Team Assignment FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About WYBSL Spring Teams

Below, you’ll find the answers to the most commonly asked questions about WYBSL Spring/Summer Assessments and Team Assignments. Please click on a question to be taken to the answer.

Note: The WYBSL Constitution and Regulations/ByLaws are the governing documents of the League. This section contains general information only and should not be construed to be the official rules of the organization.

What are ‘play-up assessments’ and ‘skill assessments’?
What does a ‘skill assessment’ session consist of?
My child ‘played-up’ last fall. Does he/she have to attend the ‘play-up assessment’ this spring?
How does my child get assigned to a team?
How will I find out what team my child is on?
Will my child be on the same team every year?

What are ‘play-up assessments’ and ‘skill assessments’?
A ‘Play-Up Assessment’ is a mandatory assessment of skills, required of every player who requests to ‘play-up’ into a league older than the player’s normal age league. The date for this assessment can be found in the current issue of Batter Up!, the League newsletter. A ‘Skill Assessment’ is an assessment of skills that either allows Girls’ Softball staff members to try to evenly divide players to each team in a league – or allows Boys’ Baseball coaches to judge players’ skills prior to ‘draft’ sessions in which the coaches choose their team members. If a player is new to a league or wishes to play on a different team in the same league, he/she should attend a Skill Assessment session for the league in which he/she wishes to play.
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What does a ‘skill assessment’ session consist of?
Each player will field a few ground balls, pop-ups and fly balls. They will also throw to bases and home plate to show accuracy and range. They will also ‘run the bases’ and take some swings at bat. If a player wishes to show their skills at pitcher or catcher, they will be asked to do so at the end of the session.
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My child ‘played-up’ last fall. Does he/she have to attend the ‘play-up assessment’ this spring?
No, but you must submit a Play-Up form with the Registration form each season. And, if the player is new to a Spring/Summer age league, he/she should attend a ‘skill assessment’ session for that league.
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How does my child get assigned to a team?
In all leagues, the first players to be assigned to teams are:

• Sons/Daughters of Head and Assistant Coaches.
• Returning players in the same league as last spring/summer, unless they ask to be reassigned – or in our Girls’ Softball leagues, if their ‘play with a friend’ request causes a reassignment.
• Siblings in the same league are automatically placed on the same team, unless otherwise requested.

After this first phase, the remaining players are placed. League policies provide for even distribution of Playing Ages (but no continuing team is penalized because all potential returning players wish to return to their team).

In Tee-Ball and Coach-Pitch leagues, the players remaining are assigned to teams by each league’s selection group. Although we attempt to honor parent requests, a key goal is to group players together by neighborhood and/or school.

In Girls’ Softball older leagues, players are assigned to teams by each league’s selection group – based upon ‘play with a friend’ requests, skill assessment and age balancing.

In Boys’ Baseball older leagues, the remaining players are ‘drafted’ by the league coaches – attempting to balance Playing Ages and perceived skill level. At the end of each draft, any players who could not attend their skill assessment session are assigned to teams using a ‘blind draw’ or ‘age and alphabet’ assignment.
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How will I find out what team my child is on?
After the teams are distributed, your coach should call you to introduce themselves and tell you about your player’s first practice. Please check the calendar in the current issue of Batter Up!, the League newsletter, for the date by which you should be notified.
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Will my child be on the same team every year?
First, Spring/Summer and Fall Ball programs are totally separate programs. So Fall Ball teams are not kept together the next Spring/Summer season – and vice versa.
In Spring/Summer seasons, players generally stay on the same team for the years that the players are in the same age league – unless a player chooses to be on a different team the next season. For example, if a ten year old player was on a Green Hat team as a nine year old last year, he/she generally will stay on the same team as a ten year old – unless the player asks to be on a different team. Players moving up into an older league will be placed on a new team.
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