Barnstormer League or In-town Farm League.

As final note, we as a league will continue to do our best to create an enjoyable experience for each of our players who play summer ball. We appreciate any constructive thoughts that can continue to improve our Summer League program.

Downloadable Copy of Summer Baseball Information