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<--Back Overiew of the New Elevated Coach-Pitch League (Spring 20010)
The goal of the CBA has always been to provide a premium venue for all baseball players in the Colleyville area, and it has done so throughout the years by providing the best recreational and select venues available at as many age groups as is reasonably possible.

Over the last two years, several 7U and 8U teams have departed the CBA in order to find a more competitive venue, which is not a desirable situation and runs counter to the main CBA goal. The CBA Board believes a reasonable solution to this continuing 7U/8U situation would be to split the coach-pitch league for three reasons:

1. There are sufficient numbers of players in the combined age group allowing for two separate and distinct leagues;
2. Certain CBA members have petitioned CBA Board to consider creating an elevated play league; and
3. The CBA believes splitting the leagues will create better playing opportunities for developmental players in this age group as well as establishing a more skilled league that retains the best talent in Colleyville going forward.

Because of these reasons, the CBA believes this is a good time to make a change in the coach-pitch league so more Colleyville-area children will remain in the CBA and those who do will have the best opportunities for developing their baseball skills, regardless of their individual skill level.

Parent / Player Expectations
The CBA Board believes this coach-pitch league bifurcation will improve play in both leagues. Historically, there has been an imbalance of play in all coach pitch leagues due to inequitable talent distribution. This was not a fault of anyone; the system previously used (primarily due to the CBA allowing three protected players on each team) had a tendency to group some of the best players on few teams.

Balanced play in our recreational leagues is the most desired situation. With the new system, the most skilled players will play in one league, with the other league focused on talent development. So, parents may expect one league to be more focused on competition, while the other will be more focused on skill development and learning. The CBA believes that creating a league focused on talent development and learning is at this critical age is important for our players who are just becoming familiar with the game.

Coach Selection
Coaches for the Elevated League will be selected by the CBA Board, very similarly to how NTI coaches are selected. All head coach candidates will be required to complete the normal background waiver forms. In addition, a brief questionnaire will be required of all head coach candidates for the Elevated League. Elevated League coaches will be selected on December 6th, 2009. Head coaches in the Elevated League must have previous coaching experience in the CBA.

Elevated League Draft Overview
All players registered to play in the CBA 7U/8U spring 2010 league are eligible to try out for the Elevated League (subject to the eligibility rules below). All players who choose to attend the Elevated League tryout will be evaluated and scored by three independent evaluators. Those evaluators will not have a player or coaching interest in the league, and will be required to have significant baseball coaching/playing experience. These evaluators will be selected by the CBA Elevated League commissioner. All three scores for the players will be compiled into composite score for each player.

The players will be ranked, from highest score to lowest score, to form a list of players eligible for the Elevated League. The final list of players eligible for the Elevated League will equal, at a minimum, 150% of the total necessary players in the league. This list will be reviewed by the Elevated League commissioner and the Elevated League coaches to ensure that the evaluation process has been reasonably accurate, and those players who should be on the list are present. Accordingly, the 150% list may, in fact, contain slightly more than 150% of the required players after this final review.

For example, a six team league with eleven players on each team would require a total of 66 players for the entire league. In order to choose those 66 players, a minimum list of 99 (150% of 66) players will be made available to the coaches at the draft.

The 150% list will be broken into five distinct groups:

1. The “Round 1” group, consisting of highest ranked 12 players (both 7U and 8U);
2. The “Round 2” group, consisting of the next highest ranked 12 players (both 7U and 8U);
3. The “Round 3” group, consisting of the 12 highest ranked 7U players not ranked in the Round 1 or Round 2 group;
4. The “Round 4” group, consisting of the next 12 highest ranked 7U players not ranked in the previous groups;
5. The “Round 5” group, consisting of the remaining players.
   

Two players per team (head coach plus assistant) may be protected in the elevated league. Those players will be evaluated in the tryout process and assigned a rating just like all other players. Head coaches must pick their protected players in the first five rounds of the draft; their protected player draft position will correspond to the group in which the player is ranked. This is a departure from previous recreational league drafting rules that did not require a protected player to be picked in the draft process, thus allowing those teams with high-quality protected players to “stack” their teams with other high-quality players chosen early in the draft.

In the first round, coaches must select from the “Round 1” group. If they have a protected player in that group, the protected player must be selected in that round.

In the second round, coaches must select from the “Round 2” group. If they have a protected player in that group or another in the “Round 1” group, the protected player must be selected in that round. In the third and fourth rounds, only the top 7U players will be selected, with the same rules applying as in Rounds 1 and 2. If one protected player remains unselected after the first four rounds, that player must be chosen in round five. If both protected players remain unselected after the first four rounds (e.g., neither protected players were ranked in the top four groups), those players must be chosen in rounds five and six. The draft will continue from that point, with any players on the 150% list not previously drafted being eligible for selection until the teams are fully populated.

Both 7U and 8U players will participate in the Elevated League. In fact, there will be a specified minimum number of 7U players on each team, which will be accomplished through specific rounds dedicated to 7U player selection (rounds three and four of the draft). Players who are on the 150% list and are not chosen in the Elevated League will play in the developmental league and drafted accordingly in that league. The CBA will not publish the 150% draft list to anyone except the CBA Commissioner, the CBA elevated-play commissioner, and the elevated-play head coaches.

Elevated League Eligiblity Requirements

• Parents will designate, at registration, as to whether or not their child wishes to try out for the Elevated League.
• All players wising to play in the Elevated League must attend the coach look, including protected players.
  • Players with a valid reason for not attending the coach look may still be considered for the Elevated League subject to the discretion of the Elevated League commissioner and with the consent of at least 66% of the Elevated League coaches. Each case will be considered individually.
• Players in the Elevated League must be either a 7U or 8U player. No 6U or below players will be eligible for the Elevated League. No player may play “down” into the Elevated League.
• Players selected on an Elevated League team will be final. No trading of players will be allowed.
• Special player consideration may be given to the following situations:
  • Siblings (so long as both qualify on the 150% list and are selected to a team);
  • Car-pooling relationships (again, so long as the children both qualify on the 150% list and are selected to a team);
  • Other issues, considered on a case-by-case basis by the Elevated League commissioner and/or the CBA Board of Directors
    

Elevated Leaque Leadership
Kelly O’Neil has been selected to lead the CBA’s initial Elevated League season. Kelly served on the CBA Board as an officer from 2005-2009 (Secretary, Vice President for two years, Commissioner), and has a wide array of coaching experience in the CBA from coach-pitch to 13U in the recreational league, select teams, and all-star teams.

In his final year on the Board as Commissioner, one of his stated goals was to create a venue for our coach-pitch players that both improved the developmental play in the league and provided a new venue for those players wishing to be a part of an accelerated program. Kelly’s plan was adopted by the CBA Board and the CBA Board asked him to lead us through this significant change. Kelly will report to Chuck Cunningham, CBA Commissioner.

Download Rules and Forms
There are two documents you can download and are listed below.

**** Coaches Form ***
If you complete the coaches form below, and are selected by the league, you must completed a coaches app/background check from your childs player profile to complete your application.