What is Kiwanis Baseball?

The Kiwanis Club of Staunton partners with the City of Staunton Department of Recreation and Parks to operate a baseball program for children ages 4-12 who reside in, or who attend a school located in, the 24401 zip code.  The Kiwanis Club of Staunton is a non-profit service organization, dedicated to helping the youth of our area, which has operated the community’s youth baseball program since 1946.  The baseball program is staffed primarily by volunteers who are committed to providing a safe and fun baseball experience for local kids.  We are affiliated with the national Babe Ruth baseball program.  All funds to operate the program are raised through registration fees, sponsor fees, and concession stand revenues.

What is the registration fee?

The registration fee is $40.00 for one child, and $30.00 for a second child, with a family maximum of $80.00. The family maximum is $80.00, regardless of the number of children registered.

What do I receive for my registration fee?

The Kiwanis Club is committed to providing the best value possible within the constraints of the financial realities of operating a baseball program serving 300-400 players each season.  Some of the items for which the registration fee helps us pay include:

• Chartering and Affiliation with the national Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken organization
• Insurance coverage made available by the national Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken organization
• Background checks for coaches and volunteers who have direct contact with the children
• Umpires
• Team shirts
• Team hats
• Equipment such as bats, batting helmets, catcher’s gear, and baseballs
• Scorebooks

What equipment/gear do parents have to provide?

Parents must provide a baseball mitt/glove, appropriate pants, socks, and shoes.  Baseball pants and cleats are recommended for leagues above the tee ball, but they are not required.  Many parents choose to provide their players with bats, batting helmets, and catcher’s equipment, but those items are supplied by the program.

What responsibilities do parents have?

Parents are responsible for:

• Arranging for their players to arrive at games and practices on time, and informing coaches if they cannot do so.
• Picking up their players in a timely manner at the conclusion of games or practices.
• Serving as positive role models by exhibiting civil and sportsmanlike behavior at all times
• Adhering to the Code of Conduct and the Kiwanis Baseball Complex Rules posted on the website
• Working in the concession stand when requested.  If every parent does so, nobody will have to do so more than once or twice in a season.

I would like to volunteer to coach or otherwise help out with a team.  How can I do so?

Please complete the volunteer registration form on the website. 

We need coaches to work with the players on the field during games and practices, team business managers to work with the financial and logistical needs of the teams, and team aides to assist coaches and team business managers.  These positions deal directly with the children, so they require completion of a background check.  All coaches must be approved by league officials. 

Who is required to complete a background check?

All coaches, team business managers, team aides, as well as any other person who has repetitive access to, or contact with, the players is required to complete a background check.

Why are background checks required?

The background checks are designed to protect the children participating in the program.  They are a safety measure.  Background checks are required to deter individuals who should not be working with young athletes from serving in any capacity that puts them in direct contact with those athletes.  The background checks are designed to identify anyone with an unsuitable criminal history and to prevent such individuals from associating with children.  

What types of offenses disqualify an individual?

A background check involves a nationwide search of applicable government criminal and sex offender registry data bases.  An individual who has been convicted of, or who has entered a guilty plea for, any offense involving or against a minor, regardless of when the offense occurred, will not be permitted to work with the children as a coach, team business manager, or team aide.   The same policy will be applied to any person who has been convicted of, or who has entered a guilty plea for, any offense, regardless of when the offense occurred, involving drug dealing. 

Why are approved volunteers required to wear badges?

The volunteer badges permit all parents and league officials to verify that any person dealing with the players, at games or practices, is authorized to do so.  The volunteer badge policy is posted on the website.

Which league should I choose for my player?

For most players, the league will be determined by the player’s age.  However, ability, not age, can be used to determine the appropriate league for a player.  A parent who wishes a player to play in a league other than the league dictated by age should complete and submit the play up/play down request form available on the website.

I would like my player to be on the same team with a friend/sibling.  Does the program permit this?

The program will always allow siblings to be on the same team, provided the skill/ability levels of the siblings are such that each of the siblings can compete safely in the chosen league.  Such a determination will be made by league officials.  Friends are encouraged to play together on Coach Pitch and Tee Ball teams.  Teams in the Rookie, Junior, and Bambino leagues are balanced to insure even competition, so the program may not be able to accommodate requests for friends to be on the same team.  League officials will make those determinations.

I have registered my player.  What happens now?

After registration closes, all registered players will be assigned to teams.  If Skill Days are scheduled, players will have the option of attending before assignment to teams.  Skills days are opportunities for league officials and coaches to evaluate the skill levels of the players.  If Skill Days are scheduled, they will be announced on the website.

