Current Session Info
Special PHWYBS league membership with Drive Performance
From Pintos, who are just learning to pitch and field and whose teams are based on friends and neighborhoods, through the Seniors level where future high-school players hone their skills, kids learn and play the game of baseball. Along the way, they are taught self-respect, teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendly competition. A focus on player development and fair participation rules apply at all levels. Approximately two games and one practice are scheduled each week. Seniors may have three games each
week. Practices start in early April at the discretion of the manager; games run from late April to early
July.
Buddy Baseball allows children with physical and mental disabilities to participate in the national pastime
with the help of their buddies. Able-bodied volunteers do everything from standing with them at the plate to helping them field and throw. Games last two innings and everyone bats each inning. Games are scheduled with similar teams from nearby communities such as Mt. Prospect and Buffalo Grove.
This instructional and recreational league is dedicated to teaching the basics of fast-pitch softball, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. As girls move up through the divisions, the level of competition increases accordingly. The philosophy is that it’s more important to develop skills than to win games. Approximately two scheduled games (one on the weekend and one on a week night) and one practice are held each week. Practices start in early April at the discretion of the manager with games running from the end of April (or Early May) to early July. Seniors may run longer into mid-July.
PHWYBS Travel Program was created to provide a higher level of competition for talented and motivated players who are willing to commit a great deal of time to the improvement of their skills in a team focused environment. Teams will work hard to win games, but winning will never become more important than teamwork and good sportsmanship. PHWYBS Travel Program will ask players to work toward excellence, not perfection. Baseball is a fun and challenging game requiring players to develop the ability to overcome mistakes and to look forward to their next opportunity. Ultimately, the development of skills and team focused play is the guideline for our program, which we believe will create better players and better people.
Designed to be a positive introduction to the game, children learn some basic fundamentals. No scores or standings are kept at this level and fun is the absolute priority. Approximately eight games are scheduled for the season.
To meet your scheduling needs, choose from the following two options:
1. Practice AND play games on Friday nights at Holmes Middle School in Wheeling,
2. Play Saturday morning games at McDonald Field in Prospect Heights
with weekday evening practices scheduled at the coaches discretion.
Getting Help from PHWYBS
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2012 Registration Information
Registration for the 2012 PHWYBS Season will be available from November 1, 2011 through April 1, 2012. Please see the information below for details.
A printable copy of the 2012 Registration form will be available at http://www.phwybs.org/files/2012Brochure.pdf
You will be able to view the 2012 Brochure at http://www.phwybs.org/files/2012Brochure.pdf
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Can I register online or via credit card?
Yes, Visa and Master Card are accepted for online registration. Credit Cards will not be accepted for Walk-In or Mailed-In Registrations.
2. Where can I get registration forms?
Registration forms are available above or can be picked up beginning at the end of December at the Prospect Heights or Wheeling Park District Recreation centers. Copies of the registration forms are also mailed to prior registrants each December and sent to each of the grade schools and middle schools in the community during early January. Information can also be found in the Prospect Heights and Wheeling Winter Programs. Registration forms will also be available at the walk-in registration days.
3. When and where is registration?
PHWYBS will also again offer Online Registration starting on November 1, 2011 without any credit card transaction fees and if registered and paid by December 22, 2011 you will receive one (1) FREE raffle book AND be entered into a drawing for five (5) free registrations, one per family only.
We will also be having walk-in registration on the following dates where volunteers will be able to take registration forms and answer any question you may have.
Gary Morava Rec Center
110 W. Camp McDonald Road,
Prospect Hts, IL 60070.
- Sat, Jan 7th, 2012 10:00am - 3:00pm
- Thu, Jan 19th, 2012 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Wheeling Park District Community Rec Center
333 W. Dundee
Wheeling, IL 60090
- Fri , Jan 13th, 2012 7:00pm - 9:00pm
- Sat, Jan 14th, 2012 10:00 a.m. - 3:00pm
Registration will be accepted without a late fee until February 22nd. After this date, an additional fee will be charged and there is no guarantee of placement on a team or uniform sizing.
4. What is the $25 Raffle Sale?
To improve our fields and offset general rising costs, PHWYBS is requiring all registered players to purchase a set of $1 raffle tickets. Players will receive 25 raffle tickets from their manager in Early April as part of their registration fee. Players/Parents can either keep these raffle tickets or sell them and keep the proceeds to recoup that cost. At the end of the season, we will raffle off winners who will receive prizes ranging from $50-$500.
