Reminder about Player Evaluations

Mandatory player evaluations for Jr. Rookie, Rookie, Minor and Majors will be held on Sunday, February 25^th.  We have to wait to see what the weather conditions will be before we can set the time and exact location.  If the weather is cooperative, we’ll hold evaluations outside starting earlier in the day on Carson Raymond Field.  If the weather is unfavorable, we’ll move inside to Sutherland Gym later in the day.   More information will be available the week prior to Evaluation Day.
 

For our 13-15 age group we will hold evaluations outside at Burley Middle School on Friday, March 2^nd at 6:30 PM.
Evaluations are mandatory for all registered players.  
 

WE DO NOT CONDUCT EVALUATIONS FOR THE T-BALL DIVISION.

Announcing Our Raffle Winners!

Congratulations to Isaiah Herndon who won our $50 gift card to DICK’S Sporting Goods.  Also congratulations to Jeremy Weisman for winning a Northside T-Shirt.
 

Thanks to all who have registered so far.  We have a few spaces left in our T-Ball, Jr Rookie, Rookie, and 13-15 divisions. The Majors and Minors currently are wait-list only status.  We are looking forward to seeing everyone back on the field soon. 

March 3rd is Dick's Sporting Goods Northside Appreciation Day!

On Saturday, March 3rd from 11:00am - 4:00pm the Charlottesville, 5th Street Station, Dick’s Sporting Goods store location will be hosting its annual appreciation discount day to assist families and players with preparing for their upcoming baseball season.  Any Northside Baseball League participant can bring in the Dick's Sporting Goods Appreciation Day Flyer to receive 20% off their purchase (some exclusions apply) on this date.  This is a great opportunity to not only get your new USA bat and other baseball gear but to take care of any other purchasing needs you may have.  While you're there, make sure to stop by the Northside Baseball League table to register to win bonus certificates from Dick’s Sporting Goods and other prizes!  We hope to see you there!   If you are unable to make it to the appreciation day event on March 3rd, you can bring in the Northside Baseball League 2018 Dick's Sporting Goods Baseball Team Sports 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 coupon in addition to the appreciation day coupon on March 3rd.   A baseball glove is one gift you can give a 6 year old, a 16 year old, and a 60 year old and make them all equally excited.

Register, Officiate, Volunteer!

Register Now!

Our on-time registration deadline is rapidly approaching!  Divisions may reach capacity so register today!.  All community members who have signed up and paid by February 1^st will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Gift Card at DICK’S Sporting Goods.  Register by February 1st to secure your spot, and you’ll have fun when you PLAY NORTHSIDE!   For more information, visit our website or download our information flyer.

  

Calling All Officials!

Northside Baseball League needs umpires.  Flexible schedule.  Games played evening Monday to Friday, and all day Saturday.  Applicants must be dependable and reliable, and must be able to represent the league in a positive manner.  No umpiring experience needed;  however, a good, solid knowledge of the game of baseball is required. The league will be holding an umpire clinic to train and certify new umpires.  High School Baseball Players encouraged to apply. 

Organizational Meeting Tuesday February 27th.   For more information, please contact Umpire in Chief, Matt Schorr at umpire@playnorthside.org.

Help Needed

Do you want to help the Board but don’t have the time to be a full-time member?  There are plenty of opportunities to make a difference in an official capacity.  If you are interested in taking on a more active role, please email our volunteer coordinator.  We need help on our Concessions Committee as well as assistance with Fundraising and Day of Champions.  Meet new friends who share your love of the game.  Put a smile on a child’s face.  We will provide training and guidance to all who apply.  Please, help us continue to provide a great experience for all our kids by becoming more involved. 

Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.
- Yogi Berra

Information about Coach Sammy Beale's Funeral and Memorial

Please, if you can, donate to the "Go Fund Me Page" we have set up to assist Sammy's family with medical and burial expenses. They have raised only about 15% of their goal and need more help. If you can contribute, please go to: 

https://www.gofundme.com/sammy-beale-mr-baseball

Below are the details regarding Sammy's Funeral arrangements:

Family Night Visitation
Thursday January 4, 2018
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Teague Funeral Home
2260 Ivy Road Charlottesville, VA 22903

Funeral Service
Friday January 5, 2018
11:00 am
First Baptist Church
735 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22902

followed by

Graveside
Monticello Memory Gardens
670 Thomas Jefferson Parkway
Charlottesville, VA 22902

followed by

Celebration of Sammy's Life
2:30 pm
Elk's Lodge #389
389 Elk Drive Charlottesville, VA 22911

Northside Baseball League 2018 Pritchett Family Scholarship Information

What is the Pritchett Family Scholarship?

For over thirty years, the Northside Baseball League has provided boys and girls in the Charlottesville area with the opportunity to have fun learning and playing the game of baseball. The Pritchett Family, headed by Woody Pritchett, has been instrumental in the formation and continued progression of our league. We are proud to honor their legacy and expand our service to the community by offering a scholarship in the amount of $1,500 to a graduating student for whom the Northside Baseball League was a part of their lives.  

Who is eligible to apply?

To apply for the scholarship, the following is required:

• The student is committed to continuing his/her education in either an academic or vocational institution.
• The student is a former Northside player who has played baseball in or served the Northside Baseball League for three (3) or more seasons.  
• The student must submit an application and essay (maximum of 1000 words) on:

The impact that youth baseball has had on your life.

