Raining outside? Wondering if the games or practices have been cancelled?

Call our Rain-Out line at (815) 290-1342.

Questions about anything on this page may be addressed via e-mail to sports@all-starssports.com

All-Stars Baseball is a fun baseball league offered in Channahon!! The season starts in early July and is offered to children ages 4 through 14. All-Stars baseball is for boys and girls who didn’t make their local post season teams, but still want to play more baseball or for those who haven't played (or haven't in awhile) and want to learn.

All-Stars Baseball features:

• Baseball for all children during the best baseball weather of the summer!!
• Major league shirts & hats for uniforms!!
• Focus on learning how to play, not winning!!
• A Bible based devotion prior to all games, attendance mandatory for all players and parents!!

REGISTRATION INFO:

Registration for the 2009 season will be starting in May. You can pre-register at any of our registration dates, or by downloading the registration form, complete and return to the church office. If you are interested in playing other sports with us, check out our Flag Football League.

2009 Registration Fees:

T-ball (A)    $60

Machine Pitch (AA)    $70

Coach Pitch (AAA)   $80

Baseball (Majors)    $90

Late registrations are now being accepted. However, team placement will be decided by the league commissioner, only immediate family members will be placed on the same team for sure. For players who are 8 as of July 1, or older, space is very limited, so it is recommended you sign up immediately.

We do accept credit card payments using Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. There is a $5 surcharge for totals up to $125 and     a $10 surcharge for totals $126 and up. Credit card payments must be made at the ball fields.

Registrations may also be completed by downloading the registration form, filling it out and returning the First Baptist Church office. Registration space is limited to 48 children (4 teams of 12) in each age group. "Pre-registration" may only be done by downloading the form and returning to the church office. Space is filled on a first come, first served basis, returning players who register on or before June 13 are guaranteed a spot. Sign-ups are taken after the above registration dates until all spots in a particular age group are filled. There is no additional charge for late registration but there are no discounts either.

Players are allowed to play up one age group, but only may play down if given special exemption by the director of All-Stars Sports. These exemptions are typically only reserved for those with special needs, not for players of lesser talent or skill or for fear the player may be injured playing with kids their own age. These exemptions may also be changed if the player is found to be of sufficient skill to play with children their own age.

Baseball team draft will be held Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 6:30 pm. The draft will be held at the ball fields. Men / women who have signed up to coach should plan to attend.

WHAT'S NEW:

What's new for this year;

1) All of the divisions have been re-named!!

        T-Ball = "A"

        Machine Pitch = "AA"

        Coach Pitch = "AAA"

        Baseball = "Majors"

2) The parents of each player will be asked to spend some time volunteering. There are many things you can do to help including; Managing a team, being an assistant coach, work in the concession stand, dugout clean up after games, field preparation, field clean up. Check the Volunteering section for more information on each position.

OPENING DAY / GAME INFO:

First Games:    TBD

Opening Day Ceremony:    TBD

All-Stars Baseball day at the Joliet Jackhammers!! Saturday, August 1 for the 7:05 pm game between the Joliet Jackhammers and the Fargo-Morrhead RedHawks

    Tickets:    $10.50 each

    All players attending in uniform will get to be part of a pre-game parade around the field!!

    12 lucky players will get to be part of the "Dream Team" (click here for more details on the "Dream Team")

    Dream Team players will be determined by drawing, all registered players are eligible (3 from each age group). Drawing date to be announced. (Must be present at the drawing to be eligible).

The Cubs, White Sox and Cardinals team will be returning in 2009!!

PICTURES:

All-Stars Baseball

If you have All-Stars Baseball pictures that you would be willing to let us post on this site, please e-mail them to

sports@all-starssports.com or drop them off on a CD at the ball fields.

FAQ:

When does baseball practice start?

Baseball practices for all ages will start Saturday, June 20.

When do the baseball games begin?

Baseball games will begin in early July, the date hasn't been determined yet. The Opening Day Ceremony date has not been determined yet.

When does the baseball season end?

The closing ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Saturday August 22^nd.

Will there be more sign-up dates for baseball?

The dates shown above are all of the scheduled dates. You can register at the church office, or at the ball fields anytime the director of All-Stars Sports is available.

What is Machine Pitch?

This is a new division that started in 2008. In this division the batters will get pitches pitched to them from a pitching machine. This allows for consistency in speed and usually location. Pitching machine divisions allow kids to go up and swing with reduced fear of getting hit. Our experience has been that kids who play pitch machine end up being better hitters than kids who don't. Batters hit, or are out after three strikes.

What is Coach Pitch?

Coach pitch will allow kids to begin learning to pitch. The kid pitcher will pitch, if the pitcher "walks" the batter (or a batter is hit with a pitch), a coach will come out and pitch to the batter. The batter gets to hit, until the ball is put in play, or three strikes, whichever comes first.

What ages can play?

T-ball (A):    Children cannot be 6 years old before July 1 to be eligible for T-ball. Most of the kids are 4-5 years old, though occasionally parents have signed up children that are a little younger.

