Program Purpose

The Fargo Babe Ruth League has developed a travel team program for players aged 10 – 18 with the purpose to accomplish the following goals:

·   For all ages: provide consistent, quality and structured coaching specific to player’s age.

·   For 10 - 13 year-old players: Provide a worthwhile opportunity for those players who would like to experience competitive & tournament baseball, in addition to, but not separated from league play.

·   For 14 & 15 year-old players: Provide a worthwhile opportunity for those players who would like to experience competitive baseball in league play and tournament play.

·   For 16-18 year old players: Provide a worthwhile opportunity for those players who would like to experience competitive baseball in league play and tournament play.

Program Overview

The Travel Program is designed to allow children who love baseball the opportunity to continue their Baseball experience in addition to our regular season play. It typically begins practicing once or twice a week in mid May with tournaments or scrimmages on weekends beginning in early June. Practice continues throughout June and July in addition to regular season games and practice. Attendance of regular season practices and games is a requirement to participate in the Travel program.

The games are competitive, and the team will travel quite a bit, usually within the local area, but occasionally requiring long drives or hotel stays. A great deal of planning, organizational, baseball, and interpersonal skills are required to make this a positive experience for the children and their families. Please keep in mind it costs approximately $200-$400 per family for gas, motel and food at each tournament, so it is not only a time commitment but a financial one as well. You may be able to trade weekends with other parents that are traveling to keep your costs at a minimum

Those who wish to try out for this level (10-18 yrs old) must commit to attendance of EVERY Travel practice as well as commitment to all tournaments. If you cannot make this commitment, you should not try out for the Travel level. Fargo Babe Ruth will pay for 3 scheduled tournaments. Attendance of tournament beyond those 3 will be at the discretion of the Coach and team parents.

The program is designed to accomplish the previously mentioned goal by implementing the following program elements.

1.   Team Structure

3.   Coaching Transitions

4.   Practice, Invitational Double Headers and Tournament Schedule

5.   Player, Coach and Board Accountability

6.   Playing Time

7.   Annual Schedule of Events

Team Structure

The number of teams per division will be governed by Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken rules however it will be the goal of the Fargo Babe Ruth League to field a minimum of 2 teams per age group when possible: one team representing the American and one representing the National league: e.g. 10 Americans, 10 Nationals, 11 Americans, 11 Nationals, 12 Americans, 12 Nationals, 13 Americans, 13 Nationals, 14 Americans, 14 Nationals, 15 Americans and 15 Nationals and Senior Babe

For 10 year olds, rosters will be 12-15 players and teams will be selected by Fargo Babe Ruth office staff from all players with desire to participate. If 16 plus players show up then another coach will have to be recruited or the team will be reduced to 15 players. The 10 year old program is set up to introduce the player to another level of baseball. This level requires a deposit for registration. The deposit will be given back if the player attends the state tournament. It's our goal to introduce travel at this age in hopes they will pursue in following years.

For 11 year olds, rosters will be 12-15 players and teams will be selected by Fargo Babe Ruth office staff from all players with desire to participate. If 16 plus players show up then another coach will need to be recruited or reduced down to 15. This is the first year players will be charged a registration fee. 

For ages 12 - 15 year olds, rosters will be 12-15 players and players will be selected following a structured try out. If enough players participate in try outs and there is appropriate interest additional teams may be established at or soon after try outs. Player selection will be determined by travel team head coach (if professional) and designated member(s) of the board of directors with no conflict of interest.

Coaching

All Travel Team coach applicants will be interviewed and selected by members of the board of directors. 

Volunteer coaches will be selected for ages 10-12. For ages 10-12 parents of players will be allowed to apply for travel team head coach position. After the travel team head coach applicant has been approved by the board and assigned to a team, he/she may appoint up to two assistant coaches who may also be a parent of a player. Assistant coach(es) must complete application and be approved by designated members of the board. 

Paid coaches, 1-Head & 1 Assistant, will be hired for ages 13-18. Parents may apply

Unpaid and Paid head/assistant coaches will receive reimbursement for mileage and hotel for state tournaments and beyond only. Reimbursement will only be for the one assistant. Mileage will be determined by the office via www.mapquest.com.

All coaches will be required to uphold a code of ethics and, at a minimum, instruct/coach according to a player development curriculum established by the board. All coaches must be approved by the board of directors and certified by Babe Ruth and/or Cal Ripken for the appropriate age group.

Coaching Transitions

Members of the board will determine if/when a coach will be rehired and to which team they will be assigned coaching duties.

Practice, Double Headers and Tournaments

Practices: For 10 -13 year olds, practices will be in addition to league team practices. It is the responsibility of the head coach to hold travel team practices at a time so they do NOT interfere with league practices. 14 & 15 year old travel teams will play together in league and will not have a separate practice schedule. 

Double Headers and Tournaments: For all ages the Fargo Babe Ruth staff will organize double headers and tournament schedule.

10 & 11 year olds can anticipate 1-5 double headers, 1 tournament and the state tournament.

12 & 13 year olds can anticipation 1-5 double headers, 2 tournaments and the divisional/state tournament.

14 & 15 year olds can anticipate 2-6 double headers, 2 tournaments and the divisional/state tournaments

Any additional tournaments/double headers will be the responsibility of team members’ parents and coaching staff.

Players/parents will be required to sign a code of conduct agreement. Persistent failure may result in dismissal from travel team. As a player on a travel team you are representing Fargo Babe Ruth and must act accordingly. 

All coaches will be required to sign a code of conduct agreement and enforce players’ code of conduct. Coaches must pre-plan and conduct practices that satisfy age specific player development curriculum. As a coach of a travel team you are representing Fargo Babe Ruth and must act accordingly.

Double Headers: Players can expect to play at least one entire game of each invitational double headers. Injuries and disciplinary actions will be the only acceptable reasons for variation to this provision of the travel team program.

Tournaments: Players can expect to average a minimum of 2 defensive innings per game for all tournaments leading up to but not including the Divisional/State tournament. 

The following fees will apply:

This is a general not specific calendar of activities associated with the Fargo Babe Ruth Travel Team Program. Specific dates are/will be available from Fargo Babe Ruth League.

January - March:Promotion of program and program descriptions sent to all league players. Advertise for head coaches’ position and begin accepting applications. Complete selection process for travel team head coaches.

April – Skills day, team selection and team meetings

May:Continue to promote to players in age groups with less than 24 interested players. Hold skills day and try out process. Conduct travel team parent meeting(s).

July:Practices, tournament play and divisional/state for players & coaches. 

August:Regional/National tournaments for advancing teams and season ends for players & coaches. Board members conduct end of season assessments of coaches.

September – December: Board evaluates previous season, seeks input from all interested participants for upcoming season and make changes to travel team program.