PREPARING YOUR PLAYER FOR LITTLE LEAGUE EVALUATIONS
This is relevant for all Little League age players (Farm - Juniors) and does not apply to our Bambino or TBall players who are rostered to a team without an evaluation.
This page will walk you through the evaluation process, including what to wear, what to bring, and what your player should expect on baseball assessments day! SYB does not refer to these as Tryouts, as all our players make a roster.
Why does my young player need to be “evaluated?”
Evaluations are simply for the league to be able to spread the level of talent around, league parity is extremely important for all levels of SYB play.
No player will be cut, and ALL PLAYERS WILL HAVE A TEAM TO PLAY ON. In some cases, the Division Coordinator and Coaches may agree that, for safety concerns, a player would benefit from playing in a different division level. This may be applicable for a player with little player-pitch experience or for a player that is new to organized sports. The goal is for players to have a positive baseball experience.
It is the Little League’s policy to place players on evenly skilled teams in order to create diverse, competitive teams. The diverse teams allow the players more opportunities to meet friends from other schools.
What exactly is assessed during the tryouts?
Players will be evaluated in each of the following 3 areas:
Batting
Fielding Ground Balls (grounders)
Throwing / Pitching
When are SYB Evaluations?
The 2025 Spring Season's evaluations will be held on Saturday, February 15th at Salem High School (Lower Gym) from 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Exact times for each group will be announced and communicated a week in advance.
If a player is unable to attend this scheduled evaluation, please contact the Players Agent ([email protected]) with subject "SYB - Players Name - Evaluations"
How can I prepare my player for the baseball evaluations?
1 - PRACTICE WITH THEM - It is a good idea to knock the rust off the old baseball glove a little sooner rather than in the car on the way to evaluations. Baseball is a difficult game, and reps are the key!
2 - ENCOURAGE THEM
Assure them that they will make it on a team, regardless of their performance at evaluations
Encourage them to HAVE FUN!!!!
3 - SET EXPECTATIONS
Each child gets very little time to show what he or she can do.
For example, each child will likely only hit about 10 balls, field about 10 grounders and throw / pitch 10 times.
Let them know what activities to expect
Encourage your child to always be focused and pay attention to the group directions, so they know what’s coming next.
What to Wear to Evaluations
Evaluations will be held indoors! Have your player wear:
Comfy Athletic Clothes – clothes that they can move in (baseball pants are okay, but not required)
Athletic shoes (appropriate for a gym floor)
What to Bring to Evaluations
Glove
Helmet
Baseball Bat: for specific bat information and bat rules, please visit Little League Bat Information (source: Littleleague.org)
If your player does not have these items at the time of Evaluations, please let the league know when you check-in and they can be provided for the evaluation activities.
What is the Evaluation Process?
Check-In: Your child will receive a name-plate to attach to the back of his/her sweatshirt or shirt so they are identifiable to the coaches and evaluation facilitator
Wait: They will wait for the prior group to finish
Evaluation: The evaluations are generally facilitated by our SYB Players Agent
The coaches observe evaluations, rank players based on the activities (batting, infielding/grounders, throwing/pitching).
Evaluations are held in small groups, and ALL players will rotate through the activities
The next steps…
BEING ASSIGNED TO A SYB TEAM
No player will be cut, and ALL PLAYERS WILL HAVE A TEAM TO PLAY ON.
In some cases, the division coordinators and coaches may agree that, for safety concerns, a player would benefit from playing in a different division level. You will receive a call and/or email from the Player Agent that your child has been recommended to play in an alternate division. This may be common for a player with little player-pitch experience. The goal is for player’s to have a positive baseball experience. This may mean playing in an alternate division to build their confidence and overall skill level.
Teams are usually formed within a week of evaluations via a division by division draft.
After the draft process, your coach will contact the players once he/she has a final roster in hand. The coach will let you know when and where practices are, and will quite possibly have a team meeting to start out the season and get you all the information you need.
Still have questions about the process? Contact us at [email protected]
Thank you and see you out on the diamond!
~SYB Player Agent