Piedmont 10U (age 9 and 10) Information:
(Player league age is Player age as of Jan 1)
Recreational Teams:
Schedule:
Mandatory evaluations for the draft are in Late February. Practices begin around the 2nd week in March. Teams generally practice twice a week leading up until games. Games start in the beginning of April and Run through the beginning of June (including playoffs). Teams will play one game during the week and one on the weekend (usually Saturday). Some teams work in a practice in between games.
Goals:
Girls will learn to play with a few modifications to traditional Babe Ruth Softball Rules. They will transition to girl pitch with some utilization of coach pitch depending on the level of pitching in the league. Batting is continuous and players will play both infield and outfield. Stealing and runs in an inning will be limited. At this age girls are becoming more competitive and the rules will reflect that. Scores and standings will be kept.
Equipment / Uniforms:
Mandatory – Glove 10.5 inch or larger (no plastic gloves). Helmet with mask. Cleats or turf shoes. Black softball pants.
Recommended: Bat (can be full composite, aluminum or mix) length of 28inch-31inch depending on the size of the girl (this is just a guideline). Fielders mask – this is very important and mandatory if a pitcher.
Balls are 11”
Jersey and socks will be provided (please email the league if your daughter needs an abnormally large jersey).
Field:
Most games are on fields 1 and 2 at Piedmont. There are occasional away games at neighboring leagues. Bases are 60 feet. Mound is 35 feet.
Teammate and coach requests / playing up or down:
Teams are formed via a draft in order to have parity across all teams. There are no teammate or coach requests granted due to a draft. If your daughter is 8 and shows exceptional ability she can attend the 10u evaluations for consideration to play in 10u (sign up for your normal age slot and inform the league). If your daughter wants to play below their age level she would also have to be evaluated. Playing down is rarely granted, and in most situations they are new to softball.
Fall Ball:
We offer a 6 week fall ball schedule beginning when school is back in session. Girls will be introduced to the level of play they will see in the following Spring. This is a laid back and very instructional league. It is a great way to see if they will enjoy the next level of play.
Tournament team:
The goal of the tournament team will be to compete in the Babe Ruth State tournament and Regional tournament. They will also play in a few tournaments in the surrounding area. Most teams are formed in the spring via a tryout and compete in tournaments in June and early July. Some coaches choose to practice in the winter and play in fall tournaments as well. The entire league will be notified of tryouts and specific schedules for the team.