Vancouver Community Baseball will be running a fall program this year.  Registration will open in early August.

There are no regional boundary restrictions for the program, it will be open to anyone entering grades 6-12 in September 2023.

Players of all abilities are welcome, including those who've never played before!

For players born in 2009 or 2010 (next year's 15U players) VCB is recommending players register with UBC.  We will not be running a program for players in this age range.  Register for these UBC's fall ball programs through their website, here.

15U players who intend to try out for a AAA or PBL team should register in one of the Bantam - Fall Ball sessions.

15U players who want a more recreational program should register in the Bantam Development - Fall Ball program.

Divisions

The All-Girls team is open to girls aged 12-16.  We plan to run 4 practices and 4 games, although more may be added if additional coaching support can be found.  More information on the objectives of the All-Girls program can be found below.

The other teams are open to both girls and boys.

The 13U competitive team may enter a fall tournament.  If they do, there will be an additional cost to the participating players.

The 18U competitive team will enter a fall tournament and the intention is to play at least 10 games, weather permitting. The registration fee includes the cost to participate in the tournament.

More details are available on the 18U AAA Fall Ball team page.

FIELD locations

Home games will be scheduled for Nanaimo Park in Vancouver.  Most practices will take place there too, but some may be scheduled for Hillcrest Park, Chadecott Park, or Trafalgar Park. 

Away games will take place at parks around the Metro Vancouver area, almost always on weekends.  Associations we'll travel to may be North Shore, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Tsawwassen, Ladner, Delta, Richmond, Langley, Surrey, and Cloverdale.  Car pools will be arranged for players who need rides.

Game times and season length

Most games will take place on the weekends as there is insufficient light to play evening games by September.   Some associations have lighted fields and can host weekday evening games, which is a great experience.

On weekends, double-headers are common, usually games would take place at 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm.  On such days, you may attend one or both games.

There are no league standings, so all games are considered exhibition.  The game schedule is organized by the team coach by contacting other associations and arranging games at mutually agreeable times.

The season starts as early as the last weekend of August and ends when the weather gets too cold and wet to play,  typically around Thanksgiving.  However, if the weather stays fair we may continue to run the program until the end of October.

Tournaments may be offered for some divisions.  Players participating in any tournaments will be charged an extra tournament entry fee, in addition to the base registration fee.

Game format

Games are typically 7 innings but are also usually time-limited so that no new inning begins after 2 hours of playing time. 

Fall ball is intended to be more developmental than competitive, so innings are typically capped at 3 or 4 runs, but the exact number is flexible and may change from game to game.  There will be an emphasis on equality of playing time and giving players a chance to play various positions (including pitcher).

commitment expectations

We recognize that most baseball players are participating in other sports in September and October and those other sports will frequently be prioritized over baseball.  For this reason, rosters will normally be made up of at least 15 players.  The coaches will do their best to ensure everyone at the game gets equal playing time.   That said, if you say you're coming to a game, please show up.  It's crappy when 8 players are present but 10 were expected.  VCB does not give refunds for missed games.

Withdrawls

If you change your mind about participating our fall baseball program, you may request a refund from the VCB Registrar.  Refunds will be pro-rated for September.  No refunds will be provided after Sept. 20.  VCB will keep a minimum of $15 for credit card processing fees which we do not recover from our payment processor for refunds.

Girls Baseball is an important branch of our Mounties Program.   We believe very strongly in the advancement of this sport under the girls and women umbrella in a way to create a more equitable experience.  

Our Mission is:

To deliver baseball programming specific to girls in a fun, positive and safe environment

Our Values are:

• Sense of Belonging
• Acceptance
• Friendships
• Increasing Self-Esteem
• Building Confidence
• Fun Atmosphere
• Developing athletic skills 

The program is designed for athletes who identify as a girl, aged 12 & above. This program focuses on building baseball skills, encouraging confidence, resilience and of course having lots of fun!  Our goal is to provide a safe and challenging environment for athletes to learn, practice and play baseball.  The season will aim to help all athletes develop the six tools of baseball.

Qualified coaches will instruct the fundamentals and basic skills of baseball all while being friends & mentors, teaching important life skills and leaving participants full of confidence.

For more information on Girls Baseball Programing In BC please visit https://www.baseball.bc.ca/girls

Baseball BC invites you to learn how you can advance gender equity in your baseball community! 

Together, Baseball BC (the Provincial Sport Organization for baseball in British Columbia, Canada) and their Regional Coordinators host FREE information sessions to share information and experiences on how we all can advance girls & women in sports by being more inclusive. This presentation provides information and easy steps on how to implement gender-equitable programming, increasing the number of females of all genders playing, coaching, officiating, and volunteering in your local association. The strongest associations build awareness and discussion to promote accessibility and representation throughout all areas, from Grassroot programs to executive roles. As a result and due to high demand, we created a video to reach more people. The link to the video presentation is below. Also, be sure to check out the manual below called "Learn How Associations Can Engage More Girls & Women in Baseball", which was the driving force behind this video. Hopefully, you find a few takeaways from this presentation that might help you and/or your association engage more athletes.

Watch how being more Inclusive can Advance Girls and Women in Sport here https://youtu.be/AI7A97JX8Yg

Click Here to Learn How Associations can Engage more Girls & Women in Baseball

If you have any questions about Fall Ball, please direct them to the people listed in the table below.