Georgetown Youth Baseball Association

How do I become a team manager or coach?

To be considered for a manager / coach position with GYBA, you must first fill out the appropriate application during our registration and tryout periods. You are also required to submit information for a background check.   On the application, you will be asked to provide your contact information, coaching background / youth baseball experience (if any), character references, and the basic information required for the background check.   Background check results and any disciplinary history with our league (ejections, suspensions, etc) will be considered for all applicants.

GYBA uses First Check Applicant Screening to conduct background checks.  Click the Background Check Screening to start the process.  Once your information has been submitted to their site, we typically receive the results within 72 hours.  Any convictions, guilty pleas, or no contest pleas for violent /abusive behavior will be cause for automatic rejection of your application by the league.  All other convictions will be considered on a case by case basis by the league President and one other Executive Officer.  Although the information obtained through the background check process is available in the public domain, your results will not be discussed with anyone outside the GYBA Officers and Commissioner without your permission. 

Once the registration period closes, the Board of Directors will review all manager applications with successful background checks and then select the team managers for that season.   Just because you fill out a managers application and pass the background check does not necessarily mean that you will be selected to manage a team.   

After the team managers have been selected by the Board, each manager will select his/her coaching staff based on current league guidelines for the number of coaches in each age group.

Anyone coaching, assisting, or the team parent the team needs to complete a background check each season. Please click on the link below and complete the form and submit it.

GYBA Manager Application

Applications are required for all head coaches and should be emailed prior to tryouts.  Applications are required in the initial year, subsequent year requests can simply be emailed to your Commissioner showing your intent to coach again.

GYBA Background Check Screening

Background checks are good for one year.  You must be approved by the VP prior to participating in team activities.  Contact your VP or Commissioner to verify your background check status.  Failure to complete a background check prior to participating in team activities as a coach or assistant coach can lead to suspension or permanent removal from the league.

GYBA Player Protect Form

Player Protect Forms are required to be submitted prior to the due date assigned each season.  You should contact your Commissioner for instructions on how and when the form will be required to be submitted.

48 Baseball Roster

Roster Forms are required to be submitted prior to the due date assigned each season for teams in the 48 Baseball Division who are protecting players.  You should contact your Commissioner for instructions on how and when the form will be required to be submitted.

General Information for all Managers and Coaches

What are some of my duties?

In addition to coaching your team, their are many other events that you will be responsible for such as tryouts, team photos, uniform and equipment pick-ups just to name a few. The league will communicate this information to you via the email address you provided on your application.  Please make sure you have provided an accurate email address from an account that you will check on a regular basis.  We will also post important information on the league website so please check the site regularly during the season.  Although your age group commissioner or other league official may occasionally need to you contact by telephone, email and the league website will always be the primary means of league communication.

Extensive experience as a player is not necessarily a prerequisite for being a good youth baseball coach.  All you need is a love for the game and a willingness to educate yourself in order to help kids of all ability levels develop the basic skills necessary to enjoy the game as well.   You also need to be organized.  Some of our best coaches are the organized coaches.  Regardless of playing experience, you can be one of our best coaches.

As one of our coaches we want you to provide the best baseball instruction you possibly can. Baseball fundamentals are essential to a successful team and your ability to teach those baseball skills is going to be a major factor on how fast your players learn. Make sure your baseball instruction and expectations are age appropriate. If you are new to coaching you will often find that many players on your team will not be at a skill level you expected when you have that first practice. Adjust your baseball instruction to get them caught up. Don't stress out that your team is not where it should be. Instead focus on the basics. Youth baseball games are won with sound baseball fundamentals.

Are There Resources Available to Coaches?

The amount of baseball information out there is endless.  The following are some good resources that have to be applied to each team/player on a case by case basis:

QC Baseball.com (Website with a seemingly endless database of information, as well as discussions on rules)

GYBA Provided Practice Materials

GYBA Throwing Mechanics Materials

GYBA Player Responsibilities

Baseball Injury Prevention by Andrews Institute

STOP Sports Injuries.org

Being a Team Player

4 Traits We Want Our Players to Have

Conquering the Fear of Failure

What is the Zero Tolerance Policy?

