Amateur baseball in the United States
Encyclopedia
Amateur baseball is a form of baseball
in which the players
either are not paid
for playing, or (as in Town Team Baseball
) receive only a modest stipend
or employment
arranged by the team
's boosters
. Amateur baseball is played in the United States
by players of all ages, from young children to adult
s.
-age children of both gender
s. Of the various leagues listed below, Little League baseball is the most widespread and the Little League World Series
in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
, draws participants from around the world and is televised
in the US on ESPN
.
The first annual National Youth Baseball Championships (NYBC) tournament was held in August 2008 for players in two divisions: 10U and 12U. The purpose of the tournament is to recognize one team as the "National Youth Baseball Champion." The tournament organizer is the Major Youth Baseball Alliance, LLC, which was formed by eight major national youth baseball organizations, whose programs have more than eight million participants. The eight organizations are: AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress), AAU (Amateur Athletic Union of the United States), Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation), Pony Baseball, Super Series Baseball of America, and USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association).
2008
2009
2010
2011
(the governing body of amateur baseball).
and an 8th-grade team. The high-school program has freshman
, junior-varsity and varsity team
s. The lower classmen may play on the higher level team.
is sanctioned by the NCAA, NAIA
, and NCBA
. At the highest level — NCAA Division I — over the past two years the College World Series
has grossed more than 1.2 million dollars in television ratings and merchandise sales. College baseball players, especially professional
prospects, often play in "collegiate summer baseball leagues", where their lodging and meals are provided by their host team, but no money changes hands.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in which the players
Baseball positions
There are 9 fielding positions in baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number which is used to score putouts...
either are not paid
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
for playing, or (as in Town Team Baseball
Town Team Baseball
Town Team Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played in the United States. In Town Team baseball, sometimes also called townball, the teams represent either a given city or town, or a commercial enterprise which sponsors the team...
) receive only a modest stipend
Stipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
or employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
arranged by the team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
's boosters
Boosterism
Boosterism is the act of "boosting," or promoting, one's town, city, or organization, with the goal of improving public perception of it. Boosting can be as simple as "talking up" the entity at a party or as elaborate as establishing a visitors' bureau. It is somewhat associated with American small...
. Amateur baseball is played in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by players of all ages, from young children to adult
Adult
An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
s.
Varieties of amateur baseball in the United States
Leagues for various skill levels and age groups exist throughout the US. In ascending order of age participation, here are a few examples:Youth baseball
Youth Baseball is played by elementary-school-age and high-schoolSecondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
-age children of both gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
s. Of the various leagues listed below, Little League baseball is the most widespread and the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, draws participants from around the world and is televised
Broadcasting of sports events
The broadcasting of sports events is the coverage of sports as a television program, on radio and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more sports commentators describing the events as they happen.-United States:...
in the US on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
- Babe Ruth Leagues (ages 13-18)
- Cal Ripken Baseball (a division of Babe Ruth League, Inc.) (ages 5-12)
- Dixie Boys Baseball (ages 13-19)
- Dixie Youth Baseball (ages 12 and under)
- Dizzy Dean Baseball (ages 5-19)
- Khoury League
- Little League Baseball (including Little, Junior, Senior & Big League Baseball) (ages 5-18)
- PONY Baseball and SoftballPONY Baseball and SoftballPONY Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization with headquarters in Washington, Pennsylvania. Started in 1951, it is dedicated to helping young people grow into healthier and happier adults, primarily through the organization of baseball and softball leagues...
(ages 5 to 18) - USSSA Baseball
- American Amateur Baseball CongressAmerican Amateur Baseball CongressThe American Amateur Baseball Congress is an amateur baseball organization in the United States for players from sub-teens through adults. Founded in 1935, it coordinates its programs with USA Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association. AABC has eight age-range divisions in the U.S.,...
(AABC) is for players above junior-baseball age. It provides progressive and continuous organized competition from pre-teens to adults. National tournament play is organized by leagues, with successful teams advancing to higher levels of tournament play, instead of the "all-starAll-starAll-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
" procedure used by Little League Baseball.
National Youth Baseball Championship
- See footnote
The first annual National Youth Baseball Championships (NYBC) tournament was held in August 2008 for players in two divisions: 10U and 12U. The purpose of the tournament is to recognize one team as the "National Youth Baseball Champion." The tournament organizer is the Major Youth Baseball Alliance, LLC, which was formed by eight major national youth baseball organizations, whose programs have more than eight million participants. The eight organizations are: AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress), AAU (Amateur Athletic Union of the United States), Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation), Pony Baseball, Super Series Baseball of America, and USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association).
2008
- 12U Youth Majors NYB champions: Juice 12s (Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
) (AAU) - 10U Youth Majors NYB champions: Tomateros de California (Paramount, CaliforniaParamount, CaliforniaParamount is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 54,098 down from 55,266 at the 2000 census...
