Frequently Asked Question

NOTE: This information is specific to Bow Ridge Little League and may change at any time.  

Most information can be found under League and Division Information, Registration Fees and/or Policies.
 
How do I know what little league to register with?
Little League is governed by boundaries and you must meet one of the 2 below criteria to be registered with Bow Ridge.

(click here for the map of Bow Ridge boundaries.) or see the website under the league and division information tab.
 
How do I know which division to register my player for?
Players must play within their age group set forth by Little League (click here for age chart) or see the website under the league and division information tab. When you register in the proper age group that is the only age that you will be able to signup for.
 
When does the season start?
Teams are put together in early April and a coach will contact you by last week of April to advise you of what team you are on. Depending on field conditions, practices could start in April for some divisions. Coach Pitch and Machine Pitch will start to practice/play May 1st and run through to the end of July.
 
What equipment must be provided by the parents/guardians?
Each division has different requirements on what is provided by Bow Ridge, and what is required by parents/guardians for equipment. Please review information in League and Division Information for further detail.

• Blastball - Players will receive a t-shirt and Bow Ridge Baseball cap.  As special bats and soft balls will be used, no special equipment is required, however, the wearing of baseball gloves, helmets, and athletic supports is optional. Only Blast bats provided by the league may be used. No personal bats will be permitted.
• Coach Pitch - Players receive a team t-shirt and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Players are required to have their own batting helmet and glove. An athletic supporter is recommended but not mandatory. Cleats are not recommended for this age group.
• Machine Pitch - Players will receive a full uniform consisting of pants, belt, jersey and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Jerseys and belts MUST be returned end of season. Players are required to have their own batting helmet and glove. An athletic supporter is mandatory.
• Minors - Players will receive a full uniform consisting of pants, belt, jersey, and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Jerseys and belts MUST be returned end of season. Players are required to have their own batting helmet, athletic supporter, and glove. Rubber cleats are optional.
• Majors/National - Players will receive a full uniform consisting of pants, belt, jersey, and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Jerseys and belts MUST be returned end of season. Players are required to have their own batting helmet, athletic supporter, and glove. Rubber cleats are optional but recommended.
• Intermediate - Players will receive a full uniform consisting of pants, belt, jersey and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Jerseys and belts MUST be returned end of season. Players are required to have their own batting helmet, athletic supporter, and glove. Rubber cleats are recommended.
• Juniors - Players will receive a full uniform consisting of pants, belt, jersey and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Jerseys and belts MUST be returned end of season. Players are required to have their own batting helmet, athletic supporter, and glove. Metal or rubber cleats are recommended.
• Seniors - Players will receive a full uniform consisting of pants, belt, jersey and Bow Ridge baseball cap. Jerseys and belts MUST be returned end of season. Players are required to have their own batting helmet, athletic supporter and glove. Metal rubber cleats are recommended.  

What type of bat can I use?
All bats MUST either be wood or display the USA baseball sticker and only these bats shall be used during practices or games. Bats displaying the USSA stickers are not legal within Little League and shall not be used.

• Coach Pitch / Machine Pitch - Tee Ball bats or USA baseball marking
• Minor and Major - all bats must have a USA baseball marking and are 2 5/8" barrel maximum. 
• Intermediate, Junior  - USA Baseball marking or BBCOR marking 2 5/8" barrel maximum
• Senior  - All Bats must be BBCOR drop 3

**In all levels wood is allowed.

Find more information at https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/bat-rules
Find list of approved bats at https://usabat.com/

What size of equipment should I buy for my child?
Please check out these two links to help you choose appropriately-sized equipment for your child. guide,  https://protips.dickssportinggoods.com/sports-and-activities/baseball/choosing-the-right-baseball-bat

What size should I pick for the shirt and pants?
Pant Size Chart - https://easton.rawlings.com/information-sizing.html
Practice shirt size chart - https://media.sanmarcanada.com/pdfs/docs/General-Sizing-Guide.pdf
Best effort will be made to get as close to your child's requested size as possible, however, as we only have a certain number of each size of the jersey, your selected size is not guaranteed.
 
Can I play with a friend?
To ensure equal distribution and fairness, coaches and players are placed on teams based on experience and/or evaluated scores.  Therefore Bow Ridge does not consider any requests to play with a particular player or coach. 