GYBA has a “ZERO TOLERANCE” policy that is in effect at all times.  The league does not tolerate abusive language, use of drugs, alcoholic beverages, or smoking at league events.  The use of profanity, loss of temper, abuse of equipment or any other unsportsmanlike behavior will NOT be tolerated and will be grounds for immediate removal from the facility by a league official.  If required, the Police Department will be contacted to enforce park policies.  Any coach, manager, player, parent or other spectator/official is subject to elimination penalties if ejected. This means, if you are ejected, you will not be allowed at the next game, with escalating penalties for further offenses based on the severity of your actions, up to removal of the league for a season or a lifetime ban.

GYBA facilities, including baseball fields & batting cages, are reserved at all times for currently registered GYBA players and teams only. Teams warming up for games should be given priority courtesy use. NO metal cleats are allowed in the cages with turf. Only ONE team per cage at a time. Cage time is allotted during your scheduled practice time.

On Game Day, the Visiting Team (or lower seed in tournament play) will take the cages immediately following the start of the preceding game. They will be allowed the cage for no more than half of the allotted game time of their respective League. Following the Visiting Team’s allotted time, the Home Team will take the cage until fifteen minutes before the start of the game. Example, the 8U Visitors taking the 1st base dugout on Field #2 will take the cage at 9am and occupy the cage until no later than 9:30am, then the Home team occupying the 3rd base dugout will take the cage from 9:30am to 10am at which time both teams will take the field, once the preceding game ends, for your 10:15am start time. The idea behind the format is to allow each team the same amount of time in the cage prior to game, and allow time for you to get your teams on the field and read to play the game. This allows for the umpires to maintain game schedules.

On game days where it is hard for teams to make it early enough for cage time (8am weekend or 6pm weekday), it is expected that coaches will share the cages in an equitable manner as to allow for equal cage time. Any issues regarding cage time should be directed to the BMOD, or your League’s Commissioner. All cages are marked for the applicable fields intended. Field #3 cage priority is given to T-ball teams as requested by their coaches. If the cage is not being occupied by a T-ball team, you may take the cage until they request the use of it.

The intent of these rules is to promote the development of a more complete understanding of the game of baseball by exposing players to various positions in game situations. These rules will not be enforced by umpires. They will be enforced by your respective League Commissioners. Coaches not in compliance with these rules will be subject to disciplinary action (at the discretion of their respective League’s Commissioner) including forfeiture of games. These rules will be in force in the regular season, mid-season tournament, and end of season tournament play.

5U/6U Participation/Rotation Rule (National and American)

During non-tournament play, all players must play every position at least once during the season, no player may play the same position more than once during the first four innings, and all players must play the outfield position at least once in the first four innings.  Coaches have open substitution during the 5th and 6th innings.  During tournament play, Coaches have open substitution with no rotation rules, except one, all players must play one infield and one outfield position at least once in the first four innings.

7U/8U Participation/Rotation Rule (American)

During non-tournament play, all players must play every position at least once during the season, no player may play the same position more than twice during the first four innings, and all players must play the outfield position at least once in the first four innings.  Coaches have open substitution during the 5th and 6th innings.  During tournament play, Coaches have open substitution with no rotation rules, except one, all players must play one infield and one outfield position at least once in the first four innings.

7U/8U Participation/Rotation Rule (National)

During non-tournament play, all players must play every position at least once during the season, no player may play the same position for more than twice during the first four innings.  Coaches have open substitution during the 5th and 6th innings.  During inter-league and tournament play, Coaches have open substitution with no rotation rules.  There is no requirement that a player play an infield and outfield position. However, the league strongly encourages coaches at the 8U NL level to provide game exposure to all players in the infield and the outfield during the course of the season to develop a more complete understanding of the game.

9U-12U Participation/Rotation Rule

During non-tournament play, all players must play every position at least once during the season.  Additionally during non-tournament play, all players must be allowed to pitch no less than 20 consecutive pitches at least once during the season (unless removal is necessary due to injury) and, a pitcher may not pitch in consecutive games unless all other available pitchers have had an opportunity to take the mound.  During inter-league and tournament play, Coaches have open substitution with no participation/rotation rules.  

If you have any questions about any of these rotation rules, please contact your respective League Commissioner.