Spring 2016 Registration Information

Registration is completely online and it is very easy to do!

To register, go to northsidecalripken.org. Payment may be made by mail or in person if necessary; however, registration is not complete until we receive your payment (*details below).    See below to determine the right division for your child.  We strongly recommend that families register their children for their appropriate division based upon the birth date ranges that are specified.   Exceptions will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  Registration deadline is February 1^st (if paying by mail, then must be postmarked by January 30th) for reduced fee.  We will accept registrations after February 1^st if space is available, but the fee will be increased.  All cash or check payments are due by no later than January 30, 2016.  Any “pay in person” registration for which payment has not been received by January 30th  will be deleted from our online registration system. 

Divisions may reach capacity so register early!

If you have questions about registering for a division outside the recommended age groups listed below, or if you have scholarship or equipment needs, please e-mail the league at ncrlbaseball@gmail.com.

For 4 - 6 year olds (born between 5/1/09- 4/30/12)

Beginner or Advanced T-ball            Cost: $50 + 2 hours volunteer time.
                                                          $75 if paid after February 1st

Beginner T-Ball:  For children who need very basic instruction, how to swing a bat, where to run after hitting the ball, and how to field and throw.

Advanced T-Ball:  We recommend this division if your child is in this age group and has played T-Ball before and has an understanding of basic skills.

For 6-8 year olds (born between 5/1/07 - 4/30/09)

Junior Rookie or Rookie                

Please choose a Rookie division based upon criteria below.  If you are unsure, choose
Junior Rookie. Final placement may differ and will take place after player evaluations.

Junior Rookie: This division is intended to focus on baseball fundamentals for children in this age group who are new to the game.  Junior Rookie uses a pitching machine just like the Rookie League, but the pitch speed is slower.  **Mandatory player evaluation on February 28^th.

Rookie: For children in this age group who are familiar with the fundamentals and are ready to be challenged to practice and improve their skills and strategy. There is an option to also participate on a Tournament team at an additional cost.  **Mandatory player evaluation on February 28^th.

For 8-10 year olds (born between 5/1/05 - 4/30/07)

Minor: Players begin to play under more ‘advanced’ rules. Kids pitch in the Minors.  Stealing is allowed, but only after the pitch has crossed the plate.  Skills continue to be developed while coaches encourage strategic thinking.  There is an option to also participate on a Tournament Team at an additional cost.
**Mandatory player evaluation on February 28^th.

For 10 - 12 year olds (born between 5/1/03 - 4/30/05)

Major: Players work to improve skills, teamwork and strategy.  Rules become more advanced to resemble adult league rules.  There is an option to also participate on a Tournament Team at an additional cost. **Mandatory player evaluation on February 28^th.

Cost for Junior Rookie, Rookie, Minor, and Major Divisions

By February 1^st:  $80 + 2 hours volunteer time

After February 1^st: $110 + 2 hours volunteer time

**Players are evaluated for even distribution across teams.  You may request to be with a coach, team, or friend and we will try to honor that request; however, we cannot guarantee that requests will be honored.

Evaluation day is set for Sunday, February 28^th .

All Jr. Rookie, Rookie, Minor & Major players must attend.

Other Payment Options

PAY IN PERSON:

First, complete the online registration and select “pay in person” as your payment option, and then join us at one of our “in-person” payment sessions:

·         Wednesday, January 27^th – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at

Hollymead Elementary School

·         Thursday, January 28^th –  6:00 pm to 8:00 pm  at

Hollymead Elementary School

PAY BY MAIL:

First, complete the online registration and select “pay in person” as your payment option, then mail payment along with online registrant name, player name, division, phone number and email address to:

NCRL Baseball

P.O. Box 7531

Charlottesville, VA, 22906

Reminder:  Any “pay by mail” payments must be postmarked by January 30th.

Checks should be made payable to: Northside Cal Ripken League (NCRL)

Registration fee may be reduced or waived based upon special circumstances.

Northside Cal Ripken League accepts registration from boys and girls who will be four (4) years old before May 1, 2016 and who will not be thirteen (13) years old before May 1, 2016, and who live within the following elementary school districts: Agnor Hurt, Cale, Hollymead, Stone-Robinson, Baker-Butler, City of Charlottesville, Red Hill (east of Rt.29), Stony Point, Broadus Wood, Greer, Scottsville, Woodbrook.

    VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!

The Northside Board of Directors strives to keep registration fees as low as possible, making Northside Baseball the best deal in town.  Your registration fees help, but don’t fully cover the costs associated with running our league.   Volunteer efforts, sponsors, and fundraising events help defray registration costs and we rely on the dedication of many volunteers to make our league affordable and fun. 

Prospective coaches are asked to fill out and submit a Coach Application, which is located on our website.  Applications may be mailed to PO Box address listed above or emailed to us.  Other volunteer opportunities will be available during the season and the process for signing up will be communicated at a later date.  

