Bettendorf / PV Iowa Baseball Fall Program Beginning Soon
Online registration is now open for Bettendorf-Pleasant Valley Youth Baseball’s fall ball program.
Please visit: https://active.
The fall baseball program features seven weekends of scheduled games from Saturday, Aug. 20-Sunday, Oct. 9.
Games are on Saturdays for the three youngest divisions at the Crow Creek Park 4-Plex, as well as nearby as needed at CC#6 and Tyler Hurd Field at Scheck Park. (Game dates: Aug. 20 & 27; Sept. 10, 17 & 24; Oct. 1 & 8).
Games for the oldest division (ages 14 and over) are Sundays at Devils Glen Park and Smitty Field at Crow Creek #5 (and if necessaery at Castro Field at Paul Norton School/Kiwanis Park). Game dates: Aug. 21 & 28; Sept. 11, 18 & 25; Oct. 2 & 9).
There are no scheduled games the weekend of Sept. 3-5 because of the long Labor Day holiday weekend.
The weekend of Oct. 15-16 is set aside as a possible rain date in case weather impacts too many weekends of game play. Otherwise, the program is designed to simply play (and practice) as much baseball as possible around school commitments.
NOTE: The game/site schedule is determined by the number of teams/participants, but the usual time format used on Saturdays has featured game starts at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Normal Sunday game starts are noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and (if necessary) 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 23 is the first day of the 2022-23 school term for both the Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley School Districts.
Before school and the fall games start, practice time is available to the individual teams. After school starts, practice time remains up to the individual teams and the preferences/schedules of their families.
For the youngest divisions, it is suggested teams try and practice at least one night each week once the fall games/school year begins, but other sports and extracurricular activities may impact plans (and should take precedence) as BPV hopes to help grow well-rounded student-athletes for the future.
Games also can be scheduled during the week on a team-by-team basis because of rainouts or special request.
SPECIAL FALL DIVISIONS:
— Rookie: Ages 5-8 as of Sept. 15, or grades K-3 suggested. Coach Pitch rules are followed. This is a great place to start and build experience for next season! NOTE: A recommendation (but not a requirement) for all players is to have already played a season of tee ball.
— Single-A: Ages 8-10 or Grades 3-5. A chance for Coach Pitch and Kid Pitch players/teams to get used to the next-level rules in the Minors division. NOTE: If your son or daughter has played in our Intro to Kid Pitch division — or is considering to do so next season as an Advanced Coach Pitch player — it is recommended to play Single-A in the fall to preview the next level. COACHES: If your team wants to play doubleheader each week (or more weeks), please advise the program director.
— Double-A: Ages 11-13 or Grades 5-7. A chance for Minors players/teams to preview the Majors division style of play with Majors rules followed. NOTE: Teams intended to play doubleheaders for extra game action as the schedule allows. COACHES: If your team wants only to play once-per-week, please advise the program director.
— Triple-A: Ages 14-17 or Grades 8-12. A smash up for our Juniors and Seniors division to allow Juniors players/teams a chance to look ahead to the future on a full-sized diamond, and Seniors division players to remain active and work on baseball and leadership skills. NOTE: Teams intended to play doubleheaders for extra game action as the schedule allows. COACHES: If your team wants only to play once-per-week, please advise the program director.
NOTE: AAA-plus division is possible if enough players ages 18-20 are interested, otherwise those participants again will be incorporated into the entire Triple-A division to provide leadership for the overall program.
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Registration is $75. (NOTE: There also is a nominal $3 online registration fee paid by each registrant for our shared use of the registration management system).
Registration by Monday, Aug. 8 helps in getting teams formed and able to practice.
The registration deadline is midnight Sunday, Aug. 14. For late registration, please contact tappasteve@gmail.com
Financial assistance is available by filling out an application located at BPVBaseball.com. Or request a financial aid form from tappasteve@gmail.com.
Summer BPV teams are encouraged, but not required, to stay together. For instance, if there are 2-3 or more kids/coaches wishing to play together, please let us know on your registration and send a follow up email to tappasteve@gmail.com. Teams can be grouped together to play in the fall.
If planning on rejoining a spring/summer team, or perhaps jumping in with friends/neighbors/classmates to create a special fall squad, please note this request on your registration, too. There is a prompt asking if you have any special requests.
All interested coaches, especially those with full or near-full teams, should contact Steve Tappa as soon as possible at tappasteve@gmail.com.
All registrants are placed on a team. Every effort is made to fulfill requests or group players by school. However, this is not a promise for registrations after Aug. 8.
Those wishing to sponsor a fall team to provide new uniforms for their team should contact the program director prior to Aug. 1. Otherwise, existing team jerseys are worn to provide additional exposure for spring/summer sponsors (new players on those teams are asked to wear a similarly colored hat & t-shirt/baseball sleeves).
Game balls and umpires provided. Team catching equipment and batting helmets also are available upon request.
For questions, please contact Steve Tappa at tappasteve@gmail.com
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY:
Fall Ball is intended to be a great bridge to the next level next season! The emphasis is not on winning, but rather developing skills and experience by playing (and practicing) as much extra baseball as possible.
Besides batting the entire lineup, as all divisions in BPV follow during the spring/summer season, special rules also are used:
— TIME LIMITS: 1-hour & 45-minute cut offs (10-run rule enforced after 4 innings; 5-run limit each inning; The intention is to play as many innings as the time limit affords).
— PITCHERS: Limited to 2 innings pitched per game & 3 innings per day if doubleheaders are played (goal: use multiple pitchers & develop more hurlers with mound time). Coaches, DO NOT pull pitchers midway through an inning unless in the case of injury. (Otherwise, this needlessly wastes game time for all and wastes the experience/coaching opportunity with the pitcher).
— EACH PLAYER: Should play the infield each game (goal: develop multiple positions).
— SPEED UP: Courtesy runners for catchers & pitchers; replacements ready for catchers making the 3rd out as a hitter (goal: maximize the time allowed).
— SUBS: May borrow other BPV Fall League players to avoid a forfeit, but they should bat last and should not pitch unless the other coach agrees to allow this (goal: play as much as possible; forfeits do no one any good).