5. What division should I register in?
The age your child will be on September 1st 2011 determines what division he/she should register for.
| Division |
Ages |
Birth Date |
Typical Grade at
Start of Season |
| Earliest |
Latest |
|
T-Ball (co-ed)
|
5-6 |
9/2/2005 |
9/1/2007 |
Pre-K, Kindergarten |
| Buddy-Ball (co-ed) |
5-18 |
9/2/1993 |
9/1/2007 |
Any |
| Boys Pintos |
7-8 |
9/2/2003 |
9/1/2005 |
1st and 2nd |
| Boys Minors |
9-10 |
9/2/2001 |
9/1/2003 |
3rd and 4th |
| Boys Majors |
11-12 |
9/2/1999 |
9/1/2001 |
5th and 6th |
| Boys Seniors |
13-14 |
9/2/1997
(or 8th grade) |
9/1/1999 |
7th and 8th |
|
|
|
|
|
| Girls Minors |
7-10 |
9/2/2001 |
9/1/2005 |
1st - 4th |
| Girls Majors |
11-12 |
9/2/1999 |
9/1/2001 |
5th and 6th |
| Girls Seniors |
13-14 |
9/2/1997 |
9/1/1999 |
7th and 8th |
6. Can I play in a higher or lower age bracket?
PHWYBS strongly encourages players to play in their age-appropriate division. Requests to play up or down must be made in writing to the PHWYBS Board. We have a reference document on our website that outlines the "play up" criteria.
7. When will the season begin and end?
The exact schedule will be determined once all registrations are turned in and we know exactly how many teams will be playing in each division. However, for planning purposes, you can make the following assumptions:
- T-Ball: – Scheduled Games will run from the 1st week of May until the July 4th Weekend. Practices will start towards the end of April
- Other Divisions: Scheduled Games will begin at the end of April or Early May and end by the 2nd week of July.
- Phantoms All-Stars: Scheduled Games will begin the 2nd or 3rd week of June and end by August 1st. There will be overlap with the in-house season during June so players should expect a large commitment during that time.
8. When are Games Played?
Exact schedules are not created until all registrations are turned in and final field availabilities are provided by the respective park districts whose fields we play on. However, for planning purposes you can make the following assumptions.
- T-Ball: Games will be played on Saturday Mornings.
- Other Divisions: Games are played throughout the week and on Weekends. In general, one game will be scheduled on Saturday and one on a weeknight (which may change from week to week) – but this may vary slightly as games get rescheduled due to rain. During the weeknights, games will start at either 5:30 or 6:00. Older divisions may also have a couple of 7:30 to 8:00 starts during the week. Games on Weekends may start anywhere from 9:00am to 8:00PM.
9. Where are Games Played?
PHWYBS has access to a number of fields in Prospect Heights and Wheeling. Exact Locations of these fields are provided on our web site and will be provided by your managers when schedules are distributed. For planning purposes, you can make the following assumptions.
- T-Ball: Games will be played at Holmes Field in Wheeling.
- Buddy-Baseball: Home games will be played at Pleasant Run Field in Wheeling. Games will also be scheduled with other nearby communities such as Buffalo Grove and Mt. Prospect.
- Boys Pintos: Games will be scheduled at Horizon Field in Wheeling
- Boys Minors: Games will be played at Eisenhower Field, Lions Field, and Heritage Field
- Boys Majors: Games will be played at Lions Field and Heritage Fields
- Boys Seniors: Home Games will be played at Senior Field behind MacArthur Middle School. Away games will be played in Rolling Meadows
- Girls Pintos: Games will be played on Horizon Field and Pleasant Run fields in Wheeling.
- Girls Minors: Games will be played on Pleasant Run Field in Wheeling and McDonald Field in Prospect Heights.
- Girls Majors: Games will be played on Muir Field and McDonald Field in Prospect Heights.
- Girls Seniors: Home Games will be played on Muir and McDonald Field in Prospect Heights. Away games will be played in Palatine.
10.When and where are practices?
Practices are scheduled by the Managers of each team. Prior to the season starting, you should expect at least two practices per week. After the season begins, practice space is a bit more limited as games are being played on most fields – but most managers will still schedule a practice each week. The exact time and locations of these practices is determined by each manager.
11. What team will I be on?
Teams are not formed until after the registration deadline has expired and managers and coaches are found for each team. Teams are created in early March and communicated to players immediately thereafter. Team formation is different at each level. At the older levels where balanced competition is more important, teams are drafted by the managers using information from prior seasons and information obtained at ratings clinics at the end of February or early March. At the younger levels, teams are formed by trying to honor friendship requests and creating teams based on neighborhoods and/or schools which they attend. However, even in these cases, it is not always possible to honor every request and every request cannot be guaranteed.
- T-Ball, Boys and Girls Pintos: Teams are formed by looking at friendship requests, schools which they attend, players they’ve played with in the past, and/or neighborhoods they live in. No attempt is made to assess skill levels prior to team formation.
- Boys Minors: Teams will be drafted based on skill assessment clinics conducted in late February or Early March.
- Boys Majors: Teams will be drafted based on skill assessment clinics conducted in late February or Early March.
