Have a question? Keep reading! Barrie Minor Baseball has compiled a list of common questions and answers for House League families.

1. What do I need to play House League baseball?

• Baseball glove
• Running shoes or cleats (no metal spikes)
• Baseball bat (5U T-Ball - 18U)
• Baseball batting helmet with double ear flap (5U T-Ball - 18U)
• Baseball cage (5U T-Ball - 13U) OR Baseball C-Flap (13U - 16U)
• Batting helmet chin strap, unless it cannot be attached with the C-Flap (5U T-Ball - 16U)
• Protective athletic support

2. How long does the season run?

Most divisions start mid-May, with Opening Day on the Saturday after Victoria Day. Games are scheduled until the end of August and Championship Day (final games) are the Saturday after Labour Day. 4U Rally Cap runs from the last week in May to the 3rd week in August.

3. What does the registration fee cover?

• Field costs paid to the City of Barrie
• Lighting costs paid to the City of Barrie (if applicable)
• Uniforms, including a t-shirt or jersey, pants and hat (4U Rally Cap includes t-shirt and hat)
• Umpire fees (if applicable)
• Equipment including baseballs, bases and catcher gear
• Team and individual pictures
• End of year awards
• Player and coach insurance

4. Where are games played?

House league games are played at a number of different parks throughout Barrie. Some divisions play at the Barrie Community Sports Complex in Midhurst, and some divisions play in town at parks such as Painswick, Madelaine, Livingstone, Bayshore, Cundles West and Bear Creek. Schedules that are provided in early May will show the location of games for the entire season.

5. What time do we play?

Most of the younger divisions start at 6:30 pm during the week. In some cases, it is necessary to start at 6:00 pm to ensure there is enough daylight or enough time for two games in one evening. Sunday morning games are scheduled for 9:00am (4U) and 10:30am (5U). 16U games typically have an early game (6:30pm) and a late game (8:30pm). 18U games, which are scheduled by SSMBA, have different start times as determined by the hosting centre.

6. Can I register in person?

All registration is now completed online. We can assist at our indoor facility if in person registration is required. Please contact us at info@barriebaseball.com if needed. 

7. Why is the player request policy so strict? Why can't we request our preferred coach?

The number of player requests we receive each year would be unmanageable if we did not enforce the policy. Allowing multiple player requests in the past has led to many problems, such as powerhouse teams or teams forfeiting their championship game because too many players had the same conflict. Having too many friends on the same team can also cause other players to feel excluded.

Barrie Minor Baseball strives to provide a safe, affordable and enjoyable baseball experience for all players. Making new friends, learning to be a good teammate and learning from different coaches are all part of the game. Please encourage your player to meet new people, be active and have fun! You can set the right example by connecting with new parents from the community while you watch the game.

8. When will I get my uniform?

"Practice week" is the week before Victoria Day weekend, on your regularly scheduled game night. Players will be able to meet their coach, get their uniform and have a practice or scrimmage with the other team (weather and time permitting).

9. Our uniform never seems to fit properly. Why can't we select a uniform size during registration?

Uniforms have to be ordered too far in advance, before most players are registered. It is also not manageable for our volunteers to organize custom sizing for that many teams. Sizing can be inconsistent and jerseys cannot be returned. Every team receives a variety of sizes and coaches should distribute jerseys from smallest to largest player, not by number preference. This will solve most issues and the league will deal with one-off situations. Unworn pants that are the wrong size can be exchanged on Opening Day before your session begins. Please do not expect worn pants to be exchanged for free. They are needed for another player, who would not want to receive a pair that is dirty any more than you would.

10. When are house league evaluations?

Player evaluations and team drafts are usually held the weekend before Mother's Day for 13U and up.

11. Why are the head coaches responsible for evaluating and drafting teams? Shouldn't the league do this to ensure teams are fairly assigned?

In the youngest divisions, players are assigned to teams based on dates of birth. However, age alone is not a reliable method for creating balanced teams in the older divisions. Unlike some other sports, rating players does not work in baseball and having the league evaluate every player is not realistic. Player evaluations enable head coaches to draft the players they want, and is effective for creating balanced teams when done properly. Keep in mind, teams that have extra practices will improve faster than teams that do not, so by mid-summer teams are often less balanced than they were in May.