Assignment to teams will be made by league officials via a coaches’ draft, according to a formula designed to balance competition in the Rookie, Junior, and Bambino leagues.  Coach Pitch and Tee Ball assignments will be made without reference to balancing competition.

Who are the league officials?

The Kiwanis Club of Staunton operates the baseball program with the assistance of a volunteer board of interested people committed to the safety and enjoyment of the kids.  Those individuals are the league officials.

Ultimate responsibility for the program rests with the chair of Kiwanis Club’s Baseball Committee, who sits atop the baseball program’s chain of command; the place where the baseball program’s buck stops.  The Club employs two directors who handle most day to day operations, with the assistance of the volunteer board.  The volunteer board president handles many of the day to day operational activities, and serves as the primary liaison with the state and national Babe Ruth organizations.

The current chair of the baseball committee is Rick Pfizenmayer.  He may be contacted by using the Contact Us feature on the website.

The program’s two directors are Ken Bosserman and Travis Cason.  One of those individuals will be at the Kiwanis Baseball Complex every day during the season.  They may be contacted there, or by using the Contact Us feature on the website.

The members of the volunteer board are:

Debbie Gregory, board president

JR Troxell, board vice-president

Alan Garrison, board treasurer

Dan Bonner, board secretary

James Corbitt, City recreation and parks department representative

Ken Bosserman, program co-director

Travis Cason, program co-director

Jeff Adams

Justin Beard

Ann Lynch

Justin Eckard

Rick Pfizenmayer

Prewitt Scripps

Mike Taylor, umpire in chief

Any of these individuals may be contacted by using the Contact Us feature of the website.

How can I become an umpire or a scorekeeper?

Anyone interested in becoming an umpire or scorekeeper should contact league officials using the Contact Us feature on the website.  

We do not use umpires or scorekeepers in Coach Pitch or Tee Ball.  We use umpires and scorekeepers for all Junior League and Bambino League games.  We use umpires and scorekeepers for as many Rookie League games as we can, depending upon availability.  Umpire and scorekeeper are paid positions.  The program will train interested individuals, who must be at least 14.

When, and where, are the games?

Kiwanis Baseball organizes each year in January and February, with practices starting in late February and games starting in March, weather permitting.  The season ends when school ends.  Games will be scheduled Monday-Saturday.  Weeknight games will start at approximately 5:30 or 6:00, depending upon whether or not more than one game is scheduled at a field.  Saturday games normally start in the morning at 9:30.   All games have time limits which are detailed in the rules for each league.  The rules are available on the website.  All games are played at the Kiwanis Baseball Complex in Gypsy Hill Park.  When absolutely necessary, some makeup games will be scheduled on Sundays.

How many games do we play?

Depending upon the league and number of teams in the league, about 15 games is fairly common, although the Coach Pitch and Tee Ball leagues sometimes do not schedule that many.  We make every effort to play a minimum of 12 games.  Of course, Mother Nature figures prominently into the schedule.  We will make up as many games as possible when weather postponements occur to try to reach the 12- game minimum, but we cannot guarantee a specific number of games. 

How will I know if a game has been postponed or rained out?

Please note that all fields in the Kiwanis Baseball Complex are owned and controlled by the City of Staunton Department of Recreation and Parks.  The City decides if the fields are playable, and the Kiwanis Baseball program abides by whatever decision the City makes.  Once the City has declared the fields unplayable, the City will place a message on their event and weather cancellation phone line, which is (540) 332-3947.  In addition, any cancellations will be posted on the program’s website.

Is there any travel involved?

Kiwanis Baseball is not a “travel program.”  Provided we have enough players registered to field an appropriate number of teams, all games will be played at the Kiwanis Baseball Complex in Gypsy Hill Park.  If a situation arises where enrollment is reduced to a level where we cannot field an appropriate number of teams in a league, we may partner with another local program to allow our teams to play the normal 15 game schedule.  If that happens, Kiwanis teams could play a couple of games in Augusta County or Waynesboro.

As a function of its affiliation with the national Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken organization, the Kiwanis Baseball Program will field “tournament” teams from the Rookie, Junior, and Bambino leagues to compete in Babe Ruth sanctioned tournaments after the conclusion of the regular Kiwanis season.  These tournament teams will be selected by league officials and coaches.  Such teams will engage in some travel on weekends during the early summer months.  Details about tournament teams will be provided on the website during the Kiwanis regular season.

Who do I contact if I have an issue?

Please use the Contact Us feature on the website to voice any concerns or to make any suggestions.

How do I recommend a change/modification/improvement to the program’s website?

Please use the Contact Us feature on the website, or send an email to [email protected] to make any comments or suggestions.