- Boys Seniors: Teams will be drafted based on skill assessment clinics conducted in late February or Early March.
- Girls Minors: Teams are formed by looking at friendship requests, schools which they attend, prior teams they’ve played on in the past, neighborhoods they live in, and the age of the child. Attempts are made to balance the age groups on each team and satisfy as many requests as possible in the process.
- Girls Majors: Teams are formed by looking at assessments from ratings clinics conducted in late February, friendship requests, schools which they attend, prior teams they’ve played on in the past, neighborhoods they live in, and the age of the child. The Primary Goal is to balance the teams, but satisfy as many requests as possible in the process.
- Girls Seniors: Teams will be drafted based on skill assessment clinics conducted in late February or Early March.
12. Will I be on the same team as my sibling?
Assuming that siblings are in the same division, siblings will be on the same team unless specifically requested not to be.
13. When will we get uniforms?
Uniforms will be distributed in April before the season begins.
14. What equipment is provided by the league and what do I need to purchase separately?
The league provides a uniform consisting of a jersey, a cap, pants, and socks for each child (T-Ball receives jersey and cap only). The league also supplies each team with helmets, bats, balls, and catcher’s equipment. Kids are expected to bring their own gloves to the games. Please check the PHWYBS website for most recent updates relating to "approved" bats.
15. What are the rules?
Rules for each division are posted at http://www.phwybs.org and are also distributed by your manager once teams are formed. Rules are formed based on PONY League rules, and are customized for PHWYBS based on feedback received from season to season.
16. Where does my registration fee go?
PHWYBS is a non-profit organization and receives no tax-support for operation of the league. All expenses need to be offset by fundraising and registration fees. League expenses go to pay things such as
| Type |
Description |
Pctg of Expenses |
| Fields |
The league pays the Prospect Heights and Wheeling Park Districts for yearly and per-game maintenance. In addition, the league is responsible for the fencing, bleachers, lights, bases, and scoreboards at many of the fields which we contract out separately to purchase and maintain. |
31% |
| Per-Game Costs |
In addition to the field costs, each game that is scheduled has a cost to it for game balls and umpires. Umpires at our younger levels are paid anywhere from $20-$25. At our Majors and Seniors levels, this balloons up to $55-$65. |
18% |
| Uniforms |
Jerseys, Caps, Pants, Socks and/or Belts supplied to each participant in the league. |
26% |
| Insurance |
The league is required to provide accident and liability insurance for all of its players managers, coaches, board of directors and other volunteers as well as insure our equipment. |
5% |
| Equipment |
Each team is provided with Equipment Bags, Helmets, Bats, Catcher’s Equipment that needs to be periodically repurchased/repaired and stored during the winter. |
5% |
| Trophies |
Participation trophies are provided to all participants in the younger levels. Regular season and/or Playoff Championship trophies are awarded at upper levels. |
4% |
| Communication, Admin |
Registration Flyers, Mailings, Coaches Manuals, Phone Hotline, Web Sites, Meeting Rooms, P.O. Boxes, Manager Background Checks and Certification. |
7% |
| Special Events |
Training Clinics, All-Star Games, Parades, Festivals |
2% |
| Phantom Teams |
Without our post-season Phantom All-Star Teams, the best players in our in-house league would play somewhere else. To encourage those players to remain in the in-house league, the league slightly discounts the extra Phantom registration fee that those players pay when they make the post-season Phantom teams. |
2% |
Parents with ideas on how to control costs or who can provide services to keep costs down are encouraged to join the board or make a board member aware of those services.
17. What does the league do to lower registration fees
During the off-season, volunteers in the league solicit local business to sponsor teams. The league also sponsors the local Pitch, Hit and Run competition each year and always needs volunteers. Your support of those businesses and voluntary activities will help ensure that registration fees will be kept as low as possible. The league has also instituted a $25 raffle fundraiser. If anyone has skills or interest in further fundraising activities which help to lower registration fees, please contact the board.
18. How do I volunteer to help?
PHWYBS is not a Park District. For over 30 years, this league has been run as a volunteer organization. Everyone that makes this league work – from the President of the board, to the Managers, coaches, and “team mom’s” is a volunteer that receives no compensation from the league and is doing this in addition to their full time jobs. The board constantly needs to renew itself with new volunteers to replace those that “retire” as their children leave the program. Running an organization that serves 800 or more kids playing 500 or more games during the season isn’t easy. Without people that are willing to get actively involved in the planning during the off-season and operation of the league during the season, this league cannot function.
To express an interest in volunteering, please call our hotline 847-622-5311, e-mail us at info@phwybs.org or write us at P.O. Box 7172, Prospect Hts., IL 60070-7172. You can also just drop in at any board meeting. Dates and times of board meetings are published on our web site.
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