The purpose of this web page is to familiarize new prospective team managers and coaches with how F.A.B.L. baseball operates and to give them some necessary information which will be helpful.
You can learn a great deal about the league by looking over the various pages comprising our web site, we suggest you do just that. After you have fully researched the F.A.B.L. site, you might have some specific questions you need answered, please feel free to e-mail those questions to F.A.B.L., we will respond promptly to your inquirers. You can e-mail us from the home page.
Thank you for considering us as a home for your youth baseball team.
To make this page effective and informative we have decided to use a question and answer format.
Q. Can any team join F.A.B.L.?
A. Yes, basically... We welcome all youth baseball teams between the ages of 8 and college age players. Currently, we are fielding teams whose home fields are located in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk County, New York. We reserve the right to screen, approve or reject potential team managers and coaches.
Q. Does a manager or coach need to have a baseball background to bring a team into F.A.B.L.?
A. No, you need not be an expert on the subject of baseball. Of course, baseball experience and knowledge will help. What is more important, especially concerning the young divisions (under 16) is your temperament, behavior and attitude in dealing with young children and their parents.
Q. Am I required to teach baseball to my players?
A. No, F.A.B.L. doesn't require you to instruct players. If you are qu a lified to teach baseball and wish to make that a part of your team program, F.A.B.L. welcomes and appreciates your effort.
Q. Can F.A.B.L. help me if I am not very experienced in managing or coaching youth baseball?
A. F.A.B.L. conducts a coach's clinic each year prior to the start of the season. Former professional baseball players and major league scouts give this one night seminar. It is a mandatory clinic for first time F.A.B.L. 10 to 12 year old managers and coaches.
Q. If my team played in a different organization or league can I bring that same team into F.A.B.L.?
A. Yes you can. Please be advised that we do communicate with various other baseball leagues and organizations and exchange information concerning managers and coaches who have been expelled or suspended. If you have had a problem with another organization or league you must be forthright with F.A.B.L. If this is your situation, we might ask you to appear at a special hearing to explain the circumstances of your suspension.
Q. Do I need to have a home field to enter a team in F.A.B.L.?
A. Yes, you do. There are rare and unusual situations that have occurred in which the F.A.B.L. Board of Directors has allowed a team to play games without a home field. Each one of these cases had special and unique circumstances and you should not operate under the assumption that F.A.B.L. will accept your application without a home field. If this is your situation, please communicate with F.A.B.L.
Q. Will there be meetings I should attend?
A. Yes, There are several meetings for team managers and coaches which take place before the season starts. You should attend these meetings. The first meeting is held in late January. This is mainly an orientation meeting, if you are new to the league it is a good opportunity to meet members of the F.A.B.L. Board of Directors and discuss with them any special problems your p a rticular team or organization might have. At the meeting, discussions are held concerning any new rules that might have been implemented concerning the forthcoming season, the latest information concerning insurance, changes in league procedure and policy, playing field problems and general information that is important for you as an F.A.B.L. manager and coach to know. Final Registration for all teams 13 through 18 will be in early March - all fees will be due.
About Mid-February there is a first meeting for 12 year old and under team managers and coaches. This meeting is an opportunity to meet with the division coordinators and discuss details concerning the forthcoming season. In late March there is a meeting for all 12 year old and under managers and coaches playing in the spring season. It is at this meeting that signed rosters, birth certificates (copies), proof of insurance must be submitted to the league. Preliminary schedules are issued as well as baseballs. During the first week of April, the league will mail season schedules to each team manager along with the opponent manager phone numbers. This gives teams an opportunity to make final adjustments and changes to their schedules.
The second meeting for 13 year old s through 18 year olds summer season managers and coaches is held in mid-April. At that meeting you will be required to hand-in your final and completed schedule. It is at this meeting that you are expected to purchase your game baseballs.
The last meeting for summer teams is held in May. This is a division level meeting which is conducted by the Division Coordinator. At this meeting you will receive your league approved final schedule. You will be required to hand in your roster, player wavier forms and copies of liability insurance for players who have left another F.A.B.L. team to play on your team and copies of each player's birth certificate. You will receive a final briefing from your Division Coordinator.
