Club Team Program and Season

The Club Team Program is designed for those players who desire a more intense baseball experience within our league. Club Team members, both players and coaches, are expected to put forth considerable time, effort, and commitment beyond that for a typical regular season. Participants will be rewarded with more frequent playing opportunities under more challenging circumstances with more intensive coaching and training. Players who wish to extensively vacation with family or friends during the Club Team season, who have personal or academic restrictions, or who have other time-consuming commitments are encouraged not to sign up for this program.

Club Teams have two distinct seasons, the first begins practice and play shortly after the Club Team draft in early January, playing home and away games, including double-headers against other local teams and in local tournaments January-March. Once the regular spring season is underway in April, Club Teams confine their weekly play to Sundays. Club Teams also play in tournaments before and during the regular season.   This may include one Southern California trip depending on weather and financial commitment of the parents. Additionally, the 12U team may plan a trip to Omaha, NE, Arizona, Cooperstown, NY, Epcot Fields, FL or another destination between the end of regular season and the beginning of All-Star play.  The second Club Team season begins shortly after the last scheduled All-Star game, usually in late July or early August and continues through the end of the year.  These may be the same team(s) as the Winter Club Team program, but still have a try-out period.  Most of the tournaments are local, but the ability to plan a more extended tournament trip is possible depending on the managers/coaches and the finacial commitment of the parents.

There are several VERY significant advantages to the managers and coaches for forming a Club Team through Blossom Valley PONY Baseball as opposed to doing it on your own. Please contact the BVPB Club Team Director for more info.

Sign-ups, Tryouts and Selection

Players who wish to try out for a Club Team should sign up on their registration form. Tryouts for Club Team players will be handled separately before league tryouts. The Club Team manager, Coaches and their respective Division Director will select Club Team players from the top tier of tryout candidates in their age bracket. Pre-formed club teams will not be allowed into the program. Should an additional player be required by a Club Team, such player shall be selected from the respective wait-list with a pro rata payment of the Club Team fee. Players who wish to sign up after Club Teams have been formed may request to be placed on the wait-list, at the discretion of the Division Director, the Club Team Director and the Player Agent. Players trying out for Club Teams will also be required to participate in League tryouts as outlined in the BV Rules and Regulations.

Fees

Club team fees are separate from and in addition to the regular season registration fee. The fee's will be set to be "revenue-neutral" for BVPB, that is, the league intends to only cover it's costs associated with the program. Club Team fees include (approximately): tournament fees, umpire costs (practice games), and field usage and insurance fees. This fee does not include travel expenses for events outside of League Boundaries.

Other Rules

All-Star Selection:  Club Team players shall be eligible for all-star selection, but only under their regular season team. No Club Team play shall interfere with League play-offs or All-Star play. Mustang Club Team players who are 8-years old shall be eligible for the league's Pinto All-Star program. No other divisional crossovers are permitted.

Pitching Limitations:  For their Club Team and regular season team combined, pitchers are subject to PONY-National pitching rule limitations. Club Team coaches are expected to work with league coaches to determine player pitching limitations. Please see BVPB's pitching requirements in our BVPB Rules and Regulations.

No Required Play Rule:  There shall be no required play rules for any Club Team, no matter what the age division. Play shall be determined solely by the individual Club Team coaching staff in strict accordance with PONY-national tournament rules. In other words, a Club Team player may suit up, but not play any innings at the discretion of the Club Team coaching staff. However, player feedback from Club Team participation may be used by the league in assigning future coaching assignments.

Player Disqualification:  A suspension, resignation, or drop (as determined by the Division Director and Player Agent) from the regular season team shall automatically be a withdrawal from the Club Team and vice versa. Any Club Team player suspended, resigned or dropped at any time during the Club Team season is not eligible for a refund, prorated or full, of their Club Team fee. A player who is suspended or who is dropped may appeal that decision to the Club Team Suspension Appeal Committee (Player Agent, Division Director & Club Team Director). A player who voluntarily resigns from his or her Club Team may appeal their automatic suspension from their regular season team to the Suspension Appeal Committee, but shall not play on the regular season team until the Suspension Appeal Committee approves of the reinstatement to the regular season team. The appealing player must be present at the Suspension Appeal Committee meeting.

Code of Conduct:  Club Teams shall report to their respective Division Directors and shall in all ways be subject to the Codes of Conduct practiced by the League.

Field Assignments:  Club Teams shall practice only at assigned times and play only those pre-season (regular season) and Sunday games within league boundaries on fields assigned by the respective Division Director.

League Umpires:  Club teams may utilize league umpires for all within-league-boundary games. All Club Team play shall be judged on PONY-national tournament rules.

League Uniforms:  Club Teams shall be issued and exclusively play in their own, separate and distinctive uniforms from the regular season teams, which clearly and prominently show their affiliation with BVPB. All Club Team uniforms shall be issued solely by the league.

Same Operation as League: Issues not discussed within this description of Club Teams must be addressed in the same manner as they are addressed in the regular season operations of the league. A special Club Team Advice Committee has been formed to address issues not defined adequately by this description and the governing rules of the league.

For questions concerning, please e-mail the Club Team Director or call
the BVPB hotline @ 408-225-4862, ext 3.