Click here for link to application.

When are applications due?

• All interested applicants should submit their documentation by February 28, 2018.  
• Northside will honor our scholarship recipient at our 2018 Opening Day Ceremony, which is set for Saturday, March 24, 2018.    

How should applications be submitted?

• Electronic submissions are preferred and your complete application and essay should be emailed by February 28, 2018 to: secretary@playnorthside.org (subject line: Pritchett Scholarship).
• If you do not have access to email, please ensure that your essay and corresponding information is postmarked by February 26, 2018 and mailed to:
  

NBL Pritchett Family Scholarship

P.O. Box Box 7531

Charlottesville, VA  22906

If you have any questions, please contact secretary@playnorthside.org.

Spring 2018 Registration is Now Open!

2018 Spring Registration Information

To register, go to our Registration Portal.

For more details, download our Information Form or
Visit our Website.

Registration is now completely online and it is very easy to do!  Divisions may reach capacity so register early!

See below to determine the right division for your child.  We require 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 1st.  We will accept registrations after February 1st if space is available, but the fee for some divisions will be increased.

Available Divisions
For 4 - 6 year olds (born between 5/1/11- 4/30/14) 
T-ball          
*Cost: $50
NO PLAYER EVALUATION REQUIRED

For 6 - 8 year olds (born between 5/1/09 - 4/30/12)
Junior Rookie
*Cost: $80
MANDATORY PLAYER EVALUATION ON FEB 25th   

For 6 - 8 year olds (born between 5/1/09 - 4/30/12)
Rookie    
*Cost: $100
MANDATORY PLAYER EVALUATION ON FEB 25th       

For 9 - 10 year olds (born between 5/1/07- 4/30/09)
Minor Division
*Cost: $100
MANDATORY PLAYER EVALUATION ON FEB 25th

For 11 - 12 year olds (born between 5/1/05 - 4/30/07)
Major Division
*Cost: $100
MANDATORY PLAYER EVALUATION ON FEB 25th

For 13 - 15 year olds (born between 5/1/02 - 4/30/05)
13-15 Division
*Cost: $130
MANDATORY PLAYER EVALUATION ON MAR 2nd

*Every family is asked to give a minimum of two volunteer hours to the league during the season.

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

For more details about divisions, fields, practices, number of practices/games, and special requests, visit the FAQ section of our website.

Please contact us at info@playnorthside.org if you have any questions or need more information.

Coaches Needed for Spring 2018

Please let Alice Riccabona know if you want to head coach a recreational and/or tournament team for the spring of 2018.  The Board is expecting to vote on tournament team head coaches during our December 5th Board Meeting.  Rec coaches will be voted in during the February 2018 meeting.

New Bat Standard

Are you thinking of giving a bat for a gift this winter?  If yes, please be aware that Babe Ruth League has released a new standard for bats, so make sure the one you choose is compliant with the new standards.  More information on compliant bats can be found on Babe Ruth League’s website.

Exciting New Programs for 13-15 Year Olds!

The Northside Board is working hard to make the new 13-15 Division a great experience for all.  We’re currently finalizing the details of how the division will be divided to ensure that kids of all skill levels can be competitive and have fun at the same time.  Feel free to browse our current proposal (download here), and provide our 13-15 division Commissioner, Chris Guyton, with any comments or suggestions. 

In addition, we fully expect to field spring tournament teams at the 15u, 14u, and 13u age groups and have been actively searching for coaches to manage these groups.  The Board should have coaches in place by early December, and information about tryouts will shortly follow coach selection.  Keep Northside on your radar!

Support Northside Through Amazon, Board Meeting

Amazon Smile The holiday shopping season has begun!  Are you an Amazon.com shopper?  If yes, did you know you can shop AND donate to Northside at the same time?  If you go to smile.amazon.com and select Northside as your charity, 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to help us make baseball even better in Charlottesville!  11/14 Board Meeting The next Board Meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday 14th at 7:30 PM in the Sutherland Middle School library.  We have a wide range of topics to discuss to wrap up the Fall Season and look ahead to the Spring one.  Meetings are open to the public and we welcome your feedback and participation.

New Name - Same Great League, Survey & More

Different Name, Same Great League! We've changed our name to Northside Baseball League The new name is a better reflection of what we offer to our community.  With the addition of a 13-15 division, Northside now serves both kids under the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth League designations.  We are excited to officially charter as a Babe Ruth League this upcoming spring, and will continue to provide a robust, fun, and development-focused league for any boy or girl who wants to play baseball in our area. Travel/tournament team opportunities will also be available.   With this change, we've also changed our website to www.playnorthside.org.  Your old bookmarks/favorites will still work but will direct you to our new domain.   We'd Love Your Feedback Another successful fall league is in the books.  Thank you to all who coached and played this season.  Because we want to make sure we are providing the best possible experience for all, we're asking our community to provide feedback in the form of a very brief survey.  Please access the link below to let us know how we are doing.  Please complete our survey by Sunday, November 12th so that the Board is able to discuss the results at the next Board Meeting.  Access our survey here. Looking Ahead.... Although the fall season has just ended, the Northside Board is busy working on our Spring 2018 season.  Look for updates later in November.  We expect registration for spring to open on or before December 1st.