) (USSSA)
2009
- 12U Youth Majors NYB champions: Team Rattlers (Spring, TexasSpring, TexasSpring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census...
) (Super Series) - 10U Youth Majors NYB champions: N. Texas Bulldogs ( , TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) (AAU)
2010
2011
- 12U Youth Majors NYB champions: Banditos Black (Tomball, TexasTomball, TexasTomball is a city in Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The population was 9,089 at the 2000 census. In 1907, the community of Peck was renamed Tomball. The city are named for local congressman Thomas Henry Ball, who had a major role in the...
) (Super Series) - 10U Youth Majors NYB champions: Oakley Stingrays (Norwalk, CaliforniaNorwalk, CaliforniaNorwalk is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 105,549 at the 2010 census, up from 103,298 at the 2000 census, making it the 58th most populous city in California and the 255th nationally....
) (USSSA)
National all-stars tournament
From 1998 (or earlier) through 2010 (or later), there has been an annual, national all-stars tournament each June — the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars; its predecessor was the National Amateur All-Star Baseball Tournament (NAABT). The tournament features the top 16- to 18-year-old players from various baseball organizations, including the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), American Legion, Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Baseball, National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF), PONY baseball, Major League Baseball's "Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities" (RBI), and at-large teams from USA BaseballUSA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
(the governing body of amateur baseball).
School baseball
School Baseball is played all over The United States. The middle-school program has a 6th - 7th grade teamTeam
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
and an 8th-grade team. The high-school program has freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
, junior-varsity and varsity team
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
s. The lower classmen may play on the higher level team.
American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball is popular with junior-high- and senior-high-school students from ages 13 to 19. American Legion also provides regional, state, and national playoffs.College baseball
College baseballCollege baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
is sanctioned by the NCAA, NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
, and NCBA
National Club Baseball Association
The National Club Baseball Association is the national body that governs club baseball at colleges and universities in the United States...
. At the highest level — NCAA Division I — over the past two years the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
has grossed more than 1.2 million dollars in television ratings and merchandise sales. College baseball players, especially professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
prospects, often play in "collegiate summer baseball leagues", where their lodging and meals are provided by their host team, but no money changes hands.
Adult baseball
- Town Team BaseballTown Team BaseballTown Team Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played in the United States. In Town Team baseball, sometimes also called townball, the teams represent either a given city or town, or a commercial enterprise which sponsors the team...
is another area of broad participation of sports institution in the Upper MidwestUpper MidwestThe Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
, particularly in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
- The National Adult Baseball AssociationNational Adult Baseball AssociationThe National Adult Baseball Association is an adult, semi-professional baseball organization, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It offers competitive and recreational baseball for players in over 125 leagues in over 40 U.S. states. Over 25,000 player-members participate.The NABA is organized into...
(NABA) and the Men's Sr. Baseball League (MSBL) are the two largest organizations, sponsoring leagues and tournaments for a variety of age groups (e.g. 18+, 28+, 38+, 48+, 55+, etc). Both leagues play regular-season games, playoffs and host tournaments on both a regional and national level. Some of the best known players of all time include, Pat Vadala, Chris Bartzokis, Steve Thomas, Craig Eaton, Steve Sandman and Skippy Sisselman.
- National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
- All-American Amateur Baseball AssociationAll-American Amateur Baseball AssociationThe All-American Amateur Baseball Association was formed in 1944.-World Series:Sixteen teams participate in the AAABA World Series. The 66th annual AAABA World Series concluded on August 14, 2010, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The regionals were held in Altoona, Pennsylvania.-Hall of fame:The AAABA...
- Northwest Independent Baseball League Premier Baseball for Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington provides stadium baseball expierence for ex pros and college players in Portland OR
See also
- Baseball awards #U.S. adult & semi-professional baseball
- Baseball awards #U.S. amateur baseball
- Baseball awards #U.S. college baseball
- Baseball awards #U.S. high-school baseball
- Baseball awards #U.S. youth baseball
- South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of FameSouth Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of FameThe South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame is a museum in Lake Norden, South Dakota.The museum presents a pictorial history of amateur baseball in South Dakota as well as memorabilia from about a dozen South Dakotans who played Major League Baseball...
- Minnesota Baseball Association
- :Category:Amateur baseball teams
External links
- National Adult Baseball Association
- NCAA Baseball Official Site
- NCAA Baseball Rankings
- Men's Senior Baseball Leagues
- NWIBL 18 and older summer Baseball League Portland OR
- American Amateur Baseball Congress Official Site
- Michigan Chapter American Amateur Baseball Congress Official Site
- Youth Baseball. Weplay, Inc.