Author: Borsinger

Chatham Youth Travel Basketball 

• Travel Registration and Tryout information for the 2019/20 season will be posted in late August/early September. 
• As in prior years, all players selected to Travel teams will also be required to play in the Chatham Recreation League (typically Saturday mornings and early afternoons).  When players accept a spot on a Travel team, they will be required to register for both Travel and the Chatham Recreation League concurrently. 
  The Travel Team and Chatham Recreation League costs are expected to be similar to the costs in prior years. 
  The Travel Team costs will vary from team to team (based on specific team costs incurred, and will include costs such as referees fees and tournaments), but are generally expected to be ($200 – $350), plus any uniform costs (if your player requires a new uniform for the season). 
• All players trying out are expected to attend both tryout sessions.  The evaluators will primarily be prior year coaches, as well as other volunteers with strong basketball knowledge.  The coaches for the travel teams will not be chosen until the tryouts are complete and will be announced at the time of team selection.  
• Due to gym space limitations, 4th grade Travel Teams will be required to practice mainly in the smaller gyms on off-peak days, often with less notice, and will play most of their games away.
• Travel team players will typically have 4 games/practices per week, plus required participation in the Saturday Chatham Recreation League, totalling 4-5 basketball events per week.  It is expected Chatham Travel will be the player’s top priority for who tryout and make a team.  Parents/players are strongly encouraged to look closely at combined commitments, with school activities and any other athletic activities.  Overbooking (then missing games/practices) is unfair to teammates, coaches, and the players who did not make a travel team.  Please only tryout if Chatham Travel will be the top priority.     

For information on the Travel Basketball Program, please visit chathambasketballclub.org.

Men’s Basketball

Chatham Recreation offers two men’s programs.

MEN‘S OVER 35 BASKETBALL – Chatham residents
Registration for the Men’s Over 35 Basketball Open Gym is open on Community Pass.
Registration waiver forms must be completed before attending any session.
Sessions are normally held Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

MEN’S LEAGUE BASKETBALL TEAMS – Chatham residents
The Men’s League “Teams” play November until the end in March. Chatham residents only!
Registration is open on Community Pass  season in November.
New Chatham players will be added to existing teams.
Games are held Sunday mornings beginning late November running through mid-March.

Chatham Baseball

The Baseball Club of Chatham, N.J., Inc. (“BCC”) is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(7) organization that governs and administers Youth League Baseball and Travel Baseball Programs in the Chatham’s.  The BCC is affiliated with Ripken Baseball, specifically, its Ripken Division for grades K through 6 and its Babe Ruth Division for grades 7 through 9.  The program runs from April through early/mid June
 
LEAGUE STRUCTURE:  BCC employs a grade based system (vs. travel which is age-based) that factors each player’s grade and ability when determining Youth League placement.  The following is a general picture of Youth League composition:
 
WINNERS LEAGUE (all Kindergarteners):  This is an instructional, non-competitive league that uses a soft baseball.  Players hit off a tee for most of the season, at the end of which coach pitching may be introduced.     

ROOKIE LEAGUE (1^st graders):  This is an instructional, non-competitive league in which players generally hit against coach pitching, with a tee used when necessary.  

A LEAGUE (2^nd graders):  Transitional league that continues to focus on skill development.  Players hit against coach pitching, with an introduction to player pitching with a catcher, if appropriate.  
 
AA LEAGUE (3^rd graders, some 2^nd graders):  Player-pitch league with a catcher. 
 
AAA LEAGUE (all 4^th graders, some 3^rd graders):  All the above plus an introduction to stealing. 
 
MAJOR LEAGUE (all 6^th graders and 5^th graders):  All the above plus leading, stealing, and bunting; played on an intermediate 50′ by 70′ field. 

PONY LEAGUE (all 7^th and 8^th graders, and a small group of 9^th graders (who do not play any spring HS or club sport)):  All the above played on a full-size 60′ by 90′ field. 
 
Youth league placements for the season is sent out in late January or early February.  Factors relevant to a player’s placement in a particular Youth League include the player’s previous year’s Youth League season evaluation, Travel Team evaluations (if applicable), and input from BCC Committee members.  The placement process strives to place a player in a Youth League commensurate with his physical and baseball skills and that will allow the player to learn, develop, achieve, and have a safe, enjoyable baseball experience. 

For information and registration please visit chathambaseball.com.