Registration Information, Divisions & Pricing

Published by Wendy Mullen

Dec 16, 2024

Dear Parents,

Registration for our 2025 Spring Season will be open from January 10, 2025, and close at midnight on March 15, 2025. Fall registration is open June 1, 2025 through July 15, 2025.

To register online, go to www.gcybsa.com and click on the red circle that says "click here to register online" located in the top right corner of this website or under our sponsor box (near Dick's Sporting Goods logo).

For program information and descriptions of divisions, please read the 2025 Program Information Guide under the "Available to Download" section (bottom section on the right side of the website).

We hope to have spring rosters completed and sent to coaches the week of April 21, 2025. Please watch your email for an email from your coach that week. Please allow a few days for them to contact you as they do work full time.

Small Ball Pre-K (4 1/2 & 5-year-olds) will be on 5 consecutive Tuesdays. These are not games but clinic-like practices that will last approximately 45 minutes each. We will have a game at the end of the season. We will offer 5:30 and 6:30 sessions. Spring Session Dates: May 6, 13, 20 27, June 3 and 10, 2025. The end-of-season "Big Game" will be on Saturday, June 14, at either 9 am or 11 am. The alternate "Big Game" rain-out date will be Saturday, June 21, 2025, at either 9 or 11 am. The cost is $75. Includes player jersey, hat and participation trophy.

T-Ball Kindergarten (6U) will play Saturday morning games and practice once during the week. The first game is on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at either 9 am, 10 am, or 11 am with practices starting the week prior (weather dependent). The cost is $115. Includes participation trophy.

Coach Pitch Grade 1 (7u) will be Friday evenings and practice once during the week. The first game is Friday, May 2, 2025, with practices starting the week prior. The cost is $135. Includes jersey, hat, and participation trophy.

Coach Pitch Grade 2 (8u) will be Friday evenings and practice once during the week. The first game is on Friday, May 2, 2025, with practices starting the week prior. The cost is $135. Includes jersey, hat, and participation trophy.
Practices start the week prior.

Baseball Age 9U will play games on Mondays and Wednesdays and practice once on the weekend. The first game is on Monday, May 5, 2025, with practices starting the week prior. The cost is $150. Includes jersey and hat.

Baseball Age 10U will play games on Tuesdays and Thursdays and practice once on the weekend. The first game is Tuesday, May 6, 2025, with practices starting the week prior. The cost is $150. Includes jersey and hat.

Baseball Age 11/12U will play games on Tuesdays and Thursdays and practice once on the weekend. The first game is Tuesday, May 6, 2025, with practices starting the week prior. The cost is $160. Includes jersey and hat.
Please note the games will be at 6 pm or 8 pm.

Baseball Age 13/14U will play games on Mondays and Wednesdays and practice once on the weekend. The first game is Monday, May 5, 2025, with practices starting the week before. The cost is $165. Includes jersey and hat.
Please note the games will be at 6 pm or 8 pm,

Baseball High School Ages 15-18U will play games starting second week of June (practices start end of May). Games will be on various games nights depending on the home team's field availability. We will play against other nearby communities such as Northville, Livonia, Westland and Howell. The cost is $200. This is only offered in the summer.

Girls Softball Division

Girls Softball Coach Pitch Ages 7-8 (Agues 6 - 8 and typically 1st and 2nd grades). Games will be on Wednesdays in Plymouth Canton with one weekend practice. If we play with neighboring communities then there may be a few additional games on a different day based on their home field availability. First game is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Cost is $135.

Girls Softball Ages 9 & 10 (Ages 9 and 10 and typically 3rd and 4th graders) will play games on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Plymouth Canton with one weekend practice. If we play with neighboring communities then there may be a few additional games on a different day based on their home field availability. First game is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Cost is $150 which includes a jersey and hat.

Girls Softball Ages 11-12 - (Ages 11-12 and typically 5th - 6th graders) will play games on Mondays and Wednesdays with one weekend practice. If we play with neighboring communities then there may be a few additional games on a different day based on their home field availability. The first game is tentatively set for Monday, May 5, 2025. The cost is $160 which includes a jersey and hat.