Q. What are the F.A.B.L. seasons and how long are they?
A. F.A.B.L. offers the 8, 10, 11 & 12 year old teams, spring, summer and fall seasons, the 13 to 18 year old teams can play summer and fall while the College Division teams play just a summer season. For the 8, 10, 11, & 12-year-old teams, the spring season usually starts in mid-April and concludes at the end of June. The 10, 11, & 12-year-old teams start their summer season during the first week of July and conclude the last week of August. The 10, 11, & 12-year-old teams start the fall season in early September and conclude at the end of October. For the College Division and 13 to 18 year old teams, they start their summer season the last week of May and conclude mid-August. The 13 to 18 year old teams start their fall season on the second week of September and conclude in early November. The 10, 11 & 12 year old spring season is about 20 games that are played as Sunday doubleheaders, the summer season is about 2 0 games that are played one weekday and one doubleheader weekend, the fall season is about 16 games that are played as Saturday doubleheaders. The 13 & 14-year-old teams play a summer season of about 33 games on Monday, Wednesday & Saturday doubleheaders and a fall season of 16 games as Sunday doubleheaders. The 15 & 16-year-old teams play a summer season of about 33 games on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday doubleheaders and a fall season of 16 games as Sunday doubleheaders. The 17 & 18 year old teams play a summer season of about 33 games on Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday doubleheaders and Fall doubleheaders on Sunday. F.A.B.L. refers to its fall baseball program as the Snowflake League and starts weekends after Labor Day.
Q. Must a team play all the seasons?
A. No, your team can play in any one or more seasons.
Q. Does my team need insurance and how do I obtain it?
A. Currently, F.A.B.L. has arrangements whereby F.A.B.L. teams (roster players, managers & coaches only) can acquire both liability and medical coverage. Since we negotiate as a group we are able to keep insurance costs down. If you wish, you may obtain the liability portion of your insurance, but all medical insurance must be obtained from our league. All teams must provide F.A.B.L. with proof of liability insurance before being placed on the season's schedule.
Q. For summer season, do I need to purchase baseballs from F.A.B.L.?
A. Yes, it is an F.A.B.L. rule that all summer games are played with an official F.A.B.L. baseball. The baseball purchasing requirements are 8 to 12 year old division teams receive two-dozen baseballs per spring and summer season. Cost will be discussed at Registration Meeting.
Q. What are the fees to join, insurance fees and umpire fees?
A. All fees are discussed at Registration Meeting.
Q. What is F.A.B.L.'s relationship with Babe Ruth, N.A.B.F., A.A.B.C., Pony and A.A.A.B.A.?
A. For information on these organizations, visit our website for direct links to them. These organizations are the oldest and most respected youth baseball programs in the United States. F.A.B.L. maintains membership in these baseball associations and is very proud of its good standing and affiliations. These affiliations conduct the most competitive youth baseball programs in the world. Each of these organizations holds local, regional and national tournaments. Each year, each one of these organizations senior National Championship team is honored by being enshrined in the Youth Baseball section of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. If you are to bring a team into F.A.B.L., you, your coaches, parents and players must enter one of these tournaments which can lead to a national championship. Each organization has slightly different age denotations and roster requirements, be assured if your team is one of the best it will be awarded a bid to one of these organizations championship tournaments. As the season unfolds, if your one of the better teams, you need to start communicating with your division coordinator concerning the cost and details of taking your team into a tournament.
Q. How do I go about registering my team?
A. At this web site you can print a Team Registration application. Fill in the information and mail it along with your league fee.
Q. How can F.A.B.L. help me acquire players for my team?
A. After your Registration Form has been submitted and League Fee has been paid you may contact players that have placed notices on the Managers & Coaches Bulletin Board. You can post, on the home page of your team's age group, a free ad announcing that you are seeking players and information about trying out for your team. Please note that initial communications is via e-mail with a player's parent.
Q. Can I manager a team without having access to the Internet?
A. It is going to be next to impossible for you to function as an F.A.B.L. manager or coach without access to our web site. If you are a team manager without direct access to the F.A.B.L. web site it is imperative that you create good communications with a coach or team parent who will check the web site often. If for some reason web site access cannot be achieved, contact F.A.B.L. at 631-544-6165.
Q. Aside from using the F.A.B.L. web site, what other source of F.A.B.L. information is there?
A. F.A.B.L. publishes a newsletter which is mailed, free to all those in the F.A.B.L. database. The publication is also placed in key locations in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties. The database is ever expanding as more players and teams enter our league, It is the policy of F.A.B.L. to welcome all teams that wish to play in our league. If you have questions or require special assistance, please feel free to contact F.A.B.L. and we will be as helpful as we can. We are devoted to the betterment of youth baseball!
Copyright © by Long Island Federation of Amateur Baseball Leagues All Right Reserved.
