Two 7U pilot teams, the 7U Orange and the 7U Black, are playing club baseball this summer and having a ball! They have been practicing since January to learn the skills of the game, how to be a good teammate, and much more. Thank you to this year's group of coaches and families making these boys' summertime dreams a reality. Each team is competing in the Iowa City Weeknight League and USSSA Weekend Tournaments. Way to work boys!
7U Orange Coaches: Jason Pataska, Travis Meade, Bobby Thompson, Chris Carney, Chadwick Geary, and Gina Greiner Galpin
7U Black Coaches: Mitch Petersen, John Volkert, and Kameron Winsor
(Estimated player fees noted in chart at bottom of page)
Attention Baseball Parents:
Due to weather on July 23 we communicated the scheduling changes below via email on Tuesday evening with parents of the affected age groups. Please be advised if you had planned on showing up as a walk-in or if you did not see Tuesday night's messages. Check-in will be available 30 min prior to each session. Thank you!
9U – 3rd Graders: Legion Field – 4:00pm to 5:30pm on Wednesday, July 24th
7U & 8U – Kindergarteners - 2nd Graders: Legion Field – 5:30pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday, July 24th (may run late, but we'll do our best)
13U - 6th Graders & 7th Graders: Legion Field - 4:00pm to 5:30pm on Thursday, July 25th
11U – 4th Graders & 5th Graders: Legion Field – 5:30pm to 7:00pm on Thursday, July 25th
*Please do your very best to attend at the new time, but email info@spartanballclub.com if this now creates a conflict for you.
Thank you for your interest in SBC Baseball Player Placement! Our pre-registration period ended July 12th when we narrowed age divisions based on sign ups to date. Please see below for this modified list and schedule. Thank you for your patience as we navigate our first player evaluations. While walkins at the age levels below are welcomed, please help us out by getting signed up soon if you plan to do so! Learn more by scrolling through the information below, reviewing details within the sign up form (button below), and reading the Player Placement FAQ shared at the parent meeting.
When:
7U – Kindergarteners and 1st Graders: Legion Field – 4:00pm to 5:30pm on Tuesday, July 23rd
8U – 2nd Graders: Legion Field – 5:30pm to 7:00pm on Tuesday, July 23rd
9U – 3rd Graders: Legion Field – 4:00pm to 5:30pm on Wednesday, July 24th
11U – 4th Graders & 5th Graders: Legion Field – 5:30pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday, July 24th
13U - 6th Graders & 7th Graders: Legion Field - 4:00pm to 5:30pm on Thursday, July 25th
Where: Legion Field in Solon. Park in the large grass field east of ball diamond and check in at the shelter.
Why: Every player interested in playing on an SBC baseball team must complete a player evaluation to inform team placement. Parents of players interested in joining a team for the 2024-2025 season should sign up using the form below, which includes questions about our needs for coaching and parent support. Information you share about your son's age, interest level, and experience will be combined with his player evaluation data to help our club leaders and existing coaches place him on a team. Then, you will have the opportunity to either accept or decline a roster invitation. Only players within the Solon School District are eligible for player placement.
Not all players trying out are guaranteed to make a baseball team within the SBC. Skill-sets and total numbers signing up for placement are dependencies. Any players who are not offered a roster spot will be placed on our reserve list, where the potential for placement may be revisited in the offseason. We believe in and support the Solon Parks & Rec youth sports program and encourage players to participate on these teams as well.
*The email address used for registration will be used for any follow up communication.
Please also review the SBC Code of Conduct, which all players and their families are asked to agree to when joining a team.
The Spartan Ball Club fields its baseball teams in alignment with USSSA age division guidelines. To read more about these rules, team classifications, and more visit https://iabaseball.usssa.com/. The number of players who sign up for placement, their age division eligibility, and the number of players who ultimately accept team invitations will determine the teams fielded for the season. Players need to be at their age group or younger by May 1st of that playing year OR be a member of that year's class. We want to enforce the general idea of playing with your own graduating class, but exceptions may occur on a case-by-case basis.
Standard Age Groups for Players Entering 2025 Season:
7 & Under (Class of 2036 or younger)
8 & Under (Class of 2035)
9 & Under (Class of 2034)
10 & Under (Class of 2033)
11 & Under (Class of 2032)
12 & Under (Class of 2031)
Etc...
It takes a strong group of committed parents and coaches to support a team from the off season through to the last game. Parents with an interest in coaching should indicate this on their son's player placement form. Additionally, parents with an interest in a support role for their team should also indicate this on the player placement form. There's plenty of work to go around for parents of varying levels of experience and availability.
A team's coaching staff is assembled at the time of player placement based on conversations with volunteers regarding their interest and commitment level, and prior coaching experience. A head coach will be identified prior to any family being asked to finalize their roster acceptance. In the absence of a head coach from a parent volunteer, this topic will be revisited with parents prior to finalizing the roster.
Following player placement, a parent coaching staff (with team support) may choose to pursue a paid coach to supplement the team's coaching needs. Compensation, vetting, and all organization needs associated with a paid head coach will be the responsibility of the team. The club will maintain recognition of the original parent head coach for all SBC communication purposes as the team's point of contact for all coaching matters.
Please reference the Season Definitions and Team Play Guidelines table below to understand the level of commitment and the amount of play expected within each age division. These guidelines, established by the Baseball Competition Committee, are designed to:
Support multi-sport athletes and well rounded kids, with deference to in season activities during the off season practice phase.
Establish a shared commitment for players and teams.
Lessen the decision-making burden for coaches by providing a shared framework to build their schedule around.
*Some of the guidelines in this section were used during the 2023-2024 pilot season, but most were created in real-time as the SBC Board and Competition Committee learned alongside our pilot teams. Therefore, these guidelines will be enforced with more consistency beginning with the 2024-2025 season and beyond.
Coaches may provide additional guidance at the team level, but should be consistent with the following:
All SBC club players are encouraged to prioritize in-season sports when managing scheduling conflicts. Coaches will schedule around conflicts if possible (including religious obligations) and manage each scenario on a case by case basis, following the outline below.
Pre Season Practices: Team practices will be scheduled from January through Spring Break (regular player attendance is highly encouraged to develop skills, but not required)
In Season Practices: Team practices will be scheduled following Spring Break though end of the season (regular player attendance is required to prepare for upcoming games, with coaches handling attendance scenarios with discretion)
In Season Competition: Games and tournaments may be scheduled mid-April through the final weekend of USSSA State competition, typically mid-July (regular player attendance is required, with coaches handling attendance scenarios with discretion)
The SBC does not sponsor fall baseball for its club teams, but SBC coaches are not prohibited from self-organizing an SBC team to play. However, players will not be required to participate. Coaches interested in fall baseball should contact the Baseball Competition Chair to discuss further.
While each team's schedule is a result of players'/coaches' availability and the unique competitive culture of each individual team, the guidelines below are established to create a standard within age divisions and maintain a club-level season for all SBC teams. Coaches of teams who want to play/practice more or less than the outlined standards below will be asked to have a conversation with the club's Competition Chair.
*Player fees noted below are established in conjunction with the amount of Team Play expected, as shown below.