I can’t afford the fees – what should I do?
Under the Little League charter, no child may be excluded from play based on inability to pay. Subsidies are available through Kidsport or Jumpstart – please visit our Registration Fees tab for more information.
 
What is the refund policy?
Participants terminating their registration will receive a refund of:
75% prior to the close of registration
0% after March 1^st
Exceptions may be made based on injury; a doctor’s note may be requested.
 
I registered in January/February and I haven’t heard anything yet – what’s happening?
Once the registration information is collected and entered into the database, reports for each division are prepared for the various division coordinators. Player evaluations then take place in March for Minors (9 year olds) and upward. The number of teams is then determined and managers and/or coaches are assigned to each team, then players are assigned or drafted to the teams. There is a coach meeting with the division coordinator to review rules, events, etc. The managers and coaches for each team receive the team roster and are then in a position to start contacting parents. Practices can then commence. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the applicable division coordinator.

I contacted my division coordinator but am still not hearing/receiving emails from Bow Ridge - what should I do?
You may have intentionally or inadvertently unsubscribed from Bow Ridge Little League emails. While we acknowledge we have to send out multiple emails looking for volunteers and such, email is our primary form of communication. If you unsubscribe from all Bow Ridge emails you will miss important emails regarding team selection, Picture Day, Fun Day, etc. At a minimum, we suggest remaining subscribed to Player/Parent emails so you will receive relevant emails to your most current active season. Remaining subscribed to email announcements ensures you receive the email reminders for the opening of registration and any general information relating to the operations of the league. If you are unsure if you have unsubscribed to emails please contact our Web Administrator at webadmin@bowridgebaseball.com to re-subscribe.

What are evaluations?
All 9 year olds and up must attend an evaluation. Evaluation sessions provide the opportunity for division coordinators and managers/coaches to assess the ability of players. This process assists the league in placing players appropriate to their skill level. There are a number of stations (pitching, fielding, hitting) through which the players rotate; they are observed and assessed according to specific criteria. Players are required to evaluate during the appropriate time slot for their age group for one of the dates. If you are unable to attend either of the dates, please contact the appropriate coordinator.

Is my child able to play in a division outside their age group?

2nd year Machine Pitch and 2nd year Minors players are able to evaluate for the next higher age group. To understand the full policy, criteria and process, please refer to our Policies tab.

I have heard there are drafts for some divisions – how do they work?
Our Major/Junior division are the only division that could have a draft where assigned team managers are given evaluation information and can select their teams based on their criteria. Drafts are operated by rules set forth by Little League.  For all other divisions, the team selection committee assigns players to each team making teams as equal in skills as possible.
 
I have concerns with my child’s team manager and/or coaches – what should I do?
Please discuss your concerns with the team manager or coaches away from the field of play. If you feel your concerns have not been addressed, then please contact the division coordinator. Who will assess the situation and seek support from the board if needed.
 
It’s raining or looks like it going to rain how do I know if my game is cancelled?
Coaches are responsible for deciding if they are playing a game or not, you will be contacted by your coach if a game is to be cancelled. 
 
How does my child apply to participate on an All-Star team?
Additional information regarding All-Stars and our selection process will be provided shortly after the house league season begins.

Complaints
We recognize that sometimes volunteers, parents, players, coaches or umpires, have concerns they wish to express. The general procedure is to direct your concern, inquiry, or suggestion in person or by email (compliments and offers of help are welcome too!) to the league contact who is “closest to the ground” and to work your way up the line only if needed, in this general order:

• Team Coach, Assistant Coach or Administrative Volunteer
• Division Coordinator coachpitch@bowridgebaseball.com, machinepitch@bowridgebaseball.com, minor@bowridgebaseball.com, majors@bowridgebaseball.com, nationals@bowridgbaseball.com, Intermediate@baseball.com, juniors@bowridgebaseball.com, seniors@bowridgebaseball.com
• Registrar (if a registration or fee payment issue) registrar@bowrigebaseball.com
• Umpire in Chief (if more general issue, or if game-day issue not adequately addressed) uic@bowridgebaseball.com
• President (if more general issue, or if issue not adequately addressed through the other channels) prez@bowridgebaseball.com
• District 3 Administrator (if issue applies to other Leagues as well and/or if issue not adequately addressed within Bow Ridge Little League) da@albertadistrict3.com

Also, see the contact us tab on our website www.bowridgebaseball.com for more contact information.