12. Our coach does not appear to have any baseball experience. Why doesn't the league select ideal coaching candidates?

Barrie Minor Baseball is a volunteer-run organization and we do not have the ability to evaluate the qualifications of 60-80 head coaches. Fewer people seem to volunteer each year, and unfortunately our parent group does not include too many professional baseball coaches. It is extremely difficult to fill the required head coach positions, let alone an adequate number of assistant coaches. When there are not enough coaches to go around, a coach with no baseball experience may be better than no coach at all (this depends on the division). We encourage any parent that has played or coached baseball to step up and help their child's team. It also helps the community by offering players a quality baseball experience and can be very rewarding!

13. How do I apply to coach a house league team?

During the online registration process, you will be asked if you can volunteer. Please indicate your interest in coaching, and someone from our house league committee will be in touch. All coaches must submit a criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening and all coaches must be approved by our Board of Directors. If you did not indicate your interest in coaching when you registered, please contact us to volunteer for this important role. And thank you!!

14. I cannot commit full time, but still want to volunteer. How can I help?

We understand availability can sometimes be a barrier for people that want to coach. If you are unable to be a head coach due to potential scheduling conflicts, we would still welcome your help as an assistant coach. Please indicate your interest on the volunteer form when registering (as described above) or contact us to volunteer.

15. My child plays another sport and we always seem to have a conflict with player evaluations and Championship Day. Can you move these to other dates?

No, our season schedule cannot be adjusted to accommodate other sports. Multi-sport athletes will often have conflicts and each family needs to decide how to manage that. We suggest that you consider what event is more important rather than what sport is more important. For example, we would not want your player to miss a tryout or their championship game to attend a house league evaluation, regardless of the sport. If your child misses their evaluation, they will still be placed on a team. 

16. How do house league teams get time at The Warehouse?

Time is available at The Warehouse, but its use must be safe and manageable. We therefore need responsible house league volunteers to give their time to oversee this. We also need coaches that want to give their time for extra indoor practices, and players that want to attend. The league is exploring ways of improving access for house league players.

17. We want to host a house league tournament, how do we do this?

Unfortunately, the cost of renting diamonds in the City of Barrie makes it impossible for us to break even at house league tournament rates. Competition from adult leagues also means diamonds are usually booked far in advance and are unavailable most weekends during the summer. The other issue is that most of our volunteer Board members would not be available during the tournament, so we would need the commitment of several additional house league volunteers to run it.

18. Why are roster sizes so large in older divisions? My child's playing time is much less than in prior years.

Players in older divisions often have more conflicts to manage as they become more independent, such as part-time jobs, personal relationships and other activities. Player commitment can also be an issue, especially later in the season. For these reasons, we put 1-2 extra players on each team to try and avoid forfeits as much as possible.

19. Why is Championship Day in September and not in August?

It is a time-honoured tradition to have Barrie Minor Baseball's house league Championship Day on the Saturday after Labour Day. Many families take vacation in the summer, so a lot of players would miss the event if it were held earlier. Diamond availability would also be an issue. We would require many more dedicated house league volunteers before considering such a change, because most of our Board members have other baseball commitments up to and including Labour Day weekend.

20. We lost or broke our Championship Day award. Can we get another one?

No, as part of our ongoing effort to control registration fees, medals and trophies are ordered in exact quantities according to the number of players registered. There are no extras available.

21. Our team was strong in the regular season, but did not perform well during playoffs because of attendance issues in August with players on vacation. Why are Championship Day match-ups based on such a small number of playoff games?

One of our main goals is to provide opportunities for all players to enjoy playing baseball and improve their skills. Having games "count" too early in the season is harmful to less skilled players, because unfortunately some coaches will disregard fair play rules to win more games. Families are encouraged to remember that baseball is a team sport and others are counting on their attendance. A schedule for the entire season is provided in May, so families can plan around their playoff games.

22. My player got hurt, what do I do?

All teams receive a first aid kit for minor injuries, and Barrie Minor Baseball carries insurance for all registered players and coaches. If your player gets hurt during a game or practice, the incident must be reported within 30 days if you wish to make an insurance claim. Even if you do not think a claim is needed, in the case of a more serious injury it is better to report the incident when it happens, in case a claim becomes necessary later. Forms are posted in our association library and you may contact us if you have questions. If the accident/injury happens at the Barrie Community Sports Complex, please advise City of Barrie staff on site as they may require their own report to be completed as well.

23. Can my son/daughter play in a higher age category?

Barrie Minor Baseball does not permit players to advance to higher age categories. House League baseball is designed to be a fun, educational and recreational environment.

24. We would like to have a more competitive experience. How can my player join a Rep or Select team?

Rep and Select team tryouts are usually in September, and teams are chosen at that time. Teams then practice over the fall and winter to help them prepare for the upcoming season. Our website will be updated over the summer with information about coaching applications, player registration and tryout schedules for next season.