Please contact us at ncrlbaseball@gmail.com if you have any questions or need more information.

For more details about fields, practices, and number of practices/games, visit the FAQ section of our website:

www.northsidecalripken.org

 

Sponsors Needed for Spring 2016

2016 Northside Cal Ripken League Sponsorship Levels

Gold Sponsor - $1000

• Company name on the back of team jersey
• Company banner hung on Carson Raymond Field fence throughout 2016
• Tent space during the 2016 Days of Champions Festival (June 5, 2016)
• Dedicated sponsor week
     o Company logo highlighted on the front page of website
     o Company advertisement included in the week’s league-wide email
        update and Facebook page
     o Recognition in the Snack Shack at Carson Raymond Field
• Logo included on the Northside Cal Ripken Website
• Commemorative Plaque

Silver Sponsor - $500

• Company name on the back of team jersey
• Company banner hung on Carson Raymond Field fence throughout 2016
• Tent space during 2016 Days of Champions Festival (June 5, 2016)
• Logo included on the Northside Cal Ripken Website
• Commemorative Plaque

Bronze Sponsor - $300
• Company name on the back of team jersey or company banner hung on Carson Raymond Field fence throughout 2016
• Logo included on the Northside Cal Ripken Website
• Commemorative Plaque


Click here for Sponsor Application

New Team Selection Process for Spring 2016

Dear Northside Community,

With the spring 2016 season right around the corner, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to you about changes to Northside’s spring draft process.

Previously, Northside has allowed coaches to select all of their returning players from prior seasons, and attempted to honor all player requests. This was done largely without consideration of competitive balance, and it was continued over multiple seasons because the board wanted to honor families’ request to remain with the coaches they liked, especially while the league worked to improve overall coach talent to a more consistent level across divisions.

Northside has the good fortune now of having that consistency across the divisions. We’ve been lucky to find excellent volunteer coaches, each with different strengths and approaches, but all working together to provide the environment consistent with Northside’s Mission Statement.

This past fall, the Northside Board of Directors ratified a new spring draft process intended to improve competitive balance across all Northside divisions.

With the new draft process, coaches will still be able to choose amongst requesting players with a few draft picks. After those rounds, each player’s evaluation rating will be monitored and the drafting coach would still have the opportunity to draft from his/her pool of requesting players if competitive balance is still maintained.  Players who are returning to the league who wish to play for the same coach as previous seasons should indicate that coach's name as a request

What this means to you: It is still likely you will receive the coach you have requested, but it is possible your son/daughter will find themselves with a different coach. The board feels this should not be viewed as a negative since Northside is lucky to have a quality stable of volunteer coaches.

The league works with the coaches each season to improve their skill-set and approach by hosting coaching clinics, and through the league’s coaching liaison and each division’s commissioner monitoring in-season performance. While the board understands that players are more comfortable with coaches they know, the board also feels a player can benefit from experiencing a different coaching style as well.

This change to the draft process was not taken lightly. It was discussed amongst the board and coaches over the course of the last year. All viewpoints were welcomed and considered. We believe we have arrived at the process that best balances requests, with ensuring competitive balance across the divisions.

As always, your comments or questions are welcome. Please feel free to email us with any concerns.

Sincerely,
Alice Riccabona
President, Northside Cal Ripken League

Baseball Camp Opportunity at the Dugout

This Saturday, December 12, the VMI Baseball Coaches are hosting a VMI / Jonathon Hadra Baseball Hitting, Pitching, and Catching Camp at The Dugout  There will be 2 separate sessions:

9:00am – 12:00 noon – Hitting

1:00pm – 4:00pm – Pitching and Catching

If you want to attend and have not registered, call or E-mail us right away !!

More information about the camp can be found at the following link:

http://www.totalcamps.com/VMI

Call for Spring Tournament Team Managers

Email the league if you are interested in managing a Northside Tournament Team this upcoming spring season.  Please clarify what age group you are interested in managing.   Let the league know no later than December 18^th if you are interested.  Try-outs for spring Tournament Teams will be in February and practices and games will begin in late February/early March, and end on May 1^st. 

2 Key Board Positions Open - We Need Your Help!

The 2015-16 Board of Directors is excited to begin work on our upcoming Spring Season.  We have many returning members and welcome several new people to help us continue our mission.   However, we are short two very key positions that need to be filled:  Groundskeeper and Concessionaire. 

The Concessionaire position is especially important because the proceeds from sales in our concession stand fund our umpires for our baseball seasons.  Without our Concessionaire, we are in danger of having to keep the stand closed.  We have endeavored to keep food prices reasonable so that the stand provides a community service while also helping to keep our league’s internal costs low.  Without the revenue from our stand, we may be required to raise registration fees at a higher rate than we would like.  Our former Concessionaire has done an excellent job of documenting what needs to be done, and we will provide on-the-job training for anyone willing to take on this important position.  Would you please help us?

