Burford Opimist Youth Baseballl welcomes youth from Burford and surrounding areas.
Registration includes a hat and jersey (shirt for Tball and U7). Ball pants are a uniform requirement that you need to supply (black or grey as determined by the coach). Proper athletic footwear is required (no sandals, crocs). Cleats can be worn but must be non-metal. For Tball, shirts and hats are provided. Comfortable pants and proper athetic footwear recommended.
Teams will be formed using the following principles:
- Players will be welcomed from Burford and surrounding areas. Players closest to Burford's town center will be given priority should numbers exceed team caps.
- We reserve the right to use discretion for the development of team rosters when applying team cap limits. Teams in some divisions fill up very quickly. We encourage you to register early if you are certain you want to play as teams are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Players will play on the team associated with their birth year. In the event that we are not able to field a full team for any given age group, we will look at the possibility of players moving up or down. This will be done in consultation with players' parent(s) and the league the team plays in.
- Players with limited experience, may be invited to a skills evaluation day to determine whether they may be more successful on another team. This will be done in consultation with players' parent(s) and the league the team plays in.
Team Divisions: Please note the age is the participant's age prior to December 31, 2023 (eg. U11 is 10 years and under as of December 31, 2023)
T-ball **NEW FORMAT (typically 4-6 yrs of age): This division is instructional and has a “have-fun” atmosphere. T-Ballers play an 8-10 game schedule (dependent of number of teams) starting at the beginning of May and ending late June/early July. At the T-Ball level, parent participation is required to assist with players on the bench and on the bases. Teams will have one 30 minute practice and one 30 minute game each week, Saturday mornings in Burford. This would remain a house league.
U7 **NEW (6 years as of Dec 31. 7 year olds who are not quite ready for U9 will be considered for U7 registration.) This is a co-ed team with games starting around the first week of May running towards the end of July. All teams will generally have one practice and one game per week (games will be Tuesdays or Saturdays). This level begins to introduce pitching and includes coach pitched plays with a tee option. This is a travel team playing centers that include Norwich, Burgessville, Hickson, Embro.
U9 (7 & 8 years as of Dec. 31): This is a co-ed team with games starting around the first week of May running towards the end of July. All teams will generally have one practice and two games per week (practices are typically Mondays, games will be Tuesdays and/or Saturdays). Playoffs for this division are held over a tournamentstyle weekend typically the first week of August, with games scheduled based on standings. This level begins to introduce pitching to players and also includes coach pitched plays. This is a travel team.
U11 (9 & 10 years as of Dec. 31): This is a co-ed team with games starting around the first week of May running towards the end of July. All teams will generally have one practice and up to two games per week (practices are typically Mondays, games will be Wednesdays and/or Saturdays). Additional tournaments may be entered at the discretion of coaches and parents. Playoffs for this division are held in late July / early August. U11 teams may be split into boys and girls if numbers permit. This is a travel team.
U13 (11 & 12 years as of Dec. 31): This is a co-ed team with games starting around the first week of May running towards the end of July. All teams will generally have one practice and up to two games per week (practices are typically Tuesdays, games will be Mondays and Thursdays). Additional tournaments may be entered at the discretion of coaches and parents. Playoffs for this division are held in late July / early August. U13 teams may be split into boys and girls if numbers permit. This is a travel team.
U15 **NEW IF NUMBERS PERMIT (13 & 14 years as of Dec. 31): This is a co-ed team with games starting around the first week of May running towards the mid August. All teams will generally have one practice and up to two games per week (games days to be determined). Additional tournaments may be entered at the discretion of coaches and parents. Playoffs for this division are held in late August. U15 teams may be split into boys and girls if numbers permit. This is a travel team.
Softball teams will follow Ontario Softball rules and regulations. Teams require a minimum number of players to be registered into the league. Travel is be expected (within an hour range) for all softball teams.
We will NOT guarantee a specific coach or team and will not allow switching of teams as we work hard to make the teams fair.