Girls Softball Ages 13-14 - (Ages 13-14 and typically 7th - 8th graders) will play games on Mondays and Wednesdays with one weekend practice. If we play with neighboring communities then there may be a few additional games on a different day based on their home field availability. The first game is tentatively set for Monday, May 5, 2025. The cost is $160 which includes a jersey and hat.

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The state of Michigan has introduced a new law regarding concussions. It is mandatory that all coaches take an online concussion training class and provide us with a certificate of completion. A Parent & Athlete Concussion Information Sheet is listed on page 17 of the 2025 Program Guide. Parents should read this and by signing the waiver on the registration form, you have acknowledged you were provided this information sheet and have read it.

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To assist you with your registration questions, we have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Please see below.

How do I register?

Spring registration opens each year on January 10th and closes on March 15th. Fall registration opens each year on June 10th and closes on July 15th. You may register online by visiting our website at www.gcybsa.com and clicking on the red circle that says "Click here to register online". The red circle is located at the top right corner of this website and under the sponsor box near Dick's Sporting Goods logo. A Mail-In/Walk-In Registration form is also available on our website under the “Available for Download" section. The signed Parent & Athlete Concussion Information Sheet must also be returned along with the registration form. The Mail-In/Walk-In Registration forms must either be mailed to GCYBSA, 46555 Michigan Avenue, Canton, MI, 48188, or dropped off at our office at Canton Sports Center at the above address. Please note, Mail-In/Walk-In Registration forms must be submitted and received by February 15th for the spring season and by June 30th for the fall season.

Is there a multi-player family discount?

Yes, we offer a multi-family discount for 3 or more players registering in our league for the same season. The third player (lowest-priced division) is half off. In order to receive the family discount, you must register online. The system will automatically give the youngest child the discount. You must register all players and pay in the same cart for the system to give you the discount. If registering a child at a different time, please contact Wendy Mullen at [email protected] so she can make the adjustment for you manually.

How are teams formed?

Teams are formed by returning players first. If there is an opening on that team, we will fill it with request or a player based on the school.

Can I make a request for team placement?

You may make a request for team placement. Attempts will be made to accommodate requests, but parents are cautioned that not all requests can be granted. If there is a request for a specific team and there is an opening and the player attends the same school as other players on the team, then we will most likely grant that request. Please note, we will not remove a player from his/her current team to make room for a new request. There are times we do have to combine schools depending on the number of players signed up at each grade/age level per school. Refunds are not given based on a request not being filled.

Can girls sign up for baseball?

All baseball programs are coed. Our Small Ball and T-Ball divisions comprise both boys and girls. Girls will have two options for ages 7 and above. Girls interested in playing softball may sign up for Softball at Age 8. Girls interested in playing baseball may continue to play coach pitch and beyond. Most girls do generally tend to move towards softball.

Are there tryouts?

There are no tryouts held for our recreational teams. We do hold tryouts for our travel and competitive teams. These tryouts outs are held at the end of July or the beginning of August each year. The dates will be posted on our website at www.gcybsa.com in early July. If your child is interested in playing up a grade/year he/she must attend a play-up evaluation which will be held during the travel/competitive tryouts. Play-up evaluations are only held for players seeking to play up to Grade 3-Age 9 and above divisions. Along with the evaluation, your child has to be approved by the commissioner.

What is the cut-off date for baseball and/or softball?

For recreational players, we have moved to use the player's grade for placement. Players can still play a division by age, we will use both.

The national cut-off age for enrolling in baseball is April 30 of that year and for softball the age of Dec. 31 of the prior year. Example: To play Baseball Grade 4 – Age 10, you should be 10 years old on or before April 30, 2025, or in grade 5. To play Softball Ages 9 & 10, you should be 10 years old or under as of Dec. 31, 2024. These dates are used for our travel and competitive programs. In our recreational program, we have extended the cut-off date to allow players to play by grade so players are with their classmates. If your player is young for his/her grade, we or even you may want to consider moving them into the lower grade category.