Machine Pitch (AA):    Children cannot be 9 years old before July 1 to be eligible for machine pitch.

Coach Pitch (AAA):     Children cannot be 11 years old before July 1 to be eligible for coach pitch.

Majors:    Children cannot be 15 years old before July 1 to be eligible for our majors division.

Notes:

    1) We may allow children with special needs to play and will place them based on skill level, however, we will not allow anyone older than 6 years old July 1 to play T-        ball.

    2) Some parents wish to move their child "up". We will allow them to play up a level.

How many players are on a team?

We allow no more than 12 players per team. We believe this allows the coaches an easier time of getting all kids relatively equal playing time while also allowing for teams to cover for those who may miss a game due to vacation.

How many games / practices per week and what time?

(All days and times are subject to change without notice, consult the final schedule for specific dates and times). Each team will be scheduled to play 2 games per week. The week day will vary depending on age. All teams will play on Saturday. Week night games are planned as possible at this point;

    T-ball (A):    Monday evening, 6:00 pm. Wednesday evening games in August are possible, game time 6:00 pm.

    Machine Pitch (AA):    Monday evening, 7:00 pm for games in July. Wednesday evening games in August are possible, August game times 6:00 pm.

    Coach Pitch (AAA):    Thursday evening 6:30 pm in July, games in August will start at 6:00 pm

    Majors:    Tuesday evening 6:00 pm for games in July, games in August will start at 5:30 pm

Saturday games start as early as 9:00 am and typically are played as follows; T-ball @ 9:00 am; Machine Pitch @ 10:30 am; Coach Pitch @ 12:30 pm and Majors @ 3:00 pm

Practice times will likely differ from the times shown above to allow a chance for all teams to practice.

Check printed schedules for final times, days and dates. All times and days above are estimated.

Do your teams play against other leagues?

No, our teams only play against our teams. Most other leagues have finished by the time we start playing.

Do you accept late registrations?

Yes. Basically we allow for a maximum of 4 teams of 12 players per age group, a total of 48 players in that age group. So, late registrations are accepted as long as there are open spots in the age group you wish to register for. The registration fees remain the same, they are not pro-rated.

Rain

What happens if it is raining?

Our fields dry pretty good, especially if it stops raining by the mid to late afternoon and we get sun. If you are in doubt, you can call our Sports Information Line at (815) 290-1342. We will begin updating this line about 1 to 1.5 hours before the first scheduled game, or practice, of the day. If all games are rained out, the line may be updated sooner and if rain is expected to end, other instructions may be obtained by listening to the message. For instance, a Saturday game may be moved back to allow for rain to stop.

When would rained out games be made up?

Our game schedule is tight, there isn't a lot of time for rain make ups, but, in the event games are missed due to rain we will make an effort to re-schedule. Games could be made up on Wednesday nights, Friday nights or after the schedule on Saturday is played out. It is possible games could be made up on Sunday afternoon as well if needed.

Every effort will be made to play all games. However, games rained out late in the season may not be made up. The season will be fully completed, including the Closing Ceremonies before Labor Day weekend. It's unlikely that games will be played after August 22^nd as well. Closing Ceremonies could be adjusted to accommodate make up games..

Is there anything else I can do if it is raining?

Sometimes we may indicate that the fields are wet, but playable. In these cases there is likely work that needs to be done to get them ready to play. If you can help, bring a rake and come help rake fields. Field work will start on these days at approximately 4:30 pm, anyone with a rake and a willingness to work would be more than welcome.

FIELD LOCATION:

The entrance to our fields is directly across the street from the Channahon Plaza. The fields are located at the new First Baptist Church of Channahon location.

VOLUNTEERING:

Team Manager

Team Managers do not have to be baseball experts. They simply need to be willing to follow our guidelines which include moving players into different positions, being a teacher, able to control their emotions. Responsibilities include making sure your team is contacted for all practices, games, pictures, awards day, etc. (These positions will receive a free team shirt & hat).

Assistant Coach

Helps the manager run the team. Helps teach, controls emotions and helps to make sure the kids are being properly encouraged. (These positions will receive a free team shirt & hat, 3 spots only).

Concession Stand

We operate a full concession stand and it requires lots of help. Must be able to handle money, take orders and deal with customer complaints (if there are any). Will be asked to work a minimum of 4 hours.

Dugouts

Our facilities must be kept clean. After each game it's important someone (not a coach) leads the effort to make sure the dugout is clean, not only of trash but all equipment from the team is removed (gloves, shoes, hats, etc).

Field Preparation Crew

We need men (or women) who can be at the fields 1 to 1.5 hours before the first games of the day. This time is spent setting bases, lining the fields and any other general preparation that needs to be done. If it rains, we need these people to be extra early to help rake the fields, apply sand or field dry and work to dry the fields to a playable condition. (These positions will receive a free Grounds Crew T-Shirt).

Field Clean Up

We need people to stay after the last games to clean the field up. This includes removing and storing bases and pitching rubbers. Locking the dugouts and dragging the fields. (These positions will receive a free Grounds Crew T-Shirt).