As you can imagine, our fields are our most important asset and proper maintenance is necessary to keep them safe and playable.  We need someone who can coordinate efforts to improve and maintain our fields, and work with contractors and our schools to make sure work is done, and we are compliant with school policies.  Our Groundskeeper does not necessarily have to do the actual field work, rather, we need someone to manage this process.

If interested in filling either of this positions, please contact us at ncrlbaseball@gmail.com.

End of Season Tournament

The Rookie, Minor, and Major Divisions will have an End of Season Tournament this weekend:   November 7th-8th.  Click here for the full tournament schedule.

Concession Stand Sign Up and How to Log your Volunteer Hours

• Concession Stand Sign Up (click here to link to the Sign Up Genius for the entire Fall Season Concession Stand Schedule)

For the Concession Stand Sign Up:
You can sign up for ANY of the available slots - even when your team is not playing or not using Carson Raymond Field to meet the 2 hour family requirement.

When you have completed your volunteer hours, you can access the Volunteer Log Form here to indicate when/how you volunteered.

Thanks for your help in making Northside a great league for our kids!   Questions?  Email us at ncrlbaseball@gmail.com.

Northside Player in the News!

Northside's own Maggie Lynn is featured in C-Ville Magazine. We welcome boys AND girls to our fields! Way to go, Maggie!

Check out the article here.

Important Message from Northside's President

Dear Northside Family & Friends,

 

As I reflect on my first year in the role of President, I look around at all our success and feel proud of the job we have done.  Our success is fully dependent upon the dedicated volunteers that serve our local families, and now is the time that we set the tone for the year to come. 

 

The time of the year for electing a new Board of Directors is upon us. All positions on the Board are open for nomination and need to be filled. Every year we lose key people as their children age out of our league.  Our continued success is dependent on energetic people that care about Northside who are willing to help further our mission and keep Northside on the forefront of leagues where local children want to play baseball. 

A strong Board is the key to having a strong league. We need more people willing to give a little time and effort to keep the league moving in the right direction. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining us, please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email to ncrlbaseball@gmail.com.

If you would like to know more about what we do as a board to aid in your decision to help us, please come to our meeting this Tuesday night, September 1st. It will be held at Sutherland Middle School Library at 8:00 PM.  Meeting minutes from the past year are always available for your review on our website on the BOD Minutes page.

Three years ago, I heard former President Chris Clarke’s plea for help and decided to learn more about helping the organization.  Over the past few seasons I’ve really enjoyed meeting an amazing and unique group of people who put your children first, and give of themselves to see the smiles and hear the cheers from the sidelines.  At first, I was unsure of how I could help – we all started out that way.  You really don't need any experience as we all started out with none. Luckily we have had great people willing to teach others through the years and help build this league into what it is today.

Please help us continue to grow and provide a great environment for these children to play ball.  We really need your help.

Sincerely,

Alice Riccabona
NCRL President

Dick's Sporting Goods Fall Northside Appreciation Day!

On Saturday, August 22^nd, 2015 from 10:00am - 2:00pm the Charlottesville, Dick’s Sporting Goods store location will be hosting its 1^st Annual Fall Baseball Appreciation Discount Day to assist families and players with preparing for the upcoming fall baseball season!
 

Any Northside Cal Ripken participant can bring in the appreciation day flyer (click here and then print) to receive 20% off your entire purchase (some exclusions apply) on Saturday, August 22^nd.  This is a great opportunity to not only get 20% off all of your necessary baseball equipment but it’s a great opportunity to get 20% off those backpacks or sneakers you need to finish up your back to school shopping! You can also stop by the Northside Cal Ripken table to register to win gift certificates to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
If you are unable to make it to the appreciation day event please remember that you can click this link - Northside Cal Ripken 2015 Baseball DSG Coupon - to print out your Team Packet baseball coupon sheet, which is good for discounts off your baseball purchases (as listed on the coupon) all season long.  You will not be able to use the baseball team packet coupon in addition to the appreciation day coupon on the appreciation day. 

If you are unable to make it between 10:00-2:00, Dick’s Sporting Goods will still honor the discount all day long. 

We hope to see you there!

Speed and Agility Preview by ACAC

Speed and Agility Preview Sessions 

Offered to Northside Players

EDGE Studio invites athletes to participate in ADAPT's Speed and Agility Training Program. The ADAPT program is designed by Division One Strength and Conditioning Coach and former head strength coach of NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Curtis, and emphasizes learning fundamental movement skills in an encouraging environment. The integrated systems approach lays the foundation for better movement, efficiency, resiliency, durability, strength and power! 

Free Preview Sessions for Northside on Saturday, August 29th at Carson Raymond Field:

Rookies = 9-9:50am 

Minors = 10-10:50am

Majors = 11-11:50am

To register your athlete for the ADAPT sessions, please email Coach Peter, Director of Sports Performance, at peteral@acac.com. Space is limited and sessions are expected to fill quickly, so register soon.