Can my child play up or down in the Grade/Age division in recreational?

Playing Up:

We have already extended the cutoff age to include players in the same grade. To play a grade above the current grade level, the player must be in grade 2 or higher and attend the player evaluation held during the travel/competitive tryouts. These tryouts/evaluations are held in August of the previous year and the date(s) are published on our website. The commissioner for that age group must also approve. We will not allow players to play up if they have not passed an evaluation or are not at the appropriate grade level.

Playing Down:

In some instances, players will request to play down. Circumstances are considered on an individual basis. If your player is young for his/her grade, we will consider moving them into the lower grade division.

How can I volunteer to be a coach?

In order to volunteer as a coach, you must fill out a Coach Application form. This form may be found on our website at www.gcybsa.com under the “Available for Download" section. A background check will be performed and if you are selected, you must attend the coach meeting held prior to the start of the season. For more information, please email us at [email protected].

What nights are games on and when are practices?

The registration form will reflect the game nights that are most commonly assigned to particular grade/age divisions. These dates are tentative. Players should be prepared to play as needed on weekends or weekday nights especially in the case of make-up games due to inclement weather.

Practices are generally held once per week/and or at the discretion of the coach. The coach's schedule and field availability will determine the practice evening. For T-Ball and Coach Pitch divisions, practices are generally held during the week with games held on Friday evening (Coach Pitch) or Saturday morning (T-Ball). For Grade 3 (Age 9) division through Grade 7th/8th (Ages 13/14) practices are typically held during the weekend while two games are held during the week. Typical game nights are as follows:

For a list of game days, please see Spring or Fall Program Divisions listed at the top of this document.

How long is the season?

The season may vary by grade/age group depending on field availability, weather, and holidays. The Spring season generally begins in the early to middle of May and concludes by July 4th or middle of July. For T-ball, Coach Pitch, and baseball divisions Grade 3 (Age 9) and higher, we attempt to finish the regular season and the playoff tournament prior to July 4th. Softball games for coach pitch typically go into the middle of July (July 4th week off). Coaches may elect to play reschedule those games into June. Softball playoffs could go into July depending on the number of rainouts. Softball starts a week or two later than the baseball division.

The fall season begins in the middle of August and concludes in the middle of October.

Can siblings play on the same team?

Siblings may play on the same team if they are twins, triplets, or quads. GCYBSA generally discourages siblings of different grades/ages from playing together because it requires approving a player to play up, which then takes a spot away from a grade/age-appropriate player and more importantly, often diminishes the experience for one of the siblings. It is best to have the siblings on separate teams so they each have a chance to shine and not compete against each other.

If an evaluation occurs, or there are blended grade/age groups in the program such as softball or fall baseball, then it may be okay for siblings to play together on the same team.

When will I know the assigned coach and when does practice begin?

Rosters will be emailed to coaches the week of April 22, 2024. Coaches will contact their players that week. Some coaches may be out of town during spring break while others may be in town. So please allow them time to contact you. If you have not heard from your coach after spring break has concluded then please email us at [email protected] or look for instructions on the website at www.gcybsa.com.

Practices typically begin the first week of May. Fields are not available until after spring break and are not officially assigned until released by the schools or the townships. Teams meeting and practicing prior to field permits being issued do so without the sanctioning of GCYBSA.

What equipment will be provided? What equipment do I need to provide?

GCYBSA will provide each registered player with a jersey and hat. Teams will be provided with baseballs, bats, and catching gear for divisions T-Ball and up. Players are to provide their own helmet, glove, pants, appropriate athletic shoes, protective cup. Players should not share helmets for sanitary reasons. Players will need their own glove and batting helmet.

Small Ball – A participation shirt will be provided. Each player should have their own baseball glove. All other necessary equipment will be provided by the league for this division.