Frequently Asked Questions about Great Neck Baseball League
What equipment does my child need? Your child will need a glove. The league has some bats and helmets for all divisions to borrow this season but, most choose to supply their own bat and helmet starting in pinto division. In Pinto - Pony divisions, the bat has to be a USA stamped bat per pony rules. The bats must be 2 5/8" or 2 1/4" with the USA stamp. T-ball bats are only allowed for T-ball games that use the soft core baseballs. T-ball bats are not allowed in the Pinto Division. The league also provides a shirt and hat. All players need grey baseball pants, black belt and black socks. Baseball cleats are also recommended starting in pinto division.
For those of you looking to buy a bat for your child, this is a GENERAL guide to bat size. It obviously depends on the size and strength of the child, but the biggest mistake we see parents make is buying a bat that is TOO BIG for their child. It is wise to error on the smaller.size. Another rule of thumb is have the child hold the bat straight out in front of them (as if they are pointing at the pitcher with it) just above the knob, and count to ten. If they can hold the bat out firmly without serious effort, then the bat is more than likely the right size. We suggest you buy the bat and let your child’s coach look at it before you remove the plastic wrapper to insure it is the right size for your child.
Age Suggested Length
4-6 25-26"
7 26-27"
8 26-28"
9 27-29"
10 28-30"
11 29-31"
12 29-32"
13-15 32-33"
16-18 32-34"
Baseball Glove Size Chart
No hard-fast rule on glove sizes. A glove made of leather is much easier for a child to “break in.” A vinyl or synthetic glove will never break in and will make it much more difficult for the younger player to learn to catch the ball. Just like bats, start off smaller and grow into a larger glove.
Age Suggested Size (inches)
5 - 6 9-1/2 - 10-1/2
7 - 9 10-1/2 - 11-1/2
10 - 12 11 - 12
How often will we practice and how many games during the season? During the spring season, Developmental (aka Fawn) and Shetland will have one weeknight practice and a game on Saturdays. Pinto division and older will typically have one weeknight practice, one game during the week and a game on Saturdays. Fall season all games are on Saturday with one practice during the week.
How are teams formed? For the spring season, coaches of record who return in the same division keep their previous season's players. If you are entering a new division, your previous coach from the same division isn't coaching again or you want to try out for a new team, then players attend a skills workout starting in the Pinto division. Although everyone is placed on a team, coaches do draft players based on the skills workout in order to keep teams balanced. There are usually 10-12 players per team.For the Fall season, we utilize auto draft to assign players to teams. We do use a point system to keep teams divided evenly.
What is the league’s rain/weather policy? We have to notify umpires two hours before a game starts if games are cancelled or delayed. The league will email an update as soon as schedule is confirmed and umpires are notified.
Where can I park and not get a ticket or towed? Parking is available in the lot in front of the fields. No parking allowed on the berm or grassy areas. Overflow parking is available at the Cox tennis courts. No parking is allowed at the rec center. During the week (before sunset), you can use the lot at the park. Do not park in the park lot on the weekends. Coaches, board members and umpires only will be allowed to park in the gated/decal grass lot. Those vehicles have to have a decal.
What is the Champions league? The Champions Division is for players between the ages of 4 and 23 years old, or who remain in a school setting, with any disability or special needs that would prevent them from playing in a traditional baseball or softball program. Champions provide an environment that enhances players’ self-esteem, physical mobility, and embodies the spirit of teamwork and community.
Players will be allowed to participate by the level of ability regardless of their age-either T-Ball or Coach Pitch. No outs or scores are kept and no tryouts are held.
How can I volunteer to be a Champions buddy? The adult and junior buddy program consists of people in our community volunteering to help out the players on game days. Each player will be paired up with a junior buddy during the game. The junior buddy helps the player play the game of baseball, such as throwing, running, grounding, batting, etc. Our adult buddies help with the players and junior buddies on the baseball field. Email [email protected] for more information.
What is the Great Neck Tridents program?: The Great Neck (GN) Tridents is a supplemental program offered through Great Neck Baseball League (GNBL) for our recreational league players. GNBL partners with D-Bat Virginia Beach to provide additional opportunities and resources to develop skills leading to success and enjoyment as players continue on their journey through organized baseball. We have Sunday select teams for ages 9U-13U. See the our programs section for more information.
How can I volunteer? There are lots of ways to get involved!! Volunteer to coach, assistant coach or be the team mom when you sign your child up. Ask your coach if he or she needs help during the games or practices. The fields require a lot of work to make them playable. Field prep starts on Saturdays during the season at 7:00 am and extra hands are always helpful, especially after rain. If you are interested in getting more involved, we are looking for dedicated board members. If interested, please ask a current board member for more information or email the league.
How does fundraising help the league? Fundraising is essential to keep our league running. The league’s expenses include insurance, baseballs, equipment for teams, equipment to maintain fields, running the concession stand and more. We also are raising money for lighting for fields, paving walkways to improve accessibility for all, grounds improvements, a JD Gator for hauling and maintaining fields and more to make GNBL the best it can be.
How much does it cost? Spring Season prices Fawn $90 Shetland $100 Pinto 7 $140 Pinto 8 $140 Mustang $140 Bronco $145 Pony $150 Colt $160 Palomino $160. Price includes a jersey and hat.
Where can I go to find more league and Pony rules information including age rules per division? www.gnbaseball.com