FREQUENTLY ASKED GBL QUESTIONS
{GENERAL} Q: I don't think my player is ready for the next division. Can they stay down for one more year?
A: Unfortunately we can not keep a player down in a division that they are too old for. You may think they are not ready but divisions are based on age groups and need to be kept that way.
{GENERAL} Q: My Player is too good for his age group. Can he play up to the next division?
A: If you feel your player is ready for the next division ahead of time, you always have the opportunity to play up 1 year. So if your player is 9, he is able to play up to the 10/11U division. However if your player is 8, he would still fall under the 8/9U division and therefore would not qualify to move up to 11U. Any requests to move up more than 1 year would need board approval.
{GENERAL} Q: I've heard parents saying that their player is a callup for the next division. What is a Callup?
A: A callup player is a player that is interested in playing up to the next age division should a team be short players during the regular season. Instead of the team forfeiting the game, they have the option to call up players to their team for a game when they need to fill their roster due to absent players. When registering, you will have the option to opt in as a callup should you feel your playing would be interested in testing their skills at the next level.
{GENERAL} How do we know if a game is rained out or not? How will we be notified?
A: Games that have the opportunity of being a rainout are decided on by the league no later than 4pm on the day of the game. In that case, you will be notified by either the league or through your team app that the game has been cancelled. However, If the league can not make a decision that the game is a rainout by 4pm, the decision will be turned over to the umpire of the game. It this case, when no decision has been made, you need to still show up to your game as it will most likely still be played.
{REP} Q: When are Rep tryouts usually held in Grimsby?
A: Rep tryouts are always held in Sept/Oct following the end of the regular season/playoffs. For more information, please visit the Rep Coyotes page on our website.
{HARDBALL} Q: Where do Grimsby Hardball Teams Play? Do they play in Grimsby Only?
A: Grimsby Baseball is part of the Niagara Interlock which is a group assembled of local Niagara Baseball Leagues that play against each other. Where you play would depend on what local Niagara leagues have teams in your players division. Typical towns we play are Beamsville, St. Catharines, Welland, Thorold, Niagara Falls, Pelham as well as a few others based on teams in each town.
{TBALL} Q: When does Jr. T-Ball usually start and on what nights?
A: Jr. T-Ball is held on Monday evenings at diamonds in the Grimsby Area. They start around the end of May and finish at the end of August. It is a program built on players learning the fundamentals of the game and then moving them towards playing short games by the end of the season.
{GENERAL} Q: Are female players able to play down a division?
A: The answer is yes. Female players are able to play down 1 year according to our rules. For instance, if the player is 12, she is able to play down at the 11U level for that season.
{GENERAL} Q: Are Divisions mixed, or Boys only?
A: All of our Divisions in Jr. T-Ball / Sr. T-Ball & Hardball are always accepting to female players. Although Hardball tends to lean more towards boys, we always seem to have some female players playing each season.
{SOFTBALL} Q: Does Grimsby Baseball offer Softball divisions?
A: Unfortunately we have seen very little interest in Softball divisions over the past few seasons. We have tried to continue with Softball as we had in the past but due to the lack of Volunteer help, we have been unable to continue at this point. If you are interested in Girls Softball, our partners over at Stoney Creek Little League run a program strictly for females. You can visit their site here: https://stoneycreeklittleleague.com/Leagues/1046/
{UMPIRES} Q: How old do you need to be to umpire in the GBL?
A: We are ALWAYS looking for new umpires. We do ask that umpires are at least 13 years of age. We start younger umpires with T-Ball games to build up their confidence and learn how to umpire a game. GBL also cover the costs for umpires to obtain their OBA certification through OBA clinics. Visit the umpires page to fill out our online form.
{HARDBALL} Q: What days of the week do Hardball teams play during the season?
A: Days of the week for hardball teams are decided through the Niagara Interlock usually in early April once Leagues know how many teams they have pre division. Because it is a team effort between local Niagara towns, we have little control over the timing of knowing these game days. You can however expect to play on average approx. 1 Home/1 Away game per week.
{GENERAL} Q: Can I request friends of my player to be on the same team as them?
A: When registering your player, you will have the option to select 1 player that you would like to have on your players team. Please have the guardian of the requested player to request your player in return for your request being fulfilled. We do however receive hundreds of requests every year and although we can not guarantee any, we do our best to accommodate as many as possible. Requests that are always fulfilled are coaches requesting their child, sponsors requesting their child and siblings in the same division wishing to play together.
{GENERAL} Q: Is Grimsby Baseball OBA (Baseball Ontario) sanctioned?
A: Grimsby Baseball is 100% OBA sanctioned through our Grimsby Coyotes Rep/Select Program. As of 2024, we have grown to 7 Rep teams starting at 8U up to the 15U division level.
{GENERAL} Q: Do GBL coaches require a police check to volunteer in the league?
A: Although it is not a requirement in Baseball, we believe the safety of our kids is the #1 priority of our league. Yes, all volunteers of the GBL including GBL Executive and Staff are required to have a police check completed. The GBL runs all police checks through "Sterling Backcheck" the gold standard for youth sports.
{GENERAL} Q: We don't live in Grimsby. Can our player still play in the Grimsby Baseball League?
A: YES! When it comes to T-Ball or House League Hardball, regardless of where you reside, you can play in any league you choose. When it comes to Rep though, you would be required to obtain a release from your local league should they have a Rep program that you could play for. More details about Rep releases can be found within the Rep Coyotes pages.
{GENERAL} Q: What kind of summer commitment should we expect with regards to games & practices?
A: It really depends on the division. With Jr. T-Ball, assume every Monday will be booked for your team. There are no practices at the Jr. T-Ball division. With Sr. T-Ball, expect 1 game/week on either Tues or Wed. For Sr. T-Ball practices, expect typically 1 per week. Your team coaches will decide which day works best for the team. For Hardball divisions you can expect 1 Home/1 Away game per week with an added practice each week. Practice time will be decided on by the team coaches on what works best for the team.
{GENERAL} Q: How do I choose which division I register my player for?
A: Grimsby Baseball divisions are decided based on OBA rules. Registration for divisions is based on your players year of birth for the upcoming season. So, if your players turns 6 anytime in the year you are registering for, even if they are not turning 6 till the end of the year or after the season is over, you would be registering for the Sr. T-Ball division (Ages 6-7).
{GENERAL} Q: Are GBL Executive positions paid positions or are they volunteer?
A: The Grimsby Baseball League is a non profit organization and all executive & staff positions are non-paid positions. These positions are filled by dedicated volunteers who commit hundreds of hours every year to make sure that Baseball is alive and well in the Town of Grimsby.
{GENERAL} Q: When do we typically have makeup games? We usually go away on the weekends.
A: makeup games are determined by division. Jr. T-Ball makeup dates are usually booked in the Friday of that week. Sr. T-Ball could see either a Friday or Saturday game and Hardball will be determined by the coaches of the 2 teams and the diamond availability. Either way we try to give at least a weeks notice so you can schedule your life accordingly.
Q: Can a baseball game be cancelled in the summer due to heat?
A: When the temperatures reach 40 degrees in the summer, the GBL will make a decision whether to cancel league games for that evening. Some games may still take place but younger divisions such as Jr./Sr. T-Ball may be cancelled.