GENERAL INFORMATION

As a general guideline children fall into the following age groups:

Age 4-7: Hawk Ball T-ball
Age 7-8: Under 9 T-ball
Age 9: Zooka ball (machine-pitched)
Age 10-16: Baseball (player pitched)

To make it somewhat more confusing (but ultimately to align with the Little League age brackets globally), for the 2021/22 season Baseball NSW player league ages will be determined by date-of-birth between 1st September to 31 August of the following year for all BNSW competitions.

BNSW competitions are therefore based around a child’s ‘League Age’. To assist determine your child’s League Age, BNSW has issued an age matrix.

Hawk Ball T-ball (4-7 years)

Hawk Ball T-ball is a fun intra-club T-ball program run for younger and/or first-time players. During the program, the players will start by learning the basic skills of throwing, catching, and hitting off a baseball tee. As the program progresses the players move on to playing mini-games. The games are designed so that everyone gets an opportunity to bat and field in every innings and the focus is purely on having fun and ensuring the children develop a love of the game.

T-ball (7-8 years)

Beyond Hawk Ball, players move onto inter-club competition.

U9 T-Ball progresses from U8 with games scored and competition ladders recorded. Outs are enforced, with teams swapping between batting and fielding after three outs per side, or after 6 runs are scored.

Games times:

U9 – Saturday 10.30 am

Zooka machine-pitch (8-10 years)

After players have experienced and learned the basics of the game in T-Ball they progress to hitting a moving ball. In order to keep the speed of play and allow for everyone to have a chance, we use soft baseballs thrown by a Zooka machine.

Game times: Saturday 8.30 am

Little League Minor (LLmi) (9-11 years)

Little League Minor (LLmi) represents the players’ first introduction to real live-pitched baseball. Players are introduced to pitching and playing with balls and equipment similar to what they will encounter in their adult baseball careers. Beyond LLmi the player progresses to larger fields and slightly modified rules, with each step becoming closer to playing to adult rules of baseball.

Games times: Saturday 10.30am

Little League Major (LLM) (10-12 years)

Game times: Saturday 8.30am

Intermediate League (11-13 years)

Games times: Wednesday evening (time TBA)

Intermediate League Brochure

Junior League (12-14 years)

Games times: Saturday 10.30am

Senior League (13-16 years)

Games times: Friday evening (time TBA)

Uniforms and protective equipment

Club uniform consists of Tigers playing jersey, Black pants, Tigers cap and, Yellow socks. All uniform requirements can be purchased at Try Baseball or registration or uniform fitting days.

A baseball glove is required (Hawk Ball players receive their first glove free!)

Note that our junior players are provided with playing uniforms consisting of a t-shirt, elasticized pants, and a cap.

No special shoes are required for Forest Futures through to U10 (Zooka). From Little League Minor (U11) to Junior League players may consider shoes with only molded plastic (not metal) studs or cleats. Senior League players can wear metal cleats.

Protective cups are required for all age divisions. Mouthguards are recommended for all age divisions.

Season

The summer season runs from early September to mid-December with a holiday break and resumption of play in late January or early February through to March (including playoffs).

Grounds

For information on ground locations please click here.

Training

Training days and times for U9 and older grades are subject to availability. Once the teams are formed your coach or manager will contact you with training option(s) and based on the majority of the team, a day/time will be determined.

Note that the club does its best to ensure that every team has a coach with some background in the game of baseball, however, this cannot always be guaranteed.

Tigers Baseball Club has fielded a team in every age group, however, this depends on the number of children registered for each division. Some age groups may be amalgamated to form teams.

General Information